The Stations of the Cross at Ta’ Pinu

From our back patio, we can see the Ta’ Pinu Basilica, a big, modern cathedral and popular pilgrimage destination.

Behind Ta’ Pinu, there’s a rarity on Gozo–a big hill without any buildings. That’s because it features the 14 Stations of the Cross along a winding path to the top. It’s a lovely (if sweaty) walk, and the view from the top is one of the best on the island.

Being in a photographic mood. I set myself a challenge to take just three photos of each of the fourteen statues, and pick the best ones for a little photo project.

The result is a mixed bag–some are decent while others are pretty lame. I think this is the best of the bunch:

The other problem is that we only saw 13 stations. I gather that the first station is, in fact, inside the basilica.

You can see a little slideshow of the 13 photos I chose, as well as a set of the rejects and a few random photos I took along the way.

You can see small photos of each of the whole statues. Oddly, this isn’t on Gozo. Some folks created a series of exact replicas of the statues in Australia.

At the top of the hill, there’s a really cool amphitheatre. The top of the hill is also home to zillions of snails each autumn. I’m not sure why they prefer the slightly higher altitude, but you can see their little shells everywhere:

They also end up on the statues, to occasional creepy effect.