Malta 2019

Two weeks was a mistake - and while I thought half board would be OK the Coral Restaurant is getting boring but I would need to pay for a speciality burger.
   That's not to mention the fact that this "Fully air conditioned" Hotel switches the air conditioning off in the winter. Had to open the patio door to stay cool, but there was an irregular squeek from somewhere so I changed to a 6th floor room from second and now I have the traffic noise at 6am. At least I feel more secure.
Other moans include advertising dog walking every Thursday - only this week it is Friday and they couldn't be bothered to tell anyone. I love getting up at 7.30am when I am on holiday!

Still it started OK. Got my bus pass - 12 journeys - sailing in the middle meant the 7 day unlimited didn't make sense and popped

into Valetta to get the walking tour pamphlets - which they had. As I was there I took the ferry over to the Three Cities and wandered around there including the Maritime Museum. Its in an old bakery - but look at the way those were built! Inside they had gutted an old steam dredger for half of the museum but the other half was OK. Not a lot about WW2 though.

Day 2 and I walked to the Gozo Ferry and went out to see what remained of the Azure Window.

Before (from 2016) and after!

Amazing that there was no trace of the thing. I expected a sea stack or something but there was no trace of it. Walked back from the ferry and the Red Tower in the red sunset was good.

Wednesday I walked about 8 miles via Popeye Village and down the coast ending up at Mgarr where I was able to catch a bus back.

Euromed took up the next 4 days. Not really part of the team, although the two Peters seemed friendly enough. As pin end finish I didn't have the responsibility of doing everything and I had a really nice boat once we had worked out how to get the anchor down.
Photos can be seen at:-
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wt4dK3xGDsDm27cm7

The weather got really windy on Monday so I took the 221 into Sliema, to see Valetta from the other side. Modern shopping centre at The Point and a nice walk northward through St Julians and St George's Bay. Thought about a cinema visit. (then I heard a review of Cats and decided against it)

Christmas Eve I took the bus back to Mgarr with the intention of getting to a walk a bit further south but the footpath shown on google seemed to be washed out and I found myself on the Victoria Lines which seemed clearer than the map so I followed them back to the middle of the island and the bus back to hotel. Spectacular views but the phone camera totally failed to capture them or even give any expression of them.

Wed Christmas Day I did the Fortresses walk around the penninsular's just north of here - took the other camera but have yet to try and do the photos. It was enough of a problem re-naming them so that they follow the same format as those taken on the phone. It was fun having three screens running (2 Computers and phone)

Not making good progress with The West Wing.

Thursday got up early for the non dog walking. On bus to Mdina by 10am. Transfers worked! Wandered around the fortress wondering how it came to be. Little mention of the Arabs in the Natural History Museum. Normans were built up.

Have to work on drinking Guinness and The West Wing,