August 2016 - Week 3

Monday 22nd to Sunday 28th August 2016

Monday I rose early and cleaned the terrace before the sun hit it. It gets dirty quickly thanks to the nearby building works. After lunch we finally got to a supermarket and did a big shop. Our risk of starving has passed! For dinner Sam cooked us a roasted chicken with baked sweet potatoes and sautéed courgettes with cumin. I did a good walk after dinner but undid the benefit by stopping for peanut butter ice cream at Sotto Zero!

Tuesday I went for a haircut. This occasion, my hairdresser ranted on about British expats who just sit in bars and get drunk all day. I can’t say I disagree with him but, boy, he sure does get worked up. We had a busy day including household chores. I spring cleaned my food cupboards although when it comes to out of date foods, I’ve got nothing on Mum! Mind you, no one does; I reckon even the V&A could take tips. Today I made a pork vindaloo in my slow cooker so the flat smelt fantastic all day.

Wednesday we went to Sliema. Sam had a meeting and we had good cappuccinos at Georgio’s and we did some shopping. However, there was a Sliema-wide power cut so many shops were unable to use their tills. And you didn’t want to go to the toilet as public loos depend on water pumps that don’t work without power. And the shops were hot without air conditioning. So, we chalk that visit down to experience. I did, however, buy another cook book!

The strangest thing today was that we had a rain shower, albeit briefly. They are rare as hen’s teeth this time of year; in fact, we don’t remember any rain since May.

For dinner we had left over pork vindaloo with roasted potatoes.

Thursday saw the restart of art classes in Mosta so I dropped Sam off there first thing. For dinner I made us a Puy lentil lasagne which was fantastic as always. After dinner we had a thunderhead pass over – just one flash of lightening and one clap of thunder and the smallest splash of rain, but it was enough to put me off doing and after-dinner walk.

Friday Charmaine and John called to sort out a couple of minor maintenance jobs. I went to buy some light bulbs from the local ironmonger; in Malta, supermarkets and electrical shops don’t sell light bulbs, only iron mongers. There are three men working in our local ironmonger and they all serve the same customer at the same time, so everything takes ages. First it took 10 minutes for a man to buy a piece of metal, then another man 10 minutes to buy a lock then the three shopkeepers served me, taking another 10 minutes to sell me a few bulbs. The woman behind me – an Englishwoman – literally started banging her head on the counter moaning, “For God’s sake!” It’s all very entertaining (in small doses) but it typifies why Southern Europe is so unproductive and in economic disarray.

For dinner we had left over Puy lentil lasagne.

Saturday John came by to finish of a couple of jobs. Sam and I went to Eat Etna for fab cappuccini and a chocolate torte. We bumped into our friend Sue and had a chat, then went to Trollees to shop for tomorrow’s dinner.

In the evening we went to Bla Bla and sat outside with a jug of sangria. For dinner we went to Al Sultan. Excellent food as always, but the owner’s kid – about 10 years old – was there and served us and then spent half an hour throwing a tantrum. We could do without that. We had ice creams at Sotto Zero, excellent as ever.

Sunday we watched the Belgium Grand Prix, the first race we have watched so far this year. After that we went to buy the local Sunday newspaper and ended up at Miracles, sipping beer and watching the world go by. Pizza for dinner!