Left the appartment in Trastevere to walk to the Treve Fountain to meet up with our kiwi friends (around 6kms)

Tree lined street with the GPS taking us on our journey

Across the river (a grey looking morning) . Crossing roads was a challenge even on a pedestrian crossing one has to play dodgems.

Passed the Theatre of Marcello a historic site with several ruins (piles of rocks) in the foreground

The art gallery (and Russell) in the middle of a very busy roundabout

And finally….

The Treve fountain – one can throw in a coin and it means you will return to Rome! I will reserve this decision until the end of my stay

Found our friends!!!

Sue, Janine and Jill…

Then off to the Spanish steps

Yes we climbed them!

Next stop on the walking tour – the pantheon

Outside, we went inside with the thousands – built in 27AD

All starting to feel the stomach grumblings so we headed to the Piazza Navone for lunch

Check out these shoes – with wings – no red bull in sight

Made it to the lunch destination just as the rain started to fall! Great timing!

The red dog playing in the square!

One more stop

The market place in the piazza Farnese (lemoncello in abundance)

Finally coffee and drink time

Janine enjoying her ice cream coffee and Luke looking on! Still raining and about to make our way back for an afternoon siesta! Tired legs, good food and lots of must see tourist traps ticked off

This morning was a big flat clean up, last minute packing – and off for a coffee and baguette at Vittoriosa before collecting Kev to drop us to the airport

Malta airport crazy busy with people and the best smoking room (lounge) in the world!

Just like the koru club!

I sat in 12D Russ in 33D (back of the plane) I nearly finished my book as I had a very moody chap next to me! An hour and a half later we landed in a cloudy Rome – still warm!

Found Jill at the airport and then off to catch a train to our new hood!

Our new wanderer for the next two weeks!!

Train trip to Trastevere all as planned and found our apartment no problem (despite the language barriers)

A longish wait for our host and apartment not ready so off we went in search of some supplies

Found a great little bar on the corner then supermarket across the road!

Jill has her €3 bottle of wine and we have our local beer! And a salad and chicken for tea!

We are on the busiest corner in the world – ambulances, fire engines, police and a million cars and motorbikes! Good double glazing! And great aircon – let the Rome adventures begin!

Russell is now officially Maltese!

We left (on foot again) this morning to walk to Bormla and take the ferry to Valletta to collect Russ’s Maltese passport.

Taking the Valletta coastal route from the ferry

Through the Victoria gate and up the hill

Passed these couple of classics then stopped in at the lower Barrakka gardens

Looking very lush after the last two weeks of intermittent thunder storms.

Standing at the wall with the entrance to the grand harbour and the “Bell” memorial to the fallen soldiers of the 2nd world war in the background

Then across the road

Russ close up and personal with the bell tower.

Last leg of the mornings hike to the passport office

Past the Valletta point seaside cottages (a little Riverhaven carved into the wall of Valletta)

Passport duly collected, we made our way up Merchant street (otherwise known as Cafe Alley perhaps) to a well deserved cappuccino and Maltese bruschetta for lunch!

And the city got busy…

This little tourist train passing very close to our table.

Caught up with Kev and Rols and ferryed back to our side, catching a ride up the hill with them back home!

I will just finish today’s story with a couple of pictures from last nights stroll to the neighbouring town of Zabbar, in search of the cannonball stuck in the stone wall. (Another of Russ’s great finds). This ‘Ball’ was fired from the Notre Dame gate (entrance to the three old cities and about 3kms away) in 1798 attacking the locals, by the French (who were being pushed back off the Maltese land)

There it is! Still there (secured by a cross of wire) to the left of the window frame.

Zabbar is an old city, 6th largest in Malta and has many really old houses

Imagine getting up these after a night out!!

And of course a magnificent church (also hit with cannonballs during this same time when the Maltese insurgents battled against the French)

A couple of great walking exploring days – practicing being car-less in Italy for the next two and a half weeks! Tomorrow’s story will be from a new country!

This morning promised another day of warmth and sunshine.

We decided it was time to start thinking about our next adventure and packing 18 days into a small carryon bag for the plane to Italy on Wednesday. This done and armed with a list of jobs and purchases needed to be done, we left on foot. All achieved within 200meters of our house, we carried on down the back streets towards the Bormla waterfront for our morning coffee.

Passing a pet shop, I couldn’t resist checking out the local pets….

Rooms and rooms of birds and more birds who, upon our arrival, screeched extremely loudly…

Until the owner arrived in this back room to see what the ruckus was… (kiwi birds visiting local birds)

These blue parakeets were scared of foreigners! Upon explanation of our presence, (using the tourist story) the owner relaxed and explained these parakeets were originally from Australia but now bred in Bormla.

A very expensive hobby – these green ones €650 (NZD 1200) each!

Thanking the owner and apologising for upsetting the locals, we carried on our way.

We spied these hand made(of wood) children’s clocks – the picture doesn’t do them justice as they were all moving and wiggling with each tick!

A glorious mug of Coffee consumed, we spied a bus that we thought would drop us back up the hill – leapt on and realised it was bypassing our area, so we still had a couple of km walk (at least along the flat rather than up hill).

Back in the apartment early afternoon, we hung the washing on the line (in the bright sunshine). Then five minutes later the thunder rolled in.

I tried to catch the wind tunnel which spiralled down out of the thunder clouds! Then heavy rain!

Washing rescued, it was a great time to point our noses into our books! The pattern of our lives forever changing!

Over to Kev and Rols to say goodbye to Sally who returned to Paris today

The limo is ready and waiting!

Sue and Russ then headed North to Bugibba (the tourist Mecca) to catch up with Sue’s cousin Marcella. Had a wander around the many souvenir shops for about half an hour (yawn)Marcella swooped us up in her car! Back to her place then off to lunch.

Long overdue catch up with this girl! Another very hot day and a couple of liquid refreshments certainly warranted a snack before getting behind the wheel again

Platters of fish and chips (not a chip left standing)

We said our goodbyes around 3.30pm and headed back south, off the beaten track, on another of Russell’s treasure hunts. This time an old villa, in Madliena, built by the Marquis Scicluna from old stone from Maltese buildings demolished in the 2nd world war. Initially a residence in the 1960’s and then turned into a nightclub

Reknown for its unique architecture and mosaic decoration

All closed in and peeking through a hole in the wall…

We could see the run down structures and courtyard, now unused and uninhabited. However on a prime piece of land overlooking Paceville, I do hope a restoration project, rather than a high rise, is planned.

The beach towels and togs have had a long day in the boot of the car! No need for washing as the wanderers have gone off track once again!

Woke this morning to bright sunshine and no wind! Welcome back Summer!

A short hop across the street to the convenience store took me in the middle of the streets entertainment for the day

The penthouse apartment residents were shifting house! This is how they do it here…. a crane lifter with a platform and down to an open truck with wire cages! Obviously an event as all the neighbours were out watching and providing advice (loudly).

Quite a production!

Russ and I collected Kev and Sal and headed south to St Thomas Bay – for coffee and a swim! Usually a flat calm inlet where you can either swim off the rocks or from a small sandy beach!

Not so today

The surfers were out – yes you can surf in Malta! About a 6ft wave rolling in and crashing of the rocks. I guess a hangover from the recent storms! And rather magnificent!

Sat at a cafe on the point in the searing sunshine! Waiting for our coffee Kev got a little hot!

The trusty sarong – a coat of many uses and providing colour to the day! I promised no Facebook post but the blog wasn’t mentioned!

We wandered around the rocks towards the sandy beach which was piled about a meter high with seaweed driven in by the waves. Only option was to leap off the rocks and roll with the waves. Floating, rolling and cooling off – it was fun! Especially for the Parisian (Sal) who hadn’t seen the sea for a while.

Tummy’s rumbling after all this exercise, a short hop back to Marsakala for lunch – a NZ beef Steak!

Sally’s lunch! A very pleasant time beaching, eating and drinking had by all.

Go on a cruise of the Mediterranean they said, you’ll see lots of countries they said…..

You’ll walk in lines behind your guide around all “the places” to visit they said

You’ll take a traditional Luzzu ride in the grand harbour and back on the boat before dinner, ready to take off for your next amazing destination. A glimpse of the culture for some

I am so glad we have our feet on the ground and are feeling and living the real life in Malta with family and friends

The thunderstorms and lightning light show last night from Kevin’s penthouse deck – Paola church lit up!

New friends at one of many of our favourite watering holes! And maybe our paths will cross again!

Trudi’s last day today (posing here with a Luzzu out of the water for its autumn maintenance)

The fruit and vege truck on the roundabout on the way to the airport!

A relaxed farewell drink and then lunch with Kev, Rols and Sally before the airport check in at 3.30pm – Trudi about to head home as I write with tears in her eyes! The postcard country of the Mediterranean (Malta) forever embedded in her memory.

The story does not end here for all our faithful followers….Russ and Sue have more exciting adventures ahead in the coming months and the story will go on….

Yesterday was a wandering in different directions. Trudi, Russ and Kev took off in torrential rain to play Bingo in Bugibba – that is there story – terrible traffic and no wins!

Sue donned raincoat and walked off the beaten tracks from Paola to Figura – poking around in the local shops.

Diving for the doorways as traffic passed to avoid the showers from their tyres!

The bingo players returned early afternoon and while Russ had a rest – Sue and Trudi walked to Birgu to collect Trudi’s custom made Maltese ring.

Just had to stop at Rouge Cafe in the way back for the two for one cocktail deal!

Then back to get ready to go north again to Sues cousins, Sam and Anna (and family) for a lovely roast pork dinner! Great night had by all, we have been really spoilt!

This morning, Russ took himself into Valletta to further progress his Maltese passport status and Sue and Trudi did an errand (collection) for Kev – without getting lost!

Then back to find our Pianist friend Carmen for a coffee. Not answering her phone and not at home, it appeared we would not have the promised catch up! However, driving back to Bormla to collect Russ from the ferry we spied her at a cafe finishing her coffee on her own. Screech of tyres, Trudi jumped out, and Sue went in search of a car park.

A lovely (but shortish) catch up before the thunderstorms rolled in again!

Off to the airport to collect Sally (from Paris) as Kev has more construction happening at his new flat!

Lunch at Senglea, home now and we are all catching up for dinner a bit later.

A day of heading North, South, sideways and in circles….getting really good at wandering without getting lost!!!

Meeting Charles for coffee in Valletta, we decided a car less day was the way to go – walking from Fgura to Birgu to catch the ferry ⛴

Rest stop by some prickly vegetation

Waiting for the ferry I commented how humid and still it was like the calm before the storm (how right I was!)

The thunder clouds in the background

And another postcard image of these magnificent superyachts!

Coffee at Barakka Gardens and suddenly the wind got up and the clouds rolled in. Russ had taken himself off to the Co-cathedral and we hoped he was inside.

Trudi and Sue played dodgems with the heavy rain in search of a poncho!

All sold out! And the only option was…

The ‘Rainbow’ umbrellas. A five Euro well spent.

We had a return ticket on the ferry (but that would mean a 30 minute walk from Birgu) As our shoes, and the rest of us, were drenched we decided a direct bus ride was the better option

The Main Street if Valletta in the rain, a sea of umbrellas and ponchos.

The fountain at the gate of Valletta was benefiting from the extra moisture, so there is always a positive!

Bus stop found! A 10 minute wait (still getting value from our 5 Euro rainbow umbrella)

On the bus – back seat boys

And any seats a good one, even if I can’t sit with my mates…

Writing this in the bus – looking forward to a hot coffee and dry feet!

A stroll around our Farm hood this morning revealed flora, fauna and farmhouses

The streetcats on their rock wall home

Farmers in the valley!

Very large farmhouses high on the ridge overlooking the farmland and sea!

Driving out we noticed the sign to San Blas Bay (a spot missed on yesterday’s driving tour), so down a very steep road (path) as far as the car was allowed – deciding not to walk the remainder 60degrees down (it was the up that was more of a concern)

We are sure it was very nice but we had Victoria in our sights for the morning.

Short detour via Nadur for a coffee and the street art on the corner.

Off to Victoria for some retail – a little disappointing as the old shops, in this area, are replaced by the new modern chain and designer boutiques!

We did, however, stumble across the charity shop which I found three years ago. It was closing in 20 minutes, but managed to snatch a couple of treasures!

Walked up to the Citadel ( now a tourist attraction and payment before getting near)

Again a bit surprised as last time we walked right around the outside of the wall for free and the views were amazing! I don’t mind paying at all, just did not want the process of organised tours!

We walked down again to a cool drink in the square

Back to the car and off to Ramla Bay for a much needed swim

Beautiful red sandy beach and a local selling a nice refreshing cold glass (plastic cup) of local wine on arrival. Trudi loves this place!

We are now waiting in line to board the ferry back to the big Island!

ETA 6pm. The wandering Kiwis have had a fantastic mini holiday on theIsland of Gozo 😊