LEAVING ON A JET-PLANE MONDAY OCT 2

ON OCTOBER 2 2017 A GROUP OF INTREPID HIKERS JOINED MEREL & RUTGER ELINKSCHUURMAN FOR THEIR GUIDED TRIP TO MALTA & GOZO. THE GROUP OF 15 CONSISTED OF

JOHN ALDRIDGE

BILL ATKINS

BARRY HENDERSON

GERMAINE KOVARY

SUSAN LEONARD

HILKKA LUUS

MARY MOORE

TONIE NORMAN

SUSAN PENNER

CINDY RANIERI

LILIANE SPECTOR

EVELYN TASKER

PAULA VANHALA

HELEN WHITEMAN

ROGER WHITEMAN

THE GROUP CONVERGED ON MALTA FROM DIFFERENT POINTS. OUR PARTICULAR GROUP FLEW VIA PARIS

WE ARE SEEN HERE, ALL SMILES AT TERMINAL 3 READY TO BOARD OUR AIR FRANCE FLIGHT TO WHAT WE KNOW NOW AS THE AIRPORT TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS

PARIS - MALTA TUESDAY OCT 3

WE LANDED AT CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT. IT WAS NECESSARY TO CHANGE TERMINALS FOR OUR FLIGHT TO MALTA. THIS ENTAILED GOING THROUGH SECURITY TWICE, A 30 MIN SCENIC TOUR OF THE AIRPORT BY BUS AND VISIT TO PASSPORT CONTROL. BARRY DESCRIBED THE AIRPORT AS "FORM OVER FUNCTION". I WON'T PRINT MY DESCRIPTION

ON THE 150 MIN FLIGHT TO MALTA WE WERE SERVED A BOTTLE OF WATER AND A WIERD TUNA SANDWICH. 

OUR FIRST VIEW OF THE ISLAND

WHEN WE LANDED WE WERE SURPRISED THAT IT WAS RAINING

COLLECTING OUR BAGS

MEREL & RUTGER MET US AT THE AIRPORT FOR OUR RIDE TO ST.JULIAN AND THE DEAN HAMLET HOTEL

AFTER SETTLING IN TO OUR ROOMS WE MET MEREL IN THE LOBBY FOR AN ORIENTATION WALK AROUND THE TOWN

CAPERS GROW ALL OVER THE ISLAND INCLUDING IN THE TOWNS

LOOKING TOWARDS THE CASINO WITH THE CLOUDS ROLLING IN

YOU FIRST NOTICE HOW ROCKY THE ISLAND IS

PAUSING FOR OUR SECOND OF MANY GROUP PHOTOS

WALKING DOWN TO SPINOLA BAY

LOOKING ACROSS THE BAY TO BALLUTA CHURCH

NO SWIMMING TODAY

MEREL LEADS ON

TRYING TO KEEP OUR FEET DRY

VIEWS OF THE HARBOUR

ORIGINALLY ST. JULIAN'S WAS A FISHING VILLAGE, NOW A TOURIST TOWN

TRADITIONAL MALTESE BOATS KNOWN AS LUZZU'S

IN THE EVENING WE HAD A GROUP WELCOME DINNER HOSTED BY OUR GLORIOUS LEADER AT THE RAFFAEL RESTAURANT

AFTER AN ENJOYABLE MEAL IT WAS TIME TO "HIT THE HAY"

VALLETTA WEDNESDAY OCT 4

WE MET AT THE HSBC BANK AT 8:30 AM. OR MOST OF US DID! IT WAS ALREADY RAINING AND VERY BLUSTERY. WE ALL MANAGED TO CLAMBER ON TO THE ALREADY CROWDED BUS TO VALLETTA. WE WERE TREATED TO TTC TYPE DRIVING, BRAKING HARD AND ACCELERATING JERKILY. SO MUCH SO STANDING PASSENGERS WERE BEING BUFFETED AROUND AND AT LEAST ONE WAS BOWLED OVER.

WE LEFT THE CENTRAL BUS STATION WALKING INTO THE CENTRE IN A TORRENTIAL RAIN STORM

TAKING SHELTER AT THE PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

TRADITIONAL MALTESE BALCONIES CAN BE SEEN PAINTED GREEN

WE CONTINUED DOWN REPUBLIC STREET TO VIEW "THE MALTA EXPERIENCE", A VISUAL ACCOUNT OF MALTA'S HISTORY. ON THE WAY I TOOK A TUMBLE AN INJURED MY KNEE! THE STORM INTENSIFIED AND THE ROADS WERE AWASH. WE MADE IT TO THE PRESENTATION LOOKING LIKE "DROWNED RATS"

AN IRISH COLLEEN AND A SCOTTISH LASSIE POSING

WE ENTERED THE THEATRE VIA AN UNDERGROUND TUNNEL

AFTER THE PRESENTATION WE TOOK A GUIDED  TOUR OF THE HOSPITAL THAT THE KNIGHTS HOSPITALLERS FOUNDED IN THE 1500'S. OUR GUIDE WAS EXCELLENT.  HER DELIVERY WAS INFORMATIVE, CLEAR AND CONCISE WITH A SENSE OF HUMOUR. SHE REMINDED ME A LOT OF MEREL....

ORIGINALLY THIS WAS A WARD FOR MEN ONLY!

A KNIGHT'S COAT OF ARMS

AFTERWARDS EVERYONE RUSHED TO GET THEIR FREE BAR OF CHOCOLATE INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF THE TOUR

TRUDGING THROUGH THE RAIN AGAIN WE ARRIVE AT EDDIE'S CAFE FOR SOME SHELTER AND A BITE TO EAT. I NEEDED A BEER TO SOOTHE MY ACHING KNEE

LUNCH OVER THE GROUP VISITED THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ARCHEOLOGY

I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN VIEWING RELICS SO I WANDERED AROUND TAKING PHOTOS OF VARIOUS BUILDINGS ETC. BY NOW THE RAIN HAD STOPPED

AUBERGE DE CASTILLE

PAUL BOFFA PRIME MINISTER OF MALTA 

I REJOINED THE GROUP IN THE LOBBY OF THE MUSUEM FEELING LIKE A RELIC MYSELF

WE HEADED BACK TOWARDS THE BUS STATION WITH VIEWS OF THE PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

ALL SMILES NOW THAT THE RAIN HAD STOPPED

LOOKING FOR SYMPATHY AND NOT GETTING ANY FROM "MY TROUBLE & STRIFE"

MAP ONLY SHOWS ONE WAY

BACK AT THE HOTEL WE CONGREGATED IN THE LOBBY CONSUMING COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL. MY WIFE DID A NICE JOB OF CLEANING AND DRESSING MY WOUNDED KNEE

THERE THEY ARE AGAIN, POSING, TRUST ME IT WON'T BE THE LAST!