Good day and welcome to my first ever blog. I am the webmaster (in authoritative and slightly pompous voice - I always wanted to say that) and owner of Gozo House. I invite you to post your experiences and thoughts on anything Maltese or Gozitan that might be of interest to other readers or simply your muses. Anything topical, whether cultural, political, historical or nothing in particular. So your love of a particular restaurant, winebar or church is all grist to the mill. You may be thinking of visiting my farm house, have stayed or just wish to contribute your experiences. Everyone is welcome.

Before I digress, a little about me (and hopefully a lot more about you!). I'm Homer, a Brit and a lawyer by training -  but my true love is architecture, which I studied as an undergraduate at university. On such small a land mass, there is such an eclectic range of historical styles, dating back to the early, very early temples of 3000 BC, to the late-medieval houses in Gozo's Citadel, Mdina and Vittoriosa to the neo-Gothic of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Gozo to the beautiful baroque buildings found in the cities of Valletta and Victoria, Malta and Gozo respectively, amongst others. Everywhere you look is a feast for your eyes. I was enchanted when I stumbled on the old town (known as Il Borgo) in Victoria and wandered along the haphazard alleyways taking in the splendid balconies and grand palaces and people watching as they go about their daily business; a more compact version of Valletta. Steeped in history, a Gozitan informed me whilst having lunch at St. George's Bar on Pjaza Santa Wistin square overlooking the Archbishop's Palace, that a small window was used for ferrying the dead in coffins during the Plague years of the late 17th Century.

It was whilst wandering the streets behind St. George's Basilica that I chanced upon an old farmhouse dating back to the 17th Century. I could see the potential and renovated it, ensuring that its rustic and charming character was maintained. I hope you enjoy the house and the island as much as I do.