(originally posted on Facebook, 19th April 2023)
In the meantime we tried to get ourselves accustomed to living in Tal-Furi in particular and to Malta in general. Whenever there was time for a drive we would explore another part of the island. The children loved it when we would eat out. Especially The Wimpy (Valletta, Gzira or Sliema) was a favourite. I remember the strawberry milkshakes and the Knickerbocker Glory. We would like to shop in Sliema and even saw a Disney movie at the cinema there.
In restaurants we noticed that most people were very tolerant towards children, much more than we were used to. Almost everywhere there was a high chair available when we needed it. The atmosphere was relaxed and we felt most welcome. Soon we would add Kinnie to the drinks we liked.
We loved to go to the nearby Golden Bay Hotel where the pool and restaurant were open to non-residents.
In those days the British past was still very much present in eating and drinking habits. You could get a good cup of tea (with a lot of milk) almost everywhere, wile it was difficult to get a decent cup of coffee, with the exception of the Caffe Cordina in Valletta. On the menus you would often find curry and rice, often alongside with pasta dishes. In those days we were not too enthusiastic about the Maltese wines. They improved a lot, however, over the years.
One of the Maltese niceties was the local bread when it was fresh. I still like to eat it. It took a while before we got accustomed to the taste of gbnijiet, but now we love them. Maltese capers and olives (especially stuffed with anchovy) were also delicacies we started to appreciate. And we loved the small square pizza’s.
I still go for hobz biz-zejt and a small pizza as soon as I’ve arrived in Malta.
