Gozo- Anything new?

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Some new Government offices, E-residence office in Rabat is all I know is recently new.
Gozo, where time stands still. 

that's reassuring

Xaghra was the first place we ever visited when we first went to Gozo back in 2010. There were two benches in the main square which were filled with local men chatting, bickering, gesticulating. It seemed like they probably did this everyday and I wanted in! So many benches sit empty in England due to the long winters, wet springs, wet summers, wet autumns.

A good Mediterranean bench is filled with life.

I used to walk through the old town in Victoria with my daughter and we would often stop and take five minutes on a bench to talk about the important things in life: how do bees make honey; why can't I have another icecream; why is that old lady washing her steps again. The locals would stop and say hello- some of them appearing from behind wicker blinds to hand out candy (how my daughter didn't end up having to be rolled onto the plane to England I'll never know!)

Outside our appartment in Fontana was a bench where all the neighbours, who were also all related, would congragate to chat in the early evening about idle thoughts that had been shelved through the hot days. The stray cats were a big talking point, on one occasion our landlady, who mistakenly believed us to be vets, knocked our door requesting: "please, come look at my pussy!" Well, it made a change from someone asking to read the meter.

So yes, I'm coming back for the benches. There are still benches aren't there? I'm going to look very silly now if there are no benches anymore.

Hi there, welcme to the forum.

There are lots of nice benches in Rundle Gardens, Victoria, which re opened in 2012 after have a facelift/refurb, its very nice in there with an ampitheatre and lots of trees, plants and flowers, also free WiFi.

Shopping wise there is a Lidl supermarket being built on the outskirts of Victoria and in the Duke Shopping Centre a George (as in ASDA) clothing store has opened and the Arcadia supermarket now has Waitrose products.

I think Gozo will still be pretty much as you left it apart from a few changes, hope your plans work out 

Oh yes, the benches are still used and very lively! Interesting perspective, I'm going to pay more attention, thanks.

Glad to hear the gardens finally reopened. Are dogs allowed in? I think my dog could pass for an ugly baby if not.

redmik, maybe sometime in the future we may find ourselves arguing over the price of a courgette on one of the many benches.

Thank you for your kind replies. I need to put my snorkel on in readiness for the shops now.