24/06/2024
Knowing that I needed to be up early for the flight, I managed to get my head down around 11pm which made crawling out my bed at 04:30 a tiny bit more tolerable. I got ready efficiently which left me plenty of time to anxiously recheck I'd not forgot to pack anything and also repeatedly do sweeps of the house ensuring everything was in order, plug sockets off, windows closed etc. Tez picked me up around 6am and drove us all to Manchester Airport. We parked up on Ringway and got the shuttle bus to Terminal 3; Stace innocently pointed at a suitcase on the rack and said "look Ben, a Juventus badge"... not realising it was my own suitcase π
At security, I dodged under the barrier and almost tripped some poor lass up π€¦πΌ♂️ then some kid accidentally opened the barrier further down the queue, and I failed trying to close it. I later discovered that the girl I almost tripped up had told Tez & Stace that I'd also opened the barrier! π I waltzed through security thankfully since the staff kept fearmongering that there would be a 45-minute wait if your case needed to be checked π We secured seating at the Lion and Antelope around 08:15; Moz paid £8 for a dreadful looking sandwich, and the waiter forgot Tez's beans (he'd ordered extra but they brought him none whatsoever - then they took away his plate of food, and returned with the beans in a little bowl?). I settled for just having a pint. Fuck these airport prices. We boarded the plane around 9am. Moz got flustered fighting to get his seatbelt on, much to our shameful amusement. Ryanair skimp on everything, even the fabric used to make the seatbelts it seems. On route to Malta, we played Pointless from a book that Tez had the forethought to pack, whilst having a cheeky little beverage. I was also introduced to Moz's newly established tradition of opening Pokemon Cards on flights, which is utterly bizarre to be honest! π a woman sitting in front of Moz ordered a Ham & Cheese Panini and when it came, it had no cheese on and she was so confused; you probably had to be there to find it as amusing as I did! π€£
We finally arrived in Malta around 2pm local time, and headed briskly through Passport Control who found it necessary to stamp on random pages rather than the sensible chronological one. Moz nipped off and secured us all our weekly travel cards for the buses. We got onto our transfer minibus without much ado, and arrived at Luna Holiday Complex just shy of 4pm. We checked in, paid the €8 tourist tax, and headed around to Apartment 5202 where we'd be staying for the week. The lodgings were modest but sufficient; there were a few issues such as the guest wifi not connecting, the safe not working, and the air-con in the kitchen area not responding. We headed around to reception and made them aware of the faults, preferring to get everything resolved out the way rather than putting it off. The guy on reception was utterly fucking useless when it came to resolving the wifi issue. On the way back to the room we popped into the local shop and stocked up on essentials for our stay such as coffee, milk, fresh juice, and various snacks. The Maltese biscuits were incredible. A maintenance engineer attended our apartment and resolved the issues we'd identified, ultimately replacing the entire safe as he couldn't get it to work π€― - it turned out the air-con unit was turned off by a power socket hidden behind the toaster π€£
Finally by 18:45 we were able to leave Luna and head off to actually explore the vicinity. We caught a bus up to MellieΔ§a and headed straight for an eatery called Tal Puzzu which Moz had earmarked for our enjoyment. The menu was ample and we enjoyed local foods including swordfish, octopus, lamb and rabbit; washing it all down with our first pints of the local beer, Cisk. Once we'd had our fill, Moz led the way to the next venue he'd listed, SQuare Gastro Bar. Whilst trying to locate it amid the labyrinth of stairs and narrow streets, Moz wound up looking for it inside the grounds of The Parish Church of MellieΔ§a. By 9pm, I was sat with a pint of Hopleaf, the local pale ale, with Spain vs. Albania playing on the TV. Admittedly, I wasn't paying much attention however, as I was on my phone looking at photos of Lysh on her school trip to Blue Peris and messaging Ree in relief that she seemed to be enjoying it! Stace ordered a hot chocolate which was served as a cup of literal melted chocolate π
After we'd finished up our drinks, we had a pleasant walk around to the 120 Bar who kindly moved seats to accommodate us. The Italy vs. Croatia match was airing, and one area of the room was occupied by what appeared to be a school trip of Italian children. There seemed to be a solo older male supervising the kids, but he was more bothered about watching the match, so all these underage kids were evidently drinking alcohol. A few of the girls seemed hammered. We remained in 120 Bar until they were closing up shop around midnight, at which point we had a stroll back down the bank to our apartment including fucking around in dilapidated ruins on the way! Once we got back to Luna, a deck of cards appeared and we sat around the table munching snacks and playing Fish until we called it a day at 01:30ish
Knowing that I needed to be up early for the flight, I managed to get my head down around 11pm which made crawling out my bed at 04:30 a tiny bit more tolerable. I got ready efficiently which left me plenty of time to anxiously recheck I'd not forgot to pack anything and also repeatedly do sweeps of the house ensuring everything was in order, plug sockets off, windows closed etc. Tez picked me up around 6am and drove us all to Manchester Airport. We parked up on Ringway and got the shuttle bus to Terminal 3; Stace innocently pointed at a suitcase on the rack and said "look Ben, a Juventus badge"... not realising it was my own suitcase π
At security, I dodged under the barrier and almost tripped some poor lass up π€¦πΌ♂️ then some kid accidentally opened the barrier further down the queue, and I failed trying to close it. I later discovered that the girl I almost tripped up had told Tez & Stace that I'd also opened the barrier! π I waltzed through security thankfully since the staff kept fearmongering that there would be a 45-minute wait if your case needed to be checked π We secured seating at the Lion and Antelope around 08:15; Moz paid £8 for a dreadful looking sandwich, and the waiter forgot Tez's beans (he'd ordered extra but they brought him none whatsoever - then they took away his plate of food, and returned with the beans in a little bowl?). I settled for just having a pint. Fuck these airport prices. We boarded the plane around 9am. Moz got flustered fighting to get his seatbelt on, much to our shameful amusement. Ryanair skimp on everything, even the fabric used to make the seatbelts it seems. On route to Malta, we played Pointless from a book that Tez had the forethought to pack, whilst having a cheeky little beverage. I was also introduced to Moz's newly established tradition of opening Pokemon Cards on flights, which is utterly bizarre to be honest! π a woman sitting in front of Moz ordered a Ham & Cheese Panini and when it came, it had no cheese on and she was so confused; you probably had to be there to find it as amusing as I did! π€£
We finally arrived in Malta around 2pm local time, and headed briskly through Passport Control who found it necessary to stamp on random pages rather than the sensible chronological one. Moz nipped off and secured us all our weekly travel cards for the buses. We got onto our transfer minibus without much ado, and arrived at Luna Holiday Complex just shy of 4pm. We checked in, paid the €8 tourist tax, and headed around to Apartment 5202 where we'd be staying for the week. The lodgings were modest but sufficient; there were a few issues such as the guest wifi not connecting, the safe not working, and the air-con in the kitchen area not responding. We headed around to reception and made them aware of the faults, preferring to get everything resolved out the way rather than putting it off. The guy on reception was utterly fucking useless when it came to resolving the wifi issue. On the way back to the room we popped into the local shop and stocked up on essentials for our stay such as coffee, milk, fresh juice, and various snacks. The Maltese biscuits were incredible. A maintenance engineer attended our apartment and resolved the issues we'd identified, ultimately replacing the entire safe as he couldn't get it to work π€― - it turned out the air-con unit was turned off by a power socket hidden behind the toaster π€£
Finally by 18:45 we were able to leave Luna and head off to actually explore the vicinity. We caught a bus up to MellieΔ§a and headed straight for an eatery called Tal Puzzu which Moz had earmarked for our enjoyment. The menu was ample and we enjoyed local foods including swordfish, octopus, lamb and rabbit; washing it all down with our first pints of the local beer, Cisk. Once we'd had our fill, Moz led the way to the next venue he'd listed, SQuare Gastro Bar. Whilst trying to locate it amid the labyrinth of stairs and narrow streets, Moz wound up looking for it inside the grounds of The Parish Church of MellieΔ§a. By 9pm, I was sat with a pint of Hopleaf, the local pale ale, with Spain vs. Albania playing on the TV. Admittedly, I wasn't paying much attention however, as I was on my phone looking at photos of Lysh on her school trip to Blue Peris and messaging Ree in relief that she seemed to be enjoying it! Stace ordered a hot chocolate which was served as a cup of literal melted chocolate π
After we'd finished up our drinks, we had a pleasant walk around to the 120 Bar who kindly moved seats to accommodate us. The Italy vs. Croatia match was airing, and one area of the room was occupied by what appeared to be a school trip of Italian children. There seemed to be a solo older male supervising the kids, but he was more bothered about watching the match, so all these underage kids were evidently drinking alcohol. A few of the girls seemed hammered. We remained in 120 Bar until they were closing up shop around midnight, at which point we had a stroll back down the bank to our apartment including fucking around in dilapidated ruins on the way! Once we got back to Luna, a deck of cards appeared and we sat around the table munching snacks and playing Fish until we called it a day at 01:30ish
25/06/2024
The first proper day in Malta began with waking up at a reasonable 9am, having a shower, and plonking my ass down on the balcony to enjoy a coffee and croissant in the morning sunshine. Whilst sitting enjoying my breakfast, I noted a platoon of small birds flying in and out of a vent above Tez's bedroom window π after lazying around relaxing in the apartment we headed over to Mosta via bus, arriving at 12:45. There was some initial debate over what we were doing for food which culminated in us wasting 20-minutes wandering aimlessly around the front of the Rotunda before returning to Premier Pastizzeria where we'd started π€¦πΌ♂️ I grabbed a Ricotta Pastizzi and much need bottle of water, then we headed back over to seating at the front of the Rotunda whilst we ate. After being chased off the seats by a guy with a hosepipe who wanted to water the planters behind us, we made our way inside Mosta Rotunda.
After we paid the entry fee, and Stace received a shawl to cover her shoulders, we headed up a large spiral staircase onto the roof of the building. Up another small flight of stairs, we entered into a balcony encircling the interior of the third-largest unsupported dome in the world π² the Rotunda is famous for an incident on April 9th 1942 where a German bomb smashed through the roof, bounced off a mural of Jesus, and landed to the side of the main altar. Miraculously, it never exploded; a staff member explained to us that there are several theories why, including sabotage by the Czech factory that manufactured it, and the pilot not priming the bomb as he was ditching it to lighten his load and escape the Allies pursuit. The interior was extravagent, as is the norm for such religious buildings. Frustratingly it was brought to our attention that the bomb on display was a replica, not the original, which kinda makes a mockery of the allure. It would have been humbling to stand before an actual German bomb that could have destroyed the entire building. Viewing a replica was admittedly very underwhelming... π
We emerged from the rear of the Rotunda and headed round to The Dome Visitors Center for a toilet break, which was subsequently followed by chilling for half an hour drinking and snacking, including Kinnie, Cisk, and a Waffle Maxibon. Moz wanted a cannoli but they were out of cream. Meanwhile, Tez got thoroughly stitched up for a couple of ice lollies that cost him €11 π€― After watching birds pillage the crumbs which readily blew off our table since we were situated in a veritable wind tunnel, we decided to head around to the World War II Shelters located in the tunnel complex beneath the front of the Rotunda. They were mildly interesting, but nothing to write home about. We headed back around to the bus stop ready to make our way to Mdina. Realising the next bus wasn't for 25-minutes, I suggested we head over to The Hoppy Hare Pub for a swift pint. Both amusingly, and frustratingly, the bartender could not pour a pint of Hazy Jane to save their life; they ended up with three separate glasses of half-pint/half-head which they were trying to transfer back and forward to make a single pint like some kind of science experiment. She did however end up giving me an extra half-pint for free as a result π the venue was actually really nice too, themed like Alice in Wonderland, and had a scarf above the bar with the West Ham logo and colours, but saying Los Angeles on it instead π we played with a deck of cards which Stace located whilst we were getting drinks at the bar that gave prompts for discussions. I also recall that I could have easily stolen the bartenders phone multiple times as it was left unattended on the bar the entire time we were there! π€¨
We caught the bus to Rabat at half-3, arriving there about half an hour later. I led Tez & Stace the wrong way in search of toilets (I entirely blame Google Maps for that!) and ultimately we happened across some portaloos. One was locked with a three-digit padlock which I somehow managed to open whilst fucking around trying random combinations π€£ then we rejoined Moz who was waiting nearby and headed to Is-Serkin, a pastizzi place that he had researched and concluded was the best in Malta π€ we all dug in since we were starving, and Stace even had some extras to take away for later in the week ππ€€ we snapped a few photos of the famous Maltese Balconies nearby, then headed around to Mdina. Before heading in, we toyed with the prospect of paying for a horse drawn cart to pull us around the streets, then settled for buying ice cream instead from 'Alex and Tony Tanti' who even had a 'Pokemon flavour' available π we finally headed through Mdina Gate, on foot, at around 5pm.
The silent city was not very silent, despite my best efforts to make it appear abandoned in my creatively shot photos. There were shops selling glass and door knockers, other tourists wandering about, and even cars parked here and there. It was not how I'd imagined at all. It even transpired that people live there. I thought it was like an abandoned citadel. We found the Instagram famous "Mdina Blue Door", and immediately concluded that it was pretty shit really. Literally just a blue door. Womp womp. No idea why that became such a hallmark of visiting Mdina? After wandering around, taking photos, and buying myself a new cap, we headed back out the main gate at almost 6pm. I later found out there were a couple of cool things we could have done whilst there like visting the Dungeons/Catacombs, or going to the highly praised Fontanella Tea Garden. Oh well.
The bus back to Luna took around an hour, and after getting ourselves freshened up, Moz led us around to Roy Thai Street Food for food around 8pm. Stace wasn't hungry yet, so we held off on the food and pitched up in Nora's Pub next door for a drink instead, whilst some Serbian bloke commandeered the outdoor TV even dictating to the staff which channel to pick for him to have Serbian commentary of the match π€£ after leaving Nora's we couldn't get food in Roy Thai so caught a bus up to Billy's Sports Pub instead, getting there around 9pm. It was packed and had no free tables, so after loitering for a few minutes, Tez led the way back down to where we'd previously eaten the night before. I was fucking ravenous at this point, having only eaten a few pastizzi and ice creams since breakfast, and was getting hangry! Thankfully we got seated in L'Amigo around half-9, and spent the next couple of hours indulging in Cisk, chicken wings, Maltese sausage with roasties and veg, followed by Banoffee Pie. Even tried some Prickly Pear Liquor thanks to Moz!
Directly opposite the restaurant was a shop which stayed open until 3am, so we popped across to restock on drinks and snacks prior to heading back to the apartment. The shop was a proper scam; there was a sign saying spend €39 and get a free 6-pack of 2ltr water - after being charged €49 for all our stuff, the shopkeeper said it was an old sign and didn't apply anymore... then when we later checked the receipt, he'd overcharged us too. The chicken box prick. Back at Luna we made plans for tomorrow, including visiting the Sky Lounge Pool and booking a Sunset Boat Trip. We decided to abandon our intention to visit the Citadella after seeing Mdina. Then we drank Cisk and played Fish again until we went to bed around 1:30am π΄
The first proper day in Malta began with waking up at a reasonable 9am, having a shower, and plonking my ass down on the balcony to enjoy a coffee and croissant in the morning sunshine. Whilst sitting enjoying my breakfast, I noted a platoon of small birds flying in and out of a vent above Tez's bedroom window π after lazying around relaxing in the apartment we headed over to Mosta via bus, arriving at 12:45. There was some initial debate over what we were doing for food which culminated in us wasting 20-minutes wandering aimlessly around the front of the Rotunda before returning to Premier Pastizzeria where we'd started π€¦πΌ♂️ I grabbed a Ricotta Pastizzi and much need bottle of water, then we headed back over to seating at the front of the Rotunda whilst we ate. After being chased off the seats by a guy with a hosepipe who wanted to water the planters behind us, we made our way inside Mosta Rotunda.
After we paid the entry fee, and Stace received a shawl to cover her shoulders, we headed up a large spiral staircase onto the roof of the building. Up another small flight of stairs, we entered into a balcony encircling the interior of the third-largest unsupported dome in the world π² the Rotunda is famous for an incident on April 9th 1942 where a German bomb smashed through the roof, bounced off a mural of Jesus, and landed to the side of the main altar. Miraculously, it never exploded; a staff member explained to us that there are several theories why, including sabotage by the Czech factory that manufactured it, and the pilot not priming the bomb as he was ditching it to lighten his load and escape the Allies pursuit. The interior was extravagent, as is the norm for such religious buildings. Frustratingly it was brought to our attention that the bomb on display was a replica, not the original, which kinda makes a mockery of the allure. It would have been humbling to stand before an actual German bomb that could have destroyed the entire building. Viewing a replica was admittedly very underwhelming... π
We emerged from the rear of the Rotunda and headed round to The Dome Visitors Center for a toilet break, which was subsequently followed by chilling for half an hour drinking and snacking, including Kinnie, Cisk, and a Waffle Maxibon. Moz wanted a cannoli but they were out of cream. Meanwhile, Tez got thoroughly stitched up for a couple of ice lollies that cost him €11 π€― After watching birds pillage the crumbs which readily blew off our table since we were situated in a veritable wind tunnel, we decided to head around to the World War II Shelters located in the tunnel complex beneath the front of the Rotunda. They were mildly interesting, but nothing to write home about. We headed back around to the bus stop ready to make our way to Mdina. Realising the next bus wasn't for 25-minutes, I suggested we head over to The Hoppy Hare Pub for a swift pint. Both amusingly, and frustratingly, the bartender could not pour a pint of Hazy Jane to save their life; they ended up with three separate glasses of half-pint/half-head which they were trying to transfer back and forward to make a single pint like some kind of science experiment. She did however end up giving me an extra half-pint for free as a result π the venue was actually really nice too, themed like Alice in Wonderland, and had a scarf above the bar with the West Ham logo and colours, but saying Los Angeles on it instead π we played with a deck of cards which Stace located whilst we were getting drinks at the bar that gave prompts for discussions. I also recall that I could have easily stolen the bartenders phone multiple times as it was left unattended on the bar the entire time we were there! π€¨
We caught the bus to Rabat at half-3, arriving there about half an hour later. I led Tez & Stace the wrong way in search of toilets (I entirely blame Google Maps for that!) and ultimately we happened across some portaloos. One was locked with a three-digit padlock which I somehow managed to open whilst fucking around trying random combinations π€£ then we rejoined Moz who was waiting nearby and headed to Is-Serkin, a pastizzi place that he had researched and concluded was the best in Malta π€ we all dug in since we were starving, and Stace even had some extras to take away for later in the week ππ€€ we snapped a few photos of the famous Maltese Balconies nearby, then headed around to Mdina. Before heading in, we toyed with the prospect of paying for a horse drawn cart to pull us around the streets, then settled for buying ice cream instead from 'Alex and Tony Tanti' who even had a 'Pokemon flavour' available π we finally headed through Mdina Gate, on foot, at around 5pm.
The silent city was not very silent, despite my best efforts to make it appear abandoned in my creatively shot photos. There were shops selling glass and door knockers, other tourists wandering about, and even cars parked here and there. It was not how I'd imagined at all. It even transpired that people live there. I thought it was like an abandoned citadel. We found the Instagram famous "Mdina Blue Door", and immediately concluded that it was pretty shit really. Literally just a blue door. Womp womp. No idea why that became such a hallmark of visiting Mdina? After wandering around, taking photos, and buying myself a new cap, we headed back out the main gate at almost 6pm. I later found out there were a couple of cool things we could have done whilst there like visting the Dungeons/Catacombs, or going to the highly praised Fontanella Tea Garden. Oh well.
The bus back to Luna took around an hour, and after getting ourselves freshened up, Moz led us around to Roy Thai Street Food for food around 8pm. Stace wasn't hungry yet, so we held off on the food and pitched up in Nora's Pub next door for a drink instead, whilst some Serbian bloke commandeered the outdoor TV even dictating to the staff which channel to pick for him to have Serbian commentary of the match π€£ after leaving Nora's we couldn't get food in Roy Thai so caught a bus up to Billy's Sports Pub instead, getting there around 9pm. It was packed and had no free tables, so after loitering for a few minutes, Tez led the way back down to where we'd previously eaten the night before. I was fucking ravenous at this point, having only eaten a few pastizzi and ice creams since breakfast, and was getting hangry! Thankfully we got seated in L'Amigo around half-9, and spent the next couple of hours indulging in Cisk, chicken wings, Maltese sausage with roasties and veg, followed by Banoffee Pie. Even tried some Prickly Pear Liquor thanks to Moz!
Directly opposite the restaurant was a shop which stayed open until 3am, so we popped across to restock on drinks and snacks prior to heading back to the apartment. The shop was a proper scam; there was a sign saying spend €39 and get a free 6-pack of 2ltr water - after being charged €49 for all our stuff, the shopkeeper said it was an old sign and didn't apply anymore... then when we later checked the receipt, he'd overcharged us too. The chicken box prick. Back at Luna we made plans for tomorrow, including visiting the Sky Lounge Pool and booking a Sunset Boat Trip. We decided to abandon our intention to visit the Citadella after seeing Mdina. Then we drank Cisk and played Fish again until we went to bed around 1:30am π΄
26/06/2024
Wednesday began with an early rise, around 8am for a shower and balcony breakfast. Tez had already voiced his intent to hit up the Sky Lounge and pool on the roof of the building, so we all headed up there shortly after 9am. It was a reasonably sized pool with a separate jacuzzi tucked away to the side; the skyline was unfortunately marred by the presence of a crane, but then again, every destination I travel to these days has an en suite construction site, so nothing new there! By mid morning, Tez had been and bought a pitcher of Sangria and the day's fun was really getting underway! π·π»ππΌ♀️ I sensibly applied sun-cream whereas others didn't bother π¬π after the PTSD from Tenerife last year, I was adamant that sunburn was not going to be on the agenda this time round! π₯΅☀ By the end of the holiday, I'd be the only one to not get sunburnt π€ͺ
Discussing our plans for the day, it became a logistical nightmare of planning buses and ferries to permit us the required time to visit Ggantija, yet get back in time for the Sunset Boat Trip at 5pm ππΌ♂️ since it was myself who was determined to see Ggantija (to the point I said I'd go alone if nobody else could be bothered), I inherited the responsibility of planning the commute π©π€£ we left the rooftop at 11ish and made our way to Δirkewwa Harbour around midday. Frustratingly for Moz, there was nowhere to order proper food, so we had to settle for a Cisk instead π we got the ferry to Gozo at 12:45, interestingly not needing to purchase an outbound ticket as staff advised we'd just pay on the way back (which was a little unusual) π€ once we reached Gozo Ferry Port, the bus situation looked diabolical because there were swarms of tourists milling about. Tez tried to secure a taxi to take us to Xhagra, but ultimately we all ended up fighting our way onto the bus and securing the entire back row. The drive to Xhagra (where the temples are situated) wasn't too bad. We drove through Nadur which had some really fancy street decor (presumably to do with the L-Imnarja Carnival on June 29th), and arrived at our destination around 2pm.
Time was not on our side, so once inside the Ggantija site, I didn't dally too long looking at the museum area, preferring to make my way to the proper temples. I could always read up on the museum-y stuff online at a later date - I wanted to spend my limited time at the actual temples! On the approach, their size actually caught me off guard... They were a lot bigger than expected, and the conundrum of how they'd been erected ~5,500 years ago really baffled my brain. We waited for Tez and Stace to catch up before we had a wander around the inner chambers, noting the typical tourist photos, and the areas of marked interest. It was all rather fascinating, but unfortunately we couldn't linger for as long as I'd have liked since we needed to get back for the boat trip. By 14:45 we were out of the temples and en route to the bus stop. Moz had disappeared into the horizon (par for the course), meanwhile we took a diversion into Lighthouse Food Store to grab some proper food since we'd not had any lunch. Moz reunited with us in the shop to get supplies π I took the rare opportunity to buy some fruit which I had struggled to find anywhere, along with a chorizo collar which I shortly thereafter ate in it's entirety π then we got the bus back to Gozo (backseat bus wankers again) and got onto the ferry back to Δirkewwa Harbour at 15:45. This gave us plenty of time to relax, sip our Cisk, and not feel rushed for a rare change! π€
Once we arrived back at Δirkewwa Harbour, we parked ourselves at the Cirkewwa Cafe seating area nearby. I ordered myself a beef and onion pastry which reminded me of a Wrights Meat & Potato pie to line my stomach with something more filling than random snacks and foodstuffs. At 5pm we boarded the Xlendi Pleasure Cruise and headed out into the northern waters of Malta. The boat cut it's way across the coastline, then headed out in the direction of the small island of Comino. As we navigated the choppy waters, rogue waves splashed playfully onto the boat soaking those sat on the front benches ππ Our first stop was the Crystal Lagoon which we arrived at around half-5. As we approached we witnessed a group of lads cliff jumping into the lagoon, and shortly after, we weighed anchor and prepared to enjoy the turquoise waters ourselves. I was straight up to the top deck and the first one to dive from the boat into the water (though I did have to wait for a few people who jumped from the lower deck to swim out the way first!). The water was crystal clear but salty AF. Like, absurdly so. I got back onto the boat and met up with Tez on the top deck before I dived in once more. And then I got back onto the boat and prepared to snap a few photos myself, including a sick one of Tez diving in. Stace had asked to borrow my cap and I was dubious about her taking it into the water since I'd previously ruined a cap by getting it salt stained in the sea. Tez reassured me he'd replace it if necessary, and then Stace jumped into the lagoon... and the cap came off immediately, and stayed off the entire time she was in the water... meaning she may as well have taken it off before she jumped in! π I dived back in for the third and final time, and this time, the brothers all swam across to the caves at the bottom of the cliffs together. I cannot tell a lie; it was more tiring than I'd expected! ππ we toyed with the idea of venturing into the actual cave but I strongly opposed the idea as it looked like the waves could drag you in easily. Before we knew it, BEEP, it was time to get back on the boat! Stace was signalling to us, and we weren't sure if she was waving or beckoning from how far away we were! π¬ after we swam back across (and were the last aboard), our tour made it's way over to Gozo Ferry Port where we had been not that long ago on the ferry. After a (thankfully) brief stop with some commentary from the Captain, we made our way around to the Blue Lagoon, arriving at 18:35. We had an hour stop off to eat, drink, and be merry. We walked around the cliffs and got some nice photos, then deliberated for ages on what to eat and/or drink from the various stands. It was a surefire tourist trap. After debating it, I ended up with an Adios Motherfucker cocktail in a pineapple for €10, then also had a Cisk for after ππΊ then we headed back down to the dock to relax under the sun, before Tez & Stace went for a paddle (and Stace became an impromptu photographer π·π). Then it was back on the boat to head to Δirkewwa, singing like it was karaoke under the setting sun π€π
Once we were back on dry land, we caught the bus back to Luna. We got freshened up, and headed around to Roy Thai Street Food at 21:30, convinced that today we would actually get to eat there despite it being last orders! π The place looked like it was occupied by the Yakuza but it didn't stop me accosting their aloe vera plant so Stace could treat her sunburn π΅ I enjoyed a Cisk and some Duck Drunken Noodles, before we made our way on the bus to Billy's Sports Pub for a second shot at actually getting to sit in... which we managed since there was no football on at 11pm π fuck, it's getting silly now... he thought to himself as he drank his southern comfort and coke, then henny and coke, then spiced rum and coke... and realised he was taking absolute liberties with his ability to handle alcohol after so long being sober! π΅π we left Billy's and caught the bus back to Luna at nearly 1am... and I was fucking wiped out, and subsequently crashed immediately after intending to lay down "for a minute" on my bed! π₯΄π΄
Wednesday began with an early rise, around 8am for a shower and balcony breakfast. Tez had already voiced his intent to hit up the Sky Lounge and pool on the roof of the building, so we all headed up there shortly after 9am. It was a reasonably sized pool with a separate jacuzzi tucked away to the side; the skyline was unfortunately marred by the presence of a crane, but then again, every destination I travel to these days has an en suite construction site, so nothing new there! By mid morning, Tez had been and bought a pitcher of Sangria and the day's fun was really getting underway! π·π»ππΌ♀️ I sensibly applied sun-cream whereas others didn't bother π¬π after the PTSD from Tenerife last year, I was adamant that sunburn was not going to be on the agenda this time round! π₯΅☀ By the end of the holiday, I'd be the only one to not get sunburnt π€ͺ
Discussing our plans for the day, it became a logistical nightmare of planning buses and ferries to permit us the required time to visit Ggantija, yet get back in time for the Sunset Boat Trip at 5pm ππΌ♂️ since it was myself who was determined to see Ggantija (to the point I said I'd go alone if nobody else could be bothered), I inherited the responsibility of planning the commute π©π€£ we left the rooftop at 11ish and made our way to Δirkewwa Harbour around midday. Frustratingly for Moz, there was nowhere to order proper food, so we had to settle for a Cisk instead π we got the ferry to Gozo at 12:45, interestingly not needing to purchase an outbound ticket as staff advised we'd just pay on the way back (which was a little unusual) π€ once we reached Gozo Ferry Port, the bus situation looked diabolical because there were swarms of tourists milling about. Tez tried to secure a taxi to take us to Xhagra, but ultimately we all ended up fighting our way onto the bus and securing the entire back row. The drive to Xhagra (where the temples are situated) wasn't too bad. We drove through Nadur which had some really fancy street decor (presumably to do with the L-Imnarja Carnival on June 29th), and arrived at our destination around 2pm.
Time was not on our side, so once inside the Ggantija site, I didn't dally too long looking at the museum area, preferring to make my way to the proper temples. I could always read up on the museum-y stuff online at a later date - I wanted to spend my limited time at the actual temples! On the approach, their size actually caught me off guard... They were a lot bigger than expected, and the conundrum of how they'd been erected ~5,500 years ago really baffled my brain. We waited for Tez and Stace to catch up before we had a wander around the inner chambers, noting the typical tourist photos, and the areas of marked interest. It was all rather fascinating, but unfortunately we couldn't linger for as long as I'd have liked since we needed to get back for the boat trip. By 14:45 we were out of the temples and en route to the bus stop. Moz had disappeared into the horizon (par for the course), meanwhile we took a diversion into Lighthouse Food Store to grab some proper food since we'd not had any lunch. Moz reunited with us in the shop to get supplies π I took the rare opportunity to buy some fruit which I had struggled to find anywhere, along with a chorizo collar which I shortly thereafter ate in it's entirety π then we got the bus back to Gozo (backseat bus wankers again) and got onto the ferry back to Δirkewwa Harbour at 15:45. This gave us plenty of time to relax, sip our Cisk, and not feel rushed for a rare change! π€
Once we arrived back at Δirkewwa Harbour, we parked ourselves at the Cirkewwa Cafe seating area nearby. I ordered myself a beef and onion pastry which reminded me of a Wrights Meat & Potato pie to line my stomach with something more filling than random snacks and foodstuffs. At 5pm we boarded the Xlendi Pleasure Cruise and headed out into the northern waters of Malta. The boat cut it's way across the coastline, then headed out in the direction of the small island of Comino. As we navigated the choppy waters, rogue waves splashed playfully onto the boat soaking those sat on the front benches ππ Our first stop was the Crystal Lagoon which we arrived at around half-5. As we approached we witnessed a group of lads cliff jumping into the lagoon, and shortly after, we weighed anchor and prepared to enjoy the turquoise waters ourselves. I was straight up to the top deck and the first one to dive from the boat into the water (though I did have to wait for a few people who jumped from the lower deck to swim out the way first!). The water was crystal clear but salty AF. Like, absurdly so. I got back onto the boat and met up with Tez on the top deck before I dived in once more. And then I got back onto the boat and prepared to snap a few photos myself, including a sick one of Tez diving in. Stace had asked to borrow my cap and I was dubious about her taking it into the water since I'd previously ruined a cap by getting it salt stained in the sea. Tez reassured me he'd replace it if necessary, and then Stace jumped into the lagoon... and the cap came off immediately, and stayed off the entire time she was in the water... meaning she may as well have taken it off before she jumped in! π I dived back in for the third and final time, and this time, the brothers all swam across to the caves at the bottom of the cliffs together. I cannot tell a lie; it was more tiring than I'd expected! ππ we toyed with the idea of venturing into the actual cave but I strongly opposed the idea as it looked like the waves could drag you in easily. Before we knew it, BEEP, it was time to get back on the boat! Stace was signalling to us, and we weren't sure if she was waving or beckoning from how far away we were! π¬ after we swam back across (and were the last aboard), our tour made it's way over to Gozo Ferry Port where we had been not that long ago on the ferry. After a (thankfully) brief stop with some commentary from the Captain, we made our way around to the Blue Lagoon, arriving at 18:35. We had an hour stop off to eat, drink, and be merry. We walked around the cliffs and got some nice photos, then deliberated for ages on what to eat and/or drink from the various stands. It was a surefire tourist trap. After debating it, I ended up with an Adios Motherfucker cocktail in a pineapple for €10, then also had a Cisk for after ππΊ then we headed back down to the dock to relax under the sun, before Tez & Stace went for a paddle (and Stace became an impromptu photographer π·π). Then it was back on the boat to head to Δirkewwa, singing like it was karaoke under the setting sun π€π
Once we were back on dry land, we caught the bus back to Luna. We got freshened up, and headed around to Roy Thai Street Food at 21:30, convinced that today we would actually get to eat there despite it being last orders! π The place looked like it was occupied by the Yakuza but it didn't stop me accosting their aloe vera plant so Stace could treat her sunburn π΅ I enjoyed a Cisk and some Duck Drunken Noodles, before we made our way on the bus to Billy's Sports Pub for a second shot at actually getting to sit in... which we managed since there was no football on at 11pm π fuck, it's getting silly now... he thought to himself as he drank his southern comfort and coke, then henny and coke, then spiced rum and coke... and realised he was taking absolute liberties with his ability to handle alcohol after so long being sober! π΅π we left Billy's and caught the bus back to Luna at nearly 1am... and I was fucking wiped out, and subsequently crashed immediately after intending to lay down "for a minute" on my bed! π₯΄π΄
27/06/2024
Woke up on Thursday around 08:30 and went for my customary shower and breakfast on the balcony. Repeating yesterday's enjoyable morning, we headed back up to the Sky Lounge Pool. Moz opted to stay in bed for an extra hour, meanwhile me & Tez kicked the day off with a pint of Cisk at 09:30 π after reuniting with Moz, we went and caught the bus up to MellieΔ§a at midday to have a proper breakfast at Debbie's CafΓ©. I went with the breakfast ftira with Cumberland sausage and bacon. Moz had Nutella pancakes that he described as "cloying" and he ended up swapping the final quarter of them with me π when we left, there were a lot of coin piles left as payment π«£
We caught the bus to Valetta which was a lengthy trip, but we arrived at Triton Fountain approximately 2pm. Stace wanted to see the famous painting of "The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist" by Caravaggio which was hosted in St. John's Co-Cathedral. We headed over past a red telephone box and post-box and got inside the Cathedral at 14:25. The interior was opulent and decadent as fuck. Every where that wasn't adorned with gaudy golden soffits housed paintings, murals, or sculptures. It was truly staggering to see in person. The actual Caravaggio painting was housed in the Oratory and was very moving to witness whilst listening to the audio commentary explaining the story behind it. After exploring the remainder of the Cathedral, we headed back into the streets of Valetta at roughly 3pm.
This next part was a miscommunication which soured the mood for the next few hours (and also reared it's head later when drunk). The Saluting Battery was firing at 16:00 and that was our only opportunity to witness it whilst in Valetta. Moz also wanted to visit the Lascaris War Rooms, which closed at 16:30. This put us in a bit of a predicament for time management. It was my understanding that we were going to haul ass to visit Lascaris War Rooms, and then head up to the Saluting Battery for 4pm. Moz seemed to have the same opinion, to which he began marching ahead setting the pace. I followed shortly behind, but when I glanced back, Tez & Stace were trailing and then Stace was beckoning to us with hand gestures. I got Moz's attention and he showed me his phone with the directions to Lascaris War Rooms under the impression that Stace was saying we were going the wrong way. Moz continued walking ahead, I followed. I looked back and the other pair were gone.
It later turned out they'd gone to get ice cream to eat on the way to Lascaris War Rooms which admittedly frustrated me since we were already on a tight schedule. To further confuse matters, Moz and I purchased our entry tickets for Lascaris War Rooms from the Saluting Battery Museum, then headed down, running into Tez and Stace on the way. They had no tickets and we didn't even know if they would be able to buy them at the actual museum when we got there. I was admittedly beyond caring at this point figuring if they'd cared about going in that much, they wouldn't have prioritised going for an ice cream instead. By the time we got into Lascaris War Rooms it was already 15:40 leaving just 20-minutes to sprint around the museum (really good value for money when I'd just spent €14 to get in!) and get up to the Saluting Battery before it fired. After doing a hurried lap of Lascaris War Rooms trying to actually take in some of what was on display, I arrived back at reception at 15:52 to be told Moz, Tez, and Stace had already left. Upon leaving, I almost headed the wrong way and lost the group, but luckily spotted Moz loitering at the end of the tunnel. From there I pretty much ran up to Upper Barrakka Gardens by myself to see the Saluting Battery fire, only just making it in time. Moz later told me he'd also just managed to see it.
A message popped up in the WhatsApp group saying "just by the Malta Time Gun Museum entrance" which I thought was referring to everyone since it was back the way I'd come (and I'd literally ran ahead leaving everyone behind). I headed back out of Upper Barrakka Gardens to discover just Moz waiting there. Then Tez rang saying he was still in Upper Barrakka Gardens; after a tense conversation, Tez and Stace rejoined us outside the museum entrance. Moz wanted to head over to The Queen Victoria City Pub, but it was agreed we'd head back into the Upper Barrakka Gardens instead and have a drink and relax after all the rushing around. We stayed in there until 17:30 drinking Craft Ales from a brand called Huskie which was really pleasant; Moz even had a little chat with the bloke running the stand and offered his professional critique. It was here we decided to ditch the plan to visit Fort St Elmo and agreed to just head down to the Chocolate District next. On the way out of the Upper Barrakka Gardens there was a smoothie cart which piqued Tez and Stace's interest. No word of a lie, it took over 10-minutes for them to get served and I was again getting frustrated with all the standing around melting in the sun. I think that became starkly apparent therein; me and Moz hated standing around about the same amount as Tez and Stace hated feeling rushed! π
The Chocolate District was decent despite the staff running the place being pretty damn miserable. I opted for an 'Ivory and Ebony' first which was a mix of dark and white chocolate drink. Then I followed it up with a Spiced Rum Chocolate. The latter reminded me of the liquor chocolates you eat at Christmas. Had a chat with Moz outside about communicating his plans to the rest of the group, and pointed out that if necessary, he could always go visit his list of pubs alone. It seemed the friction in the group was all stemming from the hurrying around. We wandered down to the Victoria Gate to take a few photos, then headed over to Wild Honey for some craft beers, arriving at 7pm. Whilst sitting outside on the steep bank drinking my 7% Nekopstoot Cherry and enjoying some Superbon Pimento Crisps, I got Stace some more aloe vera from a nearby plant to soothe her sunburn, and we sat listening to Harvey Price yelling incoherent babble at every passerby from a nearby upstairs window π₯΄
After leaving Wild Honey, we had a walk up through Republic Square past the statue of Queen Victoria, then got seated outside City Crown for food and drinks. Had a pint of Stretta and a Captain Jack Sparrow cocktail which I really enjoyed. Then I had a drunken rant about the earlier events of the day which nobody enjoyed π€¦πΌ♂️ it was almost 10pm by the time me, Tez and Moz ordered burger and chips (which was served from the nearby Burgers.Ink) settling for the Hells Kitchen Burger myself. I recall keep tapping the waitstaff on the wrong shoulder and making him laugh whenever I went inside π after we left City Crown around half-10, we had a wander to the nearby 67 Kapitali whilst I apologised for losing my shit and spoiling the mood. The fun really begun at Kapitali, as the lass serving us fucked up and ended up giving both me and Moz 2x 6.7% beers each for the price of one! Bonus! π»π»
At almost midnight we were in Amorino Valetta ordering posh ice-creams that looked like a flower π we tried to get into The Queen Victoria City Pub for a swift pint, but they'd stopped serving. I went in for a piss and it looked a really decent venue - proper English style pub. Shame they were closing up. Then we all headed back to Triton Fountain to catch the bus to Paceville, the nightlife district of Malta. I was pretty distracted by my phone at this point, and also pretty hammered. I vaguely recall being sat outside The Beer Garden having a pint, but it's all pretty hazy in truth. We got the bus back to Luna and arrived back at almost 3am. The last thing I recall before I slumped into my bed was seeing Moz casually sat with his headphones in drinking a bottle of San Miguel on the sofa ππΊ
Woke up on Thursday around 08:30 and went for my customary shower and breakfast on the balcony. Repeating yesterday's enjoyable morning, we headed back up to the Sky Lounge Pool. Moz opted to stay in bed for an extra hour, meanwhile me & Tez kicked the day off with a pint of Cisk at 09:30 π after reuniting with Moz, we went and caught the bus up to MellieΔ§a at midday to have a proper breakfast at Debbie's CafΓ©. I went with the breakfast ftira with Cumberland sausage and bacon. Moz had Nutella pancakes that he described as "cloying" and he ended up swapping the final quarter of them with me π when we left, there were a lot of coin piles left as payment π«£
We caught the bus to Valetta which was a lengthy trip, but we arrived at Triton Fountain approximately 2pm. Stace wanted to see the famous painting of "The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist" by Caravaggio which was hosted in St. John's Co-Cathedral. We headed over past a red telephone box and post-box and got inside the Cathedral at 14:25. The interior was opulent and decadent as fuck. Every where that wasn't adorned with gaudy golden soffits housed paintings, murals, or sculptures. It was truly staggering to see in person. The actual Caravaggio painting was housed in the Oratory and was very moving to witness whilst listening to the audio commentary explaining the story behind it. After exploring the remainder of the Cathedral, we headed back into the streets of Valetta at roughly 3pm.
This next part was a miscommunication which soured the mood for the next few hours (and also reared it's head later when drunk). The Saluting Battery was firing at 16:00 and that was our only opportunity to witness it whilst in Valetta. Moz also wanted to visit the Lascaris War Rooms, which closed at 16:30. This put us in a bit of a predicament for time management. It was my understanding that we were going to haul ass to visit Lascaris War Rooms, and then head up to the Saluting Battery for 4pm. Moz seemed to have the same opinion, to which he began marching ahead setting the pace. I followed shortly behind, but when I glanced back, Tez & Stace were trailing and then Stace was beckoning to us with hand gestures. I got Moz's attention and he showed me his phone with the directions to Lascaris War Rooms under the impression that Stace was saying we were going the wrong way. Moz continued walking ahead, I followed. I looked back and the other pair were gone.
It later turned out they'd gone to get ice cream to eat on the way to Lascaris War Rooms which admittedly frustrated me since we were already on a tight schedule. To further confuse matters, Moz and I purchased our entry tickets for Lascaris War Rooms from the Saluting Battery Museum, then headed down, running into Tez and Stace on the way. They had no tickets and we didn't even know if they would be able to buy them at the actual museum when we got there. I was admittedly beyond caring at this point figuring if they'd cared about going in that much, they wouldn't have prioritised going for an ice cream instead. By the time we got into Lascaris War Rooms it was already 15:40 leaving just 20-minutes to sprint around the museum (really good value for money when I'd just spent €14 to get in!) and get up to the Saluting Battery before it fired. After doing a hurried lap of Lascaris War Rooms trying to actually take in some of what was on display, I arrived back at reception at 15:52 to be told Moz, Tez, and Stace had already left. Upon leaving, I almost headed the wrong way and lost the group, but luckily spotted Moz loitering at the end of the tunnel. From there I pretty much ran up to Upper Barrakka Gardens by myself to see the Saluting Battery fire, only just making it in time. Moz later told me he'd also just managed to see it.
A message popped up in the WhatsApp group saying "just by the Malta Time Gun Museum entrance" which I thought was referring to everyone since it was back the way I'd come (and I'd literally ran ahead leaving everyone behind). I headed back out of Upper Barrakka Gardens to discover just Moz waiting there. Then Tez rang saying he was still in Upper Barrakka Gardens; after a tense conversation, Tez and Stace rejoined us outside the museum entrance. Moz wanted to head over to The Queen Victoria City Pub, but it was agreed we'd head back into the Upper Barrakka Gardens instead and have a drink and relax after all the rushing around. We stayed in there until 17:30 drinking Craft Ales from a brand called Huskie which was really pleasant; Moz even had a little chat with the bloke running the stand and offered his professional critique. It was here we decided to ditch the plan to visit Fort St Elmo and agreed to just head down to the Chocolate District next. On the way out of the Upper Barrakka Gardens there was a smoothie cart which piqued Tez and Stace's interest. No word of a lie, it took over 10-minutes for them to get served and I was again getting frustrated with all the standing around melting in the sun. I think that became starkly apparent therein; me and Moz hated standing around about the same amount as Tez and Stace hated feeling rushed! π
The Chocolate District was decent despite the staff running the place being pretty damn miserable. I opted for an 'Ivory and Ebony' first which was a mix of dark and white chocolate drink. Then I followed it up with a Spiced Rum Chocolate. The latter reminded me of the liquor chocolates you eat at Christmas. Had a chat with Moz outside about communicating his plans to the rest of the group, and pointed out that if necessary, he could always go visit his list of pubs alone. It seemed the friction in the group was all stemming from the hurrying around. We wandered down to the Victoria Gate to take a few photos, then headed over to Wild Honey for some craft beers, arriving at 7pm. Whilst sitting outside on the steep bank drinking my 7% Nekopstoot Cherry and enjoying some Superbon Pimento Crisps, I got Stace some more aloe vera from a nearby plant to soothe her sunburn, and we sat listening to Harvey Price yelling incoherent babble at every passerby from a nearby upstairs window π₯΄
After leaving Wild Honey, we had a walk up through Republic Square past the statue of Queen Victoria, then got seated outside City Crown for food and drinks. Had a pint of Stretta and a Captain Jack Sparrow cocktail which I really enjoyed. Then I had a drunken rant about the earlier events of the day which nobody enjoyed π€¦πΌ♂️ it was almost 10pm by the time me, Tez and Moz ordered burger and chips (which was served from the nearby Burgers.Ink) settling for the Hells Kitchen Burger myself. I recall keep tapping the waitstaff on the wrong shoulder and making him laugh whenever I went inside π after we left City Crown around half-10, we had a wander to the nearby 67 Kapitali whilst I apologised for losing my shit and spoiling the mood. The fun really begun at Kapitali, as the lass serving us fucked up and ended up giving both me and Moz 2x 6.7% beers each for the price of one! Bonus! π»π»
At almost midnight we were in Amorino Valetta ordering posh ice-creams that looked like a flower π we tried to get into The Queen Victoria City Pub for a swift pint, but they'd stopped serving. I went in for a piss and it looked a really decent venue - proper English style pub. Shame they were closing up. Then we all headed back to Triton Fountain to catch the bus to Paceville, the nightlife district of Malta. I was pretty distracted by my phone at this point, and also pretty hammered. I vaguely recall being sat outside The Beer Garden having a pint, but it's all pretty hazy in truth. We got the bus back to Luna and arrived back at almost 3am. The last thing I recall before I slumped into my bed was seeing Moz casually sat with his headphones in drinking a bottle of San Miguel on the sofa ππΊ
28/06/2024
Final day began with a well earned hangover. Sitting on the balcony at 9am eating my breakfast when Tez pops out in his running gear asking if I fancy joining him on a 5.4km run to St Agatha Tower (Red Tower) and back. No. No I sure as fuck don't bro π and off he goes, the mad bastard! π€―π Half an hour later he's back dripping in sweat ππΌ fair fucking play! I am meanwhile crying into my coffee feeling like death π
Moz and Stace head up to the Sky Lounge Pool. Tez is still getting sorted after his run, and I'm packing up my stuff and making sure the apartment is clean and tidy so we don't incur any charges when we leave. The additional pastizzi's that Stace bought from Is-Serkin go into the bin and Moz has to put the cheese he bought into his suitcase for the next ~15hrs π€¦πΌ♂️ I leave Tez and head up to the pool at 10:20 for a soak, then we head back down to handle the check out at 10:50 to get it out the way. All our suitcases are deposited in the luggage room and we return to the rooftop bar to enjoy the last morning here with a coffee and a couple of warm cans of Cisk π
We grab a bus up to Debbie's CafΓ© at 1pm for some breakfast, this time Tez opts for M&M pancakes and Stace goes for Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon. I go for the full English that Tez had yesterday because it looked incredible. Moz orders some bizarre named food called Δ¦obΕΌ biΕΌ-Ε»ejt which looked rank π₯΄ after we've finished eating we head down to grab a few souvenirs from nearby shops since we'd neglected it all week and get back to the Sky Lounge Pool around 3pm. The rest of the afternoon is spent relaxing in the sun and the pool.
As 5pm nears, we make the call to eat some tea at the hotel to avoid the headache and overpriced options at the airport. Tez and Moz go for caesar salads, meanwhile I go with the pasta. Bafflingly my food comes first, and the others have to wait until almost 17:30 to be served π€― after eating and relaxing a little longer by the pool, we make the sensible call to head down to the luggage room and get changed out of our pool clothes into something more fitting for a flight. The transfer to the airport advises us to be ready at 18:30. At 18:40 Tez and Stace are still repacking their suitcase in reception because it's over the luggage allowance ππ I'm getting stressed so I go sit outside and get some fresh air. The transfer coach finally arrives at 7pm and we all get seated in separate seats since it's so big and empty. That doesn't stay the case for long, and at one point I'm convinced some rando is going to sit beside me, but thankfully that never transpires. A kid sits behind Stace however and keeps saying 'Kevin' π There is some young lad on the coach who repeatedly checks the stairwell for a toilet, despite already checking and not finding one. Makes me think of when you keep looking in the fridge π
We arrive at Malta International Airport just after 8pm to discover there's a 20-minute delay on our flight meaning it's now 22:35. Not ideal but also not the end of the world. We come through check-in and a young distraught kid is crying for her Mum the otherside of the glass partition. Not sure what was going on, but broke my fucking heart. We go through duty free and I buy some aftershave since I have € leftover that I had already earmarked to spend on this holiday. We do a lap of the airport trying to find somewhere for Stace to eat since she hadn't eaten at the hotel; seating is sparse and ultimately we end up back where we started at Hard Rock Cafe. At 21:00, Tez manages to secure a table. At this point I cba at all; the restaurant is noisy and packed, and I just nope out, preferring to go sit somewhere quieter. Sensory overload issues.
At 21:15 they announce the gate as 18 and show it as closing at 21:45. I nip for a piss then go let the others know. I sit down at 21:30 to the news that they're still waiting on food π₯΄ at this point my brain is in overdrive. I'm trying to keep calm but as times ticking by, I am becoming increasingly anxious about missing the plane. The food comes, and at 21:50 we're still sat in Hard Rock Cafe. Tez settles the bill and Stace boxes up her leftover sliders, then finally we're through Passport Control (despite Tez getting stopped because they can't find his entry stamp π₯΄) and we're at the gate. Naturally the plane has not even started boarding yet which makes me look like I'd been stressing over nothing π«‘ There is a group of annoying young lads in the terminal and I actively avoid them. We get onto the plane at 22:25 and one of the lads is sat on Moz's row π€£ then the pilot announces there is a 40-minute delay on our takeoff due to air traffic congestion... Awesome.
Moz can't get his belt on again and is losing his shit. Then Tez orders bottles of water and tries to pay with € coins; the air hostess says they don't accept cash payments, but Tez just opens the water and starts drinking it right in front of her π then she's asking if he has a card to pay on and he tells her no, she'll just have to take the cash, which she does stating she'll have to pay on her own card and pocket the cash! π me and Moz share headphones and listen to some classic nostalgia from our childhood for an hour or so, and then Moz whips out his Pokemon Cards to adhere to his new tradition π he's happy as punch when he packs a Yveltal Holo! I'm dozing off and on, feeling dead AF but unable to sleep. I'll never understand how people sleep on flights. We arrive back in Manchester Airport T3 at 02:05 and after grabbing luggage from baggage claim (on a conveyor that said it came from Palma), and Stace having a costume change, we head back to the car park on the shuttle bus. Tez disagrees with me about which bus stop we should be getting off at, and we subsequently drive past our stop and have to walk further back to the car which seemed quite a fitting end to the holiday π Tez drives us back home, getting me in at 03:25 and after sorting stuff out ahead of Lysh coming at 9am, I crawl into bed at 4am and I'm out like a light!
Final day began with a well earned hangover. Sitting on the balcony at 9am eating my breakfast when Tez pops out in his running gear asking if I fancy joining him on a 5.4km run to St Agatha Tower (Red Tower) and back. No. No I sure as fuck don't bro π and off he goes, the mad bastard! π€―π Half an hour later he's back dripping in sweat ππΌ fair fucking play! I am meanwhile crying into my coffee feeling like death π
Moz and Stace head up to the Sky Lounge Pool. Tez is still getting sorted after his run, and I'm packing up my stuff and making sure the apartment is clean and tidy so we don't incur any charges when we leave. The additional pastizzi's that Stace bought from Is-Serkin go into the bin and Moz has to put the cheese he bought into his suitcase for the next ~15hrs π€¦πΌ♂️ I leave Tez and head up to the pool at 10:20 for a soak, then we head back down to handle the check out at 10:50 to get it out the way. All our suitcases are deposited in the luggage room and we return to the rooftop bar to enjoy the last morning here with a coffee and a couple of warm cans of Cisk π
We grab a bus up to Debbie's CafΓ© at 1pm for some breakfast, this time Tez opts for M&M pancakes and Stace goes for Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon. I go for the full English that Tez had yesterday because it looked incredible. Moz orders some bizarre named food called Δ¦obΕΌ biΕΌ-Ε»ejt which looked rank π₯΄ after we've finished eating we head down to grab a few souvenirs from nearby shops since we'd neglected it all week and get back to the Sky Lounge Pool around 3pm. The rest of the afternoon is spent relaxing in the sun and the pool.
As 5pm nears, we make the call to eat some tea at the hotel to avoid the headache and overpriced options at the airport. Tez and Moz go for caesar salads, meanwhile I go with the pasta. Bafflingly my food comes first, and the others have to wait until almost 17:30 to be served π€― after eating and relaxing a little longer by the pool, we make the sensible call to head down to the luggage room and get changed out of our pool clothes into something more fitting for a flight. The transfer to the airport advises us to be ready at 18:30. At 18:40 Tez and Stace are still repacking their suitcase in reception because it's over the luggage allowance ππ I'm getting stressed so I go sit outside and get some fresh air. The transfer coach finally arrives at 7pm and we all get seated in separate seats since it's so big and empty. That doesn't stay the case for long, and at one point I'm convinced some rando is going to sit beside me, but thankfully that never transpires. A kid sits behind Stace however and keeps saying 'Kevin' π There is some young lad on the coach who repeatedly checks the stairwell for a toilet, despite already checking and not finding one. Makes me think of when you keep looking in the fridge π
We arrive at Malta International Airport just after 8pm to discover there's a 20-minute delay on our flight meaning it's now 22:35. Not ideal but also not the end of the world. We come through check-in and a young distraught kid is crying for her Mum the otherside of the glass partition. Not sure what was going on, but broke my fucking heart. We go through duty free and I buy some aftershave since I have € leftover that I had already earmarked to spend on this holiday. We do a lap of the airport trying to find somewhere for Stace to eat since she hadn't eaten at the hotel; seating is sparse and ultimately we end up back where we started at Hard Rock Cafe. At 21:00, Tez manages to secure a table. At this point I cba at all; the restaurant is noisy and packed, and I just nope out, preferring to go sit somewhere quieter. Sensory overload issues.
At 21:15 they announce the gate as 18 and show it as closing at 21:45. I nip for a piss then go let the others know. I sit down at 21:30 to the news that they're still waiting on food π₯΄ at this point my brain is in overdrive. I'm trying to keep calm but as times ticking by, I am becoming increasingly anxious about missing the plane. The food comes, and at 21:50 we're still sat in Hard Rock Cafe. Tez settles the bill and Stace boxes up her leftover sliders, then finally we're through Passport Control (despite Tez getting stopped because they can't find his entry stamp π₯΄) and we're at the gate. Naturally the plane has not even started boarding yet which makes me look like I'd been stressing over nothing π«‘ There is a group of annoying young lads in the terminal and I actively avoid them. We get onto the plane at 22:25 and one of the lads is sat on Moz's row π€£ then the pilot announces there is a 40-minute delay on our takeoff due to air traffic congestion... Awesome.
Moz can't get his belt on again and is losing his shit. Then Tez orders bottles of water and tries to pay with € coins; the air hostess says they don't accept cash payments, but Tez just opens the water and starts drinking it right in front of her π then she's asking if he has a card to pay on and he tells her no, she'll just have to take the cash, which she does stating she'll have to pay on her own card and pocket the cash! π me and Moz share headphones and listen to some classic nostalgia from our childhood for an hour or so, and then Moz whips out his Pokemon Cards to adhere to his new tradition π he's happy as punch when he packs a Yveltal Holo! I'm dozing off and on, feeling dead AF but unable to sleep. I'll never understand how people sleep on flights. We arrive back in Manchester Airport T3 at 02:05 and after grabbing luggage from baggage claim (on a conveyor that said it came from Palma), and Stace having a costume change, we head back to the car park on the shuttle bus. Tez disagrees with me about which bus stop we should be getting off at, and we subsequently drive past our stop and have to walk further back to the car which seemed quite a fitting end to the holiday π Tez drives us back home, getting me in at 03:25 and after sorting stuff out ahead of Lysh coming at 9am, I crawl into bed at 4am and I'm out like a light!
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