We start our days enjoying the view and having breakfast. Today’s it’s too windy to sit outside on the balcony, nevertheless, it’s a great way to start the day.
Friday, day 4, we headed out around St. Julian’s Bay. We always take this walk and just enjoy looking at the sea. Nearly everything is familiar and we just stroll along stopping frequently to gaze out and reminisce.
Heading toward Spinola along the Promenade, we enjoy familiar, and not so familiar sights.
Long-time readers might recall that there was one falling down building along Spinola Bay that I’ve always had my eye on. It looks rather like a small castle. Well, half of the building is still there, and the facade of the other half was retained and attached to a high-rise. At least the facade was saved. It’s still a building that I admire and I hope that the other half gets renovated at some point. But, most likely, it will be demolished. Seems like it would be difficult to save the facade, but hope springs eternal.
Some other views of Spinola Bay.
We made our way around the end of Spinola Bay and up the hill. Along the way, the gate to Spinola Garden was open, so we stopped in to enjoy some shade, the fountains, and the nearby gorgeous Spinola Palace. Spinola Palace was built in 1688 as a summer residence by one of the knights of the Order of St. John. It’s been used for many purposes over the decades and now there are some government offices within. I found an old photo of the palace from 1906. The arched buildings below the palace are still present and have been built into restaurants.
We then headed to Portomaso. Portomaso is a huge luxury residential complex and a very grand marina. The Portomaso Tower used to be the tallest building in Malta, but sadly, that’s no longer true. There is such an awful building craze in Malta and I don’t like it. It is erasing Maltese culture.
The Hilton Hotel is right next door to the Portomaso. It’s another good place for a pit stop. Christine then wanted to head towards the Dragonara casino. We stopped to see some sea views on the way and appreciate a row of old apartments.
By now, we’re hungry, so we went in to the Westin Hotel and had lunch out on their patio. It was an enjoyable spot. We couldn’t see the pool, but it was clear that some kids were having a ball from all their laughing and shrieking.
So full from lunch, we headed home. It’s quite a walk around the bays, so by the time we got home, we were bushed. We enjoyed an evening at home and were thankful for a lovely day.
Saturday, day 5, we stuck fairly close to home and walked around the neighborhood. We had a call from Carol Farrugia asking if we were free for dinner. We arranged to meet at Peppi’s at 7:00 for dinner. As we began our walk, we stopped by Peppi’s to make a reservation.
It was a beautiful day. The water was lovely shades of blue, from navy blue to turquoise. We just love the sea in all its variations.
As we rounded Exiles Point, we saw lots of small, white sailboats out in the sea. It must have been a thrilling sail for the skippers, because the wind was about 25 mph. We watched the boats for quite a while. They were clearly going around a course, and I suspect that it was a sailing club or maybe even some sailing lessons. It was great fun to watch.
We then cut away from the Promenade and wandered along some of the side streets. That’s always fun to do to see the old houses. In the past, I’ve been collecting photos of doors and doorknockers. This trip, I think I’ll collect photos of balcony supports. I already have several from prior stays, but I’m really interested in learning the meaning of the faces and images.
We walked up Stella Maris Street to find Christine’s grandmothers’s house. Of course, it is all different, having been totally remodeled. There is nothing of its appearance from what Christine remembers. Her grandmother, Rosina, was near and dear to her heart.
Here’s the famous Dingli circle with the Brit telephone box. A while ago, there was talk of taking out the tree and phone box and making this just a regular traffic circle. There was so much anger over this plan that it was scraped. Thank goodness, because it is a real landmark.
Once back at the apartment, we rested until 7:00 and then went to Peppi’s. Carol and her daughter Fran joined us. It was lovely to see them. Both of them are talkers, often at the same time, so we didn’t have to say much. But it was fun catching up. I learn a lot from Carol as she knows quite a bit of history of the family. Her grandmother and Christine’s grandmother were sisters. It’s fun to hear story’s from Carol, and she has many. It’s so nice that Carol wants to meet up with us. She is not getting out much these days due to some mobility issues, so it’s extra nice that she’s making the effort to get together.
Christine and I ended the day with our first gelato. It was scrumptious and a nice way to end an enjoyable day.