Marsaxlokk is a small picturesque fishing village in the South East of the island, easily reached using public transport...we travelled there using our bus pass.

Like other coastal regions of Malta it is succumbing to increasing levels of tourism, drawn by the attractive harbour, secluded swimming spots and better beaches. The resort hotels will doubtless follow.

On Sundays the harbour promenade plays host to a busy open air market Normally the fishing catch is sent to market in the town of Marsa but on Sunday the mornings catch is sold directly to consumers from stalls in the market. If you have still not had your fill of fresh fish, lunch can be taken in one of the many excellent restaurants lining the harbour. An ideal spot for a little people watching, relaxing watching the brightly coloured fishing boats (called Luzzu) bobbing on the blue water and enjoying a chilled glass of the local white wine...I'd recommend the 1919 Chardonnay Gigerntina!

Another long wait and we are back on the bus, heading West to visit the megalithic temples at Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. Interesting how every pile of "prehistoric" rocks happens to be a interpreted as a Temple...the locals must have been a terribly religious lot, it's a shame they didn't hang their bells for full circle ringing though!

As noted elsewhere the temple complex shows signs of modern reconstruction, with little evidence of what the original structure actually looked like. We are presented with a selected narrative and, while interesting, it somehow it feels a little contrived and unsatisfactory. The style of the interpretation and reconstruction appears to be very similar between the sites of Hagar Qim, Mnajdra and Ggantija in Gozo. It is not clear if the same team were involved in the archaeology and interpretation of the modern remains.

At the time of the excavation of the site a number of artefacts and statues, the most famous being "The Venus of Malta", were discovered, but these have long since been removed for safe keeping.