A planned market morning, for a couple of hours, then rest day for the tired legs (almost happened)

Jill and Sue headed off around 8.30 and only about 5 minutes from home it began (much sooner than expected)

Not too overcrowded, but that soon changed and the market place was huge; roads closed for around three kilometres.

Everything you can imagine

Ice cream on a pole – wedding and evening dresses, bags, underwear, tables of clothes, shoes, jewellery, leather goods and more of all of the above.

It soon became very busy and, much in need of a coffee, we dived off to the side to the first cafe we spied!

Very nice too, after 2nd coffee we hit the throngs again, with a bit more energy.

Headed back to the apartment around midday with only half of the market (if that) explored.

Sue headed back into it again, with Russ, to look for swimming shorts, as these were left behind in Malta and might be needed for the Amalfi coast at the end of the week!

A bit of a hard ask as all summer stock off the agenda with winter in Italy on its way!

Finally we found a 2nd hand table with a wide choice (summer stock) for 50c a piece, so brought two for that price to ensure one is useable (or at least fits)

We then detoured into the antique market streets

A stall of retro furniture set up as a room

Chrystal chandeliers! (Or glass maybe)

Paintings and frames

Figurines and statues

And lamps and lights in many shapes and colours!

A very colourful and interesting part of the market and some very unique pieces of art and collectables. I guess it’s lucky I am only travelling, this trip, with a carry on bag – no room for extras.

We wandered back and had a bite to eat, at a local kebab place, and home to put these travelling feet up! (8.30am to 3.00pm – a little more than a couple of hours for Sue!) I’m sure that is not a surprise to those who know me!

Having purchased our €24 unlimited transport pass for 7 days, three days ago, we finally got off footing it and caught a 7.15am tram to the Colleseum (to beat the crowds!

The morning sun catching the top of this magnificent architectural structure. NO people at 7.30 as it doesn’t open until 8.30am! Time for a coffee and pretty much first (we were 10th in the queue) – Jaxon would be proud of us!

Janine and her family rocked in, on schedule, just a little after 8am and we decided to take an English (Italian tour) which included the Colosseum, the Roman Forem and Palentine hill ( all three sites)

A great decision as our guide ‘Nico’ was a hive of information about the events of the Colosseum – The life and times (and battles) of animal (elephant, tigers, bears and many more), gladiators (teams and individuals). He was armed with a book (written by himself) with many pictures of how it used to be! (Which was very helpful to visualise how it all transpired!)

The inside of the now crumbling structure and

Through an archway on the upper level looking back at Palentine hill.

Alana, Janine and Luke waiting for the next part of the tour, the Roman Forem,

Jill and Russ taking a more leisurely approach to the interval!

Then off to the best part…The Roman Forem (the ancient Roman hub of the government, including Julius Caesar, and where the Roman Empire and its reaches were run from)

Aerial view of the city ruins from high up on the Palentine Hill lookout

The business street – shops and trade area

Remains of one of the basilica alters (and Russ)

Courtyard area lined with marble statues

Sue with one of the more intact statues (only an arm missing)

All that is left standing of another Basilica!

While a lot of this historical site looks like lots of broken bricks and marble, it is thanks to Napoleon and his team of architects restoring this, having been totally covered with silt, sewage water over many hundreds of years, that so much of the city is uncovered and one can see the layout and foundations of what was once a fantastic city!

A late lunch and by now a very hot afternoon! We left the other kiwi travellers and Jill, Sue and Russell headed to the Chariot race track

Maybe the first horse racing in history?

Enjoying a nice cool drink before we left Jill to go join another evening tour! She went one direction – Russ and Sue heading home and off to catch another tram!

Back to our local for a cool beer – Sue needing to use the bathroom

And this happened! Life is just full of surprises!

Friday morning in Rome and the sun was shining – a few household chores completed and a cappuccino at our local with Russ, who had a rest day planned.

Jill and Sue took off to retrace yesterday’s steps in hope of retrieving the very expensive prescription sun glasses lost on earlier travels!

A very colourful roadside florist (and Jill) basking in the morning sunshine!

A bit of a flurry and…

The Italian military police are on a mission! (I guess they were also looking for Jill’s glasses!)

Alas the Sunglasses hunt was unsuccessful and we decided to head to the boutique shopping areas

Across the Tiber river and into the thick of it! Expensive boutiques, and lots of tourists!

An out of the way coffee garden for refreshments around 1pm (and a toilet stop as no public toilets in Rome)

Then off in search of the Jewish quarter! A small diversion (wrong turn) and here we are..

The Jewish museum and Mosque

Sue taking a little shade under the palms, then walking the back streets into the Jewish ghetto (an area of Rome where all Jews were rounded up to live in the 1500s and from which the Nazis send more than 1000 Roman Jews to concentration camps in the 2nd world war, few returned).

We chanced to find ourselves at the back of the Theatre Marcello (which we had passed from the other side yesterday)

Jill is framed by Roman architecture

Sue and the back of the Theatre Marcello.

Around in another circle to head in the homeward direction we passed…

The bicycle street park! And possibly the most efficient mode of transport!

Over the Ponte (bridge) Fabrico

Which crosses to Tiber Island in the middle of the Tiber River (this image is of the maternity hospital where all true Italians are born , evidently, on Tiber Island) only to get caught in police scuffle (about 10 running officers)

Arresting and packing up illegal street hawkers before they can get away. (Still no sign of Jill’s glasses)

This called for a gelato on Tiber island before crossing another bridge to our side of town..

We then decided to take the scenic route along the lower side of the Tiber river – heading in our home direction.

Sue blending in with the local street art under the bridges. One or two other humans passed us on our 5km hike in the burning sun with lots of weeds, rubbish and abandoned bikes. Not to mention numerous “Homeless” homes built into the vines and growth, beside, above and below!

Finally, Jill and Sue a little frazzled, thinking we were never going to find a way back up into civility, and having already passed under our recognised over bridge , we found a way back….(with a sigh of relief and sore feet)

Through someone’s homeless home! At least we would have had company (and relative comforts of home) if we hadn’t been able to get back! When in Rome….

The unexpected from day to day adding to the wanderers adventures!

Left the appartment in Trastevere to walk to the Treve Fountain to meet up with our kiwi friends (around 6kms)

Tree lined street with the GPS taking us on our journey

Across the river (a grey looking morning) . Crossing roads was a challenge even on a pedestrian crossing one has to play dodgems.

Passed the Theatre of Marcello a historic site with several ruins (piles of rocks) in the foreground

The art gallery (and Russell) in the middle of a very busy roundabout

And finally….

The Treve fountain – one can throw in a coin and it means you will return to Rome! I will reserve this decision until the end of my stay

Found our friends!!!

Sue, Janine and Jill…

Then off to the Spanish steps

Yes we climbed them!

Next stop on the walking tour – the pantheon

Outside, we went inside with the thousands – built in 27AD

All starting to feel the stomach grumblings so we headed to the Piazza Navone for lunch

Check out these shoes – with wings – no red bull in sight

Made it to the lunch destination just as the rain started to fall! Great timing!

The red dog playing in the square!

One more stop

The market place in the piazza Farnese (lemoncello in abundance)

Finally coffee and drink time

Janine enjoying her ice cream coffee and Luke looking on! Still raining and about to make our way back for an afternoon siesta! Tired legs, good food and lots of must see tourist traps ticked off

This morning was a big flat clean up, last minute packing – and off for a coffee and baguette at Vittoriosa before collecting Kev to drop us to the airport

Malta airport crazy busy with people and the best smoking room (lounge) in the world!

Just like the koru club!

I sat in 12D Russ in 33D (back of the plane) I nearly finished my book as I had a very moody chap next to me! An hour and a half later we landed in a cloudy Rome – still warm!

Found Jill at the airport and then off to catch a train to our new hood!

Our new wanderer for the next two weeks!!

Train trip to Trastevere all as planned and found our apartment no problem (despite the language barriers)

A longish wait for our host and apartment not ready so off we went in search of some supplies

Found a great little bar on the corner then supermarket across the road!

Jill has her €3 bottle of wine and we have our local beer! And a salad and chicken for tea!

We are on the busiest corner in the world – ambulances, fire engines, police and a million cars and motorbikes! Good double glazing! And great aircon – let the Rome adventures begin!

Russell is now officially Maltese!

We left (on foot again) this morning to walk to Bormla and take the ferry to Valletta to collect Russ’s Maltese passport.

Taking the Valletta coastal route from the ferry

Through the Victoria gate and up the hill

Passed these couple of classics then stopped in at the lower Barrakka gardens

Looking very lush after the last two weeks of intermittent thunder storms.

Standing at the wall with the entrance to the grand harbour and the “Bell” memorial to the fallen soldiers of the 2nd world war in the background

Then across the road

Russ close up and personal with the bell tower.

Last leg of the mornings hike to the passport office

Past the Valletta point seaside cottages (a little Riverhaven carved into the wall of Valletta)

Passport duly collected, we made our way up Merchant street (otherwise known as Cafe Alley perhaps) to a well deserved cappuccino and Maltese bruschetta for lunch!

And the city got busy…

This little tourist train passing very close to our table.

Caught up with Kev and Rols and ferryed back to our side, catching a ride up the hill with them back home!

I will just finish today’s story with a couple of pictures from last nights stroll to the neighbouring town of Zabbar, in search of the cannonball stuck in the stone wall. (Another of Russ’s great finds). This ‘Ball’ was fired from the Notre Dame gate (entrance to the three old cities and about 3kms away) in 1798 attacking the locals, by the French (who were being pushed back off the Maltese land)

There it is! Still there (secured by a cross of wire) to the left of the window frame.

Zabbar is an old city, 6th largest in Malta and has many really old houses

Imagine getting up these after a night out!!

And of course a magnificent church (also hit with cannonballs during this same time when the Maltese insurgents battled against the French)

A couple of great walking exploring days – practicing being car-less in Italy for the next two and a half weeks! Tomorrow’s story will be from a new country!

This morning promised another day of warmth and sunshine.

We decided it was time to start thinking about our next adventure and packing 18 days into a small carryon bag for the plane to Italy on Wednesday. This done and armed with a list of jobs and purchases needed to be done, we left on foot. All achieved within 200meters of our house, we carried on down the back streets towards the Bormla waterfront for our morning coffee.

Passing a pet shop, I couldn’t resist checking out the local pets….

Rooms and rooms of birds and more birds who, upon our arrival, screeched extremely loudly…

Until the owner arrived in this back room to see what the ruckus was… (kiwi birds visiting local birds)

These blue parakeets were scared of foreigners! Upon explanation of our presence, (using the tourist story) the owner relaxed and explained these parakeets were originally from Australia but now bred in Bormla.

A very expensive hobby – these green ones €650 (NZD 1200) each!

Thanking the owner and apologising for upsetting the locals, we carried on our way.

We spied these hand made(of wood) children’s clocks – the picture doesn’t do them justice as they were all moving and wiggling with each tick!

A glorious mug of Coffee consumed, we spied a bus that we thought would drop us back up the hill – leapt on and realised it was bypassing our area, so we still had a couple of km walk (at least along the flat rather than up hill).

Back in the apartment early afternoon, we hung the washing on the line (in the bright sunshine). Then five minutes later the thunder rolled in.

I tried to catch the wind tunnel which spiralled down out of the thunder clouds! Then heavy rain!

Washing rescued, it was a great time to point our noses into our books! The pattern of our lives forever changing!

Over to Kev and Rols to say goodbye to Sally who returned to Paris today

The limo is ready and waiting!

Sue and Russ then headed North to Bugibba (the tourist Mecca) to catch up with Sue’s cousin Marcella. Had a wander around the many souvenir shops for about half an hour (yawn)Marcella swooped us up in her car! Back to her place then off to lunch.

Long overdue catch up with this girl! Another very hot day and a couple of liquid refreshments certainly warranted a snack before getting behind the wheel again

Platters of fish and chips (not a chip left standing)

We said our goodbyes around 3.30pm and headed back south, off the beaten track, on another of Russell’s treasure hunts. This time an old villa, in Madliena, built by the Marquis Scicluna from old stone from Maltese buildings demolished in the 2nd world war. Initially a residence in the 1960’s and then turned into a nightclub

Reknown for its unique architecture and mosaic decoration

All closed in and peeking through a hole in the wall…

We could see the run down structures and courtyard, now unused and uninhabited. However on a prime piece of land overlooking Paceville, I do hope a restoration project, rather than a high rise, is planned.

The beach towels and togs have had a long day in the boot of the car! No need for washing as the wanderers have gone off track once again!

Woke this morning to bright sunshine and no wind! Welcome back Summer!

A short hop across the street to the convenience store took me in the middle of the streets entertainment for the day

The penthouse apartment residents were shifting house! This is how they do it here…. a crane lifter with a platform and down to an open truck with wire cages! Obviously an event as all the neighbours were out watching and providing advice (loudly).

Quite a production!

Russ and I collected Kev and Sal and headed south to St Thomas Bay – for coffee and a swim! Usually a flat calm inlet where you can either swim off the rocks or from a small sandy beach!

Not so today

The surfers were out – yes you can surf in Malta! About a 6ft wave rolling in and crashing of the rocks. I guess a hangover from the recent storms! And rather magnificent!

Sat at a cafe on the point in the searing sunshine! Waiting for our coffee Kev got a little hot!

The trusty sarong – a coat of many uses and providing colour to the day! I promised no Facebook post but the blog wasn’t mentioned!

We wandered around the rocks towards the sandy beach which was piled about a meter high with seaweed driven in by the waves. Only option was to leap off the rocks and roll with the waves. Floating, rolling and cooling off – it was fun! Especially for the Parisian (Sal) who hadn’t seen the sea for a while.

Tummy’s rumbling after all this exercise, a short hop back to Marsakala for lunch – a NZ beef Steak!

Sally’s lunch! A very pleasant time beaching, eating and drinking had by all.

Go on a cruise of the Mediterranean they said, you’ll see lots of countries they said…..

You’ll walk in lines behind your guide around all “the places” to visit they said

You’ll take a traditional Luzzu ride in the grand harbour and back on the boat before dinner, ready to take off for your next amazing destination. A glimpse of the culture for some

I am so glad we have our feet on the ground and are feeling and living the real life in Malta with family and friends

The thunderstorms and lightning light show last night from Kevin’s penthouse deck – Paola church lit up!

New friends at one of many of our favourite watering holes! And maybe our paths will cross again!

Trudi’s last day today (posing here with a Luzzu out of the water for its autumn maintenance)

The fruit and vege truck on the roundabout on the way to the airport!

A relaxed farewell drink and then lunch with Kev, Rols and Sally before the airport check in at 3.30pm – Trudi about to head home as I write with tears in her eyes! The postcard country of the Mediterranean (Malta) forever embedded in her memory.

The story does not end here for all our faithful followers….Russ and Sue have more exciting adventures ahead in the coming months and the story will go on….