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| Claire Fontaine walks across the Pilgrims' Way |
What have in common Joseph de Ca'th Lon, Tina Picotes, Claire Fontaine and The Grandma?
All of them speak Romanic languages. Joseph de Ca'th Lon speaks Italian, French and his native language, Romansh; Claire Fontaine speaks French; Tina Picotes speaks French and her native language is Monegasque and The Grandma speaks French, Spanish and her native language, Catalan. All of them have a common past, the Roman culture and the Latin language and because of this, they have wanted to walk across the Pilgrim's Way and the Roman road in Ix-Xemxija, St. Paul's Bay.
Xemxija, in Maltese Ix-Xemxija, is a suburb on the western part of St. Paul's Bay in the Northern Region. It is a quiet resort, all surrounded by some of the most fertile valleys and Maltese countryside.
All of them speak Romanic languages. Joseph de Ca'th Lon speaks Italian, French and his native language, Romansh; Claire Fontaine speaks French; Tina Picotes speaks French and her native language is Monegasque and The Grandma speaks French, Spanish and her native language, Catalan. All of them have a common past, the Roman culture and the Latin language and because of this, they have wanted to walk across the Pilgrim's Way and the Roman road in Ix-Xemxija, St. Paul's Bay.
Xemxija, in Maltese Ix-Xemxija, is a suburb on the western part of St. Paul's Bay in the Northern Region. It is a quiet resort, all surrounded by some of the most fertile valleys and Maltese countryside.
More information: How to Malta
There is also a picturesque small fishing harbour. The resort is the gateway to the sandy and popular beaches of Golden Bay and to Mellieħa Bay. There are a number of hotels and restaurants in Ix-Xemxija. The area around Ix-Xemxija has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It contains a number of archaeological sites, which now form a heritage trail. These include a number of rock-hewn tombs, remains of two megalithic temples, a Bronze Age grain silo, trogloditic dwellings, cart ruts, a Roman road, and Roman apiaries.
In around 1715, the Order of St. John built Arrias Battery as part of a series of fortifications defending Malta's coastline. It was also called Ix-Xemxija Battery since it was on the sunny side of the bay, Ix-Xemxija means sunny in Maltese, and the area around it became known as Ix-Xemxija.
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| Joseph de Ca'th Lon crosses The Pilgrims' Way |
In 1839, the British built an aqueduct allowing the transportation of water. The water travelled from an underground aqueduct in an area in Wardija, known as tal-Ballut, that extends to an above ground aqueduct and then to a reservoir both in Xemxija. The conservation of water was needed for the British military and their horses, who surveilled the area from the nearby defence posts. An underground emergency flour mill was built in Ix-Xemxija during the Cold War. It has been restored to working condition by the Fondazzjoni Wirt Industrijali Malti, the Maltese Industrial Heritage Foundation, and is now open to the public.
Since the 1980s, several apartment blocks were built in Xemxija making it a popular residential area. It is also a small resort, mainly catering with bars and restaurants. The Simar Nature Reserve forms part of the suburb.
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On the eastern edge of Bajda Ridge, overlooking Ix-Xemxija, are concentrated a wide variety of archaeological sites ranging from the Neolithic age more than 5500 years ago, through Punic and Roman times.
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| The Grandma enters in the ancient cave |
The area is well cared for and organised into an interesting heritage trail starting uphill along a road dating back to the Roman era that cuts across the ridge past ancient cave dwellings, tombs and apiaries, heading towards Mellieħa. In the Miżieb woodland to the west of the road are ruins of what may have been a megalthic temple.
To the east one can head towards punic tombs and more cave dwellings. Yet further east one comes across a prehistoric grain silo and a cluster of six rock-cut neolithic tombs dating from the early temple period, 5500 years ago. In the northeast, overlooking Mistra Valley and Mistra Gate, beneath the cart ruts, one can find the Roman baths in an evocative setting on the cliff face.
More information: Exploring Malta
Bajda Ridge is bound to the south by Pwales Valley and to the north by Miżieb and Mistra Valleys. From the top of this ridge one can enjoy views of Xemxija Bay and St. Paul's Bay in the distance, Is-Simar Nature Reserve in Pwales Valley and Mellieħa Ridge and Selmun Palace to the north.
We're all pilgrims on the same journey
but some pilgrims have better road maps.
Nelson DeMille
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