Malta, My Favourite Place On Earth. x

I went last year to my favourite place on Earth.

Malta.

I went for 10 glorious days. It was the holiday of a lifetime, all paid for by my fabulous daughter Meghan. It was all inclusive, a 5-star hotel. It was very hot, and I burnt as I didn’t use sun tan lotion until the last two days, but by then, it was too late! My skin suffered months later when I came back to England.

While we here there, we tried not to say those words, “It is too hot,” While family and friends got rain most days.

The buffet food was perfect. There was SO much choice, And the different restaurants in the hotel, was amazing. In the buffet, I chose not to try any food that was from Malta. I knew I would not like it. and I didn’t want to waste it.

The days out were brilliant.

Half the clothes that I bought, I didn’t wear, as the cotton or linen was too thick or heavy, lightweight was the order of the day.

At meal times, including breakfast, my favourite drink was on tap, orange tango! The only thing I missed, was Yorkshire tea!

Towards the last 3 days of the holiday of a lifetime, I was thinking what I wanted to bring back as a souvenir, it would be things that would remind me of this beautiful country. I wanted something that I could also, always proudly, advertise Malta.

I had bought a bit of pocket money with me, 80 euros and paid for one of our days out, and one of our meals out. Eighty euros didn’t go very far. On the penultimate day, we braved the heat and went to all the shops to find souvenirs, mainly for me. Meghan had said to me, “I will buy you one item.” She had told me the price she would pay. I had decided not to get a bag with the word Malta on, but to have a t-shirt. It was a big decision, as the right t-shirt was very important to me, it had to be the right size and the word, clear that there was no mistaking that the word was Malta! What a great word, Malta. After we had walked for a long time, eventually I chose the t-shirt. Meghan paid for it. I also love key-rings and with my own money, I saw two double sided key-rings and bought them to put on my leather handbags. I was very pleased with my purchases.

My perfect holiday was complete. On my return, the lady at the till at the bank said, when she saw my face and I showed her my legs said, “You need to buy aloe vera to put on your skin.” I was shocked at the state of my skin, how the sun, could cause SO much ‘damage’ in only 10 days. I thought I was above suntan lotion. My cousin whose Mum died, told me on our group chat, “I only have one picture of me and my Mum, make sure you make memories with Meghan, and have pictures of you and her.” I had put pictures of Meghan on our group chat, but not me as I am not photogenic at the best of times! My cousins had encouraged me to put a picture of us on together. I did, my daughter looked like a model, I just looked sunburnt. After many months my skin went back to normal. The aloe vera worked.

About 4 months after we came back from Malta, my brother Stephen went to Malta, and while he was there, I had a sudden brainwave. I said, to Stephen, “Please can you buy me a silver Maltase cross and I will give you the money back straight away.” I told him the amount I wanted to spend. He went into a shop and took pictures for me to choose which one I wanted. I chose one, I didn’t know the exact size of it, but I chose one for the price I wanted to pay. I told him, “I don’t want the chain just the cross.” After I had paid for it, I then worried if it were too small and wouldn’t be seen.

I needn’t have worried, it was the perfect size, about an inch square. I then went to a jeweller to buy a black thin leather string type necklace to hang my precious cross on. The shop was too expensive and they didn’t sell such things, then I went to the local new age type shop, there I bought the perfect item, exactly what I wanted, it was SO cheap, the thin leather necklace, that I bought two.

Then in the space of a month, recently two different people asked me, “Is that a nazi symbol?” I was horrified, and said, “No, it is the Maltese Cross,” And I showed them the image on my phone.

It got me thinking, IF I saw a white male, with a skin head, and tight jeans on, where the bottom of the jeans were not that long, and wearing a green bomber jacket, and Dr Martens, wearing it, I would think the same thing too!

Each morning, I have put my Maltese Cross on with pride, to show it off, especially when I am wearing black, as it really stands out against the silver. IF it was any other necklace, other than a cross, I would not wear it again. It hasn’t deterred me; I will still wear it with pride.

After the war, on the 15th April, 1942, the whole of Malta, was awarded the George Cross, for bravery.

I Love Malta, and always will. x