Malta Blog – May 2022
Mrs K’s favourite shop in Valletta is Sterling Jewellers. It’s located in the perfect spot at the beginning of Republic Street and has been there for 46 years. In 1994, on the occasion of Anthony’s birth (and christening in Malta), we bought a diamond and sapphire ring there. Today we are here because it needs some care and attention – it has a couple of cracks. Mrs K would also like to re-model it to cater for her change of taste over the last 28 years. When we enter, there is an old man sitting behind a desk in the corner. He seems to be the only available assistant, so he says “Can I help you?”. Mrs K starts off “I bought a ring in this shop 28 years ago.” “Show me”, he says. Out comes the eye glass and he inspects it. It turns out Alfred is 76 and has been at the shop for 46 years. He tells Mrs K that he can recondition the ring but that she might want to think about buying a new ring of similar design. Uh-oh! After some time looking at other rings in the shop (Mrs K had already spied a couple in the window before we went in), Alfred says that if we buy a new ring, he will recondition the old ring for nothing. Given that Mrs K was quoted £2,000 in the UK for the remodel/recondition of the old ring, this seems like a good deal. The deal is done. Will Alfred be in the shop later in the week? No! He only pops into the shop now and then. He gives us his card. Alfred Fenech – Chairman of Sterling Jewellers. Mrs K says – it was meant to be. Perhaps another moment of weakness from me but Mrs K is owed a birthday, Christmas and anniversary gift from me.
Being in Malta brings back all the memories of having been here nearly every year since I first came here as a ‘boy’ in 1981. More recently we have been talking about the family history including the various shops that were run by family members in prime locations in the City. The Buhagiar coffee shop, about 100m down from the jewellery shop, and now a McDonalds. The shoe shop where Nannu Pawlu worked, a bit further down near the courts. The Borg family coffee shop, one street over on the corner of Merchants Street and Melita Street, now a Clarks shoe shop. Eileen would go there every day after school in the 50’s. The man in the pictures below is Uncle Frankie, brother of Louis, Mrs K’s grandfather. The café was known as Central Café and also served as a community feeding station for people during the war. They were called Victory Kitchens. The sign remains on the wall in Melita Street to this day.
We even have a coffee and beer in the Upper Barrakka Gardens café which is still owned by Auntie Marcelle’s brother.
Our trip over was a fairly typical one in that we land after midnight in Malta. Our flight has a bit of drama in that a passenger is creating a fuss about his valuable personal equipment that he was told would be carefully stowed but which has gone into the hold. The extended and animated conversation between the passenger and the stewardesses takes place in the aisle right next to Mrs K. It’s a very Maltese conversation – emotions are running high. We also have another character in the seats exactly across the aisle from us. He has lined up 6 cans of Cisk beer and is terrorising the poor woman next to him. The stewardesses move her to another seat. Viktor is happy enough with his beer. As we start our descent into Malta, he is on his phone, talking as loudly as you like, and as we reach the stand he is climbing over the guy next to him to get out, despite being asked to stay in his seat. There are a few words exchanged with the guy he climbed over and Viktor is now saying he will find him in the terminal and ‘continue the discussion’ . Unfortunately the crew are oblivious. The lady that was moved complains to the crew as we disembark – why did they sell him 6 cans of beer?
We don’t see any signs of violence in the terminal. It takes 5 minutes to walk the 100m to the terminal and get through immigration. Unfortunately, it takes our luggage almost an hour to make the same journey. By then 2 other flights also arrive and there is massive scrum as everyone queues for the health check desk, all funnelling through one tiny doorway. What a shambles. Uncle Charlie tells us that Covid has put both Air Malta and the Airport on the brink of bankruptcy and there is a massive shortage of staff. We make our way over to the new car rental centre and (as usual) we seem to be the last people served. We drive our tiny and beaten-up hire car away from the airport at 2am.
On Sunday, the weather is ‘strange’ as most of the Maltese describe it. That means it’s not blistering hot, in fact, it’s a chilly 18C. This gives us the opportunity to do some unusual activities e.g. walking. Mrs K has found an interesting 7 church walk around Rabat. That sounds like a hike until you realise that in Malta there 313 churches in 122 square miles. In the small town of Rabat (population 11,500), there are no less than 41 churches. Some are less than 100m apart – and they have to be seen to be believed. A few of our 7 are closed (even on a Sunday) but we lucky to see a statue procession at Ta Giezu church with a full brass band to entertain the throng. As the statue is carried inside the church, there is cheering and clapping and there are some grown men in tears – quite emotional.
Next we wander into Mdina, the silent city, and find a wedding going on at the cathedral. Nice Buick parked ready outside.
From there we visit a garden on Guardamangia hill which is being restored by volunteers. It was originally owned by Hookham Frere who lived in a house on the Pieta waterfront (opposite the Black Pearl). Grampy was born in Hookham Frere street, near to the house in St Monica Street. John Hookham Frere was an Eton educated British politician, diplomat and poet. He moved to Malta in the early 19th century for the warmer climate as his wife was ill. The house was leased to Frere by the Government and he died in the house in 1846. It is in a state of disrepair (see picture below) but is apparently still occupied by a business. The gardens are extensive to the rear stretching all the way up the hill to the old hospital which are also in a bit of a mess but have a lot of character. A group of volunteers (Friends of Villa Frere) have been trying to restore the gardens since 2013. I am going to say they have a long way to go, not helped by the fact that the site is very inaccessible. We are told that they eventually want to take back control of the house (owned by the Maltese Government) and restore it. That will be a massive project. Maybe the EU will chip in.
Tomorrow, we are off to Gozo for the day to visit old haunts and to see where Il Dwejra used to be. Mrs K is trying to get me to do a cross country hike. I’m more interested in finding a nice location to enjoy a few glasses of wine.
Part 2
The great thing about visiting Malta before the Summer really kicks in is that you can be outside without getting fried. For me, sitting in the sun becomes much more relaxing. But even after a day of 19C sunshine in Gozo, I notice that I have a definite shade of pink on my face.
Again, Mrs K has done a great job of seeking out things for us to do on the small island that we haven’t done before. I reckon I have been across on the ferry something like 15 times, Mrs K about double that. Our first stop is Xewkija church (pronounced show-key-a) with the impressive dome. If you have ever been to Gozo, you see it on the left as you drive to Victoria, the capital. The church was built between 1951 and 1972 so is one of the newer churches and is built on the site of the older and smaller church, re-using the old stones. Many of the original artefacts are preserved in the small ‘museum’. A little old lady greets us as we enter the church, tells us about the museum and takes a €6 contribution for the use of the elevator ride to the roof. There is a further climb up a narrow winding staircase to get up to the bell tower. As we stand up there next to the bells, I am checking my watch and hoping we are not near to chiming time. The view is amazing from up here – you can see most of Gozo’s main towns. We have the place to ourselves but on the way down we meet a bus load making their way up – good timing.
Our next stop is the Ta’ Cenc cliffs. The old Ta’ Cenc hotel was in its heyday in the 70s/80s but allegedly is in need of a bit of TLC. We don’t go in. We park up and start walking towards the cliffs. It is definitely worth the effort to see the view. And definitely not a place for young kids with a sheer drop off the edge into the sea about 100m down. Would someone survive if they jumped? We walk along the cliffs, dodging the lizards and one particularly massive grasshopper.
It has been an energetic morning so we head for lunch at Xlendi. It is busy and we have to wait to be seated at one of our regular places to eat – Ta’ Karolina. This spot encapsulates what is so nice but also what is such a shame about Malta. We eat outside in the sunshine and cool breeze, next to the beach and watch the activity in the bay. Xlendi is just a small inlet with high rocks on both sides. The shame is that there is just so much development going on and it never seems to get finished. We could probably make allowances for Covid, slowing down the building work, but to be honest, it has always been like this. I get to enjoy a few glasses of wine.
Our final stop is Il Dwejra to look at some thin air. There used to be something there called the Azure Window, a rock formation that made its name in the first episode of Game of Thrones.
Sadly, it was washed away by the sea in 2017 and now it seems people just go to see where it once was – including us! According to scientists it all happened in a matter of 30 seconds during the night during a storm. As far as we know, no one witnessed it. Fortunately, Il Dwejra also has the Inland Sea where you can take a boat through a narrow tunnel through the rock into the open sea. It’s a popular spot for divers because of the clarity of the sea and the depth of the water.
Back in Malta on Tuesday evening, we push the boat out and go to a Michelin star restaurant in Valletta. Years ago I wouldn’t have thought it possible to find that level of dining, but the re-generation of the city has been amazing and it is buzzing with activity in the evenings. In fact, we struggle to get a table at any fine dining restaurant and this is a Tuesday night early May! Mrs K recruits the help of our hotel concierge (George) to get us the reservation at a place called Under Grain. It was very fancy, actually a bit more fancy than I was expecting, but the tasting menu (with wine) was amazing. On the next table, is a guy in his 70’s trying to look 50. He is wearing a shiny pink shirt and is sitting with a girl less than half his age – his niece obviously. From the side he has a look of Robin Askwith from the Carry On films and Confessions series and latterly various soaps. A bit of online research and a better look on the way to the loo confirms it is him. Apparently, an episode of Coronation Street was filmed in Malta and Robin Askwith lived in Gozo for many years. This is him in his prime and recently in 2021.
Other than that, this week has consisted of me working in the mornings (not easy when you are looking out the window at people relaxing by the pool) and then visiting family.
Mrs K has been working very hard too. She came to Malta with the intention of applying for her Maltese citizenship. In the UK, there’s a year’s wait for an appointment so the walk-in arrangement in Valletta seemed the best option. She had assembled all the documentation required, including birth and marriage certificates going back two generations, only to be told at the front desk that her passport was not sufficient evidence of UK residency, despite the application form saying that it was the preferred option. Apparently, Brexit was blamed, with a shrug of the shoulders. Mrs K was so mad she walked all the way back to our hotel (11km) to try to cool off. Amazingly she managed to get a letter from our local council to testify that she has been paying council tax in Windlesham since 1996, so she returned triumphantly on Thursday morning and her application was accepted. She hopes for it to be made official within a month or so and then she can apply for a passport. All of the kids can also apply. You never know they might even accept me too. Saves waiting in the non-EU queue at immigration.
It is our last full day here and we have a meal to look forward to tonight in Guardamangia at the house in St Monica street with Charlie and Myriam. Mrs K said there was one more church (out of the 313) that she wanted to visit. We make the drive up the coast road to the seaside town of Mellieha and stop by the church up on top of the hill overlooking the bay where we used to take the kids almost every day during our holidays here some 20 years ago. Incredibly we had never turned off the windy road to visit the church before. Unfortunately, it is closed but the views are spectacular and naturally there is a small café on the cliff edge where we can have a coffee and a bite to eat while admiring the view and deciding where we will buy our holiday flat (a discussion we have had for years and which never goes anywhere). Even Hells Angels are stopping here.
We also head further up the coast to Little Armier to visit another spot we have never seen before. A hole in the craggy rock fed with sea water via a small tunnel. Coral Lagoon. No doubt this is popular spot for daredevils. If you have the courage to jump in, the only exit is via the tunnel with waves rushing in. We are told swimmers regularly need to be rescued.
We fly back on Sunday morning. It has been a very different stay in Malta, mainly because the temperature has been about 10C below what we are used to in the Summer, but that has led us to do very different things. A really nice break of routine. Already planning our next visit.
Thanks for reading
Jeff