September 2016 - Week 1

Monday 29th August to Sunday 4th September 2016

Monday we worked all day. In the evening we met friends at the restaurant at Riviera Bay for dinner. It is a good spot to watch the blood-red sun set over the horizon. That and the company were good although the food was only average. Sam and I both had the chicken Caesar salad. The others had burgers which looked fairly good. After dinner we went back to Chris and Tina’s house to shoot the breeze.

Tuesday we did a trip to Lidl but actually we don’t like our local Lidl very much. It’s noisy both because of the overly-loud piped music and because of the bad acoustics. And while there are lots of bargains to be had, you basically save money by buying rubbish brands. And, the final nail in the coffin, they don’t have a wide selection so we end up going to our usual supermarket anyway!

The important story today is that our water pressure was rubbish. Our water pump stopped working yesterday afternoon so the water only came out of our taps in trickles. John is on the case and has identified the problem and is buying the necessary replacement part and we should be sorted out by tomorrow morning. For dinner we had roast chicken and sweet potatoes.

Wednesday Sam met Tina and they went to Armier Bay for a few hours. I went to Xemxija Café and had a fab cappuccino and an equally fab ricotta and pear torte. For dinner I made a slow cooked ratatouille which was outstanding and ate it with roasted potatoes. Sam had chicken and leaves! This vegetarian/vegan lark really isn’t her thing.

Thursday Sam didn’t go to art but I still dropped her off in Mosta first thing so she could meet some friends for coffee. After lunch I went to our nearest corner shop which changed hands earlier this month. It has morphed from a mostly booze and fags shop to a proper corner shop selling milk, bread and basic foodstuffs; that’s a really good result!

Now, listen up.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man in possession of an empty stomach must be in want of a lasagne.

(That’s what you get when you cross a love of Jane Austen with a love of Italian food.)

So, being that man, I made a lasagne using my left over ratatouille. And it was fantastic! Creamy tomato sauce with vegetables, cheddar cheese, parmesan and sheets of pasta cooked until part crispy, part chewy, all excellent. As our American cousins would say, “Oh my God, it was awesome!” (That’s why I prefer Jane Austen.) Anyway, I will put the recipe on my food blog.

Friday we worked like the devil though I did get a short walk in before dinner. For dinner we had left over lasagne.

Saturday morning we went to the farmer’s market. Haven’t been there for ages because it is a hot job this time of year. We went on to the Craft Village café and sat on their terrace sipping cappuccini. It was very quiet and peaceful, as always; we do wonder how the shops there ever make any money. On the way home we stopped at Sherries to buy pots of fresh rosemary, thyme and basil.

We met Chris and Tina and went to Cheeky Monkey for happy hour cocktails, then on to Lovage for dinner. The food was good and so was the wine! On the way home we stopped at Sun City where karaoke was in full swing. I sang a James Taylor song but the others wimped out.

Sunday we had a very chilled day. We ate pizzas for dinner; apart from that, our cupboards were pretty bare.

Today was an anniversary of sorts; 10 years to the day since I stopped smoking!

After dinner I went for a long walk which was a bit of a trial as the humidity is punishing. Although not the hottest month, September is the most humid and there is little escape from it, even after dark. I walked by the waters’ edge and watched the fish dancing in the shallows under the promenade lights. A few short feet further out larger fish splashed and dashed, whether at play or as prey I could not say. Along the breakwater the tourists’ tour boats sat silently shoulder to shoulder, thick as dowagers’ fingers. At the pavement cafes and restaurants, leaden tourists sat surrounded by the detritus of their gorging; dirty plates, glasses and bottles a testament to their excesses. But most of all what you notice are the beauties of the Mediterranean; haphazard purple bougainvillea, green palm trees standing tall, lights twinkling across the gentle ocean, the catch of a tune from across the bay, scents of grilled prawns and garlic and fresh herbs and, not least, the ever present zing of invisible cicadas. It may be hot, and it may be humid, but I wouldn’t swap it for the world.