A Few Outings
I checked my trusty new map book yesterday before heading out. I discovered that the reason I got lost the other day, was because the street I was looking for was not labeled. So I took a good mental picture: at the roundabout, go up the street with the palm trees. (Roundabouts and palm trees seem to figure prominently when I need landmarks).
M has asked me to clarify that not *all* shops close in the afternoon, and he would like to point out that he went grocery shopping yesterday around 2pm. He is right, not all the shops close. The big supermarkets, for example, stay open all day. But many many shops do close, including all the neighbourhood shops nearby.
My quest to learn Maltese continues. I asked M to speak to me in Maltese last night, and this worked for a good hour. This was exactly what I needed. In any other country I would have gotten enough practice by now to be gaining confidence in the language, but as long as people continue to speak English to me… still, I will continue trying.
Last night we went for dinner in the city of Mdina. It is quite something at night. The city is surrounded by a big moat (meant to protect the city from attack in the olden days) and only a few streets are big enough for cars. So most of the city is pedestrian only, and at night that means very quiet and fairly dark. It is a peaceful setting like we no longer see in our modern streets today, and a throwback to another era. The pizza was tasty too.
And the other night we saw a film at the Saint James Cavalier Centre for Creativity (Ċentru San Ġakbu Għall-Kreatività). It is part of the fortifications around Valletta, the capital city, which is competely surrounded by a wall. This wall then drops to the sea on three sides, and down into a moat on the side that touches land. This Cavalier was a sort of watch tower built into the walls. Today it has been transformed into a cultural centre for films, theatre and exhibitions. It is a really neat juxtaposition of the old stone walls and the modern additions. Just going in is half the fun.
And in response to some questions in the comments, “happy new year” in Maltese is “is-sena t-tajba” (the “j” sounds like a “y”), which is very similar to the Hebrew “shana tova.”
