A performance of flag bearers; Gozo, Malta

What was that strange place name I kept encountering while searching for a guidebook for a May ’09 trip to Malta? Gozo. Online searching revealed that Malta is not just a single, small island located in the middle of the Mediterranean; it is actually an archipelago composed of numerous islands, including an island called Gozo, located off the extreme northwest corner of the country’s main island. It was a Saturday when I took a day trip to Gozo during a free day on a tour of Tunisia, and I was surprised to find the car ferry packed with hordes of visitors, as was practically every site on the island.

I was enjoying wandering around Gozo’s capital city, Victoria, and its major artery, Republic Street, when, suddenly, I heard the blaring of trumpets, the beating of drums and the rhythm of marching feet. It was a parade of men in Renaissance-type attire marching up the street and turning to ascend to the heights of the city’s citadel. It was a long, arduous climb up steep, cobblestone streets and long, stone stairways to reach the citadel.

It was definitely a climb only for the physically fit, but I found it was worth the trip, as the plaza was packed with people witnessing a reenactment of military drills of the era. The performance of the flag bearers has to have been one of the finest, most cleverly choreographed performances I’ve seen anywhere.

DAVID J. PATTEN
St. Petersburg, FL