Sunday, 10 January 2010

Arrived at Malta international Airport at 11.20am local time (four days late!!) on the 10^th January 2010, I wonder what this place will have in store for me, all I really know about this Island consists of two crosses and an old Humphrey Bogart film, the Maltese cross of Knights templar fame, the George cross awarded to the Island in 1942 for it’s defiance against continued Germany air raids, and the Maltese falcon film apart from that I know every little.

My very first thoughts were thank god there is no snow! The drive from the airport reminded me of the war time film the real “Malta Story” to the point that parts of the Island still looked like it had only just been bombed by the Nazi’s in a quaint sort of way, but my overpowering feeling was a strange feeling of being in the Holy land, this was heightened as the taxi drivers radio flicked between English pop songs and what seemed to me to be Arabic news bulletins, as the taxi winds it’s way around horse shoe bends I’m struck by the fact the whole landscape is the colour of Cotswold stone and then out of the mist high on a hill looms a red brick castle, I have since learnt this is called the Red Tower this will be on my list for further investigation.

Arrive at the “Paradise Bay Hotel” at last only to be told they were not expecting me, but it’s Sunday I say and I should have been here last Wednesday but for cancelled flights due to snow in England, they inform me no one has told them that I had rescheduled my flight, and thought I had cancelled, just what I need, but they are very polite so I sit and wait for the manager.

After some fifteen minutes said manager arrives on the scene, tells me there will not be a problem a room has been found for me, and things will hopefully be sorted out on Monday (they were)

I feared I might have been allocated a broom cupboard, my fears are soon dispelled the room is more than adequate, even has a trouser press and all the electric plugs are UK type so much for bringing two adapters with me.

I decided to take a nap having had very little sleep in the previous few days, what with airport delays and the like, then it’s up change out of my combat gear and showered, quick look at sky news to see how bad the weather is back in the UK, please be bad then it will all be worthwhile and down to the lounge for dinner.

First evening meal was a celery soup starter, followed by a tuna salad, main meal consisted of roast beef cauliflower, garden peas, small potatoes, all finished off with a slice of chocolate styled cheese cake and a bowl of caramel desert.

I then retired to the lounge where , it suddenly dawn on me that I was with out doubt the youngest person by some way, the entertainment was provided by a guy dressed in black with a piano key board belt, whose name it later turned out to be Cyril, ,who proceeded to play a waltz!! Offering a look at a bottle of whiskey for the first couple up on the floor, no one took up the offer, maybe if they could have had the whiskey it might have helped !my god he’s playing the Bellamy brothers “ Let your love flow! And it’s had the desired effect people are up dancing even Cyril joins them on the dance floor it reminds me of the old cowboy wagon train films, there must be an Indian attack due because there forming a circle god help us!

Things aren’t so bad Cyril is playing the Mavericks, and not long ago I asked him to play some Francis Sinatra so I could look hip!

Now it turns out that Cyril and his wife are the entertainment officers she is a strange little lady appears to have no neck, pushes her chest out like Barbara Windsor she has to be in her mid to late seventies.