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"There's always a plan, but unexpected things happen and we just go with the flow. Though I do believe that fate and destiny often play their part"
sailing blog
I know it's been a couple of weeks since the last update, but if you think we've been constantly lounging around in the sun doing absolutely nothing, you'd be very wrong. Well, maybe sometimes we have. Malta just isn't the kind of place where there's time to get bored, especially with our set of lively friends. Now summer is in full swing a bit of a party atmosphere is in the air and everyone wants to take full advantage of the long hot days and the warm balmy evenings. Weekends in particular are hectic and busy……but hey……we're not complaining. We've started to explore the island now aboard Comino with a mission to find secluded bays where the water is sparkling clear. One such trip took us to the far South, where we dropped anchor in Island Bay for a day's relaxation with a few friends. I think the phrase "what's not to like" is appropriate here…….this is what we were swimming in……amazing. Jane has got her stunning roof top terrace fully operational now, which means there have been a few BBQ's round the pool plus some lying around on sun loungers being rather lazy. A number of sumptuous suppers have been consumed under the Moroccan style gazebo and a few glasses of "vino calapso" downed…...just to be social of course. Then we had a visit from good friends from the UK. Ray and Judy hopped over to Malta to spend a couple of days with us at the end of their holiday in Gozo. I guess nobody would be surprised to hear that we frequented a couple of restaurants and bars and one evening Jane joined us too. As you can see, my suntan is coming along nicely. Both Ray and Nicki's dads worked at the GCHQ facility on Dingli cliffs (spying on the North African countries I guess) so it seemed appropriate to do a bit of a road trip around the island where Ray lived in his childhood. It was all very nostalgic and we ended up at the very spot where the the two dads did their thing on behalf of world peace and democracy all those years ago. The actual nissan huts aren't there any more but the big radar installation certainly is……..now part of the Maltese Government's shipping control centre. As luck would have it, right next door is a rather nice restaurant which dished us up a tasty lunch and a few beers. And then came the Gzira Festa. We're berthed in Gzira so it would have been rude not to join in the celebrations. Essentially, it's a religious festival over three days, with lively street processions, bands playing and big colourful banners festooned across every road in the area. Thunder bombs constantly explode day and night just above the houses, shaking the very foundations. It all reached a crescendo on Saturday night as the Holy Madonna statue was raised onto an elaborate plinth with great ceremony in front of an adoring crowd. Then the party really started. A massive fireworks display, trestle tables spread across the now closed roads and vino flowing like a proverbial river. Pizza a plenty was dished up to soak up the alcohol as we partied long into the night with a group of friends. You'll probably know that one of the reasons we're in Malta at the moment is to revisit The Blue Lagoon, where we made ourselves a promise twenty years ago to return in our own boat after we experienced a few days there in peace and tranquility on a friends yacht. The truth is it's now a massive tourist attraction with thousands of day trippers invading the place every day in an armada of big tourist boats. In addition, speed boats and jet boats roar around looking for customers to get an adrenalin rush at 25 euros a pop. Then you have half the boats in Malta anchored all around in a relatively small space making it chaotic and stressful as people swing into eachother every time the wind changes direction. This is why we haven't been in a hurry to get there during the peak season. Our time will come later in the year when it's quieter and we can spend a night or two at anchor in what is one of the most beautiful bits or water on the planet. However, the other day I was asked if I would like to crew on the very same boat we sailed on twenty years ago. My good mate Neville needed to take some clients on a trip to the Blue Lagoon. And so I went. And yes it was horrendous compared to the last time I was there when it was practically deserted. But, at the same time, it was fantastic……nostalgia is a funny thing! After Neville's guests had dived in off the boat for a quick swim we hastily left the madness of the lagoon and headed over to the island of Gozo. He wanted to show me a little inlet where the water was equally clear and only a few boats would be anchored. I wasn't disappointed. The area was so beautiful a movie set was being constructed on the cliffs for Brad and Angelina's next movie... By The Sea…the story of a married couple on holiday trying to patch up their failing relationship. I've offered myself as a stunt double for any steamy bedroom scenes with Angelina, but I haven't heard back yet! They will be spending eight weeks on set at the end of August, having rented a villa nearby. It's easy to see why. Earlier this week I did pop back to the UK for a couple of days as part of my little on-going work project. As per usual, I stayed one night with Emily-Jane and Will……the newly weds, fresh back from their honeymoon. They both looked tanned and relaxed and told me about their plans to now start house hunting. All very exciting for them. And when I returned to Malta, I had James in tow, who's now spending a couple of weeks in the sun with us. Needless to say, Nicki was over the moon to see him as we came through the arrivals door at the airport……tears a plenty were shed.
It's Sunday today and as at 11am we don't have any plans yet. Mind you, it would help if James got his arse out of bed. I think the beach beckons. Tomorrow, I will be working……honest.
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A FEW PICS OF COMINOClick a photo to enlarge and use side arrows to scroll through.
COMINO IS CURRENTLY HEREDID SOMEONE SAY SEAFOODOn our journey from Portugal to Greece we enjoyed amazing seafood almost everywhere we stopped. Finding the local fish market was always a priority because seafood was so plentiful and so reasonably priced. And, the displays were a feast for your eyes.
Locating a market sometimes meant pounding the pavements in searing heat, but if you kept your eyes peeled, you often came across a little clue. The pic below was a rather less than subtle advert for a fish market - it was eight feet tall.
Freshly cooked onboard, a plateful of giant prawns, baked in wine and garlic, washed down with a few glasses of local vino, was like heaven. Watching the sunset on the boat eating a meal like that was the epitome of "living the dream".
Now we're in Greece we've another favourite to savour. I'm talking about fried Calamari. It's usually good, but every now and then it's off-the-scale fantastic. At Natalie's Taverna on Kontokali Beach in Corfu, it was nothing short of epic.
We're based in Lefkas now and It's been a bit of a mission to find somewhere just as good. And we have. Rakias is a mere ten minute walk from the marina and this little fish market, with its very own taverna attached, is quite sensational.
Oh...and it's also worth mentioning that, on occasions, a bit of barbequed Octopus is on the menu at some of the tavernas we frequent. Can I resist....no. SUNSETS AND DRAMATIC SKIESNo filters, or any other monkey business, have been used to enhance these images.
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