10 comments so far.The MS Rotterdam anchors off Mgarr for the day
 Email item
|  Print item
|
|
The MS Rotterdam, a cruise ship, of the Holland America Line anchored just outside Mgarr this morning allowing it’s 1256 passengers a chance to go ashore on excursions around Gozo. The liner also has 589 members of crew on board.
A welcome was given to the visitor at Mgarr harbour, with the Menhir Folk Group of Qala, performing traditional dances, as well as local food and arts and crafts being on display. Representatives of the MTA and the GTA distributed brochures and information about Gozo.
Around 950 passengers visited Gozo, some explored the island on their own, while others chose to take a variety of excursions around the island, ranging from jeep safari’s, visits to historic sites and museums amongst others. Some of the passengers also visited Comino.
The Captain Henrik Krombeen, welcomed Giovanna Debono, Minister for Gozo, in a brief visit on the MS Rotterdam. Also present was Mr. Karl Gollcher, managing director of the company Gollcher, who are the agents of the ship.
Earlier this year the Club Med II and the Royal Clipper also made a stop off Gozo, whilst on the 8th of November, it is expected that the MS Prinsendam of the Holland America Line will also drop anchor off Gozo after leaving Malta. The MS Rotterdam left Gozo for at 6.00pm en route to Messina.
What a pity the market/hawkers on It-Tokk were not allowed to ply their trade today.
Lesley, I’ve seen your comment yesterday on timesofmalta.com… What was the matter that interfered with hawkers’ activities at it-Tokk yesterday, do you have more details? (Sorry for my ignorance but I was at work far away from Victoria, only sneaked out to catch a few shots of the ship!!). What ever it was, though, it is a shame indeed!! 🙁
Mr.Kreupl the market/hawkers were not allowed to ply their trade at it-Tokk on the 28th of October besause space was needed to hold the Gozo day ceremony.
Carmel first of all I think you will find that Mr. Kreupl is in fact Mrs. Kreupl. As for the reason why the market traders were not allowed to erect their stalls couldn’t the Gozo Day ceremony have been held somewhere else?
Mr Tyrell such national ceremonies are always held on the main square of Victoria, that is It-Tokk. You should not find fault with the information that I provided.
@ Carmel
The way things are at the moment it would have been much better to let the hawkers do their trading than held Gozo day at It Tokk
It could have been easily organized around the corner at Sabina square.
Was this something that needed a professor`s advice Carmel
Joseph that ceremony could only be held in front of the monument of archpriest Saverio Cassar at it-Tokk. On such occasions the hawkers used to transfer their trades to the Victoria bus terminus.
Carmel was it necessary to keep It Tokk free from hawkers for that long when a ceremony will take a small amount of time ?
Joseph it was necessary to keep it-Tokk free from hawkers because such a ceremony needs a lot of preparations as you may have perhaps witnessed if you were in the square from early in the morning.
Joseph I think the problem is that it takes the stall holders quite a long time to get everything set up, so by the time the ceremony was finished it would have been too late for them to start.
I agree with you Carmel that it would have made sense to allow the stall holders to set things up elsewhere for the day rather than loose out on what would probably have been a really good day for them.