Thursday 14 January 2010

Thursday 14th Now last night I decided I needed to up for about 7.15am and as I’d partaken of plenty of wine and baileys it would be a good idea to set the alarm on my mobile, now I have not bothered to change the UK time on it so I work out the time difference in my head.
Morning arrives and I wake in my own good time woken by sunlight creeping through the curtains, didn’t need the alarm after all I look at the mobile 7.10am result I think even earlier than I planned to be up and I feel fresh, I turn the TV on and it’s gone eight o’clock! Lesson learnt never try to do maths under the influence of drink, if I waited for the alarm I would have been in bed another hour.

Quick work out and down to breakfast store up the calories for the day, then hit the road today I plan to visit an area of Malta called the three cities that require me to catch two buses.

Luckily for me the bus stop is directly across the road from the hotel, this morning I while away the time waiting for my bus talking to a couple who are off to Mdina the place I abandoned visiting yesterday due to the heavy rain, that does not look like it will be a problem today, there is plenty of blue sky and it feels much warmer I’m glad to say, their bus arrives and I’m left alone looking in to the distance in anticipation of my bus, the next ones not one I want, I thought they were every fifteen minutes I think, I’m joined by a group of about six people all from the same hotel, along comes a 145 I don’t want that but I have a three day ticket so decide to jump on this and then get off some way further on and await my 45, I’m the only one who gets on.
Some few hundred yards down the road a strange thing happens, I notice the driver reach forward and remove the number one digit from the number turning it into 45 now all of a sudden it is the bus I want, it crosses my mind that all those people at the bus stop behind me probably wanted the 45 as well, what was that all about? Did he not like our hotel?

Within the hour I’m in Valletta tracking down the bus I will need for the Three Cities, a guy in the information kiosk rattles off some numbers it sounded like 12346 I think but there are only three digits in each bus number, I’m no wiser but to embarrassed to ask again I walk out of sight of the kiosk and then ask one of the drivers, he tells me to get a number three points out the direction I should take to find the bus stop.

I climb aboard the number three and to make sure ask the driver do you go to the Three Cities? Which part he says? That stumped me (how would I know) I reply any part will do, take the number four that will be better for you, he points out the bus to me it is right in front of me so that’s not a problem.

I’m on the number four and we’re away, I keep my eyes peeled for any sign of the words “Three Cities” because I don’t have a clue where I’m going, the first mention of the Three Cities and I’m off the bus in a flash, much too soon it will turn out, I walk for almost an hour and then I reach the bay of Birgu one of the Three Cities it is stunning in the warm sunlight, the only thing missing is someone to share this experience with, I take photographs of the opposite side of the bay, some striking buildings, obviously churches amongst them, there are boats gondolas and yachts of all shapes and sizes, who to get to the other side is what I need the answer to right now, I walk along the harbour thinking round the bend there maybe a bridge, I ask a man fishing if he speaks English, he looks at me with distain and turns his eyes back to the water without any comment, well thank you for nothing I think to myself, so I carry on walking for a further ten minutes, turn the corner of the harbour, and no bridge, so I have to turn and retrace my steps, well it’s getting me fit I reassure myself, ten minutes later and I pass the fisherman again, thanks I mutter to myself.

After what seems an age I eventually cross to the other side of the harbour, it was worth the walk, I get a closer look at a couple of the yachts they look as if they built in a golden age 1920’s I would think lots of real wood and steel none of your fibre glass here.

Climbing a long set of steps that lead to the “Fort St. Angelo” but this ancient construction is closed for renovation work, so back down the steps, and off to more building ogling, I realise that old saying youth is wasted on the young is oh so true, when I was much younger I remember rejecting Malta as a holiday destination because they didn’t have good beaches, well at lease I got here in the end.

As I investigate street after street I come across a large building it turns out to be the Inquisitors Palace this place was set up in the 16th century as a court and prison to protect the catholic church against heresy I pay my entrance fee of six Euros, I view prison cells and can only wonder the horrors that took place in this building no matter how beautiful it may be, in one of the cells I notice that a flower has been etched in the stone work it must have taken an age it is truly eye catching, I wonder again this time on how long that must have taken, but who know may be the prisoner responsible for this work of art had plenty of time to complete his or her statement for future generations to marvel at, I then think how many visitors don’t notice this as they peer into the cell as it is situated on the wall behind the door.

Time to leave the Three Cities behind me at least for today, I head back to Valletta, then onto my base bus but not long after leaving Valletta we enter the harbour of Pieta I make the quick decision to jump off, you can have these flights of fancy with a travel card, the reason I’d noticed a particularly striking statue the previous day and wanted to take a closer look and photograph of course, I’m there only a few minutes, then finally do get the bus back to the hotel without further interruption.

Sitting in the lounge writing away on the laptop, while all around it’s bingo time, and it’s serious stuff I tell you some of these pensioners would kill for a top line, a full house brings the prize of 35 Euros, even I would have played for that, but I resist, the last game of the afternoon has on offer different prizes depending on whether a man or a woman wins it, sex discrimination or what, the woman’s prize was a never before worn pair of three quarter length white trousers, Monica holds them up for all to see, it crosses my mind there’s at least four backsides that could never fit into them even with six months help from weight watchers, the mans prize was a tie, there is a lady called Betty who Cyril informs us is 82 he calls for a round of applause, I find myself clapping at the same time thinking now were clapping for being old!

I never did see who won the trousers I went to my room to shower and change for dinner, after all much excitement in one day and all that, plus the evening still lay ahead, I choose the veal and it’s quite tasty, soon I’m back in the lounge reading, Sandy asks if he can join me, not a problem I say, he hears Elvis being played and tells me his feelings about the “King” he thinks he’s the tops.
We have been informed that tonight entertainment will be country and western music, so it should not have come as a surprise when Monica turns up with about twenty straw hats, Sandy and I end up with have one stuck on our heads, I try my hardest to mould mine into a James Dean look from Giant, not too sure how successful I was, sandy points out a guy wearing his hat in the Gabby Hayes style I think he looks more like a Wurrzle.

Before the night gets into full swing Monica strikes up a conversation with me, she and Cyril have been doing the entertainment malarkey for over thirty eight years, they worked at Pontins, Butlins, in Spain, have worked with such legends as Peters and Lee, Olivier Newton John before she was famous Monica adds, Cyril has been in films, well you live and learn I thought to myself, but her heart is in the right place.

The night kicks off plenty of apt music, then Cyril and his lady wife get people up on the dance floor to teach them how to do a Ho Down and there’s lots of dozy doe and the like, I decide an early night is called for so say my good nights to Sandy and take my leave.
Back in the room quick look at the news another Baileys and then on to face book, set the alarm for seven fifteen making sure it’s set on Malta time unlike yesterday.