Sunny spell makes up for cool temperature

Many Maltese families yesterday kept to tradition and went to Marsaxlokk to celebrate the feast of St Gregory but very few, if at all, were courageous enough to take the first plunge this season, as usually happens on this day.

It is only fair to point out, however, that St Gregory, celebrated on the first Wednesday after Easter, this year came earlier than usual and the temperature was colder than in the past two years.

Charles Galdies, manager at the Meteorological Office, said that although the temperature yesterday morning was 17.8°C, the wind chill factor was 14°C.

Last year, when the feast of St Gregory fell on April 11, the temperature had reached 20.5°C and the wind chill factor was 20°C. In 2006, St Gregory was on April 19 and the mercury hit 18.8°C with a wind chill factor of 15°C.

It was only in 2005, when St Gregory was celebrated on March 30, that temperatures were practically the same as yesterday's. While the temperature on that day was 17.6°C, the wind chill factor was 14°C, the same as yesterday morning.

In spite of a relatively cold St Gregory, there was plenty of sunshine yesterday and many who spent the day touring the open air market, which featured a little bit of everything, from clothes to knick-knacks to antiques, sipping drinks and eating, were in T-shirts.

The Pisani family of Qormi said they had been celebrating the feast for about 10 years. Leave was booked early in the year and the family looked forward to spending the day sampling Maltese traditional food and going round the busy market.

The traditional ħobż biż-żejt, imqaret and qubbajt were sold alongside the just as popular hamburgers, chips and fast Chinese food.

Getting lost in the crowds, mainly consisting of Maltese families, were quite a few tourists who happened to be here on holiday.

Proudly wearing a Liverpool scarf he had just bought from the market, Liverpudlian Jamie Smith said this was his third visit to Malta and his second to Marsaxlokk. Three years ago, he had also visited on a Wednesday but it was winter and the fishing village was much quieter with only a handful of people in the cafes.

So which Marsaxlokk did he prefer?

Both, actually: The first for the quaintness and originality of the place and yesterday for the festive and family atmosphere.

Besides eating and drinking, the crowds at Marsaxlokk killed the time playing the traditional bingo. Although no one was spotted swimming - at least not during the time the photographer of The Times was around -, many picnicked on the beach. Some preferred to be away from the maddening crowd and, fishing rod in hand, opted for a quiet morning and afternoon trying their luck.

The religious feast was celebrated with Mass at St Gregory's church in Żejtun following a procession, led by Archbishop Paul Cremona, which started from the church dedicated to St Clement, also in Żejtun, and continued to St Catherine's parish church and on to St Gregory's.

The procession was held for the first time on March 12, 1543.