Baron Gozo Blog

Gozo Guest Story 1: A home from home…

Posted on 16 April 2020

Photo credit: Rami Diab

It’s time to vote for your favourite #GozoGuestStories!

Our two short-listed entrants are now in the running to win a holiday for up to 8 people at our Four Winds holiday home. Located in the village of Kercem, close to Xlendi on the west coast of Gozo, the Four Winds Holiday Home features a private pool and fabulous views of the surrounding countryside.

The short listed finalists are: Rami Diab and Lois Sandy.

We’re publishing each story separately to allow you to read them through and decide which one you’d like to share and comment on via Facebook and Twitter.

The story that receives the most likes, comments and shares on social media between 15 and 30 April 2020 will be deemed the overall winner.

Baron Holiday Homes will then announce the overall winner on Saturday 2 May via social media.

 

Here’s our first finalist: Rami Diab

Rami is originally from Germany but now lives in Austria. He loves active, adventurous holidays and has visited Gozo many times.

In 2019 he visited Gozo with a group of close friends to celebrate his 30th birthday. They stayed in The Arches Holiday Home, in Kercem, which sleeps nine people. They had fun exploring the island on scooters.

He loves Gozo’s sunsets and the friendliness of the local people. His favourite beer is Cisk and he also loves the traditionally home-made bread and pizza at Mekren’s Bakery on the way to Ramla.

 

Gozo-cliffs-and-sea.jpg

Photo: Rami Diab

Rami’s Story

Are you familiar with the feeling you get, when you realize that a very simple question about your life turns out to be much more profound than expected?

I had this feeling just recently when someone asked me where my home was. Initially, I wanted to mention the small town in Germany where I was born. But then again, I currently live in the beautiful town of Innsbruck in Austria, so that must be it!

Yet, after some thinking, I came to realize again that home is not where you are from or where you live, but probably rather the place to which you have the strongest emotional attachment. And while I am lucky enough to have lived in lots of great places across Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean and Asia, I soon realized that there could only be one place: my favourite little island – Gozo.

I first visited Gozo back in 2012. At that time, I knew nothing about the Maltese or Gozitan culture. I had probably never even met someone from there beforehand, so apart from a rather factual Wikipedia article, I had no idea about the Gozitan way of life at all.

It was early morning in December – not too hot and not too cold – and I very clearly remember my first walk from the village of Gharb to Victoria. Without a particular destination, I just wanted to get a sense of scale and explore the surroundings a bit.

green-gozo.jpgPhoto: Rami Diab

To my surprise, the island was much greener than expected and the winter seemed to have truly transformed the landscapes. Only a few cars passed by and I remember this incredible silence and the fresh island breeze along with it.

And when I walked underneath the Gozo Aqueduct and approached the first limestone houses of the capital, I really felt like entering another world. I made my way up to the cathedral in Victoria to get a better view and I am pretty sure that once I arrived, I had the first feeling of ‘falling-in-love’ with the island.

During the coming days, I explored so many other things that Gozo has to offer – friendly people, fantastic beaches, unique diving sites, delicious food, cozy villages, and marketplaces.

Needless to say, I returned to Gozo almost every year since then. Just last year I returned with some friends to celebrate my 30th birthday there. And despite it being such a small island, every time I visit, I discover something new.

The excitement always starts when boarding the ferry from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr. And when slowly approaching the island and looking across the sea, I start to feel a strong sense of connection to this place and realize that I will probably always come back as long as I can – and this probably means that Gozo is where I feel truly home.

 

If you’d like to help Rami win the prize, then don’t forget to share this blog post on social media, or like and comment on our social media posts. Don’t forget to tag Baron Holiday Homes Gozo on Facebook and @BaronHolidays on Twitter and use the hashtag #GozoGuestStories.

Posted in Competition, Fun, Local cuisine, Relaxation, Things to do, Village Life

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