We had a lazy morning enjoying a rainy sky that turned into the most beautiful rainbow. I have never seen the rainbow extend down into the water before.
Ron had told us about a grocery store where he and his family shop. It is within our shopping walking distance so we had a look this morning. It is the Maltese equivalent of Super Store or Costco. You can buy everything including liquor. No back packs allowed as we were told by the store marshal. They have lockers where you put your bags while you shop. We didn't get a cart cos we were just looking for today. It is hard not to go crazy with all the different enticing foods but we know we can't accumulate much and then be packing it along with our bags down to Marsascala at the end of January. It's a very deceiving looking place. It's much bigger than first seen from outside. It was crazy busy with everyone doing their Christmas grocery shop....buggies overflowing.
We then took a bus to the town Millieha perched up high above Millieha Bay, the only area where we have seen a real sandy beach. The sky was dark and threatening as we got off the bus to look at the beach. We watched one older man, the only person on the whole beach, head into the water. The it started to rain. We crossed the highway and waited under a shelter for the next bus going back up the hill into town.
We spent a half hour hiding from a downpour in a tiny little tourist office. There wasn't anyone else around so we had the tourist agent 'Karen' all to ourselves. And she was a very good source of local information. A transplanted Brit married to a Maltese for 15 years. She has a 12 year old son who is a local baseball star with a goal to playing professional ball for the Toronto BlueJays. We have to watch out for a Jamie Vella on second base maybe in 6/7 years. Who knows:)
In a break in the rain we went to explore one of the largest of over forty WW11 underground air raid shelters in this tiny area of Millieha. This shelter is one of the largest, was dug entirely by hand and is over 500 metres. The complex includes lengthy corridors with anti blast chambers, a maternity section and private rooms that families had to apply for then dig out themselves. These shelters served as protection for both the local population and bombed out refugees from all over the island.
King George VI of England awarded the country of Malta and its citizens with the George Cross for heroism and devotion during the two and a half years of bombings. Malta is the only country to have been awarded this pestigious medal.
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Lol...Yes a 10minute phone card for us is just a teaser!! ;)
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