Voldemort revisited

Lest you should think that life is entirely a bed of roses I must shatter that illusion with today's post,
Today we walked the local environs, or as much as we were permitted,

Looking directly ahead from our balcony there is sea, as far as the eye can see. Right up to the horizon, in fact. Usually there are boats, today an 86,300 ton LPG carrier from Hammerfest and a 66,000 ton container ship from China whilst I was watching although I will not dwell on them as I believe there was the delicate scent of sarcasm in a message from one of my wife's friends regarding her sharing my interest in boats a couple of days ago. As if I would inflict my interest in boats and harbours on anyone, let alone my nearest and dearest unless she was as interested as me. Isn't she? Have I missed something here?

Anyway, our balcony and the walk. Ahead lies sea and ships. To the right there are monotonous tower blocks like ours and three tower cranes. To the left there are fifteen tower cranes, tower blocks vying to outdo each other, a "Cavalier "Art" Hotel", a Hilton and a tower. A most hideous tower. Hideous in that it is so out of kilter with it's environment, where everything is a rich, warm limestone of  creamy hues, even the sheet steel cladding of the "Dolce Vita" is painted a creamy limestone hue but this tower is a dirty sort of French blue with terracotta vertices. As the sun catches it I'm reminded of round wire nails being hammered into the ground.

This tower can be seen from everywhere we have been on the island and we have been to lots of places. I guess that it's existence and permission to be built lies in the hugely beneficial goodness that each of its floors bring to mankind.

We decided to wander that way as we have looked at it for nigh on a fortnight now. At the front door cross the road and go left. The wander to Balluta bay is pleasant enough, thence on to Spinola bay, hardly an energetic tramp but far more interesting. I could explain about the boats and a conversation I had with a man about them which was exceedingly fascinating but I won't lest I give further ammunition to her whatsapp friend.

Along the seafront. almost at sea level is a delight. Fortunately, there are many seats one of which was occupied whilst I was engaged in conversation with a local boat owner and once past them a sea side path which passes in front of a row of old houses with an old boat or two parked outside, which I won't dwell on and a house with three balconies over which  the most intense bougainvillea cascades. Then the path turns right along the water's edge but here you cannot go as there's a wall of concrete laid across it right form the "Art" hotel to the water's edge. You could get round it but you'd need to be more athletic than I.

Around the front of the hotel and access to the water's edge path is gained by a dozen steps. Again, athleticism is required as a padlocked gate allows looking but no access.  Retrace your steps round"The Cat Hotel" (I jest not .... I couldn't look let alone take a photo that would do it justice) and you arrive at a sign telling you that this gate is open from 0800-2000. There's another sign informing you that this is Portomso Marina.

Through the arch in which the tower is perfectly framed and down three flight of concrete stairs  brings you to the most soulless, plastic flower adorned excuse for a marina that I've ever wandered through. A "Sunseeker-Malta" sign is about the only sign of life and even that seems comatose. Pristine boats, all 40 - 60 feet with flags from everywhere, notably Russia, with names like "Cash" moored next to "Prosperity" are so tightly fendered together that I could detect no movement whatsoever.

Once through the concrete canyon there is an open area leading to the north pier. Now if there's a quay it has to be gone down. Right down. Which is just as well as all other exits are gated, locked and I suspect armed. So down the end I go, round the  back and along the sea wall on the seaward side at the end of which there's the path again. Hooray, the one that began way back at bougainvillea cottage. Once on the path it goes nowhere. They've got a swing shovel and removed about a distance of about 50metres and filled the gap with jagged boulders. You can't get round it because there's a load of chain link fencing to stop you.

Once back in the concrete canyon we find a lift by the Sunseeker shop to avoid the steps, Once up we carry on to the next bit of sea side. Here there's the other end of the path but it just meets the road we're on. Staying on it we enter St.George's Bay. This I have been looking forward to for ages. Google Malta web cams and Skyline cameras have view of this beach in which it looks very pretty.

Reality bites. The sand isn't sand and it bites, too. It's Jordanian gravel. Evil on the feet to 'meor bred beach people. They dump a coaster load here every year. I'll say no more as that's about boats. It's hideous. Utterly awful, everything I dislike. And standing on the beach looking landward are twelve of the tower cranes we can see from our balcony. At the southern end of the beach the shadow of an ever rising block already encroaches over at least a tenth of the gravel and it's nowhere near the height of the tower cranes working round it.

Gravel beach ever higher rise and the beach kiosk is called "Pearly Bay"

A hasty retreat to Balluta bay was undertaken at a pace. A sunny seat and refreshment was gratefully taken with a feeling of relief.

As for the beneficient hideous tower, we went in. It's a casino and it has an observation deck with fabulous views, or so the lady at the desk said. We could go up but only after 10 at night and it would cost us the entry fee for the nightclub that occupies it. Worse, the blue and terracotta? Plasticised cladding. Not for the benefit of the mass of humanity, then, but for a small wealthy set and a group of local politicians, no doubt better off now than they once were. Possibly.

So there, not much about boats which should make one of my wife's friends smugly satisfied and the forecast for Saturday and Sunday is heavy rain and low teens. Tomorrow to make the most of and then hatches and battens. That's not a nautical reference, either!