Here are a few impressions (um… quite a few LOL!) of how the week ended. Home at 2 am on Saturday morning. And yes, that is late if you’re my age! Keith and Julian from Noise Studios moved their “Noise@…” events from Connection to Brookies, also in Victoria, three weeks ago. The setting is great (think typical converted Gozitan farmhouse, with a few modern touches thrown in), and thus offered some nice atmospheric fodder for my lens. Before moving upstairs for the music, we ate at the restaurant downstairs (which Brookies is mainly known for), and the food was great too!
Because the workshop that I mentioned in my previous post took place over two days, I had the pleasure of sampling one of the finest rooms at The Palace, venue of the seminar. (Thank you to Kempinski for the voucher, and to Mario for the allocating the lovely room!) I literally had Sliema at my feet and the only sad thing about it all was that I didn’t really have much time that I could spend up there.
Woke up to the kind of grey, wet and cold Sunday morning that justifies a lengthy lie-in. I hoped to even sleep much longer as the second half of this week sported a serious lack of that. But Simba has made it a morning habit of lying right across my feet, presumably to annoy the hell out of me so I’ll wake up: his weight of nearly 10kg are no joke!
Wednesday I got up at 5 in the morning to go to Malta, where I attended a 2-days’ workshop about social media marketing. It was pretty intensive, and an eye-opener too: thinking I knew it all (well, almost, anyways), Twitter and its ramifications really brought me down to my knees… I had signed up a couple of years ago (I think) but only out of my usual curiosity. I quickly discarded it again because I found it plain boring (and I really didn’t need another social platform to spread out on!). Well, now I’m forced to be back in the twitter fold, if only to learn everything I can about it, so if you like, you can follow me here. I’d be really happy because out of the four followers I have at this moment, one is my dear friend Kathy, while the others are spammers, which I’ll eliminate before YOU even get to see them. So back to one follower…
Of course you could also follow the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz… after all, our hotel is the reason why I’m doing this in the first place, so might as well try and get a little fan-base going there!
And while you’re at it, check out Sockington the cat! A million and a half followers can’t go wrong, can they?? But seriously, Sockington’s tweets are a hoot! Please do forgive me the pun…
Disclaimer: I absolutely refuse to assume responsibility should you find yourself lost in the vast twitter world!
Out in the garden the first fresias made their appearance this week; a couple days more and there will be a riot of colours. And now even the sun came out to play… Spring’s on the way! I’m only telling you this because I’m so happy I actually noticed…
PS A post with pictures will follow soon, stay posted!
When life’s quirks puzzle me, I often venture into the garden – at least on a sunny day like today, to shake off silly thoughts from my head. We had a pretty strong storm last night, so I was taken aback by the incredible blue of the sky when I looked up towards our roof (where the planter in above pic is located)! The wind has almost died down, but it still is a bit chilly, so after a few minutes of gawking at the first signs of spring (I’ll spare you – I already posted so many similar photos over the four years of my blog’s existence!), I quickly returned to my sofa and the relative cosiness the heater affords us.
When I woke up this morning, I found myself in one of those pensive moods that come to me from time to time. I wanted to blog about it, but I still had the unfinished task of this week’s post for the Kempinski’s Discover Gozo blog, and after that I normally don’t feel like writing anything else… and to be honest I still don’t. It always boils down to the same subject anyway. Becoming suddenly aware of time’s passing, of being focussed on nothing but work, of side-lining life itself – and consequently being sidelined by it, too.
In fifty years you get to know yourself pretty well, though it’s a process stretching over a long time and involving a lot of hindsight. And so I am just now coming to terms with the discovery that when I find myself craving for gadgets (Apple’s iPad springs readily to mind) and/or other material stuff (such as new lenses for my camera), then more often than not it is because I feel such things would return some meaning to the life I’m leading… no matter how transient that “meaning” would be. That is the thought I woke up with today and that kept spinning in my head thereafter. I went as far as imagining a huge garage sale, including the cars, and followed by selling the house itself. And then what…? Living the rest of my life on a little island, far away from anything. Wait a moment… I’m doing that already!
Will someone please show me the way beyond square one?!
Forgive me for the vulgarity, but it just tickled me… I’m stone-cold sober when I shouldn’t be, while I’m in urgent need to vent my anger – which need probably wouldn’t have arisen, had I managed to drown it!
The motivation to blog today came straight from the hand of some pencil-pusher inside the Inland Revenue Department, asking me to pay 233 EUR tax due for 2008. That includes 11 EUR late payment fee and interest… WTF? In 2008 I ended up with two FS3’s because I’d quit one job and started another – albeit with the same employer. The IRD took into account my earnings from the second FS3 – but conveniently overlooked the tax that was deducted. Is the country in such dire straits that they need to resort to robbing us “little ones” of a few euro, in order to boost the economy? I have no doubt that there could be people who would pay up out of ignorance.
But the real reason why this makes me so mad is that of course it’s me who’s forced to waste my time and energy to prove my case. And believe me, I don’t have time to waste. Nor energy, coming to think of it.
Then there’s the little matter of our washing machine that conked out a few days before our holiday. It still was in not too intensive care by the time we returned, and was finally delivered back to us yesterday – only to break down once more during the first of 6 wash-loads that have been gracing our bedroom floor for the past week!
Now it seems to be fixed… and we’re drowning in washed clothes that can’t be hung outside because of constant rain. (Yes, rain!) Let me rephrase that: washed clothes that shouldn’t have been hung outside. Because that’s what hubby did when he thought it had rained enough for the day. Then he scurried off to Malta for a dinner with friends, while I arrived from work in a particularly mesmerizing downpour – mesmerizing because I was sort of willing it to not be true, which seemed to cause it only to pour harder. I think I actually had my mouth open in wonder, while sitting in the car in our drive way…
I’ve been back to work for just one week, and it feels a little as though I’ve never been away. Now I’m sitting here, trying to make metaphorical lemonade – and I can almost – almost! - laugh at the lemons life is throwing me. The last one (well, hopefully!) for today: I chucked a glass of mulled wine into the microwave and obviously pressed the ‘hot drink’ button three times instead of twice. Judging by the lack of fog around my head, that not only left a dire mess in the oven but effectively destroyed the alcohol content. So I’m even too stupid to get plastered on a Friday night. If that isn’t depressing, what is?!
Oh well. If you’re still with me, I’m honestly impressed. Oh yes, I know what a yawner of a post this is. But I do already feel slightly better for it. So bite me, as my dear friend Kathy would say. Speaking of Kathy… the garden gate gang is going to meet for the Tollwood Summer Festival in Munich on July 21st – and yes, I already booked my leave – and my flight! I have a feeling that knowing that will be going a looong way to keep me sane in the coming months…
And now, folks, I’m going to attempt another boost of my blood booze level. Watch this space…
It came… and went, in a hurry! Our long awaited holiday in Ireland, is what I’m talking about. Thanks to a very kindhearted and generous person, who arranged for our hotel accommodation in four different places, we finally got to see the country I’ve been very keen on visiting for a very long time. Added to that our equally kindhearted friend Mick and his girlfriend Sharon made us feel at home by sharing their home with us.
I had meant to write a little bit each day of our holiday, but that just didn’t work out. Instead, I posted photos on facebook on a regular basis, and if you wish you can see them here. Alternatively, you might enjoy the video I’ve put together, which is at the end of this post. By the way, Ryanair is by no means the worst to travel with. Having had the worst expectations – because of rumours and the harsh tone on their website – I was pleasantly surprised. In particular, it’s quite relaxing to be able to sleep without having to worry about missing the food delivery LOL! The only snag is that 15kg luggage limitation – and the awkwardly small size for cabin luggage (which is smaller than the IATA recommendations). Especially when packing for the return journey – who goes on holiday without a decent shopping spree?? – you’ll find yourself in panic mode…
We set off on 28th December and spent the first four days in Dublin, where we stayed at the Mount Herbert Hotel, a charming hotel on the outskirts (Dublin 4) but only three train stations from the city centre.
The amount of rain that came down on us in Dublin was phenomenal. For two full days it actually never stopped! We tried our best to ignore it, though, and even went on a bus tour (you know those double-deckers with open top?). It’s quite a good system; you hop on and off wherever takes your fancy. In theory, that is. Our first stop was the Guinness Storehouse (naturally) and by the time we came out, the weather had whipped itself into a frenzy. We were extremely grateful to finally board a bus (albeit without a seat for most of the journey!) that had leakages all over the place… we didn’t even dream of stopping anywhere else after that!
Eventually the rain stopped and was replaced by freezing temperatures. New Year’s Day was a bright and crisp (read: bone-chilling!) day – probably just perfect for the traditional New Year’s Day swim in Skerries… Are these people crazy??
New Year's Day in Skerries - air temperature ca. 1°C, water 3 or 4°C!!
Ardgillan Castle
On the same day we received our hire car and, with some trepidation, set off on our way up north – which really was a piece of cake, compared to what was lying in wait for our return journey! Our first stop was the Europa Hotel in Belfast. What a beautiful place! Although each of the four hotels we stayed in was beautiful in its own right, the Europa was top-notch, and our room was fabulous, overlooking the city of Belfast. Although it’s “only” a four-star property, it was no different from the best Kempinskis in this world…
Only very little rain came down on Belfast during our stay, a vast improvement over previous days! There’s one huge problem in this city, though: parking. I think we spent at least a quarter of a petrol tank cruising around in search for that elusive little space.
Belfast City Hall
From Belfast, our way took us further north, to Antrim Coast, where the lovely, quaint “Antrim Suite” at Ballygally Castle was our home for one night. The room was surrounded by windows on three sides, all of which had seaviews – I wished we could have stayed there longer!
Sheep on Antrim coast
Our final station was Londonderry – or rather Derry, as the Irish prefer to call it. The Everglades Hotel, where we stayed, is just under 2 km from the walled city centre. And when we woke up to snowy scenery we decided to walk, rather than drive. However, in Ireland there seems to be no law (as in Germany, for example) that owners have to keep sidewalks in front of their property ice-free. At times I was clinging to walls and railings for dear life…
Bridge leading into Derry
And then the drive back to Dublin… oh man! As it turned out, we’d chosen the worst winter in 30 years for our Ireland visit. That figures, doesn’t it?? I’m not sure I’d have gone for the hire car option had I known what was coming. Setting off from Derry in bright sunshine, the GPS insisted on leading us through all sorts of minor roads, and when we finally reached the M1 to Dublin, both hubby and I breathed a huge sigh of relief – only to be surprised by a tremendous flurry of snow just a few kilometres later.
Winter wonder land
Snowy nightmare on the M1 to Dublin (still frame of video)
But all’s well that ends well: we needed four hours to cover 200 km but arrived safe & sound in Dublin, handed back the car punctually without a scratch, and were greeted by dear Mick, who put us up at his house for the last night. By that time Dublin Airport was closed due to the “Big Freeze”, leaving us to wonder we’d make it home the next day! But instead of getting sick with worry, we headed for a last walk with Mick and his adorable dog Kola, bringing our holiday to a close.
Last evening beach walk in Rush
Again, luck was on our side… our flight at 6.25 am left on time – though unbelievably later that day, that airport was closed again!) A very enjoyable 20°C welcomed us in Malta. By now, it’s considerably colder though. I’m trying not to care LOL!
…and what have I done? It’s tough to swallow that it’s come and gone already! Work didn’t leave me with much energy in the run-up to Christmas, to decorate our home, get presents, or to organize a get-together with the whole family. I don’t know how we managed to put up the tree last Sunday! But we did, and sitting by the lights of the tree and numerous candles, things did seem to take on calmer, brighter hues… that, and probably the fact that my vacation leave finally started last Wednesday!
Our Christmas tree, finally in place!
So many weeks, months – the whole bloody year! – passed by so quickly, it’s frightening. It’s been a very intense year, with so much going on that at times I’m wondering whether it really all happened in one year! Probably it would have been more appropriate to title this post “So this was 2009…” Continue Reading…
Posted on December 26, 2009 - 7:13 pm. Add a comment
As a starter, here is the weather forecast for Christmas week. While a lot of Europe is covered in snow, it seems our little island is farther away than ever from getting getting a glimpse of the fluffy white stuff. How often have I told you that I miss it terribly?!
A bit of dreadful weather like we enjoyed last Sunday (boy, it was coooold!!) was just perfect to enjoy a cosy afternoon with noise@connection. Again. Our Sunday outing to the Duke has become a regular fixture on our weekend calendar!
noise@connection is a live music event – entrance is free of charge – taking place weekly at the Connection Bistro & Wine Bar in the winter season. Connection is tucked away inside a shopping mall in Victoria, called The Duke. Starting at around 4 pm, local musicians set the appropriate atmosphere for an enjoyable afternoon out with friends, but there’s more. Tapas are served for free throughout, and they are just begging to be washed down with Philip’s locally produced wine, and prices are very reasonable. (Although other Maltese and foreign wines are available, I strongly recommend to go for his Philip’s!)
The crowd is a mixed one, from the very young to the, um… a little more mature (no prizes for guessing which crowd I’m part of!).
The music is varied, too; covers of Eagles, Cold Play, Leonard Cohen, Plain White Tees or even Pink Floyd (just a very few mentioned off the top of my head) are performed, going hand in hand with the various artists’ own songs. On alternating Sundays, local and foreign DJ’s lend yet another musical angle to the eclectic melange that is noise@connection.
Yesterday’s weather was bad enough to deserve to be called gruelling. I didn’t mind too much, as I was confined to the great indoors of the hotel anyway. If anything, the cold was serving as a base on which Christmas spirit could grow.
Today it’s a completely different story, though. It’s an extremely bright, sunny day with a sky so blue it hurts the eye. I’m sitting in one of our battered garden chairs and while I’m still trying to reconcile our sprouting and blossoming plum tree with neighbour’s large flowering poinsettia bush, I discover that one of our orange trees is carrying large fruit – but fresh blossoms, too! And I swear I’m not making this up, as strange as it may sound: there’s a brass band marching outside our front door (yes, it definitely is a curse, living so close to a main village square!), playing the march that belongs to the feast of St Elizabetta. Which is supposedly taking place in July… Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the “fireworks” that was let off a while ago.
All the while George has some soft tunes from some satellite channel playing, not very successful in covering up the noises of that brass band – and rather badly matched, too. On top of all this, I just witnessed for the first time how our “soft-spoken” Griza attacked the usually more ferocious Felix with such malice, it was startling. Frightening, even.
Am I dreaming or something??
Oranges are in season...
...their blossoms are not!!
Neither are plum blossoms!
The only sight that makes sense today
PS I didn’t have the presence of mind to take a photo of the racing ball of wool that ensued upon Griza’s surprise attack!
Twitter and its ramifications really brought me down to my knees… I had signed up a couple of years ago (I think) but only out of my usual curiosity. I quickly discarded it again because I found it plain boring (and I really didn’t need another social platform to spread out on!). Well, now I’m forced to be back in the twitter fold, if only to learn everything I can about it, so if you like, you can 
