HARBOUR TIME

Thunder & lightning last night, roads flooded but soon cleared. 

Took a tour around the different harbours & creeks in Valletta. The fortifications are impressive from the water, some of it goes back to the 1600s. See the lookout point that has ears & eyes just to help the guards. We went on a traditional Maltese boat, compare that with the ferry catamaran. Lots of ship maintenance work going, they have dry docks for 300,000 ton vessels. 

Bit cooler after the rain. We had Saturn & Mars in the night sky the other night. Nice sight.

VALETTA

Weather forecast bad today. Early brekkie & went back to bed.

Took the bus to Valetta about 11am. The buses are really something else here in Malta. Modern, pay by contactless - €2 for any number of journeys in 2 hours, digital displays for stops, good app, lots of buses. What could be better. Well, the problem is that there are many, many more customers than capacity. Every bus is jammed with standing people, the driver go past stops whether you put your arm out or not, can't keep to schedule because of the traffic. They are air conditioned tho', that's a blessing.

Valetta is very pleasant, named after a frog. Went to the palace where the Grand Masters of St John used to reside. Had a lovely lunch in a street cafe - Lin had rabbit's livers & I had a full monte seafood pasta. Then we went to the Royal Artillery saluting base to take in the 16:30 gun firing. Great. My Dad was based here with the Royal Artillery in 1930.

Could not resist the patisserie & returned there for coffee & cakes on way home. Now on balcony overlooking harbour. Someone's got to do it, you know.

Actually, the forecast was all wrong - good all day.

MALTA1

Leo went home, & we made it to Malta. The journey to Gatwick was uneventful & the flight pretty good too. Uber to hotel €14, hotel is nice boutique place overlooking the harbour. The views from the balcony are great as is weather so far. Had a few beers & snacks in harbour bar when we arrived, all good. Late getting out this morning, didn't catch ferry to Valetta until after midday. Weather sunny 24 Deg Celsius, no breeze. Wandered over to Fort St Elmo & visited the military museum. The stories of the island being besieged by the Ottomans & then Hitler are really something being saved by the Knights of St John, Keith Park & Pedestal.

Found a nice Maltese restaurant called Ta'Kris down a back alley, top notch. Lin had Majjal il-Forn (braised pork, onions, garlic with veg), I had Dad's Famous Bragioli (meat loaf wrapped in steak, slow cooked) All washed down with Gozo Merlot.

GETTING READY FOR MALTA

How would you get ready to go on holiday?  Well, for me & Lin it meant looking after the great grandson, going to wrestling, standing on glass floor a hundred foot or so above tower bridge, going to the Cutty Sark, standing across the Greenwich meridian & how did they get that ship in the bottle? I'm exhausted. Also went cycling with Robbie & Arsenal lost - doubly exhausted.