July 2016 - Week 3

Monday 18th to Sunday 24th July 2016

Monday we bought food! When we got home from the shops we found a large lizard in our dining area. We tried to coax it outside but failed, so had to resort to more brutal means to get rid of it. Sam cooked roast chicken with sweet potatoes for dinner.

Tuesday I got a terrible haircut and even worse “hairdresser philosophy”. We worked – Sam was particularly busy – and I even did some cleaning! For dinner I cooked us a roasted vegetable risotto, an old favourite that we haven’t had for ages.

Wednesday morning we went to do some shopping in Sliema and took the chance to have excellent cappuccini in French Affaire. For dinner we went to the Spanish restaurant, Bla Bla for tapas and sangria. We had been there once previously and had great sangria but very poor paella. Similarly, this time the sangria was excellent but the food was fairly rubbish. The salad was made with tinned tuna, tinned corn, cheap olives and unripe tomatoes and the oil and vinegar were real budget condiments. The chicken croquettes were revolting, the meatballs okay, the tortilla dense and unseasoned and the patatas bravas okay. It is clearly a restaurant where either the chef doesn’t care about the food or is just not a very good cook. But it is cheap so perhaps you just get what you pay for. On the way home we had fantastic ice creams at Congusto.

Thursday we went to Xemxija for brill cappuccinos then we went to the new Lidl that opened in Mosta recently. It looks like a pretty decent supermarket and I suspect it will become a regular event. For dinner I made a delicious red kidney bean and vegetable curry. I will put the recipe for it on my food blog.

Friday I went to Naxxar to arrange our travel insurance and did a bit of other shopping in St Paul’s Bay. For dinner we had pizzas and beer.

Saturday we went to Mambo’s for breakfast. Sam had a traditional English breakfast of fried eggs, baked beans, bacon, sausages and grilled tomato. I had an American breakfast of scrambled eggs, mushrooms, bacon, grilled tomato, a hot dog sausage and chips! In the evening we went into Valletta and met Ian and Robin at Charles Grech for G&Ts. I was driving so just a cappuccino for me. I had to send it back as it was cold, pretty typical for Charles Grech. For dinner we went to Trabuxu which was excellent as always. After dinner we had a wander around Valletta, beautifully lit classic buildings and mostly peaceful to boot. We went into the Upper Barakka Gardens. The gardens overlook a saluting battery, a large terrace given over to lawns and paving where a cannon is fired every day at midday. Tonight it was taken over for a wedding reception so it was all very lively.

Sunday I made a Mexican Puy lentil chilli which was excellent.