Wednesday
April 27-16 - Beautiful partly cloudy day - predicted temp of 23C, but still feels
a bit cool with the air off the sea.
Mike joggs down to the corner to pick up a local paper. We
just stayed around relaxing. Started
to collect my blog posts and haven't pulled out the paints yet, but did do some
pen sketching of some of the sights from the Mdina Medieval Festival with a
feathered quill pen I bought there.
Ciao from Marsaskala
TUESDAY
APRIL 26-16 - Waited for Mario's call. It came as I was picking up things from the
green grocer around 11:30 am. Shops
typically close around12:30-1:00 pm and reopen at 4:00-4:30 pm and stay open
until 7:30-8:00 pm. The plan is to go into the town of
Haz-Zabbar by bus to see Mario and then
walk around a bit in Paula, a larger centre with a great British dress shop-
Debonem's. Oh yes...see my smile!
Ciao from Marsaskala
MONDAY APRIL 25-16 Monday was a
bright, calmer day and we be stayed home
till later in the afternoon, brining in provisions etc from local shops and
ever exploring this beautiful seaside town.
Hopefully, although I remember I'm in Malta, I will hear from Mario the
Computer guy to pick up a restored notebook so I can begin blogging on a
regular basis.
The
only other thing of note is that Mike and I walk down to Don Giovan's for an
Americano coffee and people watch on our way back with our load of
groceries. Ahhh, this is the life! Thank you Lord.
Ciao from Marsaskala
SUNDAY
APRIL 24-16 9:00 am. As I've
mentioned we have two friends from London visiting Malta right now; Bob is one
of Mike's co-workers from the hospital and his wife Chris. They arrived in Malta a week before we did
and they have done some exploring of course and we've had a couple of days
travelling together by bus and discussing some of the history, food and
uniquely Maltese customs. On the weekend
of April 23, 24 the city of Mdina
(i-m-dean-a) The Silent City, held a Medieval Festival. Falconry, processions of high ranking
families in their finery of velvet capes and bejewelled gowns, slave auctions,
archery, food and craft stalls with costumed vendors hawking their wares from
baskets, sweets, and weapons to roasted suckling pig; shoulder to shoulder
people and staged mayhem in every corner of the city's winding, narrow streets
(actually, there are very few corners). In
a long discussion with a soldier we learned that the chainmail on his torso
weighed about 25lbs worn over a very heavily padded coat. The head piece of chainmail alone added 12lbs under the metal helmet.
Of
course all first time visitors are suspect and so, justly or unjustly, are put
in stocks. No one is exempt. Bob
looks very suspect and may be held for a while - Chris, not so much. She and I quickly ran off to buy some
sweets.
Ciao from Marsaskala
SATURDAY,
APRIL 23-16 7:00 am woke to
lapping calmer sea, cloudy, but warmer.
We will just pick up a few more necessities from local stores and walk
around a bit to explore our home.
Ciao from Marsaskala
FRIDAY
APRIL 22-16 9:30am Sunny, breezy,
lovely. This morning we meet our London
friends at Don Giovan for breakfast. We
had received their phone number to their Flat while still at home, so with my
cousin's borrowed mobile we confirmed and met.
It was great to see them and hear how they are enjoying things to far. They came up to our flat for a look around our
neighbourhood and check out my computer.
Following that, our first order is to make our way to the Capital of
Valletta to get our banking sorted. On
the bus, I asked a young lady seated beside
me how to say, in Maltese, the word for change, as in "the bus driver owes
me some change". She told me (a
very peculiar word) and we talked a bit more, my Maltese being very rusty, but
we managed to communicate very well. I
mentioned that Malta is known for its English Language schools (many Russians
come to learn English here) but was there a school for English to learn
Maltese. In fact, she said her sister is
a teacher and she may be interested in teaching me. I have her name and number, so we'll see. I'm considering calling her...isn't it great
how things can fall into place?
We strolled around Valletta and while at the Lower
Barakka my cousin Charles called who lives just outside Valletta, he picked us,
we shared their soup (kirsha...sshhh don't tell Mike what that is although we
didn't actually have any in our bowls), bread and cheeses for supper and he
brought us home. Very satisfying.
Ciao from Marsaskala
HERE,
WE ARE FINALLY HERE!
THURSDAY
APRIL 21-16 Arrival 3:00 pm Sunny, breezy,
lovely. Today we arrived in Malta to a
beautiful afternoon. My cousin Charles
and wife Marlene met us at the airport and we settled into our flat in
Marsaskala very easily. Our landlady
Grace, met with us of course, and we then rested only a short while because I
wanted to get out and see around. Called
another of my relatives. Our first meal
was at one of our favourite spots Il-Fanal for ravioli and pizza! Yum. Now we can go to sleep on Malta time. Feeling very much at home. Except something is wrong with the computer! Will meet on Monday with cousin Robert to get
something done about it hopefully.
Ciao from Marsaskala
Yesterday
afternoon, we were able to meet and take advantage of Bob and Chris' Wi-Fi at their flat and play catch-up on
emails, 139 of them and add my blog
posts. It seemed to take way too long
with all the little bunny trails and hoops I had to navigate. Between visiting,
having a wonderful 'picnic' style meal, and actually getting down to business
on the computer, four hours flew by.
Thank you for your hospitality and patience. 
