España aquí vengo

As I have a couple of weeks without visitors I have decided to spread my wings a little further and do some travelling.... off to Spain tomorrow in a completely disorganised spontaneous kerfuffle.... sometimes that's the best way but it's not really like me not to have planned the nth degree!

Actually I think the rest will do me good.... I am in recovery from 5 nights on the trot in Paceville and am feeling more than a little worse for wear!!! I have 12 days in Spain to see some sights and keep off the vodka redbull trays!!

On my return I have 7 weeks of non stop visitors..... summer has most certainly arrived!

Hasta luego peeps x

Mdina

My first real venture in to central Malta and the more I see of the island the more I like it. Along the way I spotted lots of places I want to visit, but first, here goes another potted history session, thanks to my trusted guidebook of course.... but Tony Robinson beware, Time Team's people are liaising with my people as we speak... this time next year I may well be top celebrity historian and miwionaire.

Mdina (literally meaning "walled city") was named by the Arabs who occupied the city from 870 to 1090. It has been the home of Malta's most noble families, but now known as the "silent city" as just 400 residents remain. Not very silent when saturated with tourists in the summer I shouldn't think.

The main gate.

St Paul's Cathedral, behind which is the Nunnery of St Benedict, a medieval hospital for women, today housing about twenty nuns. They are never allowed to leave, even after death they are buried in the vaults. I inquired about joining but apparently my halo isn't shiny enough.

The best preserved early 16th century aristocratic place, Palazzo Falzon. Now a museum.

This 17th century house had its 15 seconds of fame in 1798 when the French commander was thrown off its balcony, sparking the beginning of the uprising of the French occupation. Something to do with a tapestry.... glad he didn't die in vain over something futile.

Rabat

Rabat, meaning "the suburbs", once the same town as Mdina until the Arabs dug a ditch to separate the two. Bigger, busier, more commercialised, and a bit of a poor relation by comparison to Mdina, but well worth a wander and literally on Mdina's doorstep.





































St Paul's church


















Think I took a wrong turn somewhere ....

Rabat is most famous for its catacombs, underground burial chambers. The Jewish and early Christians did not believe in cremation but the shortage of topsoil in Malta (still a problem apparently!) meant they build underground graveyard tunnels, 1 square mile of which has so far been found under the streets of Rabat! Open to visitors, but somehow I didn't fancy it!!

Malta's surrounding countryside

Unwanted lodger

I had a rude awakening yesterday......there are way too many cockroaches in Malta for my liking!! I spent a lot of time here last summer and didn't see one but apparently I was lucky and last night I had my first unwelcome visitor. Just about to go to bed when the little critter made himself known, urgh they are disgusting!! After much pathetic girlie screaming and half a can of insect killer, we decided we couldn't sleep under the same roof as him so we went out to get pissed and leave him to end his revolting little life!! This was at about 1 in the morning, I was trying to be sensible and have a night in, but he left me with little choice.... yeah, lamest excuse ever but it was pretty entertaining and I am quietly confident that his head is worse than mine this morning!

What do I now know about cockroaches...
In my googling frenzy "how to kill a cockroach from a distance", I discovered some disturbing facts, which aided the decision to go out and leave him to his dirty little ways....

Supposedly a nuclear blast would not kill them (but I can confirm that half a can of Pif Paf does!)

They can live a week without a head.

The females can reproduce without a male and when you kill them they can rapidly multiply.

They are among the biggest contributors to global warming as they fart every 15 mins!

All in all, they are disgusting and horrid little critters and I shall not be living in harmony with them. Off to buy more Pif Paf.....!!

Broken legs

This little fella came in on my first day. A woman brought him in saying she "found him", but chances are he's her dog and she didn't want the vet bill. His front legs were broken and he was crying and going crazy, he went straight to the vet and this week he was back in the home looking much better. He's a lovely friendly little dog. Still crying all the time but only for cuddles!

Victoriosa

Taking its name "the victorious" from the Great Seige of 1565; it was here that the Knights of St John made their final stand against the Turks. Before then it was known as Birgu (many towns and streets have two names out here - sat navs have no chance!). Despite its historical appeal, it is very quiet and mostly residential. I thought it was a really lovely little "city".
My first Dogs Trust campaign brought me here, chosen because its actually a deprived area; the yachts clearly don't belong to the locals then!

Top girlie weekend

Lynn, Nat and Steph came over for the weekend.... way too much alcohol and sleep deprivation but well worth it.... awesome few days!

Very sad to say goobye to my lovely friends and strange to be left behind but not too long until I see them again. Back to the beach to console myself