The day started a little slowly with a saunter to Paola, coffee and Carolyn’s first introduction to our local shops!

By the time we returned our washing was dry and the afternoons sightseeing set out before us…. First on the list….the luzzu cruise around the blue grotto!

€10 euros each and we were stuffed into a boat with 6 others and off we went….

As usual the caves and water were spectacular, however as for our guide/driver he fell short…having done this trip several times I expected the usual commentary and banter…. I think he muttered 2 sentences on the whole journey and didn’t give us a second over his promised 20 minutes, it was like a race to zoom around and get us off and load up for the next pay packet! Little disappointing for Carolyn’s first experience…

We did manage to wave at a passing luzzu as we roared back into dock…time for a cool drink on a terrace cafe…

and Carolyn wanted a small snack….

We shared! It was huge and a mere€3.50!

Then back to Vivienne(car), the day the hottest in a while and firing up the air-conditioning on the downhill parts of our ride through the refugee camps (in the south) of Hal Safi and on to Birzebuggia…the freeport container port which lies south of Pretty Bay…

By this time the sea looked rather inviting but on closer inspection we realised it was not very clean….Next stop….Marsaxlokk….the fishing village….

A wander through the street (souvenir laden) market and a coffee! A large for me and small for Carolyn…

Careful what you ask for….this is the hugest coffee I have ever been served. While I managed to drink two thirds of it….this is the first time I could not finish! Thank goodness it had two handles as one could not lift with one!

After this we drive to St Thomas bay and had a dip (swim) in the waterhole to cool off….

We then carried on around the south coast to the three old cities….and out to the Senglea point….to realise that it was a great day to not visit Valletta (the capital city) as she was dwarfed by two huge cruise ships!

And to add insult to injury there was yet another one in the dry dock area around the corner….

Nearing 4.30pm it was now time to visit the Alice Springs cafe for a cool beer on the Senglea waterfront.

Yes those are my knees….cool breeze, cool beer and lots for Carolyn to take in!

The evening is upon us and we are home after a brief supermarket visit….ready for an early night and more adventures tomorrow!

As Carolyn’s dream was to jump in the Mediterranean Sea, we went all out (and up and down)!

In the north of this island of Malta is the well known Golden Bay….with golden sands and a massive hotel, with all the tourist traps..

This is not where we went although we did get a good view of it from the cliff top!

Arriving early….9am….our destination was the other side of the cliff “Riviera beach”

Aptly named for its turquoise sea, rolling waves and gorgeous beach babes… Carolyn rocking her summer vibes!

Yours truly nervously getting as close to the edge to snap a good shot!

Ok, then the fun began – I had warned Carolyn…we had 500 steps down and 5000 steps up when our day was done!

Having safely navigated the down bit….it was coffee time before claiming our patch on the beach…as we were early we felt time was on our side….however the steady stream of people started rolling in and we spread out our towels and dived in the sea!

Stuck our nose in our books and ignored the world for an hour or so…while noisy Italians and tourists hired their chairs and brolly’s all around us … by 10.30am it was a sea of orange chairs and white umbrellas….

And it kept building, meanwhile lying on towels we held our ground in prime position as we dipped in and out of the sea!

Enough sun and too many people (they also thought they were mountain goats) had arrived so before the lunch rush we took the prime (again) spot in the cafe and ordered our lunch…

A “monkey business” for Carolyn and a “frozen pina colada” for Sue! Followed by a chicken burger and chips…ok so not so exotic in the food stakes with a lot of bun and chips….but gave us the carbo hit for the climb ahead!

As I mentioned earlier….5000 steps up (while actually the same amount going down – it felt like 5000 up!)

A few “little” rests on the climb and we made it unscathed although somewhat hotter and with an elevated heart rate!

We called in to visit the cousins on the way back and took a side trip to decathlon (sports shop) and Lidl(supermarket) on the way home…yes getting slightly lost in the backstreets of Qormi…due to one wrong turn! And we get to see more of the place while we are here!

We are now two again, Carolyn from Brisbane has joined me for the remainder of this years European journey….she arrived yesterday arvo….exhausted from a 30 hour ordeal!!! The things we do for a little bit of paradise on the Rock of Malta!

After a twelve hour sleep she was brand new…so we started the tourist adventures….leaving the flat at 7.30am and walked to Bormla for our morning coffee…

Rouge Cafe… the best coffee in town…I then realised it was the Birgu street market day (even though last week I decided it was not worth visiting in summer) but Carolyn’s first time here….might as well see the place!

We wandered up the hill and Carolyn got her first glimpse of the grand harbour… feeling like she was in a fairytale! After the hour or so in the street market we headed off to our planned taste of history….

Sitting on the wall of the bridge to the Malta at War museum and WWII shelters…lucky us….we were just in time to join nine other punters and get dragged off on a guided (at no extra cost) tour of the underground shelters!

But first we had to hairnet and helmet up as the tunnels were low in places…then off we went down into the tunnels… our German/Italian guide running off like it was a race….ironic that he was of this heritage as these countries were the ones responsible for the bombings and the necessity of the underground shelters ….. but to be fair he was passionate about his history knowledge, although I felt a little weighted towards the fascist regime that almost bombed Malta to the ground!

An hour or more underground, while we were led from one area to the next…it was pretty warm down here and at times hard to breathe, one can only imagine what it was like with up to 500 people (we were only 11) up to 12 hours at a time with no water or food! We then took a (self guided) tour of the museum and all the war artefacts- cannons, guns, bombs, medals and navy attire!

By the time we left it was nearing 1pm…as we strolled through the decorated (in readiness for the feast this weekend) streets…

Carolyn realising that you are either going up or down….and that Malta is not a flat rock!

The bunting in all its glory in this historic town (Birgu) where there are no new apartments and all buildings are renovated to heritage building code….

To the town square…the religious statues (barring me) all out of storage adorning the square…down past…

The doorway to heaven – near the church opposite…kinda looks locked….

Bells ringing and doors open…enough culture for us today….a wander along the waterfront marina to an Italian cafe for a cool drink and snack!

To walk or not to walk (from here) the 2.5kms back uphill home…an easy decision as we waited in the nearby bus stop.

After returning from Sardinia, the breeze kept the temperatures very manageable in Malta…not so good for swimming as the seas chopped up!

The Birgu street market on Tuesdays, which is the largest market in Malta, is definitely on summer time ..,stalls are sparse and unless you want fruit and veggies, underwear, socks and cheap knock off shoes probably not worth a morning out at this time of the year!

Jill flew to Sicily on Tuesday and I have been doing home stuff pretty much…

An afternoon trip to Rabat with the cousins for a drink…

Giving Vivienne a bath..,and washing pavements, and picking up trash outside after the feast….meanwhile….

Trying to get washing dry on terrace in between block cutting and clouds of dust!

Visiting on the doorstep with the old lady across the street, who has just got hearing aids and not adapting to them very well…of course it’s so loud for her do they get turn down and one still has to yell to have a conversation!

The beauty of having a garage in Malta is you never know when you can get out (or in) – mines the white door behind this car that used my entrance as a street park!!! To be fair someone (in the neighbourhood) usually knows whose car it is and so far I’ve not had the hassle of having to get them towed!

The joys of construction, parking issues and water cuts seem to have been a theme this week…but all part of life on this Mediterranean Rock!

Sunday, first day back in Malta, a morning trip to Mdina, the Silent city on the hill in the middle of the island was anything but silent! The usual absence of cars was not a thing! And horses and carriages and humans….we were in and out in an hour as the objective was to visit the Maltese glass shops! Job done we headed home and parked up Vivienne…

It was feast day in our town…

The square was closed and the buses diverted…so we walked to the Three cities to meet the family for Sunday lunch…

At Wild West restaurant….a very Maltese sounding venue! The breeze was nice and the day very pleasant!

I finally got my hamburger that I had been craving for several days.. After a cocktail stop for dessert, not really needed but everyone wanted…we came home and crashed early to the background noise of the fiesta music and fireworks!

Mondays excursion was a trip to Valletta to visit St Catherine’s monastery and the secret garden and, on the next block, the Black Friars Museum and St Domenic’s basilica (church) – a two for one ticket at the exorbitant (not) price of €13!

St Catherine’s Monastry, no longer an active nunnery, but founded in 1575 to house female orphans and girls in trouble….The internal courtyard garden….surrounded by the living quarters was silent and peaceful, the stone buildings enclosing this garden housed the utility rooms, burial chambers, chapel and sleeping pods!

Washroom, bedrooms and laundry

Kitchen, ovens, rosewater making apparatus, chapel…

A place of calm and simplicity!

The rooms all accessed via an arched, covered walkway circumnavigating the garden!

And walls adorned with the usual religious monuments of the catholic religion.

Nowhere is complete without a cat here in Malta, this guy trying to escape as I suspect some of the interned young girls of the past did…

And no garden is complete without a succulent bloom…the only plants that flourish in the Mediterranean summer!

Then it was off and around a couple of blocks to the Black Friars Monastery and St Dominic’s church..,

This was a great time to visit as all the bunting (red velvet) had been put up on the walls in readiness for the church feast celebrations. This is still an active church and monastery so the monks quarters were not accessible…

Silver candlesticks and famous oil paintings were out in every corner for the celebrations…

St Dominic statue out of his corner and in the middle of the church – prime position

The order of the day was red velvet, Chrystal chandeliers, gold, more gold and silver! These Maltese churches have a wealth behind their doors that we find hard to comprehend!

This church was established in 1571 and has stood the test of time, escaping the bombing damage of Valletta in World War Two.

History lesson over…we were once again out on the streets of Valletta…

Walking up.. to find some lunch and a cool drink..

The Irish pub was the location of choice… for the next couple of hours…in a side street with the breeze keeping us cool, only interruption was a hornet the size of a bumble bee that decided to join us for lunch…the Maltese ladies at the next table said we don’t want to be stung by this guy as we would end up in hospital!

Today is Jill’s last day in Malta before she heads off her next adventure…so we are going to hit the Birgu street Market!

The last two days in Cagliari (Sardinia) we felt like old hands – knew where we hadn’t been and where we wanted to revisit. Our hotel smack bang in the middle of old town meant we could head off in any direction to explore.

The mornings were great walking weather and on Thursday we headed to the port and wandered around the harbour before breakfast..

Slightly overcast as the sun rose through the clouds

And burned off to a blue sky day…

The home of Luna Rossa Prada is here, the one our kiwis beat out to win the America Cup last year in Barcelona…

And where our own Peter Burling will be for the next challenge as he jumps boat to the Italian Team!

Meanwhile a cruise ship rolled in to disembark all its boat people for a day in Cagliari…

A familiar face, the old seagull, catching the morning breeze on the Seawall boulders! A welcome change from the rafts of scavenging pigeons in the town centre….

Back to the hotel for a coffee and pack the beach bag for a second day at Poetto beach…now heading for the bus with confidence! However…

The closed cafe streets all open up in the mornings for the delivery trucks and cars and it is a “humans take second place” affair! As you dive in and out of doorways to let vehicles pass!

We decided to get off the bus early and see if we liked one of the many beach clubs at the southern end of the beach! A slight mistake, as the walk from this end to where we ended up was in the blaring sunshine and considerably further than anticipated! We also needed a loo stop (of course) and the public toilet was a bowl set in the ground and smelt like the long drops on a summers day! One does what one has to do…and finding all the southern end beach clubs very crowded we continued the 3-4 km walk to the tried and true, less populated, option from the day before….the drop bag and first dip in the sea was possibly the best thing that had happened all morning!

A book read, several swims, a snack at the lido and back to the hotel (bus) for a cool shower before the evening dinner selection! Actually we did have to take a stop after the bus ride for a refreshing cocktail to round off the afternoon!

Now our last night of eating options….I had spied a cafe the previous two nights, which was always full, where its patrons were eating bowls of mussels! I had to have these before I left!

Entree size and about 30 mussels in a tomato flavoured soup! Just as good as they looked! I did share a couple with my travel buddy, but cleared the bowl and drank the soup (mostly) selfishly to myself!

Yesterday was our last day, and we weren’t flying back to Malta until the evening, so we packed and stored our bags at reception…and visited the local church that had been our window view for the last four days!

Starting our day with steps (again) we had the place to ourselves and walked around it to its piazza….where like every tag-able wall in Cagliari, this one also sported the locals artwork! Tagging is still definitely a thing here!

We had a little peek inside

Before we headed off (on foot again) in the only direction we had not explored towards what we had worked out was the modern shopping mall…and it was…there were a couple of tricky navigational challenges until we worked out how to cross the highway!

The mall was a modern affair with lots of shops with sales (or salads as they are called here) air-conditioned and nothing we felt we needed to buy!

Nearing lunchtime and a little foot (and leg) sore we thought to take a bus back…ok not so expert on the buses…we walked…dodging the plethora of dog poo that adorned these residential streets of this newer part of town! Another 40 minute walk spent looking at our feet …. for obvious reasons…we did not want to get to the airport smelling of dog poo!

With another two hours before we had to collect our bags and head to the airport, we once again investigated the eating options…not at this point realising we had saved the best for last! A beer or wine + a ciabatta roll with ham,cheese and tomato + a cappuccino for a mere €12 and as I paid the bill, the waitress gave us a shot of a local liquor to top it off!!!

Full and relaxed…we collected our bags and took the train to the airport with our two hour check in time to perfection…

Or so we thought…two hours turned into 5 as there was an airport strike in Italy, which again we only found out after clearing a manic customs! Then to top it off…another 40minutes after boarding the plane due to a technical “issue”. We finally arrived back at our Malta abode after 9pm!

After a degustation at La Nonna Rosa (seafood option) last night, breakfast this morning was an unneeded event….just a bit of takeaway fruit.

We then went to the downtown area to wait for the information centre to open…packed with beach going items and flamingo hunting eyes!

The tourist train, waiting for its day to begin also…together with the park pigeons…

Drinking from the water fountain….

And sitting atop the centre park monument…sometimes you’re the statue and sometimes you’re the pigeon – this morning the pigeons were ruling the roost!

The information centre opened at 9am and we left after collecting a street map, none the wiser how to catch a bus to Poetto Beach and the flamingo reserve…other than it was an orange bus and left from over there (a wave if the hand for directions) …bearing in mind over there was the bus station with numerous bays to choose from and no mention of the bus colour!

We finally boarded a blue bus with Poetto on the front…which headed off in the general direction….on the way we spied a couple of flamingos flapping away in the salt pans, before arriving at the last stop having had three policemen board the bus just before arrival (with only us and one other man still on board!) Oh oh! what’s going on here?….and it was a ticket check…rather an overkill for three (paid up) passengers…

As we disembarked we found a beach lido, as a bathroom stop was needed, and had a coffee…there was a beach club in front with brollies and loungers or the free beach area to the side.

We decided to splash out €12 each and take a chair for the day.. dived in the Chrystal clear water with a wave rolling in!

Very pleasant for an hour or so, reading peacefully until the wind came up and the clouds rolled in…actually got a bit chilly, so we went back to the lido for another coffee (and restroom stop) around midday.

Then it was off in search of these infamous flamingos…we had to cross the main highway to the wetland area, which we couldn’t enter but got some great views of the pink salt pans (still no flamingoes)

We walked about a kilometre along the edge of the highway playing dogems with the highway traffic…as no pavement or barrier on roadside…

The salt pans were rather picturesque, however we gave up on the pink flamingo hunt…and headed back to our beach chairs…

The sun peeped through the clouds a bit and we had another swim in a sunny moment…then we felt raindrops…so packed up around 3ish and beelined once more for the lido cafe …this time for a beer, gin and a late lunch of salad. The rain shower was a 5 minute wonder, but we decided we were somewhat ready to make tracks for our hotel shower..

The rain had warmed up the afternoon, and an almost cold (hotel) shower was the wake up call we needed, before hitting the streets again for our evening outing!

There are hundreds of pink flamingos in the Indian souvenir shops around our area…may just have to be content with buying a €3 one to remind us of what we may have missed!

We found a snacks cafe and had a drink, only to be joined by two old guys…yes we are old, but they probably had 15-20 years on us…they scuttled their chairs to our table and we had no conversation as they spoke no English and we spoke no Italian…so they just kind of leered at us, it was a bit creepy. We very quickly sculled our drinks, paid our bill and left to find another venue!

Still full from our late lunch we both agreed a dessert and Irish coffee was the order of the evening!

Tiramisu for Jill and red berry cheesecake for Sue… perfect end to a pink beach day!

Just realised my travel buddy has crashed…so that’s me for the day!!

Today was a wandering day after a breakfast of champions….apricot jam toast, yogurt, watermelon and muesli! Then it was off to explore the old town of Cagliari….UP… old towns are always up…and a very cool 22degrees at 8.30am, very pleasant for walking…

Fresh as a daisy…after Malta humidity we felt like mountain goats on a spring morning…

The first of our many flights of stairs at the Bastion of St Remy, a monumental staircase, terrace with panoramic views built in the late 1800s.

Already at 9am, we realised we had thigh muscles….but manageable as hill top cobbled streets levelled out to just sow incline roads and pathways…

However the terrace view was amazing….looking back down over the town…

Looking down on the wall…

We carried on up…further into the old town…through the residential areas and archways…to the cathedral of Santa Maria …

Build in the 1300s….and restored over the centuries.

The houses perched on top of the wall, with views to die for….and somewhat breathtaking as areas of the sandstone appears to be crumbling! Out the other side of the hill top village and a coffee stop on the way…then down towards the other side of the old town

Past the statue of Nicola da Gesturi  born in 1882, a Roman Catholic friar who throughout his life encouraged and led charitable works in Sardinia. Containing around the remains of the Roman amphitheatre…

The Roman Amphitheatre in Cagliari is the most important public building of the Roman Period. It is inserted in a natural valley on the southern slopes of the Hill of Buon Cammino.

Between the 1st and 2nd century AD, the builders carved into the bedrock most of the bleachers, the arena, the corridors and animal cages…

Ok so now it was warming up, nearing midday and at the bottom of the hill we came across the botanical gardens (and a toilet) for the mere cost of €4 to visit, it was worth the shade and the comfort stop!

Jill chilling by the water fountain and the Lily pads….

The two or three Lilly’s out in the morning sun adding a bit of colour to the greenery…

Somehow they knew we were foreigners and have placed a special photo opportunity for the non residents….alien species from New Zeakand…

Another cooling effect with the waterfall running from the top end of the gardens…which sported greenery from all over the world!

Many if these large trees are throughout the park with amazing root structures above ground …. There is a Latin version but for us English speakers ….Moreton Bay Fig!

After this meander we had run out of water and were ready for some fluid refreshments…so we headed back (now going downhill) towards where we had started (we hoped) …. However at lunchtime the world looked very different, with all the shops now open and cafe tables once again on the street. We did a few circles and google checks and finally found ourselves at a small cafe for an early afternoon cocktail! Then through the streets….

Pirate sweet shops…. Shoe shops, clothes shops…all of which we entered, if only to enjoy the cool of the air conditioning! No purchases…as luggage capacity is limited! But by 3pm, Ten thousand steps under our belt, nine flights(by calculation) of steps up and down… an iced daiquiri for Jill and a cold Bud (US beer) for Sue! Here, we met a nice family of Italian ladies (three generations)…. Mum (our age) daughter and granddaughter and enjoyed a cool couple of hours! Now back at hotel for legs up before we hit the town ….at the sociable hour of 9pm for dinner!

After a day of Maltese tribulations, we were excited to embark on our side trip to Cagliari Sardinia, which seemed perfect being only a one hour 20 minute flight north from Malta…not so easy with several travel disruptions(again).

Having checked out the bus timetable we found a great connection to the airport, however arriving at bus stop, there was a notice to say it was not operating this week due to Paola feast road closures! So, what do you ? Call a Bolt taxi and arrive at the airport with three hours to kill… this turned into three and a half hours as good old Ryan air flight was disorganised, as usual, and left late…

Finally arrived at our destination around 4.30pm and my Bolt app informed me that bolt doesn’t operate in this part of Italy! Tried Uber and the fare price was $70 for a 9 minute drive!

Needless to say, public transport seemed rather appealing at this stage! We followed the signs to the train station…a little bit of a walk…and purchased our tickets for $5 for both of us, very proud of ourselves!

Arriving at the town was very simple, no steps or tunnels to navigate…

And a little bit of transport history to greet us!

Google walking maps took us on an interesting tour into the old town and to our hotel…

Gasping for refreshments…the receptionist was very nice but somewhat slow and confused when we realised we were expected to share the double bed! We finally got through to her that we did t sleep together and she made up the sofa bed…

Phew…then out the door, we came across a small corner shop…grabbed some milk and water and dropped back to our room fridge, at which point we realised the fridge was not cold (another malfunction) luckily we could only buy UHT milk which has survived the night in the aircon!

Finally out the door again…around a corner and into a street lined with cafe tables and very smiling young men who welcomed us and gave us several sample of wine (Jill) and beer (Sue) u til we found one we liked!!! That was us for the evening…

We relaxed…chatted to the locals, ate dinner and retreated back to our room after a stroll around the block or two….where by then the old town was buzzing with activity! Hundreds of street cafes…souvenir shops, and local businesses open…around 9.30pm… today we will maybe have a siesta in the afternoon and try to stay up later with the nightlife around us!

Life in Malta is full of surprises, some fabulous and some not so fabulous… first the fabulous…

Last Thursday found me in Valletta with my cousin Evelyn to visit the grandmasters Palace…which has recently reopened to the public after a renovation hiatus….sporting a 450 year history dating back to the knights of Malta..security was at a premium and most artefacts behind the tourist lines…

Rambling over a full square in Valletta .,,

With its internal courtyards, staircases, restored armour and doorways for very tall people, which the Maltese are not!

Artwork in every corner from ceilings and chandeliers to clocks and doors…

To the armoury of the knights, sabres, cannonballs and helmets…..10€ well spent

I arrived home (Paola) in the late afternoon to a flurry of activity (at my penthouse level) of concrete pouring ready for the next stage of Maltese building…

This didn’t bode well as the workmen arrived at 6am the next day ready for the craning up of the blocks…

And so it was ready…the last two days have been filled with sawing and laying bricks – straight across from my front terrace garden .. interspersed with the banging of constant fireworks, and sheets of concrete dust filling my morning coffee time! The joys of living in the burbs! and just to add joy to my day the watering system has failed 2x….not ideal while trying to revive a water deprived garden…so needless to say lots of battery changes and hose watering activities!

My friend Jill arrived yesterday on her delayed travels…rather exhausted having had travel hiccups (or rather chokes)!on her way….so an early night last night and an early start….this is where the fun (?) began…

A nice early morning walk through the green belt, followed by a shopping excursion to collect some “cockroach hotels” , yes these guys are rearing their ugly heads (inside) looking for water, some more batteries for the retarded watering system and a couple of zips for some overalls! (having found a design fault)…just as all was going well….a Maltese lady fell in front of us and landed on her face…I rushed to her as blood was pouring everywhere from her face….grabbed the trusty packet of tissues and sat on the pavement with her trying to stem the blood flow ….Jill raced inside the nearest cafe to gather more tissues and water…meanwhile another man (with a walking stick) went off in search of medical help!! We had managed (with help of cafe owner) to get her in a sitting position…and three police arrived and called an ambulance…..she had a bump the size of an egg on her forehead and a very mangled nose and knee! I finally got her name….. Margaret….and handed her care over to the police! And carried on with the shopping expedition! Both Jill and I sporting her blood!

Poor Margaret will have a very sore head I am sure!

Then we needed a coffee…finished shopping and went to see Sammy and Anna with a bag full of Pastizzi (cheese and pea pastries) for lunch…

After our visit it was off to St Thomas bay for a swim….and this hit a road bump too! Nearing our destination…there was a couple of road cones, which appeared to be warning us of a broken car on roadside..as I went to go through the gap (easily large enough for a car) a grumpy old policeman stepped out and started abusing me …. Telling me I had to take the detour (which was far from obvious) and said “do you even have a drivers licence?” To which of course I said yes (politely) he proceed to abuse me and tell me “I don’t think so! You saw the (2) cones!” Then “get out of here you are blocking the road”….which I wasn’t as no one was allowed to go through and Vivienne is very small… I finally worked out to take the side street….and followed my nose!

I can just assume he was having a bad day! Anyway the swim was very refreshing…

Followed by a beer at Lemon and lime afterwards before tackling the drive home…pleased to see the grumpy cop had gone home to abuse his family and a local was doing a great job of redirecting traffic!