SAN ĠILJAN — Transport Malta announced today that Spinola Roundabout will be rotated two extra degrees counterclockwise each night to “improve Balluta Bay sunsets,” instructing residents to recalibrate alarm clocks, remove balcony laundry at sundown, and pay the new viewing levy in pastizzi.
The agency said the incremental shift, which will start tonight, is the result of a pilot project that involved computer models, local fishermen and a very enthusiastic intern with a lot of string. “We believe a two-degree adjustment will align the sun, the sea and the palm trees in a way that is aesthetically pleasing,” said Karmenu Farrugia, a Transport Malta spokesperson, during a press conference held beside the roundabout where workers pretended the roundabout was already moving.
”We tested it on a scale model made from ħobż biż-żejt boxes and the results were promising — the light was more golden, the tourists clapped.”
How it will work
Each night the roundabout’s central axis will be shifted two degrees counterclockwise by a specially trained crew using winches, a forklift, optimism and a large magnet labeled ‘Sunfix.’ Residents have been instructed to:
- Recalibrate alarm clocks because the sunrise might move earlier or later, “depending on cloud mood.”
- Remove balcony laundry at sundown to avoid accidental indigo-dyeing by enhanced sunset rays (uwa, they said this seriously).
- Pay the viewing levy: one pastizz per adult, two if you bring a drone. Payment points will be set up near the festa stall selling malto-flavored pastizzi.
Local reactions were mixed. Tumas from Triq Spinola said, “Mela, if it gives me a nicer selfie I’ll take it,” while Marija from the third floor worried about clothes that have been drying for two days. Parking wardens, meanwhile, expressed joy at the project. “New angle, new meter readings every morning — it’s like a lottery,” said one, who refused to give his name because he was busy measuring the shadow lengths.
The Planning Authority confirmed it had signed off on the plan after being assured the rotation would not disrupt the Gozo ferry timetable or the town’s collection of long umbrellas. Environmental groups asked how many pastizzi the change would cost the ecosystem; Transport Malta said they were in talks to accept eco-pastizzi next season.
At press time the roundabout had completed its first two-degree rotation and a man with a tripod declared it the best sunset he’d seen since 2017. Locals were already rehearsing the new phrase to tell tourists: “Ara, we moved the roundabout — impressive, kemm?”