Photo Bomb

Of course today didn’t turn out as planned! Up at 5 working, washing and packing up to be out for I didn’t know how long as dropping the car at mechanics at 8am! Then on foot…..

The blood red sun rising in the east! locked up at 7.45am and raced downstairs to take the car to the doctor! All I can say is the car won this one – 30 minutes later I was still sitting in the garage! She wasn’t going to start.

So back to work, sneaking down every half hour to see if I could get a different result, but no. I rang the mechanic and said I can’t come today….he asked when will I bring it? Say no more, Roland arrives tonight (taxi from the airport now) and a job for tomorrow!

So getting a little sick of my own company – I decided to leap on a bus to Valletta – I know those ones work as planned.

Airconditioned and stress free! First stop Malta transport to renew my travel pass. BLUE is the colour of old people in Malta – My last ID card and travel pass were green, the new 60+ ones are blue! I am now a fully fledged old person! In Malta an old person with benefits – cheaper buses, ferries (if not free) and entry to all the historical sights!

Then through the gates of Valletta to a very bustling city around noon (two cruise ships in port today).

Looking down on what was the moat outside the walls that enclose the city.

A bustling little market street as I entered full of bras and undies basking in the sun! 90% of the stall holders were selling smalls – nevertheless it was very colourful!

My mission now was to find an old persons fold out paper map of Malta and Gozo – I know you can get everything on your phone, but in Malta it is not wise to look at phone and drive! So I wandered down the Main Street…

This place, the high court – Kevin and I battled it out with local crooked property developers for a period of three years in this building (Kevin more than me – I only went once) That was an experience we don’t want to repeat – but we did win that one in the end.

And the boat people queuing up to take a tour of St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta

The others all eating lunch in the big outdoor square (those that weren’t in the hundreds of crappy tourist shops) I found my map so Jill and I will have fun joining the dots (with roadworks diversions) when she arrives next week. Feeling in need of a sit down (a peaceful one) I wandered off the main drag…

And found the perfect cafe (only selling coffee cake and cold drinks) in a stairway to the sea…

Left and front – that was me with clouds minimalising the heat and a breeze (warm) blowing up the narrow street…

Enough of wandering aimlessly, I headed to take the ferry to the three old cities (on my side of town)

Birgu to the left, Senglea to the right and Bormla in the middle –

This one’s for you Trud – the crane giraffe still stretching its neck in the maintenance docks! Some things don’t change!

And now begins my next story – When Russ, Trudi and I stayed in Senglea four years ago, Trudi and I befriended an old lady (ok so now I’m old too) called Carmen and she had a cat called Duffy (we often talk about this as it was an amazing experience as she was a concert pianist in Italy for many years and she gave us a private concert at the time) . Twice, since I’ve been here, I have gone past her house and yelled (like an idiot) at her balcony “Carmen, Duffy” no response! But today, as I landed off the ferry quite near, I thought I’d give it one more go.., but first…

These! Quite hot and sweaty upon arriving outside her house, again I did my calls to the balcony, then thought I’d bang on the door! Only to be answered by a very protective and loud dog barking inside! Certainly not a cat called Duffy! There was a local lady walking (very slowly) up the street so I asked her if the lady still lived here! She said she stays sometimes across the road at a ground level maisonette!

I was nearly there! I knocked on this door – and there she was , I mentioned Sue and Trudi from New Zealand and I was swept in the door for a good old catch up! She had her wrist in plaster as she had sat on a chair (at the cafe/bar up the road that Russ used to frequent) and fell off about a month ago! We took a couple of selfies for Trudi – but not to be shared in public!

It appears Duffy (the cat) wandered off and joined the street cat gang and Carmen adopted a very protective(and loud) chihuahua dog! So I’m very happy she is alive and well!

The return trip down the stairs, cool beer at the Alice springs cafe, and bus home went well..clearly advising the driver I needed to get off at Paola! No extra leg work needed, apart from a side trip to the supermarket to stock up on essentials – beer and butter!!!