Feb 2013

This month my Blog is not about France, much.
I do have to add a small complaint, The bakery truck that has stopped in front of our house for all the years we have lived here, has stopped! ZUT! It was so easy to get fresh bread daily just a few steps from the front door. Oh well, we will survive, I am sure of it!

ISLAND OF MALTA  122 square miles...

Maltese boat-  called a Luzza. Look carefully at the eye in the
yellow at the front of the boat.

What to do in the middle of a very cold and wet winter. Go somewhere warm.

Keith went out and booked a trip to Malta for a week. Went through an agent so hotel and plane were all arranged and prepaid.
And then just before we leave, we both get the flu. After discussion and the problems of trying to cancel, we decided to go ahead with the trip, sun had to be better than the cold damp weather here.
Our plane left late afternoon from Orly airport in Paris. It is only about 2 1/2 hour flight, but we did not get into Malta until 10:30, then by pre-arranged transport were taken to out hotel at the north end of Malta.
The island of Malta is only 122 square miles, so not very big (Long Island is about 1,400 sq miles). The ride, winding through all  the villages, took a while and it was 11:30 when we arrived at the hotel. Also since it was dark, we had no idea of the counntryside. We stayed in the village of Mellieħa.  If you do not know anything about Malta, it had been occupied by the British for many years, and everyone there speaks english as a second language. Tourism is their trade.
The actual history of Malta is very very old. First known people to inhabit the island arrived about 5,000 BC, and stone temples were built around the islands 3500-3000 BC, 1,000 years before the pyramids of Egypt.

Although not in great shape health wise we did our best to see some of the important sites. The local bus runs to most of the villages on the island, you just have to have a good map and willingness to try to figure it all out. Very cheap method of transport. Yes a car would have been a whole lot easier, but as the english had occupied Malta for many years, they drive on the other side of the road, or in the middle or whatever! So neither of us wanted to try driving. Roads are not in the best of condition either ( I thought some fillings would be loosened by the rattle of the bus )! Our bus was crowded at times, standing room only, and yet this is not high season. I can not imagine what one does in high season! But it worked for us while we were there.

So on with the trip. We bought tickets to the Hypoggeum in January, only way to get in because only  10 visitors an hour are allowed. This is an underground site, from around 2500 BC. Original purpose not known, but in the end it may have served as a burial site (it is estimated that there were 7000 skeletons in the necropolis).  No photos are allowed, for the protection of the site.  So glad we had tickets. Very interesting. A small statue of a reclining woman was found on the site. It is only about 6 inches in length. .

A few blocks away is one of the temple sites, Tarxien Temple. Again, the age of the structure, 3000 BC. The roofs of the temples are thought to have been stone, none exist now. This "little" lady is at the Tarxien site. There are other examples of the ample ladies at the museum in Valetta. There is no information or explanations, all is speculation.

We visted a couple of other temple sites, one on the island of Gozo. It is thought that the huge stones were quaried and then rolled into place on stones that had been rounded, like ball bearings. However they did it, it is utterly amazing. Then around 2500BC, this population disappears totally and the islands are not inhabited.






So on to other sites around Malta.  We took a harbor tour on Wed, probably the coldest day we had. It was a bit chilly!!

St Julian...harbor tour. The number of large yachts tucked into the
harbors is unreal.  Lots of money sitting there!

How the villages rise up from the coast...lots of stairs!

The cat...Notice the dormers/balcony on the houses.

The photo  was taken on Friday on the way to Gozo. Gozo is a small island just north of the main island. Again the attractions are old temples and some churches, beaches and other sites. We had a gorgeous day, and used the Hop On Hop Off bus system. We did not get to see everything, but had a good day.

Not the best photo, a little hazy too, but look at the color of the
Mediterranean...beautiful blue

Ulysses et Calypso..standing at the cave site where
Calypso held Ulysses captive. That is what they claim.
 Again look at the color of the sea!

As you can see, we had some wonderful sunny weather. It was so good to be warm and bask in the sun.

Photo  from Mdina walls at the countryside

Again just a photo of the countryside...stark! But always the sea :)

I took 399 photos. Do not want to boar you too much, so I will quit the travel log here.Just a few last photos of Mellieħa.
here

The church at Mellieħa

View from the plaza of Mellieħa

Last evening looking up at Mellieħa from the beach

Our plane from Malta was to land at 6:30pm at Orly airport. Then luggage and transport into Paris, not sure how the connections would all work. So Sunday night we stayed over in Paris. I had booked a hotel not far from the Gare Lyon. We had a nice dinner at the restaurant (Keith was into oysters) and we knew we were back in France. And the wine was so good too. It was a nice evening in spite of the snow and cold.

What is happening here? Not a lot right now. We are in our winter pattern, Keith to Bligny on Saturdays and I have french class, pottery and photo club.

Have to make one comment here, since the horse meat scandal has appeared all over the news, I was shopping yesterday at the store for dinner. In the frozen food section was a note that some food could contain horse meat, but it is not harmful to your health. By choice, I do not choose to eat horse meat, but it does seem to be a huge waste to throw all the food out! Let people make the choice? That is just my take on it.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

A very easy apéritif

INGREDIENTS

1 endive

Bleu cheese

honey 

walnuts chopped ( or pecans)

PREPARATION

1. Carefully pull the leaves off the endive and set aside
2. Crumble the bleu cheese
3. Add honey and nuts to your taste (not too much-careful
4. Place a spoon full on each endive leaf and "artfully" arrange on a platter

REALLY REALLY EASY