Starting to get used to things here now. Settled in, met some new people. All of our belongings (minus a le creuset dish) have arrived and are adorning the place.
Managing to find things to occupy myself- you think of all the free time but believe me it can get swallowed up pretty easy, especially with chores in such a big apartment, still I am not denying I do not have the easy life here, currently not working.
There is a lovely picturesque promenade walk for me, bustling with tourists and locals sauntering by the sea, the waves ever roaring at this time of year. However a new favourite of mine is the much quieter route behind the apartments through the traditional streets with its thin paths, open doorways with women cleaning their houses fastidously. Here there are much fewer cars but more little grocery shops and fruit vans. Reminiscent of a French or Italian street and the houses fascinate me, what with their architecture: the grand doors twice the size of a UK one, the shuttered windows usually open and emitting casserole type aromas,the religious plaques sat proudly on their stone walls. When i get the chance (when a door is open wide) I slyly peer in, from afar mind, at the inside of these homes and usually what greets me is the sight of a homely but dark kitchen. They like dark interiors here, i suspect it is due to the unrelenting summers they have and I am yet to experience. The idea is is that these homes with their tiled floors and walls give a much cooler environment, all well and good until December to February it seems when people wear two jumpers indoors then peel them off to go outside where it is that bit warmer!
Anyway, I digress, it is so peacefully quiet back there on the back streets, with the occasational resident or lost tourist passing and with the lazy sun casting its rays atop my shoulders I can honestly say I feel both very relaxed and very lucky. The meditarranean way of life is an enjoyable one, much slower to what I am used to (unless you get onto the roads here) but boy is it enjoyable!
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Tuesday 1 November 2011
Forgive me
Its been a while since I posted. I have been a mixture of busy and ill.
What has happened since i last blogged:
We had visitors both my parents and sister and Dave and Chris' parents. Had a great time with them all. With Chris' parents (for the visitors came at different times) we went shopping, then on the South bus tour and stopped off for a look around and drink in the pretty marina that is Victoriosa. We went to an amazing restaurant called Barracuda, apparently popular amoung the famous, David Beckham has dined there etc etc. It was expensive, John generously paid and it was very tasty food. The best part was the decor in there, its really special. The next day we went on a boat tour, it was interesting as it went to places i had not seen from certain angles and it was a beautifully hot day, so i topped up the tan in the window seat!
When my parents, Beth and Dave arrived we had some bad weather, storms! I woke up from the noise of crashing thunder one night. My Mum and I, who love the sun walked down to Tigne Point to a beach club and sat and caught some rays. We had lunch at a lovely cafe (I.D in Sliema) and had the most amazing Bannoffee pie, my mother can attest to this! Later that day my Dad and I went into a lovely sea bath- that is to say there were large baths cut into rock and so went dived in (him literally, not me!) and had a good hour or so bobbing in the waves and catching up. We went for a lovely meal for my Birthday in a favourite of Chris and I's called "The Exiles" a stylish new restaurant that is good value. We did some sightseeing this time going on the North bus route- which took us to Mdina.
Now Mdina, once was the capital, it is known as the walled city (although i would query it being a city as it felt very small and of village if not hamlet size!)It is referred to as such because it is surrounded by wall. It is part of an old Roman settlement. Ah,it was beautiful. It was like Italy, the streets all cobbled and unspoilt in terms of commerce, there were just a few restaurants, a museum and not many shops at all. Put it this way, you would be struggling to shop for a weeks groceries there and definitely no clothes! It was all the more magical when we were there as it was a Sunday and a wedding was taking place, a beautiful bride passed us in a horse led carraige and brought her to a beautiful ornate church.
We also went to Valetta that day. We were enchanted by its sprawling streets and old buildings. The next day I went to Valetta again with my sister and Dave who liked it also. A charming capital city. On the last day we sunbathed at the Hilton where my parents stayed for the night.
I sorted out a niggling broken tooth recently too, although the antibiotics then made me ill. (i always suffer from the side effects)It was a brilliant dentist practice where I got an appointment more or less on the spot. I got a root canal for the NHS price(if not a bit cheaper) but from a very efficient dentist and without the long waiting list.
I went to the doctors the following week and again it was fairly impressive service. It was a sweet old doctor and I paid 15 euros to see him and only waited 15 minutes (used to wait in London for an hour and that was for a booking, which this was not)
Back to the present; we are still awaiting our stuff, i think i shall withold from naming and shaming for now only to say that we paid an extortionate amount, were quoted 1 month and instead it has been two. Will be good to get our stuff, mainly the books for me of course :)
We went out this weekend with someone who Chris works with, and his wife, they were a lovely Maltese couple. It was a great night. I learnt the locals are in great dismay at the current bus service here, something I was not surprised to learn. We had a fantastic fish supper.
What has happened since i last blogged:
We had visitors both my parents and sister and Dave and Chris' parents. Had a great time with them all. With Chris' parents (for the visitors came at different times) we went shopping, then on the South bus tour and stopped off for a look around and drink in the pretty marina that is Victoriosa. We went to an amazing restaurant called Barracuda, apparently popular amoung the famous, David Beckham has dined there etc etc. It was expensive, John generously paid and it was very tasty food. The best part was the decor in there, its really special. The next day we went on a boat tour, it was interesting as it went to places i had not seen from certain angles and it was a beautifully hot day, so i topped up the tan in the window seat!
When my parents, Beth and Dave arrived we had some bad weather, storms! I woke up from the noise of crashing thunder one night. My Mum and I, who love the sun walked down to Tigne Point to a beach club and sat and caught some rays. We had lunch at a lovely cafe (I.D in Sliema) and had the most amazing Bannoffee pie, my mother can attest to this! Later that day my Dad and I went into a lovely sea bath- that is to say there were large baths cut into rock and so went dived in (him literally, not me!) and had a good hour or so bobbing in the waves and catching up. We went for a lovely meal for my Birthday in a favourite of Chris and I's called "The Exiles" a stylish new restaurant that is good value. We did some sightseeing this time going on the North bus route- which took us to Mdina.
Now Mdina, once was the capital, it is known as the walled city (although i would query it being a city as it felt very small and of village if not hamlet size!)It is referred to as such because it is surrounded by wall. It is part of an old Roman settlement. Ah,it was beautiful. It was like Italy, the streets all cobbled and unspoilt in terms of commerce, there were just a few restaurants, a museum and not many shops at all. Put it this way, you would be struggling to shop for a weeks groceries there and definitely no clothes! It was all the more magical when we were there as it was a Sunday and a wedding was taking place, a beautiful bride passed us in a horse led carraige and brought her to a beautiful ornate church.
We also went to Valetta that day. We were enchanted by its sprawling streets and old buildings. The next day I went to Valetta again with my sister and Dave who liked it also. A charming capital city. On the last day we sunbathed at the Hilton where my parents stayed for the night.
I sorted out a niggling broken tooth recently too, although the antibiotics then made me ill. (i always suffer from the side effects)It was a brilliant dentist practice where I got an appointment more or less on the spot. I got a root canal for the NHS price(if not a bit cheaper) but from a very efficient dentist and without the long waiting list.
I went to the doctors the following week and again it was fairly impressive service. It was a sweet old doctor and I paid 15 euros to see him and only waited 15 minutes (used to wait in London for an hour and that was for a booking, which this was not)
Back to the present; we are still awaiting our stuff, i think i shall withold from naming and shaming for now only to say that we paid an extortionate amount, were quoted 1 month and instead it has been two. Will be good to get our stuff, mainly the books for me of course :)
We went out this weekend with someone who Chris works with, and his wife, they were a lovely Maltese couple. It was a great night. I learnt the locals are in great dismay at the current bus service here, something I was not surprised to learn. We had a fantastic fish supper.
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