On Sundays, many boats come into the bay and anchor for the day.
Sunday, day 6, Carol called in the morning to ask if we’d like to go for a coffee with her and her brother-in-law John Tabone. Of course we said yes. We walked over to Dingli Circus where Carol lives and hopped into John’s car. They had in mind driving up the coast to Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, a little village on the coast. During a past visit, we had taken the bus there to start our walk along the coast back to Sliema. It is a lovely sunny day and the winds have subsided somewhat so it was a nice drive. When we arrived at the area where there are several cafes, the parking lot was jammed with no place at all to find parking. Carol and John had forgotten that it was Sunday, a very, very popular time for families to eat out.
After conferring for a few minutes, it was decided to drive back to Pembroke to another cafe. This one wasn’t on the coast, but it was near the Pembroke army barracks built by the British. Many of the barracks are sitting empty and decaying, but some have been renovated and converted into public and private housing. I would be interested in coming back to the area to explore a bit, and there is a nature preserve area with walkways down to the sea that would be nice to explore.
We sat near a building that housed a very nice restaurant that was in a beautifully renovated former officers’ mess hall.
We enjoyed a beverage and pastry with John and Carol. John, at 79, seems a bit more frail that on our last visit. He has had a stroke, but appears nearly fully recovered with only a slight limp when walking. He’s also had a hip replaced. But I think Carol keeps him busy escorting her around for coffee and other activities. I don’t think Carol’s husband Joe spends much time out with Carol. He’s into his own stuff, so John fills in. They appear to get on well.
After returning to our apartment, we rested a bit and then decided to go swimming. Today is not so windy and it’s warm (upper 70s) and the sun is shining, so a good day to get into the sea. We thought we would go to our usual place on the rocks, but it being Sunday, all available sit-down places were taken. There is a bit of a sandy beach behind the boat club house that offers the best place to walk into the water. We put our bags down and headed to the sandy area. One of the things we failed to packet were our water shoes which would have made our foray into the water much easier. I had on sandals and Christine had on Crocs. At water’s edge we tossed our footwear onto a nearby rock and tried wading in. Ouch on the feet! The sand was full of little rocks, and then larger rock, that were not easy to navigate. But, we eventually made our way in waist deep and took the plunge. It was heavenly! The water temperature is still warm, about 26 C (about 78 F). And we didn’t see any jellyfish.
Christine took off swimming for real while I bobbed along in the sea just enjoying floating. It was really delicious. After a bit, I made my way out of the water, not an easy task with the rocky sand. I knew Christine might have a hard time, so I prepared things as best I could, Crocs in hand and towel at the ready. When she was done swimming and nearing the getting out point, I told her she’d probably do better getting her Crocs on her feet in the water. I thought that would protect her feet. I did a very poor job of tossing the Crocs to her. I had to get my feet wet again retrieving a Croc and tossing again. Come to find out, with the holes in the Crocs, the sand and little stones just go inside the Crocs and cause as much discomfort as without shoes. I think we entertained the people sitting nearby as they watched us wobbling our way out of the water onto the rocks. I think all that was worth it for a dip in the sea! Note to self – go buy some water shoes.
We showered back at the flat and prepared salad and leftover chicken for dinner. I then turned on the TV and got it working. Still no Netflix, though. Rather a restful day, but Christine said to me how happy she is to be here. That’s all that matters.
Monday, day 7 (gosh, a week already!), we arranged with Carol and John to go to lunch. It was very, very windy today (gusts up to 38 mph) so no eating outside near the sea. John decided to take us to the Malta Union Club. He was once a member, no longer since he doesn’t engage in sporting activities anymore,but he continues to have access to the facility.
We walked over to Carol’s. She lives on Dingli Circus, a widened area of Dingli Street. Her building is an oldie and the one across the street is also a beauty. Carol says that of the 8 units in her building, 6 of the tenants have died and the apartments are empty. She and Joe and another tenant have lived there nearly 50 years. She believes that a developer has purchased the building and that at some point the two remaining tenants will be evicted. Such a terrible thing for the Farrugias. Joe has collected a vast array of antiques and memorabilia and moving all his stuff would be quite challenging. Carol does own a flat on Stella Maris Street next door to where Christine’s grandmother lived. It is a very small flat that would not be suitable for all of Joe’s collections. So they are fretting about what is going to happen.
While we were waiting for John to arrive, we went up to Carol’s apartment. We don’t often get invited in.
The Malta Union Club is a nice facility with a very long history. It’s current location is fairly new, but the club was founded in 1826 by British officers and civilians serving in Malta. It’s operated from various locations over the decades. Women were permitted in 1907, but they were kept separate in their own room with a separate entrance. That was finally changed just 3 years later and ladies were permitted throughout the club. It remains an athletic club and has squash and tennis courts. All the usual things that you imagine coming from a men’s club are part of the amenities, cards, darts, snooker and billiard tables, ping pong tables, and of course a bar and dining room.
We had an enjoyable lunch in a bright airy dining room that was casual. Not far away were lots of sofas and chairs for members to sit and read the paper.
Carol has been so welcoming, and she told us about several activities that are happening. She’s always been a great adviser on what to do.
I mentioned in another post about the new law that requires facades to be saved when buildings are torn down and new ones built. Across the street from the Union Club is a demolished site where a huge new high rise will be. But, there was the facade braced up in front of a big hole behind.
After John dropped us off, we headed back home to just hang out for the afternoon. On the way home, we walked by the building where Christine lived at age 10, the last place she lived in Malta. It’s a beautiful building. We were fortunate to have gotten inside the last visit. A real estate office is there now.
With the wind as strong as its been today, it’s difficult to walk anywhere. So, a nice leisurely afternoon watching the goings on in the bay and out at sea from our balcony door was the way to spend the afternoon. The sea was really jumping today, wavy and full of white caps.
Near dinnertime, Christine walked around the corner and up the hill to our market. She got us another chicken for dinner along with some salad stuff. We ate in this evening and had an early bedtime. For the next 2 days we have adventures planned and will be out and about so having easy days today and yesterday made sense.