I Like This Island - In The Sun - Again...
Once again I am sitting in the warmth of the evening setting sun... The light is rich and golden on sandy Bronze buildings and prickly pear are abundant...
We arrived in Malta at 10am, another new time, another new land... The journey a whirlwind of early getting up and early breakfasting at Gatwick amidst happy holiday makers...
It struck me that we are often with people heading off for a break, to somewhere lovely, to live a different life for a short time - and we are with them...
We sit with them on the planes and boats, and then sometimes meet them in bars but this is our lifestyle, so as well as a drink by our side, we also have our computers...
We were driven swiftly across the island of Malta and arrived at the ferry port just as a boat was leaving...
This meant we had half an hour of 'ferry port time' until the next one, to sit and be and drink some water.
On the boat to Gozo a lady came and sat opposite us; 'to find some shade out of the sun'... She commented that our ruck sacks are the same model as her daughter who travelled for 22 months in Australia...
Since her daughter has been back she has been thinking of ways to create her life in Oz and our new friend said that she is encouraging her wholeheartedly as she sees it is a better life for her...
We told her of our lifestyle and she shared with us that all their children are grown up, so she and her husband are selling up and buying a long boat and going to live on the canal...
She told us that they are leaving boxes of their possessions, with their children, 'it's our turn now' she laughed....
And then we stepped off the boat onto Gozo, the island Anadi spent his childhood summers... His grandparents lived on Gozo for ten years and so idyllic summers were spent here; in the sea, clambering over rocks, and even catching an octopus!
We were met by Tony; Anadi and he last met 34 years ago when Anadi was fifteen years old...
We piled our rucksacks onto his truck, he drove us up the hill, opened the door for our apartment and left us to it...
We were in our new home....
We set off for an explore... We didn't feel much like running, so we walked and talked and the roads were quiet and open...
I like this island - in the sun again...
From the boat we had spotted the Grand hotel, with pillars and a terrace, it looked a place to sit and be...
We walked and walked and couldn't find it anywhere...
We turned back and wandered down a side road, spotting a van with the Grand written in the side we knew we were near... Down some steps and past the side entrance, a bit further and we were in the front of the cool welcoming terrace...
Across the road we saw a spot we had reached on our wanderings, where we had stood and looked along the coast scanning for the hotel that was directly behind us!
I believe there may be a message in that tale!
Something like.. 'What you are looking for might be right behind you'!
Or 'turn around and you might see what you are looking for is right there...
