We picked this house because we wanted to be in a non-touristy part of Gozo and the photos looked lovely. This home is indeed as beautiful as pictured and is just a short walk uphill from the main square, which made it possible to gently enter into the tempo of life of a small village. (We arrived during the last days of the festa, which happens once a year, and so had a rare immersion in town spirit.)

The house itself has been lovingly and thoughtfully restored and is a haven of comfort and calm. If we hadn't been there during a heat wave we would have made more use of the outdoor garden patio with jacuzzi and the first-floor balcony and roof deck. Lilian and Joe greeted us at the ferry on arrival and also arranged to drive us back there when we left. They were extremely charming and helpful, managing to get us a reservation at their favorite restaurant for dinner the night we arrived and offering many other great suggestions. As part of their welcome, they showed us the supermarket, bakery, and closest bus stop, and left us a complimentary bottle of wine plus a few necessities in the fridge.

We were able to get around the island easily on the new air-conditioned buses that run very much on time, though the wait time between buses sometimes required a bit of patience. Gozo feels different than Malta, and the people seem open, friendly, and somehow deeply soulful. Malta had a slightly more pan-European feel, while on Gozo we had a stronger sense of the unique and impressive character of the land and people. All in all, we felt this house was a real find.