After a week of half days work and afternoon swims, I woke to a morning of just me against the world. Bearing in mind shops all close (apart from supermarkets and the chain stores) at midday in summer in Malta. Today I had some tasks to do! But first it was find the All Blacks test on one of the 500 internet channels, and tuned into the second half…happy to miss the first half by all accounts!

After lunch yesterday at Alice Springs Cafe in Senglea…the day was really heating up!

A coffee and an omelette on far too much ftira (Maltese bread) I then inhaled a bottle of water, as even sitting in the shade, I was perspiring faster than I could replace! The plan was to head to my charity shop to stock up on some more books, then head for a dip in the sea!

Vivienne, (the car) decided it was also too hot for her, and refused to start after my very short visit to the closed charity shop! I held my breath..tried not to panic as my phone was also nearly flat, gave her a rest and managed to get her firing. Nervous to repeat the experience, I headed straight home, parked her up in the garage and hosed myself on the terrace, giving the plants an extra drink too.

Needless to say one of my tasks this morning was to take her to the battery garage (I have been there before) and check the battery, which google told me was open from 8-1 on a Saturday. But first, there was the wee job of eradicating the ant attack that had crept up on me overnight, spray, wipe, vacuum and clean out all bins….they had roared in from the terrace, under the sofa and crawled along the kitchen and up into the drawers!

This done, it was off to the battery place…which sported a big “handwritten” sign “ closed on saturdays” in true summer spirit!

As Vivienne was today behaving, I circled back to my charity shop once again…carefully choosing 4 books. Upon taking them to the counter, the lovely English volunteer spied one she had not read! And was insistent she had no change of my 20€ bill, knowing I only had 3€ in change (each book being 1€ and needing to pay 4€) hoping I would leave the one she wanted behind! Nope it had taken me half an hour to choose, and she could either take my 3€ for 4 or find change, no surprise…she found change!

My next stop, the Chinese shop for some supplies for Roland, and then finally a coffee at an old favourite “Rouge Cafe”

In the shade and very pleasant while I watched live updates as our Netball girls bowed out of the World Cup.

Being my old stomping ground, I needed to visit the ATM machine in Bormla, being still a bit of a cash society. Then a thought struck me to pop into the local hairdressers and see if I could make an appointment (the same one Trudi had a great cut when she was here) They weren’t too busy and my new best friend Sharron, shampooed, conditioned and cut (short) for the grand sum of 15€ (NZ$30)….

I actually suggested shorter, but this is what she wanted to do! Kinda like the Stevie Nicks Shaggy look (finally!)

I contemplated jumping on the ferry for a trip to Valletta, as I had a park right by, but still needing a visit to the supermarket decided to save this for another day..

So a Saturday evening ahead of launching into one of my new books! Ready for an early start tomorrow at the Sunday Birgu Car boot market!

Almost a week in Malta, and I feel like I’ve been here for ever, the comfort of a second home! The week has been settling into a routine of work, mornings til midday, coffee at my local, and swim in the afternoon! My gorgeous cousin Anna has been calling me every night to make sure I am OK! I have been visiting my favourite haunts in the afternoons….

Birzebuggia (pretty bay) where mum and I used to have cappuccinos and hot chips most days – it was one of her favourite spots! Sandy beach which is much more comfortable for a read after a dip!

And last night I dressed up – surprise, makeup and all (which melted quite quickly) and bused down to the three cities, one of my most favourite places in the world, to meet my cousins for a drink and pizza in the evening….

It didn’t disappoint! The sun was setting and I took a stroll on the promenade where the super yachts moor! None of the big boys are in dock, as being August (the height of the summer holidays here) I’m guessing they are all out cruising the Med.

7.30pm, cousins running a little late, and I was rather warm (with melting make-up) so headed to the meeting point (Cafe on the harbour) and ordered myself a Pina Colada – that I had been dreaming about all afternoon! and settled in for their arrival…

This travelling solo can be challenging, but no one cares or questions, and one can drink when one likes, eat when one likes, and sleep when one likes…. p.s. lovely evening was had with the gals!

On another note – I think I have (with Kevin’s remote assistance) the plant watering system under control!

While this may look tropical – there are a few plants that seem to be looking more and more dead each day(the lemon tree in the middle of photo at the end of the terrace) despite the tender loving care(and water) they are now receiving!

Most nights I read my book/s, two down in less than a week, to the sun setting out my bedroom door….

I haven’t had a drop of rain since arriving 6 days ago, and the washing dries on the deck in 30 minutes! Aircon in the flat is set at 22 degrees and this sometimes feels quite chilly, average daily temperature at the moment is around 35 degrees! But who’s counting – it’s Summer!

After sorting out my abode for six weeks, setting up my workspace, stocking the fridge and starting the car….after removing the battery charger, I was ready for a summer sojourn in Malta!

Yesterday, Sunday, the bulk of the Paola fireworks was over (until the evening) but the roads were still closed, so I circumnavigated the town and found my way to the kalkara swimming hole for my first swim!

A Sunday at the northern beaches is standing room only but in the south, I pretty much had it to myself as I took my white body (in bikini) for its first outing in the warm waters of the Grand harbour! Then it was off to visit my family in the north. I will just say here, that everyone (here) is lamenting how bad the traffic is! Come to Auckland I say and you will appreciate the Maltese roads!

Taking the familiar route from the three cities, and through the tunnel, I emerged to an oncoming car tooting and flashing its lights, then the guy behind me started rooting and flashing his lights!! I thought I must have an octopuss on my roof! So I pulled over and the following driver advised me I had lost a hubcap just as I exited the tunnel which flew across in front of the oncoming traffic! He was very nice and I thanked him profusely! Now I needed to do a U-turn and go back in search of the flying saucer! As luck would have it there was a small layby (and Vivienne my ride is tiny) and I could pull off the otherwise no stopping zone on the entrance to the tunnel! And there on the footpath was the culprit! I gathered it up negotiated another U-turn and carried on my journey, arriving at my cousins in a bit of a bother, hot and thirsty and devoured about two litres of water!

Relaxed now, I enjoyed a pleasant Sunday afternoon, had a late lunch, early dinner and took off on my homeward journey – after securing the retrieved hubcap!

An early night, (yes reading Julie) and up working at 6am, as I needed to get to the English run charity shop in Marsacala to stock up on books. All went well today and I spent an hour at the swimming hole…

I had forgotten the lack of comfort when drying out the old body on the rocks! But the lack of sandy towels is a plus!

I was going to head to Senglea for a cold beer (lunch) on the way home but remembered my favourite cafe is closed on mondays and I have one in my fridge!

Hello my old friend! A moment on the terrace, cool shower and a relaxing afternoon!

Yesterday was a BIG day, left Fumel in the south of France at 7.30am to catch my first train from the neighbouring town of Monsempron to Agen…a pleasant 45 minutes through the countryside as the sun was rising! Then I had a 30 minute changeover to catch my next train from Agen to Bordeaux! A two hour trip. At this point I will just highlight that I was travelling with an extra big bag as well as my smaller carryon transporting Kevin’s winter (NZ) clothes back to Malta!

Bordeaux train station is large and we arrived several platforms over from the exit, which meant getting a 20kg bag and a 10kg bag down a flight of steps to go under the train lines! Challenge number one! Exiting finally onto the outside cobbled area (rolly bags on a cobbled road is not ideal), to be greeting by an unsavoury chap vomiting his heart out! Lost for the first time in the day, dragging two bags looking for a shuttle bus I had booked to transport me to the airport! Finally a young very helpful man could decipher my ticket (on phone) and pointed me in the right direction. Getting rather hot, hungry and thirsty, luckily not in need of a loo (as the three of us – 2 bags and me would not have fitted in the cubicles) I loaded bags and myself on the (full) bus.

A 30 minute bus ride, bags retrieved, I went in search of my bag drop point – after visiting all three terminals I found the Ryan Air one, only to realise I had an hour and a half before I could rid myself of the big bag – being the budget airline it was in a part of the airport with no cafes! So getting hungrier and thirstier I settled in to wait it out!

Finally I threw myself through customs, being stripped of almost everything apart from my pants and shirt ….. with only an hour before take off, there was a kiosk – cold drink and tough old ham and cheese baguette! Found my gate and a seat and savoured the roll and drink…another 2 and a half hour flight (spend dozing) and taxi to the Paola apartment by 7pm!

The first thing I noticed were the very dead looking plants , the watering system (on the terrace) had been off (battery died) through the recent heatwaves. My job for the summer, to look after the plants, was going to be even more challenging. Rather exhausted last night, I watered, made my bed and found a packet of crackers for dinner.

Needless to say this morning was full of jobs, sweep the dead leaves, water the plants, wash the deck, cut off dead branches, washing, annoying the neighbours for keys as I didn’t have a full set here, having my first coffee in more than 24 hours, supermarket shopping…..all on foot as I have arrived in the middle of the Paola feast.

Bunting galore, fireworks like a war zone, roads closed and the Saturday fish market adding an interesting aroma in the 35 degree heat!

After my morning of activities, I took a couple of hours to just lie and read. Tomorrow, I need to get into the garage and hope the battery charger has done its job and Roland’s little car (my ride for the next few weeks) fires into life!

Welcome to Malta, settle into my work pattern, swim and see my cousins and friends! And of course try and bring the terrace garden back to life!

The ice block lights adorning one of our purchases from Emmaus (large warehouse of recycled stuff) yesterday along with the lighted cactus!

Today started with yours truly feeling a little ordinary, not being able to shake the summer cold, and an inbox full of emails! So I attacked the work with a vengence as the day promised to be a fine sunny 30 degrees Celsius! Nothing a shower and a Panadol couldn’t dull as Kev and I had planned a lunch out at Roland’s (work) hotel – The Brit!

Sitting on the terrace, with a view over the pool and shade above, we enjoyed our lunch, while poor Roland slaved away serving a quite busy crowd for a Thursday, I enjoyed a wild mushroom omlette and a salad, feeling very full for a midday meal, no dinner needed.

Looking back up at the castle landmark of Fumel…..

And down towards the Lot River, a very pleasant relaxing last day….getting read to hit the travel traps tomorrow – first train at 8am from the nearby town. The afternoon spent packing and repacking as I am taking an extra suitcase (as already paid for) with Kevin and Rols belongings that need transporting back to Malta! The day will be interesting rolling two bags and a small backpack on and off trains and buses until I can rid myself of one on the flight checkin from Bordeaux!

A quiet evening, a cool beer and an early night!

Today was our trip to Cahors! And after morning work, Kev and I raced out the door to get on with ours days tasks!

First stop was to check the progress on the new (old) little French car, which has been in the garage for several months waiting for it’s facelift parts!

No it’s not this Landrover Junior (this one’s for you John!) just a teaser outside the garage! The mechanic assures Kevin he will be working weekends to have his ready in a couple of weeks, as up until now he has been very busy on this caddy….

Cute little village, as all are here in this area, houses lining the main roads and no parking….so a stroll through the town after finding a park at the other end!

Interesting wall hangings barely missed while navigating the narrow footpaths and avoiding the two way traffic on what is essentially a one way street!

Google maps then showed us the route of the Tour de France Female….which just happened to be departing Cahors at midday and circumnavigating a route in our direction! A stop at Prayssac for lunch to delay our journey until the mayhem had passed!

In the heart of the town, for all the kiwis who visit these remote villages, is the pukeko restaurant ! Apparently started by a New Zealander a few years ago! Menu boasting Fish and Chips and a great range of hamburgers! Feeling like a bit more French oriented eating…we chose a more Boulangerie option

My lunch for today….and just perfect! Until I decided I needed another Cafe crème (flat white) and confidently took my cup and reordered and paid for my coffee! Waiting….waiting……no coffee, the chap behind the counter thought I was just paying for my coffee (the already drunk one) and Kevin was paying for the balance! As Kevin and I have been taking turns with refreshments my limited knowledge of the language did not cover the ‘pay at the end bit’ So we actually left the refill (which wasn’t being made) and Kev settled the balance!

Rather focusing on the planter boxes – scattered around the town and heading back to the car to continue our journey to destination Cahors!

The warning signs were there a few Lycra clad indivuals and sporting like supporters cars with bikes on roofs and tow bars and there we were – smack bang in the middle of a country road traffic jam….

With roads still closed waiting for the straggling cyclists! Off we went on a detour!! Which took us through some beautiful even more country lanes and villages…

Underpassing one of the old railway bridges still supporting the main line from Paris to Cahors!

We did our business in the magazins (shops on the visit list) in the outskirts of Cahors…by this time 4pm and time to head back, on another little scenic route. The excursion into the city of Cahors aborted due to most roads in and out being closed half the day for this annual cycling event!

One last stop for a much needed beer and thirst quencher in another picturesque village high above the Lot river (same one that meanders through our village of a fumel)

Home to a shower of rain, and our evening happy hour!!! One more day before I head to the heatwaves of my other home in Malta!

Yes the kiwi storms have followed me…night before last the weather gods threw down torrential rain and hail! I now know it is possible to have hailstorms in 25 degree (Celsius) temperatures. Thunder and lightning and giant hailstones, which tumbled off the roof filled up the gutters and filed down the internal gutter pipes right behind my tiny house in the garage!

Yesterday was spent getting back into my work routine and another garden cleanup (after the storm) before joining Roland and Kevin for lunch at the Brasserie! Main meal in the middle of the day followed by a lazy afternoon.

The garden looking back at the house, starting to look bereft of garden debris from two days ago.

The jet lag summer sniffles are still hanging around, first cold I’ve had in years, so have had to inhale the odd paracetamol to clear the head!

Today started overcast but warmed up and the sun came out this afternoon, morning work for me, then Kevin and I spent the day shopping for the new Air BNB – visiting every homeware shop in the area, racing between closing (midday siesta) hours, and reopening,

The Citroen laden to the roof with homewares, to then be unloaded and put away as much as we could….

Adding another solar parrot to the vine covered garden terrace! As there is daylight until after 9pm here at the moment these guys will light up the night!

Roland and I had a 3.30pm date (inbetween his split work shifts) to visit St Vinnies (charity shop) reopening today after the summer break! Along with half the population of the area thinking this would be a good outing, also cluttered with British tourists! A hot busy time, and of course we didn’t leave empty handed!

It’s now beer time, early night as we have big plans for tomorrow after my work morning!

Saturday, a day of rest, or not! Kevin and I had a garden plan at his future Air BNB house in Fumel!

First stop – LeClerc Jardin – the Bunnings of the south of France! Weed spray, Grapevine spray (the hot and humid weather has attacked the grapevine with black mold) weed eating the grass etc….and then some sustenance for the workers….bread and cheese, beer, and raspberry tarts!

Then the work began…

The grass before

The grass after!

The grapevine and courtyard before

The Grapevine (minus all the dead leaves and grapes) and courtyard after!

After all the physical cutting and deleafing the vines were all sprayed with anti mold treatment and the courtyard and paths with roundup! We will wait to see the results

A quick bite to eat of baguette and emmentalier (cheese) and a not so cold beer, we did a final clean up, Kevin weedeated the neighbours grass, as it was lowering the tone of our now beautiful garden, gave the plants a drink and I pruned the roses and bleached the bench seat

Around 5.30 pm a well earned unwind with a slightly colder beer before packing up and heading back to our abode.

Showers, a (real) cold beer, chicken and salad, and our somewhat soggy (by now) raspberry tart!

As the sun sets at 9.45 – I have retired to my boudoir for a read and lie flat….I’m sure we will sleep well.

Tomorrow, I will set up my work station for the week, as back on line for the work days.

Montparnasse this morning threw a cool and drizzly morning at us (Kevin and Sue) as we left our hotel with rolly bags and backpacks to catch the 9am train to the south of France….

A three hour train trip to Agen, one stop at Bordeaux, sandwiches and puzzle books to fill in the time, and a snooze for me as I had been awake since 2.30am, not really hitting the new time zone!

One change of trains to catch the small train from Agen to Monsempron with a tight change of 5 minutes – Kevin and I poised at the door, bags in tow to leap out first (jumping out before a raft of children who were also keen to get out first) luckily our little train was on the same platform and we jumped in with 3 minutes to spare! If we had missed this connection we would have had a two hour wait for the next one….an hour later we arrived…

I guarded the bags while Kevin retrieved the car and our last leg of the journey to Fumel was in the Citroen.

Construction and roadworks are universal and the Main Street in Fumel is closed! So after a little de – Tour of the town we dumped our bags at the house and parked down near the Church!

Being close to Rols work at the Brit Hotel we trotted across to say Hi and have a couple of nice cool beers on the terrace while Rols finished up his lunchtime shift…

A little overcast and balmy temperatures was just was the doctor ordered! While Fumel is bursting with summer colours…

Familiarity does not breed contempt – we are both happy to be here, Kevin home for the summer and me ensconced in my tiny house for a week, avoiding the Maltese heatwave and power cuts happening in our other happy place….

After a day or so of a terribly sore throat and headache – I am feeling more human this afternoon, and hope the malaise was just a travel hangover, passing by!

Arriving in Paris at 7.30am yesterday meant I had two full days of a flying visit – cool wind, clear skies, and a pleasant 25 degrees shorts and T’shirt couple of days!

Taxi to my friend Sally’s house in Clichy and a day of catching up, making new friends at the local bar and sampling the local beer! And…. getting to know Sally’s Roommate ‘Bert’ not to be confused with Bird!

A Salad for tea – made by yours truly and an early night….Kevin having stopped overnight in Korea arrived at his hotel around 9pm by which time I was already sleeping!

This morning Kevin made his way to Sally’s and after a catch up, we left Sally to get on with her work and went for a stroll around the local area…taking a coffee at my new favourite bar…

Surrounded by the colours of summer…

Spying on our (foot) travels the artwork exhibition of Philippe Katherine…these pink sculptures leaping out to greet the locals and tourists…

Then there’s the more traditional thin version of sculptures….and the blonde!

We headed back to Sally’s apartment to collect Sal and head off for lunch at a local cafe…spoiled for choice – another delicious salad, to cleanse our bodies of the stodgy airplane food.

Around 3.30pm Kevin and I bid adieu to Sally and taxied to Montparnasse to our hotel for the night in readiness for an early morning train trip from here to Fumel, Kevin and Roland’s abode in the South of France.

The Taxi ride was an interesting one, our driver and another taxi driver had a lane altercation early on in the piece, and then happened to end up side by side at each set of lights for the next 10 kms, winding down their windows and yelling loudly at each other until the lights changed…in French, the tone of voices confirmed the ongoing argument!

We finally arrived at our Hotel after 4pm, took off to look for some juice and fruit for our dinner, and something to ease my increasingly sore throat! Not sure if this is happening from the pollution or a cold coming on – nothing a rest in my air-conditioned room, and some quiet time won’t fix I’m sure!

On a final note, Montparnasse, the train hub to the south and a rather touristy area is very colourful with a definite floral theme…

Cafes abound the intersections and streets in this vicinity – I’m leaning towards MamyRosa if a cocktail beckons as the evening closes in.