October 2017 - Week 4

Monday 23rd to Sunday 29th October 2017

Monday the wind got up to a force 7, kicking up waves that breached the breakwater. No tourist boat trips today! There are still about 20 boats moored in the bay below us and I watched one sink. The trouble is that because they are so packed in in the summer, the boats have very short mooring ropes. So when the first storms arrive there is not enough slack in their lines and they can quickly get flooded. Most boats are taken out of the water by 1st October each year as you can’t get insurance after that date. I subsequently realised though, that three boats had sunk, not one.

Due to the wind I didn’t get out; it’s too risky. There are a lot of half built apartment blocks and refurbishment projects on the go and when the wind is strong quite a lot of debris gets blown down onto the streets below. My fridge was virtually empty so I contented myself with corn fritters and an ice cream for dinner.

Tuesday it was still windy. I did a supermarket shop so the fridge now has a purpose again. I had a big lunch of freshly made tomato and mascarpone soup so didn’t need dinner; just some cheese and crackers and a grapefruit. In the evening I picked Sam up from the airport; her flight was 20 minutes early but I still had time for an over-priced hot chocolate from Costa Coffee.

Wednesday Sam and I sat on the terrace for a few hours, catching up in the sunshine. For dinner we had roasted chicken with roasted vegetables. The wind changed direction and tossed the boats about even more fiercely. One was lifted up and plonked onto the road! Another two kept bashing into each other. The owners really need to get them out of the water!

Thursday Sam restarted her art classes in Mosta. I did a fantastic one hour power walk. The shoreline is a bit of a mess after the storm with plies of seaweed washed up on the rocks and beaches. That doesn’t stop the tourists though, who are determined to get their beach fix.

In the evening we wandered to the square and had a beer at Miracles. They turned their music up to full blast because a dance troop was performing in the square. That was too much for us so we went on to O’Reilly’s instead. For dinner we went to Acqua Marina. The service and wine were excellent but the food was poor. To start we shared a plate of cheeses and dried meats. The cheeses were hard and tasteless. Sam had a pasta dish which she enjoyed. I had penne amatriciana which was awful. It was a huge mound of pasta (enough to serve two at least). The sauce was really bad; undercooked onions and lumps of gristle posing as bacon. In short I couldn’t eat it and they apologised and didn’t charge for it. We were given free limoncello sorbets which were the best part of the meal!

Friday we went for a walk on Dingli cliffs; we haven’t done that for ages. It is a beautiful spot. It is the highest point in Malta so not only do you have the close up views of the sea, Flifla Island, farmland and cliffs but, do an about face and you can see right across the island of Malta to Valletta, Sliema and all of its adjacent towns, and then also further on out to the sea beyond. Pizza for dinner!

Saturday we met Tina and Chris at the Apple’s Eye. They have been away for a while so it was good to catch up. For dinner we had spaghettini; arabbiata sauce for me, pesto for Sam. After dinner I did a long walk; the weather is perfect for that now.

Sunday Chris and Tina came around for dinner – chilli con carne (made with minced beef), rice and tortilla chips. Delicious!