Yesterday and today have been two days of preparations to leave me in charge of the Paola penthouse (yes Julie the plants et al!) as the boys left for France this afternoon.

Activity (building starting at 7am)

Keeping on top of my work mail, and little side adventures in between. Kevin and I walked to Fgura yesterday stopping at the kiosk for a coffee (iced) on the way back to stem the moisture dripping from our bodies!

Roland had his last day of work and took me for a driving lesson to the charity shop where he volunteers. Not having driven for over a week – it was time! I made it – possibly going a little slow for the locals and mastered a right hand side parallel park beautifully!

Purchasing a replacement hat! And a beach shirt, a not so quick shop at the San Gwann Lidl warranted a cool drink before braving the traffic back home

I chickened out of the driving duties on the way home and Roland chauffeured me (again)

Today was bed washing, clothes washing – all drying to a crisp within the hour! The boys packed and deposited Kevin’s car to their other garage…so I have no obstacles when reversing the little Subaru in off the street! Tis a real luxury to have a garage in Malta – street parking is a premium!

Then the fun began – now in my defence a lot has changed in the three years I have been away – the trip to the airport is quite a different animal! Getting there with my passengers this afternoon was no problem, gas in car as leaving the airport – no problem. I will just explain here, I donned my bathing suit(under dress) and packed a beach bag heading to St Thomas Bay for a swim after dropping the boys to their flight!

The road layout, detours and the new bypass to the north got me….first I took a turn (after 10 minutes) that took me back to the airport. So I started again…headed north and thought if I get back to my town Paola, I would know where I was heading…. Missed the turnoff and found myself on the now completed spaghetti junction motorway heading north to the top of the island. I took the first turn off (I could safely negotiate) and found myself only able to turn lefts…away from my home and certainly the beaches ! I could see the domes of the Paola Church in the distance (thank goodness we have such a large church on a hill) I kept turning left… no option for a right….by now abandoning any thoughts of getting to the beach, just determined to get home! Bear in mind all this driving practice is done at breakneck speed, being tailgated and tooted at in the crazy Maltese traffic!

I found my turnoff this time after 40 minutes of enforced driving lessons, while by kiwi standards this may not seem long but this was a long way home for what should have been a 10 minute drive! (at full throttle)

Vivian (the Subaru) and I breathed a sigh of relief as we backed into our cool garage.

The neighbours greeting me on my return and ensuring Kevin and Roland got away safely (little did they know of my trauma getting back)

A cool drink, a little siesta and now (washing all away and beds made) I have rewarded myself with a cold Cisk – Maltese beer of choice!

Safely enjoying the familiar view from the penthouse deck…

If you look closely Adelina is standing in her door way still greeting all the arrivals and departures in our neighbourhood!

When the highlight of the day is shopping at Lidl (Maltese version of Pak n Save) – and even then the air con is faltering (probably a mere 30 degrees) you realise it’s an inside day! Meanwhile in the. Car….

She’s 40 degrees and rising! The roads are quiet (the Maltese opting to stay at home)

This morning was work then a quick trip with Roland to apply for ID cards – Rols firs one and my renewal to a 60+ (yep in Malta we are officially old at 60!) meaning lots of benefits for us retired folks! I wish!

Then back to work for a few hours and a lunch break with Kevin – errands and lunch at a cafe I will not be retuning to / cheap and nasty toasted sandwich! A trip to the supermarket – supposedly the coolest place to (only it wasn’t) and a dragonfly hanging on desperately to our car aerial!

Home for another few hours work – Kev for a nap and voila.. the day is done and the hand is over the yardarm- it’s 5 o’clock somewhere in the world and a nice cold beer was in order.

Salad again for dinner (nothing else appeals) and as the night sets in we are all in bed by 10pm – aircon and fans blasting away for a pleasant nights sleep! There are no fireworks tonight (for the first time in days) and the evening is quiet – for Malta!

It is exactly one week since I arrived to this Mediterranean heatwave – have to say not sad! Loving the warmth and with only for pieces of clothing a day needed-the laundry is vastly reduced!

Finally I am in the zone, sleep-in until 6.30am on a Sunday morning! Decided I would sort out paperwork for next round of Maltese admin and do a bit of work in advance. Opened my bedroom window to let the cool air come in – view from the other side…..

Actually the sunset from the night before! However at 6.30am I opened the window on the shaded side and the air coolish – probably around 30 degrees. Not for long….the temps heating up and tried to close and crank up the air con, as I was sitting on my bed working quietly while the rest of the house was sleeping. Tried to close….jammed open! Oh well next mission was to print out some info for work…trying to find the paper loading slot…Jammed open the top of printer. Not wanting to force the issue (and break something) realised that it still printed in this position. Minimalising the stress levels (getting rather hot with the jammed open window) I quietly carried on with my work morning! Kev appeared an hour later and I told him (in my now hot sweaty state) that I was in a bit of a pickle! A flick of a lever – the window closed, and a bit of brute force the printer closed! At least I hadn’t broken anything – another lesson in Maltese technology! Rols was getting ready for work and Kevin had teaching from midday,

I took myself off to the local supermarket “Carters” before Sunday closing at 1pm to replenish the beer supply! Me and half of Paola – a busy time! Again 40 degrees in the shade! Back to an afternoon (inside) of computer trolling while Kev worked. Followed by a sudoku or five!

3.30pm and a job to do – Kevin’s friend who is away in UK has commissioned Kevin to water plants – a job I will take over after the boys leave for France on Wednesday…happens to be in Senglea, one of my favourite places on this island. After a walk to the end of the city…

With views of the grand harbour (Valletta in the background) and…

Fort St Angelo in Victoriosa and the super yachts still in port – most have left cruising for the summer!

Back down and along the waterfront to Alice Springs kiosk for a cool resfreshment!

More door fronts and a couple of very noisy cockatiels!

Up close and personal with the luzzu- Maltese dinghy’s!

Kev and I enjoyed a couple of refreshments- I’m training myself to drink Rose, sparkling water and ice in this warmer climate! Very refreshing!

Once again I have just spent the first heatwave week of summer and actually loving it! Lots of water, very few clothes and salads for dinner! What more could I ask for?

Tomorrow (Monday) is renewing ID card day….another admin goal to tick off and off to sleep for the evening as I close my ears to the sound of fireworks banging in the background (double glazing maybe muting the intensity) The sounds of Malta!

Friday morning after work time, I took myself off to the bank to sort out frozen accounts, since I haven’t used them in over two years, I had to suffer though a very manual reinstatement to reactivate! An hour of updating details (where nothing had changed except my Maltese phone number) culminated in not being able to activate the (new) Visa card. In short account is now open but I have to wait for replacement card and pin by post! Another week! That’s one admin job ticked, now onto the next 5 things!

The afternoon was spent preparing for a drinks evening with the neighbours. Celebrating Rols becoming a Maltese citizen, Kevin spent the afternoon scrubbing the deck (in 40 degrees) Rols prepared nibbles, and my task was to make a fruit platter and asparagus rolls (something I do with my eyes closed) The fruit platter ✅ but the worst asparagus rolls I have ever made…the only bread available was toast thick and hard – consequently when rolled they looked like cracked pavements! I did need to explain to our guests that they do taste better than they look! A great evening socialising with all the apartment block residents, neighbours from across the road and both sides! Late night for me almost midnight!

The evening party setting with fairy lights – and fireworks banging away in the next town until 11pm!

A little sleep in until 7am (being a Saturday) but had arrangements to head to the Irish pub (Lemon and Lime) in Marsacala by 9am to watch the All Blacks play Ireland live (NZ time 7pm) They very kindly opened half an hour early for Kevin and I (somewhat reluctantly at first)

Kevin and I donned the Rugby shirts having travelled with me for just these occasions!

No one else was interested and we had the place to ourselves, a few stragglers (locals) by half time were sitting at the tables outside. Nevertheless – great coffee and great breakfast…

Just with three minutes to go – the pubs cable TV lost reception to the UK channel! The barman scrabbled to get it back in vain, and just managed to get on to the Italian channel for the last minute! Yay Italian is good when you have watched 78minutes and don’t get the end, one only needs the picture!

Full to the brim with English breakfast, we stepped out into a balmy 39degrees at 11am. Contemplated a walk along the promenade…

But opted for the air conditioned comfort of Kevin’s Citroen! The black Shirts a bit of an overdress for Maltese temperatures!

We drove south for a bit of a look around the hotspots (literally) and reminded me of all the places I need to share with Jill when she joins me in August!

The southern tip of the Island looking down on Marsaxlokk (the fishing villages) and some fabulous swimming spots off the cliffs behind!

I have just realised looking at these photos that I may have left my favourite black cowboy hat at the pub as a tip! Oh well in a weeks time I will do it all over again (the 2nd test) with George.

Early to bed and early to rise, wide awake at 3.30am…up, dressed and working by 5! Small adjustment still needed.

A considerable rise in humidity overnight meant my outdoor workspace was less than comfortable by 7am. Personally the sweat pores where working overtime – even my eyelashes were dripping and in the street..huge concreting activity, with concrete dust, mixers and cranes lifting buckets of concrete powder to the penthouse level(same as me) on the construction site next door. The result a wet powdery film covered work space and body! Leaving Kevin and Rols in peace to have their breakfast before retiring back inside to the cool aircon and dusting myself off!

Meanwhile, on the coastal areas north and south of the island a atmospheric tsunami swept up and over the shores. This occurs when high humid atmospheric pressure pushes down on the sea and causes the sea levels to quickly rise and the water surges over what is usually above sea level!

Oblivious (at this time) to this weather phenomenon and not to be idle, I took myself off for a walk about 10am, possibly not the smartest thing on such a warm day. At least today more shops were open and I could nip in and out of aircondtioned spaces for relief.

My feet took me south towards the next village Tarxien, through deserted parks and narrow streets!

One learns very quickly to walk on the shaded side – making sure to stay on the footpath as buses and trucks race down the narrow and mostly one way streets.

To find the centre of town you look for the church spires, every village has one (a church that is) and here I found myself in front of the Tarxien church.

This world is yellow (buildings) and blue (skies) in short! Not exactly sure of the way home as every corner just brought me more yellow and blue, I popped into a corner store, confirmed I was still in Tarxien, and was advised to follow the main road (this being a two way street about 10 foot wide) and I should hit Paola (my town) in about 10 minutes. I’m guessing that would be on a cool day allowing for brisk walking, Half an hour later I stumbled into the apartment, downed another bottle of water and had to sit (and lie) for the next half hour while my body came back to earth!

The afternoon plan, after Kevin had finished his online teaching classes, and before Rols was off to work and Kevin out to the movies, was to go to my old stomping ground “Alice Springs Cafe” for a late lunch, come early dinner and sit by the sea and Superyachts!

We rocked up around 2.30 to a very pleasant sea breezed umbrella covered seaside! All quite hungry by this time! Ordered food and drinks – and just to prove you can teach an old dog new tricks, I thoroughly enjoyed a rose wine spritzer! A much more ladylike beverage than a can of beer! Lunch arrived.. Rols having a very healthy Tuna salad… and Kevin a chicken burger special

With a mountain of chips and a SAUSAGE! My lunch/dinner, a plate of Fish and chips..

A footlong (not subway) piece of fish, and a mountain of chips! I did say we were hungry! I couldn’t even fit in the post meal coffee.

After a late afternoon nap, the boys have all left and I have ventured out to the terrace now the evening is cooling off. Not being one to enjoy showers, tonight’s will be a welcome relief to wash off the layers of sweat and concrete dust!

The 7.55pm church bells are ringing out and… No food needed just saying.

Catches the sunrise in Malta

Not quite in the Timezone – wide awake and working on the terrace at 5am – as the sun rises over the city – the temperature still a pleasant 33 degrees and humidity still workable! I have two hours on the terrace before I need to retreat to the airconditioned inside. I am so not complaining – this is what I signed up for and enjoying every sweaty moment!

Today was a home day – I took myself off at 9.00am for a walk to the local square – wearing as little as is respectable was sweating within 1 minute of leaving the apartment. As today is a public holiday the usual bustle of roller doors opening to exotic hole in the wall shops was absent. In summer here shops only open from 9am until midday and close until 4pm. Today it was just the cafes and convenience stores (corner dairies) who had any signs of life. Ducking into a shop just to soak up their aircon for five minutes were few and far between. However, on the square, their was life …..

The Paola church had its doors wide open – but as I was sleeveless in my attire I could not venture inside!

I plonked myself down at a shaded table in the kiosk cafe on the square…

Ordered a cappuccino and watched the world go by. $2.30 for a brew and a number of others wiling away the morning.

Then wandered back towards the flat and popped into our local convenience store – where the girl behind the counter was chatting away on her phone (as they all do here). Ok for all my fellow smokers (us outcasts) I asked about a mild tobacco pouch, she put down the phone but didn’t hang up and was very helpful. Here’s the thing – in NZ a packet of tobacco (30grams) is $76.00 and here a 40 gram pouch is €7.70 (for you kiwis that is $14.00 NZ and 10 grams more) my vice is a cheap one here!

While I didn’t need any, as this lovely lady had gone to so much trouble for me(like putting down her phone), I felt I had to buy one! I now have 3-4 weeks supply, when I really should be giving up haha!

The rest of the day included another walk to the supermarket – ftira (Maltese) bread and vegemite(kiwi) for lunch and another couple of hours work – culminating in cracking a nice cold cisk(beer) in the late afternoon. Kev and Rols have gone to a friends for dinner and I have made a fabulous Caesar salad for dinner (one can still get Caesar salad dressing here where it has disappeared off the shelves back in NZ).

So day three has passed and I am feeling relaxed again!

This one’s for you Julie! I have a big responsibility ahead!

From leaving NZ soil to touching down in Malta was an exhausting and testing experience to say the least. Did I sleep, no! Dozed for the odd hour on the longer legs! The planes were all full to the brim, no option of shifting to a less cramped position. Due to my departure times in the countries of each flight I qualified for breakfast each time..,,I felt I was breakfasted out with a variety of waffles, hotcakes, bread rolls and jam, and a handful of chopped fruit! Where were the scrambled eggs of old? Offered once and declined due to its serving companion – baked beans!

Needless to say as I was either stuck in a window seat – unable to move as my neighbours slept the 11 hour flight, except when I did manage to get out at the 10th hour to trial the restroom area – I was abruptly told to “sit down seat belt light on” by a very busy Turkish hostie, legs crossed until the terminal!

Travelling alone, through large international airports, catching trains between connections, packing and unpacking for customs checks – what seems like an unnecessary exercise on arrival in transit and departure from the same place,when the legwork needed from terminal to terminal mostly did not make provision for a bathroom stop let alone shopping time!

So it was up and down. Running through airport cites, undressing and unpacking for various men at customs checkpoints and sleeping with one eye open to ensure one didn’t miss the only distraction (meals arriving) in the shoulder to shoulder , knee to seat confinement of the 2 foot square of personal space allocated for the duration. No longer the glamour and excitement of international travel as planes packed with kiwis and Australians leave the antipodes in hoards!

Along the way we lost the mask wearing – somewhere around Istanbul where temperatures of over 30degrees C were starting to creep in. My first day was a blur of overtiredness… my second day was a work catch up and try and manage some Maltese admin tasks – will let you know how that goes..

View from my home for the next couple of months! One way and

Construction the other way. Today is a public holiday – The feast of St. Peter and St. Paul – shall go for a wander and get into the mood for the day which will be full of fireworks and festivities!

Have confirmed that lemon and Lime (the Irish pub in Marsacala) will be playing the live Allblacks vs Ireland rugby test at 9am on Saturday (Maltese time) – it will be breakfast for breakfast (not dinner) as we Don our all blacks jerseys and support the minority on the other side of the world!

7.30am checked in and ready to fly! Dan and Lex shovelled me and my bags into the Ute at 4.30am and saw me through to the gate. In good Jaxon style “if you’re not three hours early you’re late”

So here I am in a much changed Auckland International Airport – three seats to myself so legs up – before the 38 hour journey ahead.

A last wander around wintery Waiwera yesterday afternoon – rugged up for the kiwi winter…after a long day of last minute panics, drowning myself in Petrol while filling the car, RAT test (not needed) visit with dad and a yummy lamb Roast cooked by Dan!

The calm before the storm, I leave my family and friends to another wet week ahead.

7.30pm Monday night I should be touching down in my second homeland, almost three years to the day since Russ and I left for what was his last time (sad face). It will be really odd travelling all this way on my own for the first time! The very nice lady at check in did advise me if I needed any assistance on my journey to just ask! So the old people thing is creeping up on me fast! Well really, getting up at 4.00am and no coffee, what do you expect!

So soon it’s off to Brisbane (first transfer) and the biggest hurdle of the journey …. forms etc.. unload baggage but after that my very helpful lady said I won’t need everything scanned – can stash away for the duration thereafter!

For now it’s goodbye to NZ, mask wearing and constant covid chatter to a world that has put this behind them…hallelujah! A big thank you to Dan Lex and Trudi for helping me make this happen xxx

After a month of Winter, the south is blanketed in snow and the north island humans have been drowned with rain and storms, a glimpse of sunshine is teasing us with hope!

The sun rose to a clear blue day, cold but clear….my power bill the proof of heatpump overuse and thermals getting worn out! A little gasp before the next system “weather bomb” sweeps through in the weekend!

To top it off the media “mainstream” is touting the threats that more lockdowns are not out of the question…..just letting us all know that they are grasping at control!

Meanwhile, every kiwi that has the wear-withal has left or is leaving for new adventures, while businesses are struggling to employ workers and the health system is collapsing! So they say…

Which brings me to…. Three more sleeps, lots more work, bag to pack, lightly, except for shoes as these big kiwi feet do not fit into the tiny little Italian sandals sold in Malta.

While I wait for my “negative” RAT” test on Saturday afternoon, I am playing the hermit game – I can board a plane with flu or gastro bugs but NOT with a hint of covid! Soon these games must end.

As I wing my way to the other side of the world, George is heading to Texas to our American family (wish I could be there too!) Dan is breaking the back of my house Reno’s (weather permitting), Jaxon is going in for surgery (kind of feel a bit guilty I won’t be here) and my friends slog on with their work routines!

My family has had some harsh lessons over the last few years and we all know life is unpredictable, but we hold each other up from near or far, and know that we need to take the opportunities and roll with the changes when we can! Being there for each other is all that matters!

And we still come up smiling – well most of us – Dog does not like the cold – he is a summer child!

It’s the final countdown – two and a half years of waiting and finally the flightless kiwis can once again spread their wings!

The infamous OE for young graduates appeared to be a thing of the past (for a while) but now they are hopping on the first plane out! Those who dared to hold onto their dreams.

Which brings me back to yours truly et al! Almost three years to the day since Russ and I last departed our beloved Malta I will be returning to continue our dream.

The last three weeks in kiwi land have been a whirlwind of activities…a Thelma a Louise roady to whanganui to visit family…..saying goodbye to the youngest offspring (George), who is currently leaving his footprints in a few states of the USA.….farewell to one of my longtime friends in my community who has sold up and left for greener pastures in the South Island…and three weeks of crazy busy work with the dreaded COVID putting my work colleague down hard, leaving me to wear yet another hat – 10 hour work days plus three hours travelling (every day) has taken its toll on this old gal!

It sure has been a fortnight of rinse and repeat…on the road at 5am in the dark, work at 6am…try to leave by 3pm before the traffic – never happens…heading home at 4pm, arriving 6pm in the dark! Grab a snack, shower and sleep to be rudely woken by alarm to plough through another day!

One evening I arrived home as the sun was setting and drove the waterfront to get a Glimpse of the sea before darkness fell! ‘‘Twas the calm before the storm! “

The renovations on my house are coming along in leaps and bounds – in between weather bombs – not ideal to concrete or cut holes in walls when rain and hail are lashing down on a 45 degree angle!

At last a waterproof garage, the feijoa trees survived, alas the lemon tree did not! This was a big job, when your house is at the bottom of a big hill and water likes to flow down through your property to the sea! Very excited to see my new home when I return!

So a week from now I will be racing off to get my rat test to allow transit through Brisbane en route for my happy place! Only Brisbane applies a plethora of restrictions for a transitting passenger – the rest of the world has moved on! So for the next week I will be lying low, avoiding crowd funded places, and finally back to working from home! Give my body a break from the sitting position and hours in the car!

But wait – there’s more, our Blues team has had a blistering season – a run of 14 unbeaten games and takes the stage “Eden Park” tonight in the final – Russ will be jumping for joy wherever he is, as an avid supporter when the chips were down (for years) ! We will be donning our blues attire and watching on the big screen(at home) Our time to shine!