Tuesday 2 February 2010

Tuesday 2^nd Well the last full day has arrived, down to breakfast early as ever, already there are Sandy, and another retired couple going back today Betty and Ron, they have been as lucky at bingo as M&S twice to my knowledge winning two games back to back, betty used to be a school teacher and has regaled us with some of her stories over the last week or so.

I get to the bus stop the weather had looked promising an hour ago, but now threatening black clouds are rolling in from Gozo, there are soon spots of rain, but no use giving it much thought there are things I need to do, and today is the only day rain or no rain.

Arriving in the capital, the clouds are not so black now, unfortunately it is as cold as I can remembering it being since my arrival, I’m wearing my crocs again thanks to an improvement in the foot department, and my feet feel cold, I walk down Republic street with my arms folded to try and keep warm, I’m heading for the Malta experience café again for the email ritual, not looking forward to it in this cold, the only place I can guarantee a good reception is in the shade.

As I get there better get a cup of coffee if I’m going to us their table and chair, as I get my drink I notice there is a WIFI sign inside the café, so I ask if it will be alright to sit inside, yes, would you believe it my last day and now I discover I can be inside.

Even thou it is a free service I have always bought something, but sitting outside while the connection has been good, the glare has not been, even in the shade, I have lost count of the amount of times I have been unable to find the curser in the outside light, whole minutes have passed as I vainly scanned the screen looking for it.

All is done in a quarter of the time it normally takes, coffee finished I leave the café, and walk towards lower Barracker gardens, I go and take a closer look at the siege bell, it rings out every day at noon to salute the fallen of the second world war, the bell is very large to say the least, there is a warning sign telling you not to stand under it while it chimes, I’m sure some fools have, they are now walking round looking like Quasimodo and uttering those famous words the whisky the whisky, or was it bells?

I decide to carry on walking round the outskirts of Valletta, I have no other plans, it is then it dawns on me that there has been a marked improvement in the weather it is now warm and sunny, I walk into an area I’ve not previously been, it is soon obvious it is industrial, there are factory units quite a few fork lift trucks dodging about the smell of steel being cut, something I recognise from my days in engineering.

A short walk in an area called Hamrun, it appears a little run down but as always on this Island it has a magnificent church, someone told me there are 365 churches on Malta one for every day of the year, my impression is there are far more than that, there can be no doubt this is a deeply religious country, you only have to be around to see how many attend a service, when mass is over, there is broad spread of ages young guys jumping into their supped up cars and speeding off mix with the older generation.

Now I enter Masada this is area where I thought there was an African university, well now I know the truth parts are industrial and the large influx of Africans are migrant labour, heading back towards the centre I take advantage of my bus pass and jump on one, now all that’s left to do is stop off in Mellieha and pick up a last gift, that done I step off my last Maltese bone shaker.

After coffee and biscuits‘, settling down does not come easy even at this late stage, I pick up my camera and wander along the sea front, it is sunny but there is a stiff wind it’s then I notice that there is no sign of the ferry, there is not one in port, or crossing, when I look over at Gozo I can see both the ferry’s are sheltering from the wind, I’m glad I was not crossing today the sea looks very choppy, people commute between the two Islands, so there must be real difficulty at times in just getting to and from work.

The sun is starting to set behind a collection of different shaded clouds, this is creating a free light show I find myself and my camera drawn to, maybe the last time I’ll see a Maltese sunset.

After dinner I get my final carafe of wine, sit with a large bar of dark chocolate donated to me by Betty and Ron, there is a film being shown at 9pm in one of the hotels large lounges, I decide to have my own film show by watching my own favourite “As good as it gets” with Jack Nicholson on my laptop.

Monday 1 February 2010

Monday 1^st Have decided to stay fairly close to the hotel today, firstly I wander down the bay by the Rivera hotel, that most people have walked to so they tell me, as I get to the bend in the road I notice a four by four jeep on it’s side and parallel with it is a container wagon lying there like some dead dinosaur, there are no people about, I walk down to the bay, it is pleasant weather wise like a warm day in May or September in the UK, as I return back to the main road to catch my first bus of the day, a large mobile crane has arrived on the scene and there is now a small crowd in attendance.

Now I have a theory as to how this happened, before the bend where the beasts lie there is a straight piece of road about three quarters of a mile, at the start of that straight is the ferry terminal, I along with many when stood at the bus stop near the hotel have watched some times in open mouthed astonishment as heavy lorries, vans, cars and motor bikes roar off the ferry from Gozo as if at the start of a grand prix, the prize is being first to the bend, the reason being once you get to the bend you are faced with a steep twisting road, obviously no one wants to get stuck behind a slower moving vehicle.

On the bus and up the hill, I jump off by the Red Tower as I’ve notice a road sign ever since I arrived pointing in the opposite direction to the tower, one kilometre to Armier Bay it says, now is the time to see it as soon it will be too late, should take about fifteen minutes, I start off walking I’m the only one walking in the area, a few cars about, otherwise just me, the solitude can be calming, the road seems never ending, I see a sign in the distance could this be it, when I get there it’s for a place called Ramla Bay, so it’s not this unless it has two names, this feels a long kilometre, then I spy a small traffic island just ahead covered in signs, one of them is for Armier Bay, first left, when I look down the road it looks about half a mile at least, good job my feet are improving, I get to the end of the road, I’m still not there, turn right and another hundred or so yards to go, I don’t know what I expected but Armier bay turns out to be a one horse town, that ends up having no horse, I’m wondering how long it has took me.

I decide to time myself on the way back, also I resort to help in the shape of my Mp3 player, Nick Drake with the River man helps for three minutes of the twenty seven it takes me, no way was the sign right, later I notice Ramla Bay was 1.2 kilometres and I passed that a good twelve minutes before I got to Armier Bay.

I have a stoke of luck I get to the main road just in time to catch the bus, I plan to get off in Mellieha there’s a shop I want to get a gift from, when I get off I find the shop is closed till Tuesday, what to do now? I had no plans to go to Valletta today, so that must be the reason why I end up there, it is now tee shirt weather.

I decide to have one last walk round the harbour part of the capital, but anti clockwise this time for a different perspective, it now starts to dawn on me, I shall soon be back to winter condition in the UK, just like M&S who leave for home at midday, they are glad to be going back, myself not so much so.

The lure of another tuna and spinach pie from the Capri café is too strong, it is well over a week since I last had one, I dully hand over my Euro and in it’s place I get a piece of heaven, they really are delicious

I sit on the wall of the bombed opera house, woofing down my pie in-between swigs of coke.

Time to catch the bus back to base, well that was the plan until we reach Xemxija (yes I know four million points in scrabble) the bay here is as great to look at as that pie was to eat, up till now I have always viewed it from the bus, not now the impulse is too strong and I’m off the bus, letting my eyes indulge in the beauty before me.

My battered feet are soon in the sea water, soothing if a little cold, then I finally do get to the hotel, sitting outside with a pint taking in the last hour of glorious sunshine and a brief chat with Sandy who will be leaving early tomorrow morning.

I go down for my last dinner in Malta, I shan’t bother tomorrow, I was seventy eight kilos when I left London, I really hate to think what I weigh now, we shall soon know.

A group of us get together for a few drinks while listening to the evenings entertainment the guy who can’t sing the word thing, but is very pleasant to listen to never the less, I get up to hit the sack almost make the stairs, when he starts singing “A whiter shade of pale” so I stop to hear, he really is quite good, then time for bed.

Sunday 31 January 2010

Sunday 31^st I’m up really early I have intentions of going to Mdina again, after breakfast I set off buy a three day bus ticket, not here long enough for a weeks one now, the weather looks fine, clear blue skies if a bit on the cold side, I want to film some of Mdina and later Valletta, while I have close on thirteen hundred photographs it would be nice to have some moving images.

Arriving in Mdina I find the streets almost deserted, I’m sure the church is full, but I hardly is anyone, that’s a plus when it comes to filming, as previously stated the view from this high vantage point is to die for, must make sure I capture Mosta Dome for future viewing, the weather could not be better for the purpose.

After filming I venture into the Mdina glass shop, Mdina glass is world famous, the prices reflect that, my meagre funds allow me to purchase a small but beautifully formed token, I have filmed all I wish of Mdina and a little of Rabat so time to leave.

Taking a new bus route I arrive back in Valletta the bus terminus is manic, hooting horns the pungent smell of diesel, I capture what I can on film, people will have to imagine the smell, then down part of Republic street, cut across to Market street, filming on and off as I go, I then have a thought, it’s Sunday would St. Paul’s the Shipwreck church be open, I’ve seen it from the outside, also read that this a hidden gem of a place to visit, this may be my last chance, it is getting easier to navigate around the city after three weeks, so I soon find it, my luck is in, it is open.

Once inside it is amazing, for those that like Dr Who this is like the Tardis, from the outside you could never in your wildest dreams comprehend the size of the inside, one chapel and alter, after another, the book was right, I wonder how many tourists miss this gem.

The time is moving towards midday, I could capture the firing of the noon day cannon in Upper Barracker gardens, I get there in plenty of time, another objective accomplished, I then spend some time filming from the gardens across the bay, the view of the three cities is picturesque in the bright sunlight, I then wander down to the old opera house ruin bombed in the second world war, It’s not long before my memory card is flashing “card full” at me, now I have to resort to photos only again. I’m really feeling the pace now every day out first thing determined to explore,Old Opera Hous the odd lie in would not have gone amiss.

I return to the hotel and settle down for an early evening.