June 2016 - Week 3

The salt pans in Gozo where we were this week

Monday 13th to Sunday 19th June 2016

Monday we did a tour around visiting Golden Bay (for cappuccinos), Riviera Bay, Ghardira Beach and Armier Bay. At Armier Bay we had more cappuccinos before Ben and I went walkies to Little Armier Bay, the Dragonara Cave, Magdelinas Chapel and along the ridge back to Armier Bay again. Sam stayed there sipping water and reading a magazine. We had lunch at Mambos – bruschette – then stopped off at home before driving on to Eurosport and HomeMate. I have pretty much decided which sound bar I want; I’m just waiting for them to come back in stock.

In the evening we went to Miracles for beers. They used to have Cisk Excel on draft but they have now given over the pump to draft prosecco! How naff! We walked on to the Ocean Basket and had very good seafood. Roasted salmon with Cajun spices and chips for me, a mixed platter of calamari, prawns, haloomi, feta, olives and goodness knows what else for Sam and grilled Dublin Bay prawns and mussels with rice for Ben. With water and a bottle of wine it all came to less than €60, a real bargain. For pudding we went to Congusto for excellent ice creams.

Tuesday we had a lazy day; Ben just wanted to chill and get some sun. For dinner we did a mega fish BBQ – langoustines, salmon and sea bass.

Wednesday we went to Gozo and did our usual tour around so Ben could see the island. We had excellent bacon and egg ftiras and cappuccinos at Tamarisk, cappuccinos at Xlendi, ice creams at Marsasflorn and I had another cappuccino at Hondoq while Sam and Ben had a swim. There were jelly fish in the water so I reckon I made the wise decision.

For dinner we had a Puy lentil chilli with rice, then Ben and I went on a pub crawl. My first pub crawl in Malta! Everywhere has TVs on showing the EURO 2016 football; tonight it was France v Algeria. On the way home we had brill ice creams at Congusto.

Thursday we went to St Julians to look around the marina and Portomaso as well as Paceville. Trouble is, we are in the middle of a heat wave with the air temperature over 40°c so our hearts weren’t in it. For dinner we went first for drinks at Cheeky Monkey then to Ocean Basket then to Congusto. So, it was basically a rerun of Monday!

Friday was my birthday! We had a lazy start opening cards and prezzies. It was still too hot to go out and do much though. After lunch we took Ben to the airport for his flight home. We stopped at the supermarket on the way home so that Sam could buy the ingredients she needs to make me a birthday cake. She had planned to make me a carrot cake but I have asked for a Christmas cake instead! In the evening we went for a cold beer in the Wood Hut, then a cocktail at Cheeky Monkey, then dinner at Duo. Duo wasn’t good. Ridiculously over-attentive staff to the point of being irritating, average food (at best) and cockroaches in the toilets! I’ll review it on my blog, but safe to say we won’t be going back.

Saturday we worked, chilled – literally, in front of the air con – and watched some football. Sam made my birthday cake which is fantastic – it’s a Christmas cake! For dinner we had pizzas.

Sunday it was still hot so we still chilled. Apart that is from a stroll to Pash for cappuccinos and then to the butchers to buy a corn fed halal chicken for dinner which was excellent.

When we were in Gozo earlier in the week we went to Hondoq where Sam and Ben went swimming. Today someone was killed there, chopped by the propeller of a motor boat. That reminds us how careful we need to be in such a busy sea.