Ho ho ho...



The Grand Harbour from the walls of Fort St Elmo, marina in the background



Malta was a welcome (albeit temporary) respite from the impending winter. There have been a few chillier days but when the sun came out the shirts could still come off and the odd swim could still be indulged in.

Trying to keep the guitar lessons going



We got into a rhythm of life in the marina, reading in the mornings, occasionally some schoolwork, but we had a few days where the lure of the sedentary below decks life was enough to keep us in all day, reading, surfing the internet, ordering pizza from the adjacent restaurants and watching movies. Shaking it up we could jump in the car, do the xmas shopping, take in an English movie or (sensation) go out to eat Indian. Definitely low key stuff and ultimately a bit underwhelming.



Christmas decorations on board



Christmas day saw us at an English speaking mass in this most catholic of countries. However, Finbar turning to mouth the words to “Jesus was way cool” impacted on the gravitas of the critical part of the ceremony somewhat.

Walking around the cliffs near St Paul's Island

Other activities included tennis at the sports club, the odd session at the boxing gym, and using the hardstand at the head of the marina for family soccer and tip footy games, all beneath the imposing historic walls of Fort St Angelo where the Turks were bloodily repulsed 450 years ago. All good but seemingly not quite enough to halt the slow but inexorable waistline creep: pizza and vino are winning that particular battle.

In denial - differing views for approriate apparel on the winter solstice.



Schoolwork at anchor

Amongst it all we had a couple of more nights on the anchor in Blue Lagoon and Mista Bay, nice reminders that we do in fact live on a boat. Some sunny moments, but summer it is no longer.

The last two days have been a frenzy of packing up our gear, packing up the boat, cleaning it and getting it ready for sale + photography while we head to mainland Europe. We needed the shake up and we needed a task so it was all good. In typical form we finished this in a rush, working right up to (and indeed beyond) the second we had to jump in the car and head for the airport.



Christmas day hats



The reality check is now complete: those clothes which seemed to be too hot lugging the bags around Malta airport are proving completely inadequate in chilly 2 degree Milano. Unlike our last regrettable visit here we are located in a pretty part of town, not far from the centre andnext to a canal, something of a culinary centre where every shopfront is a restaurant, pizzeria or trattoria. Accordingly, we are looking forward to re-acquainting ourselves with Italian cooking, which has generally been unsurpassed on our trip. Yet more losses upcoming in the battle of the bulge.

We have arrived on the day of the festival of the witch, just in time for the post Christmas sales to begin tomorrow: apparently the sales here in the fashion capital of the world make the Harrods equivalent look positively tame and Cathe isn’t sure whether to be scared or excited.

As well as looking for the ever elusive perfect winter coat for Cathe, we will be heading to the Decathalon (think Ikea store but for sports gear) for discount ski gear to take to Saas Fee in Switzerland where we shall be heading to by train on Sunday.



Ciao Ciao