November 2016 - Week 1

Tuesday 1st to Sunday 6th November 2016

Tuesday we were pretty busy but I did take a break to go for short walks on Ghadira promenade and the headland at Golden Bay. For dinner Sam cooked a great roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings.

Wednesday John called to fix a neighbour’s water pump on our roof. After that I went to Pretty Bay. There were a couple of huge, and I mean huge, container ships in the port there being loaded with dozens (hundreds?) of containers. One wonders how they manage to float looking as they do, heavy as a heart full of secrets. I walked the near-deserted beach. I saw a small, perfectly formed dead fish on the promenade which I started to marvel at before I realised it was a Haribo! But that was better than yesterday when I came across a freshly run over cat near Golden Bay looking all the world like a tribute to the gory dispatch of William Wallace.

After lunch Sam and I went to Mambo’s at Armier Bay. Last week the bay was a lovely, sandy haven; this week it is a rocky, seaweed laden mess. I don’t suppose they will clear it and fix it before next spring. What a shame. It is such a favourite spot in the winter.

For dinner we had left over roast chicken dinner.

Thursday we awoke after a night riven by huge thunderstorms. And in their wake came the flying ants, as they did the same week last year and the year before that. They arrive in their thousands, splashing desperately in the rain puddles on our terrace and stippling our windows. And the great majority appear to die watery deaths, but astonishingly, as the puddles dry out, they rouse themselves, shake off their earthly shackles, shed their wings and go walkabout! Many do perish of course, and I will sweep them up as soon as it dries out.

We went on a couple of excursions today. First, we went to the new Pama shopping centre so Sam could have her fix. Secondly we went across to Qawra to window shop, buy fruit and to visit Eatetna; cappuccini and heavenly cakes.

For dinner we had lamb shanks in a Thai red curry sauce which I cooked in our slow cooker yesterday. The meat was meltingly tender but it did taste rather “Lamby”. You know what? I think if truth be known, I’m not a great lover of lamb. I think its taste and texture reminds me that I am eating the flesh of an animal and that raises all sorts of uncomfortable feelings.

Friday we worked, although I did get out for a short walk. In the evening Sam went with her girlfriends to a burlesque evening in Valletta. Chris and I went on a mini pub crawl and had a pretty decent Chinese meal in Flora.

Saturday we went to Mellieha for breakfast, to Puzzu to be exact. We both had English breakfasts, Sam’s with black pudding, and they were very good. We like Mellieha despite its hills; it certainly has a lot of restaurants, including several upmarket ones. We looked around the new hotel there which is very impressive, a cut above the average for Malta. Here’s something odd. We saw a flat with a washing line and clothes drying on the inside; and we saw a flat with curtains hung on the outside! For dinner we had pizzas and beer.

Sunday not a lot happened! For dinner Sam has a poussin (I’m not too keen) and I had penne arrabbiata.