2026 POSTCARD FROM MALTA, Wednesday 22 April –Wednesday 6 May

2026 POSTCARD FROM MALTA Wednesday 22 April – Wednesday 6 May I left home at the rather early hour of 7.30am and in spite of busy roads – thanks to the tube strike – got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Checked in for my KM Malta flight very easily and sat in their lounge for an hour or so before being picked up Travel Assist for my flight to Valetta. Had a good flight and interesting company next to me, and we even arrived early but that was the good part. Hotel car met me, and the Club Manager escorted me to the Club Lounge on arrival, but once in the room, it was very disappointing. Not much to recommend the room I was in! A few drinks courtesy of the management, but that was about all. Not much space for anything, and difficult to sort all the adaptors/plug connections etc. Not sure I understand why I can’t use the pool on the roof. It seems you have to swim with the world and its wife in the big pool or pay E60 a day to use the pool on the roof. Incredible! Day one was very cloudy and chilly so spent the day in my room sorting a few things and doing some tapestry and enjoyed some drinks and nibbles in the Club lounge in the evening. Days 2-9 were thankfully sunny so spent my days by the pool but did not go in as the water is freezing. Did not appreciate the ghastly ‘pool’ music blasting out all day. Day 10 was particularly bad by the pool – full of people, ghastly music, kids [and parents] sit next to me and nick my brolly, so I retired to my room. Around one-ish I went downstairs to take a wander around the Al Fresco Gardens at ground level below my room and enjoyed an Aperol spritz at the garden-bar there. And did the same on the last day but one. If I didn’t go to the Club Lounge in the evening I went to their restaurant ‘Water Biscuit’ which had some good choices. The only other restaurants were at their ‘beach’ and I didn’t feel like walking there, let alone walking back on my own after dinner, and knowing me I will trip on the pavement! The worst of the Water Biscuit was that there were far too many small kids having dinner there – a bit of a nightmare! Spent the last few days lying in the sunshine by day and I had dinner with two old De La Rue friends on one evening. It was a big sadness that there was not a pool to swim in. AMB 07/05/26