Getting friendly in Malta - Part 2

Sandra Martin says modern Malta is more urban than rural:

So after tromping around Valletta and making a day trip to Mdina, the old capital of Malta - a medieval town often called the Silent City because of its maze of interconnected alleyways and corridors - we needed a break and decided to take the ferry to Gozo, the second largest island in the Malta archipelago.

Gozo is countryside: fruitful but rugged with a stunningly beautiful seacoast. Legend has it that Gozo is the Isle of Calypso, the nymph who detained Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. He renounced the charms of the place after seven years, but a modern visitor could well have more trouble doing so. Even though there has been talk of building a link to the main island, most residents seem relieved that the plan has been shelved because of costs.

And so, having spent a night away, we kept, more or less, to our "fish rule" and returned to our friends recharged with fresh stories, an abundant supply of Maltese wines and an invitation to dine at an upscale restaurant. Before we climbed into the back seat of the taxi that was taking us to the airport, we gave our friends a copy of Margaret Atwood's Payback: Debt as Metaphor and the Shadow Side of Wealth, by way of a promissory note. And on the flight home, we decided to renovate our guest room. You never know when friends will want to visit.