Car Boot calling

Waking up early on the first day of my holiday (yes no work for a week) – what?

She’s been on holiday for weeks you say! But working most days for a few hours including weekends! So yesterday, Saturday finished up at 10am and determined to make every minute of my week count, we hit the road!

First stop, charity shops Marsacala – driving the southern coast road to Marsaxlokk..which actually has its big market day today…temperatures rising, further south to Birzebbuga (pretty bay) ..

For a dip and a snack – mum and I used to spend some days here drinking coffee and eating hot chips!

Under the brollies at the kiosk at the north end, where all the Maltese people hang out ( and two white kiwi gals) Refreshed and cooling in our wet bathing suits we headed south through the town of Hal Far and some very interesting (narrow) farm roads- stone walls in either side – until our noses led us to Zurriq and sign posts appeared directing us to the Blue Grotto…

High on the hill…

Is the Maltese Falcon …. Waiting for tourist attention!

And way down below! Lookout point atop the cliffs of the Blue Grotto! We drove down as far as we could go – greased the palm of the car park attendant and parked up!

Then the tourist luzzu (boat) trip – Jill and I got the front seats of a dinghy like arrangement (with small smelly diesel outboard motor)

It was a bit of a race (with other boats) in and out of caves

Cool in the caves and searing hot in the sun! The driver spouting off a few words in what he thought was English, but we couldn’t understand a word, meanwhile our fellow tourists behind us didn’t stop taking in their language – Indian I think – and kinda spoiled the ambience!

Eyespy keyhole! The thunderstorms of Friday certainly a thing of the past!

The colours of the sea…

And the rocks towering above! It really is beautiful and ignoring the incessant buzz of 50 horse power motors on the steady stream of luzzus (boats) zooming in and out of caves ( hate to think what this is doing to the natural eco system) and the hoards of tourists (like us) taking boat trips and lining the rocky shores , the Blue Grotto seems to be holding its own!

Getting later in the afternoon it was time to navigate the roads again back to our original starting point (Marsacala) and the Irish Pub for a dose of All Black Rugby, some what hesitantly, as their last few tests against South Africa and Ireland which have been lost! But this test needed to be won to regain some pride out of the tour! And the team (staff) now remember me and had it all ready to go at 5pm! A nail biting 80 minutes, a plate of buffalo wings and wedges, two beers, two bottles of sparkling water and a few roars from the crowd (Jill and I) and the boys in black pulled it off!

7pm and time to head home (a 15 minute final leg) But no, the adventures were not over! On my well known route (not many of these here) we came across a huge car crash (blocking the entire rode and some very damaged vehicles) we and 50 others got turned around to hunt for alternative routes! This was a case of follow your nose, or the guy in front, keep looking for a familiar landmark – ok so after a while massive churches and roundabouts all take in a similarity! 8pm, our 15 minute journey took an hour, not too bad by Sue driving in Malta standards!

And this morning it’s Carboot Market Mornibg at 7am!