Death mask

Another of those days when the blip choice is hard - having taken even more photos today than yesterday!

The extra is of the intense colour of a pomegranate spotted by the roadside.

The main blip is of the death mask of Pope Pius IX. ( I really must watch out for auto text: when I first typed that it came out as Pope Prius!)

That Pope (canonised in 2000) established the Diosece of Gozo after 18 years of petitioning. He is therefore much revered and the Cathedral In the capital of Rabat has not only his death mask but also his vestments.

A stunning location and set of fortifications with an equally amazing shine visited later at Ta’ Pinu which has had 2 Papal visits in the past 30 years.The number and scale of buildings on an island of 30+ k inhabitants is astonishing.