A Quartet of Civilised Travel

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It's the first day of our holiday, but most of it is actually being spent at home as the flight was not until 4.35 in the afternoon. At least that means that we're not dragging ourselves out of bed at the crack of dawn for a mad dash to the airport with the prospect of rush hour on the M25. We could have a leisurely morning packing (we're very last minute with our packing to put it mildly) and then leave plenty of time to drive to Gatwick without worrying about the inevitable jams.

We had booked the valet parking, as it was only marginally more expensive than the long-stay and meant that there was no need to hunt for spaces in a mammoth mass of cars and then wait to catch a bus to the terminal (and hope that we're able to find the car again when we get back).

It was actually a trio of civilised ways to start our holiday, as we had booked into one of the lounges, which was also only marginally more expensive than getting something to eat and drink from a restaurant. We were, therefore, able to chill-out with some drinks and something to eat in a peaceful setting away from all the crowds. The opulence had obviously gone to my head as, after a couple of beers, I felt some strange impulse to have a gin and tonic (or two). At least, by flying in the afternoon I felt that it was appropriate for me to enjoy some alcohol, although airports are the only place that it is socially acceptable to drink alcohol at any time of day.

We found some seats in the lounge with an excellent view of the end of the runway, so we could spend the time watching the planes queuing to take off, alternating with the planes coming in to land. One Ryanair plane came in, parked up and moments later was taxiing back out to take off again and I'm sure it skipped the queue of other waiting planes as it went. They're certainly not messing about with their turn-arounds.

I did venture back out to the shops for a quick look round. The shops were certainly very impressive, on two levels and resembling a shopping centre, and it's the only airport I've seen that has a Lego shop.

The trio was actually a quartet. Although they weren't business class or anything like that, we had exit seats on the plane, so there was a bit more leg room. The aircrew kept checking with us to make sure that we had familiarised ourselves with the instructions for how to open the door in an emergency and whether we could handle that level of responsibility. I nodded, but I was hoping I don’t go to pieces if there is any kind of crisis.

It was late in the evening and dark when we arrived in Malta. Southern Europe is going through something of a heatwave at the moment and that was apparent as soon as we stepped off the plane. The wave of heat and humidity hit us head on. If this is what it's like at night, we're not looking forward to what it will be like in the day.

It to a while to work out how to get a taxi. You actually need to go to a taxi office in the terminal and pay a fixed rate for the taxi depending on where you want to go. That is so much better than spending the journey watching that meter relentlessly clocking away the euros.

Malta is not far from Italy and there is obviously a very strong Italian influence on the driving (see Lemons, Mutant Lemons, Lemon Merchandise and, in a Moment of Madness, a Lemon Drink). Overtaking, undertaking and swerving round corners on two wheels. It only took a few minutes to reach our hotel. There's also a British influence here as they drive on the left-hand side of the road. That and the British style plug sockets, the definite dominance of the English Language and even the odd red phone-box, something tells me that Malta has featured in our imperialist past. With the possible exception of the currency, it's very much like Gibraltar (see More British Than Britain).

We managed to embarrass ourselves slightly in the hotel. Our room was on the sixth floor so we got in the lift and prodded at the number six button wondering why the lift was refusing to move. As a consequence of the hotel being on the side of the cliffs, the reception is actually on the sixth floor. How were we to know? I'm sure the people at reception don't mention it so they can get a bit of entertainment out of it!

We decided that we would brave the heat and go for a short walk to stretch our legs and get a feel for what Valletta is like. Our hotel is actually just to the south of Valletta in Floriana so, after passing by a very lively food festival along the path towards Valletta and all around the Triton Fountain, we entered Valletta through the gap between the imposing city walls. We then walked down the main street for a little way, before turning around and heading back to the hotel.

It wasn't long before we were hot and soaked in sweat, and that was just after a short walk at night. We're dreading to think what it will be like in the sun tomorrow.

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Photos

Hotel Sixth Floor
So much grander than our normal hotels (and also the ground floor!)

Airport Lounge
Enjoying a gin and tonic whilst the planes take-off and land.

Lego Shop
Unusual to see one of these in an airport.

Airport Taxis
So much easier than the meters.

Welcome Cocktail
A non-alcoholic drink to welcome us to the hotel.

Food Festival
Looks like something from my nightmares to be honest.