Your last chance, Manoel

Directly opposite us lies Manoel Island named after Manoel Fort. All in all quite distinctive and hard to miss. A few years ago it was sold to a developer who has singularly failed to develop it. What they did do was to deny access to it. This annoyed the locals who have campaigned to have it reopened to walkers. In this they have partly succeeded. It is now open from 0800-2000 Saturday and Sunday.

Surplus cannon lying at the tip of Manoel Island

So today we took ourselves for a wander around it and most excellent it is, too. Most of it is in a state of disrepair and fences abound but you can get to the edges in most places which is just as well.

Today was the hottest so far by far. As we came back over the causeway we had to stop at the first refreshment dispensary and I'm glad we did. We declined the offer of Maltese stew but settled for two glasses of whatever was coldest. It was still hotter than a hot summer's day at home so we were forced to pause for more refreshment between the first stop and the flat. This time we partook of a sandwich in an Italian bar which was superb. Italian is good.

The water was clear, the views superb and it wasn't exactly teeming with folks. There was a solitary sunbathing Italian who asked me to take a photo of her. This I did regardless of the effort. I still can't get the hang of taking a photo, or in this case half a dozen with a little tablet. She professed satisfaction so I had the luxury of knowing that I'd done a good job well.

Up at the fort gates a couple of Brits loudly talked historic rubbish and even though I was tempted to explain that it was built by a French knight it was only of use in repelling Napoleon in 1798 which it singularly failed to do. In WW2 it was a submarine base, albeit with no cover for submarines and a  place to store fuel and ammunition near enough to Valletta to be useful but far enough away to have been considered dispensable. It's history is well worth a Google.

Marsaxmett harbour entrance from as far down Manoel Island as you can go

Manoel Fort and Italian sunbather

Steps. Nice ones

The gate to emptiness

Different aspect

A small portion but overall a very pungent smell. Not good.

The causeway joining Manoel Island to civilisation is not a thing of beauty nor is the road itself a place to loiter. On the left as you go on to the island there is the most bizarre bird sanctuary I've ever seen and one of the most unpleasantly odorous. I could ruin your day with photos of old boats, sheds, all manner of constructions wholly given over to homes for retired ducks, chickens, pigeons and whatever else happens to stay there. It is a pretty awful place.

Looking for bubbles ..... I saw them first!

Opposite the duck's home is the road to the marina where some very expensive boats are moored. Amevi, registered in Bikini owned by one Lakshmi Mittal makes interesting Googling. Whilst we were loitering they were pressurising one of her cooling systems with compressed air whilst a diver was looking for bubbles. She's a bit big and shiny with colour coded crew and the fanciest as well as the largest embroidered fender socks I've ever seen. 150,000,000 if you're interested but she's currently not for sale or charter.

What a great day but sadly unless tomorrow is as hot or we go away again we'll not enjoy this sort of weather in the UK for a long time, probably for ever! Almost 30°C by mid afternoon and far too hot even for a sojourn on the balcony. 

A bit noisy on the balcony as well because the Ferraris, a Merc SLR, various very sweet sounding Porsches and not a few boys with exhausts are out and about making music. Sadly the Hardleys are out too but they are just making a din.

I shall so miss this.