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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"
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There hasn't been any news posted on this blog for a while, not because of laziness I promise. The reason is we've been out and about lately doing a few different things. Let's start with the car hire expedition. We both woke up one morning feeling that we needed a break from the boat. After all, we had been living on Comino for just over a month and there were early signs of a nasty dose of cabin fever creeping in. The initial symptoms are quite concerning...talking utter gibberish (Nicki)...staring into space and mumbling to yourself (me). Yes...it was definitely time to spend some time on dry land. A quick phone call and half an hour later I was stood at the end of the pontoon waiting to be picked up by the car hire company we use from time to time. Half an hour later from then I was back at the marina with our new set of wheels ready to start a four day expedition exploring the wilds of Malta. Actually, we were about to become full on tourists just for a short while. The vehicle in question was a Suzuki Alto. This is not a car blessed with good looks or anything under the bonnet that would remotely excite you in any gear. Indeed, it hasn't so much been engineered but rather assembled in the way you would put together a novelty toy you get free in a cereal box. This is a mixture of thin steel and even thinner plastic plonked on top of a hairdryer motor. And, to add insult to injury, the car loaned to us was vomit green. Off we went feeling excited that we were free at last. Our wonderful puke coloured shoe box was going to take us on a fascinating road trip around the island - albeit at a top speed approaching 30mph. I'm only kidding - we got it up to 40mph at one point. We headed south and after navigating a few roads with potholes the size of tin mines we ended up in an amazing little fishing hamlet with a giant rock pool to swim in called Ghar Lapsi. We hadn't visited this place for 40 years and it hadn't changed a bit - unlike some parts of Malta that have become a perpetual building site. Next we went to our favorite little hideaway on top of the spectacular Dingli cliffs overlooking the deep blue Mediterranean sea. It's a restaurant called Bobbyland and I consumed a plateful of the best octopus spaghetti you can get anywhere in the world. Well, that's in my opinion anyway. Given that we were at the southern end of Malta, it seemed entirely logical (not) that our next stop should be the northern most tip of the island. And so we meandered our way from one end to the other eventually arriving an hour and a half later at another beauty spot called Paradise Bay. We sat with a glass (or two) of wine watching the sun go down from a terrace over the beach feeling very mellow and very privileged. The next day was to be a beach day. We hadn't done this for a while and it seemed like a nice way to relax in the sun and do some swimming, not to mention people watching. Our trusty Suzuki Alto sped us (slight exaggeration) to Golden Bay, where, surprise surprise, as the name would suggest, there is a sandy beach. I think the best way to describe the day would be five hours of horizontal vegetating with occasional dips in the briny. Mind you, our tans got topped up nicely - I'm the colour of an oak sideboard now. Nicki said I'm about as interesting too. Cabin fever not quite cured yet I think! Day three was Sunday. Despite it being one of the most touristy thing ever, a visit to the Marsaxlokk market was a must. And so with thousands of other sheep we herded our way around this little fishing town, looking at fish stalls and tat stalls until it was time. Time that is for a bit of lunch at one of the dozens of fish restaurants that pour onto the streets by the harbour side. There was method in our madness. Sunday is the big thing in Marsaxlokk and the locally caught fresh fish is a real attraction. In our case we came for something slightly different - the fried calamari. Off the scale fantastic would just about sum it up. After lunch we headed for Marsascala, another much quieter fishing village and then onto Valletta for some culture and a coffee. The last day with the car was spent back at Golden Bay for another chill out session. Probably the last beach visit we would have on this Malta trip. It was all pretty routine apart from the Italian goddess who took her bikini top off, only to be ticked off by the beach supervisor. It's still not allowed here, being such a strong Catholic country, which is all a bit rich when you think what the clergy get up to. So, apart from an all too brief glimpse of a semi-naked stunner, the day was calm and peaceful. Tuesday morning, before the car was to be returned, was spent shopping for vast quantities of supplies for our next little adventure on the boat - the long awaited three day circumnavigation of the island of Gozo. Watch this space.
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A FEW PICS OF COMINO Click 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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