Edward Lear's watercolor painting of Gozo, Malta, a place he visited with a traveler's wanderlust and one that inspired his wordplay. (Image by Edward Lear, public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

A tireless traveler, Edward Lear expressed the magnificence of Gozo, Malta,
through delicate watercolor paintings and colorful wordplay.
Edward Lear [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Wanderlust on My Lear-ical Visit to Malta

It’s winter in Malta, 1862. Edward Lear, lover of wordplay and watercolor, is writing a letter. His phrasing echoes the rhythm of Mediterranean tides against this tiny archipelago:

“I draw constantly on the Barracca point; meaning to paint a picture thereof one day; and I wander up and down the beautiful streets of Valletta and Senglea; and rejoice in the delightful heat and the blue sky; and watch the thousand little boats skimming across the harbor at sunset.”

Boats line Senglea marina in Malta, a place that inspired Edward Lear's wanderlust, wordplay, and watercolor paintings. (Image by Joyce McGreevy)

A winter sunset transforms Senglea, Malta into a living watercolor.
© Joyce McGreevy

As you read those words 154 years after Lear penned them, it’s a winter morning in Malta and I am here, too. Come along with me to this tiny republic just south of Sicily and east of Tunisia. See for yourself the thousand little boats, the luzzus. 

The brightly painted wooden boats, or luzzus, in Gozo, Malta inspired the wanderlust of wordplay poet and watercolor painter Edward Lear. (Image by Joyce McGreevy)

The tradition of Malta’s brightly painted wooden boats began with the ancient Phoenicians.
© Joyce McGreevy

Linger at a café table alongside the water. Leave your cellphone at the bottom of the suitcase.

Should you order a pastizzi, Malta’s savory version of stuffed pastry? You should.

If you look across Grand Harbor, up to the raised walled city of Valletta, you’ll find “the Barracca point,” better known as Upper Barrakka Gardens.

From this lofty fortress, Lear would revel in his wanderlust, gazing back at Senglea as he sketched and painted in watercolor.

Wintering and Wandering in Malta

Best known for his wordplay, the author of The Book of Nonsense was a compulsive traveler, writer, and artist. Edward Lear logged 30 volumes of travel diaries, wrote countless letters, and created thousands of watercolors.

In Malta alone, he produced 300 watercolors. He painted over many of them, possibly out of frustration. The British colonials who had enjoyed his 1866 exhibit in Malta paid him handsomely—but only in compliments. Few paintings sold.

Edward Lear's watercolor painting of St. Julian's Bay, Malta, a place that inspired the wanderlust of this British master of wordplay. (Image by Edward Lear, public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Edward Lear’s watercolors captured specific moments. After painting this view of St. Julian’s Bay,
the poet quickly scribbled the note “5:16pm, 29 Dec. 1865.”
Edward Lear [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Lear first arrived in Malta on a ticket that he bought for 10 pounds. You’re traveling on a shoestring, too, but Malta in winter is affordable. Just rent a small flat on Triq San Frangisk (Saint Francis Street) and cook from the local markets.

“Pretty cheap fruit abounds,” Lear wrote to his sister in 1848. The Maltese are fastidious about fresh produce. This morning the greengrocer steers you away from produce that is “too old”—a mere two days. Come back this afternoon, he says, when the boats will come in and everything will be perfection.

You do and it is. “Grazzi ħafna!” Thank you so much!

Lear’s Wordplay Leads to World Play

But now it’s time to resume your quest. The call to adventure came as you researched Malta and stumbled upon two mysterious adjectives: pomskizillious and gromphiberous.

What does this wordplay describe? According to Lear, it’s the coast of Gozo. This is the northernmost island of Malta.

Edward Lear's watercolor painting of Gozo, Malta, a place he visited with a traveler's wanderlust and one that inspired his wordplay. (Image by Edward Lear, public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The name Gozo comes from the Castilian word for “joy,” a mood that combines with quiet calm in Edward Lear’s watercolors. Notice the details he added about colors and time of day.
Edward Lear [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Consider this: Malta’s mainland shows up as a tiny dot on a map of the Mediterranean. So the 26-square-mile Gozo practically qualifies as imaginary. Which makes it the ideal place to follow in the footsteps of a nonsense poet. Let wordplay lead to world play.

The easiest way to get to Gozo is to not be in a hurry. Enjoy the scenic bus ride to Cirkewwa and board the ferry that will take you to Mgarr Harbour.

Then leg it—the island’s less than nine miles long—until you reach the village of Xaghra (SHAH-rah). This is home to The Pomskizillious Museum of Toys, dedicated to the legacy of Edward Lear.

Oh, but it’s closed today. And tomorrow. Come back Saturday.

A shop sign outside The Pomskizillious Museum of Toys in Gozo, Malta pays tribute to Edward Lear, whose wanderlust inspired him to coin wordplay and create watercolor paintings about Gozo. (Image by Joyce McGreevy)

Technically, these opening hours are set in stone.
But when it’s winter in Gozo, it’s best to be chill.
© Joyce McGreevy

Into the Dice-Box of Small Events

No worries. Take a lesson from Lear, who obsessively planned his travels, but knew when to toss the itinerary:

“Put yourself as a predestinarian might say, calmly into the dice-box of small events, and be shaken out whenever circumstances ordain,” he once advised.

Your jaw drops as you view the landscape. Flinty, terraced hills soar into peaks and plateaus, some topped by ornate churches. Velvety, green valleys sweep down to startling azure seas.

The garrigue, or Mediterranean scrubland, shows off prickly pear cactus and yellow vetch, but also hides sea daffodils, spider orchids, crimson dragon’s teeth, and other floral secrets.

Prickly pear cactus grows wild in Gozo, Malta, a place Edward Lear visited with a traveler's wanderlust and one that inspired his wordplay and watercolor paintings. (Image by Joyce McGreevy)

Edward Lear noted the “strange and wild appearance” of prickly pear cactus, which grows
“in immense luxuriance over every crag and mountainside” in Gozo.
© Joyce McGreevy

You picture Lear in the midst of it, how “he would lift his spectacles and gaze for several minutes at the scene through a monocular glass he always carried.” Then he would capture it in watercolor with astounding speed.

Even in winter, the fragrance of pines, rosemary, thyme, and citrus pervades the air. You struggle to come up with words to describe this environment.

Suddenly, you laugh out loud. You have just have had an “Oh, I see” moment: Sometimes you need the wordplay of new language to describe a new place. Like pomskizillious. And gromphiberous.

The Pomskizillious Museum of Toys never does open. But by then, you’ve learned to appreciate what locals call GMT: Gozo Maybe Time. Meanwhile, you have:

A hiker stares down from atop the Azure Window in Gozo, Malta, place Edward Lear visited with a traveler's wanderlust and one that inspired his wordplay and watercolor paintings. (Image by Joyce McGreevy)

Poetic but precipitous: Does the cliff climber in Gozo, Malta know Edward Lear’s
cautionary limerick about the person from Cromer?
© Joyce McGreevy

This is Gozo, a place so stunning it seems imaginary. A place that inspires wanderlust, wordplay, and watercolor. It lures you with improbable beauty, inspires you to follow a nonsense poet’s trail, and hints that maybe, just maybe, you’ll attain immortality if you stay.

And really, is there anything more pomskizillious and gromphiberous than that?

The Azure Window graces the rugged coast of Gozo, Malta, a place that Edward visited with a traveler's wanderlust and one that inspired his wordplay and watercolor paintings. (Image by Joyce McGreevy)

The Azure Window may look familiar to “Game of Throne” fans. Several scenes were filmed on Gozo.
© Joyce McGreevy

Read Edward Lear’s travel writing and letters here. This is the source of all Lear quotations cited in this post. 

The largest collection of Edward Lear’s watercolors is archived at Harvard University. 

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

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<\/h1>\n
\"Edward

A tireless traveler, Edward Lear expressed the magnificence of Gozo, Malta,
through delicate watercolor paintings and colorful wordplay.
Edward Lear [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

Wanderlust on\u00a0My\u00a0Lear-ical<\/em>\u00a0Visit to Malta<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s winter in Malta, 1862. Edward Lear, lover of wordplay and watercolor, is writing a letter. His phrasing echoes the rhythm of Mediterranean tides against this tiny archipelago:<\/p>\n

\u201cI draw constantly on the Barracca point; meaning to paint a picture thereof one day; and I wander up and down the beautiful streets of Valletta and Senglea; and rejoice in the delightful heat and the blue sky; and watch the thousand little boats skimming across the harbor at sunset.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Boats

A winter sunset transforms Senglea, Malta into a living watercolor.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

As you read those words 154 years after Lear penned them, it\u2019s a winter morning in Malta and\u00a0I am here, too. Come along with me to\u00a0this tiny republic\u00a0just south of Sicily and east of Tunisia. See for yourself the\u00a0thousand little boats, the\u00a0luzzus.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"The

The tradition of Malta’s brightly painted wooden boats began with the ancient Phoenicians.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

Linger at a\u00a0caf\u00e9 table alongside the water. Leave your\u00a0cellphone at the bottom of the suitcase.<\/p>\n

Should you order a pastizzi<\/em>, Malta\u2019s savory version of stuffed pastry? You should.<\/p>\n

If you look across Grand Harbor, up to the raised walled city of Valletta, you\u2019ll find \u201cthe Barracca point,\u201d better known as Upper Barrakka Gardens.<\/p>\n

From this lofty fortress, Lear would revel in his wanderlust,\u00a0gazing back at Senglea as he sketched and painted in watercolor.<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

Wintering and Wandering in Malta<\/h4>\n

Best known for his wordplay, the author of The Book of Nonsense<\/em>\u00a0was a compulsive traveler, writer, and artist. Edward Lear<\/a>\u00a0logged 30 volumes of travel diaries, wrote countless letters, and created thousands of watercolors.<\/p>\n

In Malta<\/a> alone, he\u00a0produced\u00a0300 watercolors. He painted over many of them, possibly out of frustration. The British colonials who had enjoyed his 1866 exhibit in Malta paid him handsomely\u2014but only in compliments. Few paintings sold.<\/p>\n

\"Edward

Edward Lear’s watercolors captured specific moments. After painting this view of St. Julian’s Bay,
the poet quickly scribbled the note “5:16pm, 29 Dec. 1865.”
Edward Lear [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

Lear first arrived in Malta on a ticket that he bought for 10 pounds. You’re traveling on a shoestring, too, but Malta in winter is affordable. Just rent a small flat on Triq San Frangisk (Saint Francis Street) and cook from the local markets.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty cheap fruit abounds,\u201d Lear wrote\u00a0to his sister in 1848. The Maltese are fastidious about fresh produce. This morning\u00a0the greengrocer steers you away from produce that\u00a0is \u201ctoo old\u201d\u2014a mere two days. Come back this afternoon, he says, when the boats will come in and everything will be perfection.<\/p>\n

You do and it is. \u201cGrazzi \u0127afna!\u201d Thank you so much!<\/p>\n

Lear’s Wordplay Leads to World Play<\/h4>\n

But now it\u2019s time to resume\u00a0your quest. The call to adventure came\u00a0as you researched Malta and stumbled upon two mysterious adjectives: pomskizillious<\/em> and gromphiberous<\/em>.<\/p>\n

What does this wordplay describe? According to Lear, it\u2019s the coast of Gozo. This is the northernmost island of Malta.<\/p>\n

\"Edward

The name Gozo comes from the Castilian word for “joy,” a mood that combines with quiet calm in Edward Lear’s watercolors. Notice the details he added about colors and time of day.
Edward Lear [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

Consider this: Malta’s mainland shows up as a tiny dot on a map of the Mediterranean. So the 26-square-mile Gozo practically qualifies as imaginary. Which makes it the ideal place to follow in the footsteps of a nonsense poet. Let wordplay lead to world play.<\/p>\n

The easiest way to get to Gozo is to not be in a hurry. Enjoy the scenic bus ride to Cirkewwa\u00a0and\u00a0board the ferry that will take you to Mgarr Harbour.<\/p>\n

Then leg it\u2014the island\u2019s less than nine miles long\u2014until you reach the village of Xaghra (SHAH-rah<\/em>). This is home to\u00a0The Pomskizillious Museum of Toys<\/a>, dedicated to the legacy of Edward Lear.<\/p>\n

Oh, but it\u2019s closed today. And tomorrow. Come back Saturday.<\/p>\n

\"A

Technically, these opening hours are set in stone.
But when it’s winter in Gozo, it’s best to be chill.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

Into the Dice-Box of Small Events<\/h4>\n

No worries. Take a lesson from\u00a0Lear, who obsessively planned his travels, but knew when to toss the itinerary:<\/p>\n

\u201cPut yourself as a predestinarian might say, calmly into the dice-box of small events, and be shaken out whenever circumstances ordain,\u201d he once advised.<\/p>\n

Your jaw drops as you view the landscape. Flinty, terraced hills soar into peaks and plateaus, some topped by ornate churches. Velvety, green valleys sweep down to startling azure seas.<\/p>\n

The garrigue<\/em>, or Mediterranean scrubland, shows off prickly pear cactus and yellow vetch, but also hides sea daffodils, spider orchids, crimson dragon’s teeth, and other floral secrets.<\/p>\n

\"Prickly

Edward Lear noted the “strange and wild appearance” of prickly pear cactus, which grows
“in immense luxuriance over every crag and mountainside” in Gozo.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

You picture Lear in the midst of it, how “he would lift his spectacles and gaze for several minutes at the scene through a monocular glass he always carried.\u201d Then\u00a0he would capture it in watercolor with astounding speed.<\/p>\n

Even in winter, the fragrance of pines, rosemary, thyme, and citrus pervades the air. You struggle to come up with words to describe this environment.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, you laugh out loud. You have just have had an \u201cOh, I see\u201d moment:<\/strong> Sometimes you need the wordplay of new language\u00a0to describe a new place. Like pomskizillious. And gromphiberous.<\/p>\n

The Pomskizillious Museum of Toys never does open. But by then, you\u2019ve learned to appreciate what locals call GMT: Gozo Maybe Time. Meanwhile, you have:<\/p>\n