Author: manuscrypts

  • Malta: Comino, Gozo & some fireworks!

    Continued from Part 1, 2

    The islands off the main island, that was our plan on the fourth day. While we were in the planning stage, we had considered taking the ferry from the northern tip  of the island – Cirkewwa, but then we decided to be a little lazy, and arranged a tour with Hornblower Cruises for Comino Blue Lagoon and Gozo.

    We were picked up on time from the hotel on time and dropped somewhere near the Bugibba area where the boat was docked. The trip began at 10.30 and as we progressed, we realised that leaving ourselves uncovered from knee-down wasn’t a great idea. Thankfully, from the infinite innards of her handbag, D pulled out a shawl and the journey became much more pleasant!

    The boat hugged the coast at the start, passing St. Pauls Islands and the statue of St. Pauls, and then briefly halting at the Ahrax Caves. The shades of water were simply amazing.

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  • Malta: Valletta & the 3 cities

    Continued from Part 1

    Capital city was the agenda for the day! Since we had tried the bus route to Valletta the previous day, we decided to take the ferry. The Sliema ferry was a 10 minute walk away, and in 15 minutes we were on the Valletta side. A 15 minute walk along lovely cobblestone streets got us to the day’s first agenda – the St.John’s Co-Cathedral. A short queue and 10 euros (each) later, we were inside. A while later, when we passed the cathedral again, we realised we had gotten lucky with the queue, it was really long and extended way down the street. An early start, therefore, is a good idea. 

    The cathedral interior is the most magnificent I have seen. Excellent baroque style, and we wondered how they had managed to paint the ceiling in such detail. The audio guide ensures you are able to get the details quite easily.

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  • Malta: Fort Manoel, Marsaxlokk, St.Julian’s

    We have to thank Game of Thrones for this, otherwise it’d have been Portugal. Pretty much all of Season 1 of GoT was shot in Malta, and once you visit the place, it is easy to see it as a natural choice. In addition to the forts, the limestone used in most construction gives a very medieval feel to the place. We reached there after a double hop – Istanbul being one of them. It was a year after we visited Turkey that the bombing happened. The new airport is quite amazing, and we had decided to have a cup of Turkish tea for old times’ sake.

    Having left Bangalore at around 4.30, we finally touched down in Malta a little after 6.30. The airport offers free wifi and bottled water while you wait for the process. The official told us that there were many people from Kerala in Malta. Gotta wonder if the ‘Mal’ in Malta came from Malayali. We had a tiny scare around the airline misplacing a bag, but that was thankfully soon resolved.

    The first task was to buy the Tallinja Explore card for 7 days from the departure lounge since we were planning to use the bus network extensively. We then took a cab to our hotel 115 The strand Hotel and Suites in Gzira, a 20 minutes ride. We had chosen this area since we wanted a good view and be reasonably near Valletta. The view was quite fantastic and the hues at different times of the day were impressive. 

    Dinner was a 5 minute walk away at The Brew. On hindsight, I wonder how we managed to get a table on a Saturday night. From the microbrewery, we had a Valletta, an Equinox APA, and a wheat. Liked the first the most. Beef liver and Octopus in garlic completed an excellent meal. 

    The hotel has an 8th floor with a fantastic view, and that’s usually where breakfast is served. But we had read that it was under maintenance, so the restaurant on the ground floor was to be our regular venue every morning. The spread was just about ok, and barely changed while we were there.

    After breakfast, we set off for Fort Manoel, a 15 min walk away. This is one of the GoT locations – Great Sept of Baelor, and also where Ned Stark is executed. It isn’t open all the time, and D did some smart research to figure out the one day in April that it would be open to the public! The place seemed to be a favourite for dog owners, there were a bunch of them around.

    It also offers an excellent view of Valletta.

    Our “home” bus stop was Ponsonby, and from there we took a bus to Valletta bus station. A good time to point out this website that is of immense help in planning your bus journeys. Despite the internet scaring us, the traffic wasn’t really bad and buses were mostly on time. On Sundays, there is a special bus (TD10) that goes to Marsaxlokk, a pretty fishing village in the south eastern part of the island. It’s a journey of a little more than half an hour. A few minutes of walk takes you to the promenade. We roamed around a bit and caught glimpses of the open market. A good time to also point out that public toilets are reasonably common, though their quality varies. Marsaxlokk was extremely crowded, and this was actually shoulder season. It would be crazy during peak season, and I wouldn’t recommend a trip! 

    We had several places researched for lunch, but thanks to demand-supply at work, most places were packed, and predictably rude. We finally lunched at Harbour Lights – mussels washed down with the local cider brand (Woodpecker) and a strange but very popular drink called Kinnie, which leaves a bitter aftertaste and takes some getting used to! We missed the lampuki fish preparation as this wasn’t the season.

    After lunch, we went back to the hotel via Valletta. A nap later, we made our way to the St.Julian’s area. There are long stretches of promenade, with benches where you can sit and watch the sea and the sky. Sigh. 

    The places to see are the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (St. Julian’s Parish Church), Lapsi Church, and the Spinola Palace. The walk towards Lapsi Church was an absolute serene one – cobblestone streets with hardly a soul. Tip: zoom Google Maps to find walking paths, you can save a lot of time. 

    Take some time to walk along the promenade to the Love monument. The sculpture is topsy turvy so that its reflection in the water shows the word right. We managed to catch a procession on its way to the Spinola palace. This seemed to be part of a local event, which also featured quite a few food stalls, and later, a live gig. This would lead to a small adventure later! Meanwhile, we couldn’t resist buying chocolate!

    D had promised a sunset, but the direction was off! After some debate, we agreed on Gululu for dinner, since they served Maltese cuisine. We waited a bit to get the table we wanted, and then had excellent Zeppi – fig and Bajtra (prickly pear) liquers, Zalzett ta’ Malta Mixwi (grilled pork and coriander seed sausage) and a Ftira tal-Majjal. The Ftira is a Maltese style pizza, and is a bit of a Polo – has a hole in the middle. This one had a heavy mix of toppings – pulled pork, caramelized onions, sheep’s cheeselet, roast potatoes, parsley and mozzarella! Highly recommended for food, ambiance, and view. 

    During dinner, I noticed that there was no bus traffic along the route we were supposed to take back to the hotel. The Gululu staff helped us with directions to an alternate bus stop. We had to walk around a bit to find the place, picking up some other tourists as well during our search! Thankfully, we managed to get to the right bus stop, and found a bus that dropped us off at Ponsonby, ending an eventful first day in Malta.

  • One for the Road

    We’re now in the midst of the not-so-gradual transformation of Seegehalli. After such hits as Aroi and Red Rhino, we were pretty excited when we heard that One for the Road had opened in the neighbourhood. On a Saturday evening, we decided to give it a try.

    The place is reasonably large, and we took a small tour before we decided on a table. The first floor only had a small section open since there was a private party.

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    But the ground floor gave us a lot to choose from. There are closed and alfresco sections, with some enclosed spots, and a choice of seating as well – lounge, high stools and bar.

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    Early January provides a little chill in the air during late evenings – perfect for a Cream of Chicken soup. Creamy and quite delicious, it was a good start to proceedings. Chill or no chill, cocktails had to be consumed. There was only one rum based cocktail and it did sound funny – What the Fag It is Fig. Fig and dark rum sounded like a good combination on paper, but ended up rather insipid. D tried another signature drink – The Tangerino, vodka based, but that was a disappointment too – the orange flavour was overwhelming.

    The silver lining was that they managed to deliver the Malabar Beef Fry intact. For mains, we tried the Bacon wrapped stuffed chicken with pepper diane. The dish wasn’t bad in terms of flavours, but the chicken was a bit undercooked.

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    We’d have liked some dessert, but most items on the menu weren’t available. The bill came to a little over Rs.2000. The service was decent, the ambiance was not bad either, but the food was a mixed bag. Not really a place we’d repeat.

    One for the Road, 87/2A, 35, Seegehalli, Whitefield Ph: 49652780 (map)

  • Tales From Firozsha Baag

    Rohinton Mistry

    A literally crappy beginning does make you wonder how this book is going to play out, but in a few pages, you understand this was only literally. However, what it also points out is the author’s ability to make the mundane very interesting. Eleven intertwined stories that create a vivid world whose unique characters the reader is able to identify and relate to, though they might be far different from the self or those around.

    A theme that I felt was running strong through all the stories was one of identity – at both collective and individual levels. There is obviously the Parsi way of life, and their interactions with the world at large. Without really resorting to stereotypes or tropes, the author is able to bring out the way of life and the struggle between its past and future through various characters, and their relationships and interactions. At an individual level, for example, Jaakaylee who was Jacqueline identifies herself as the former after 49 years of working among Parsis who called her that. Many stories bring out the tussle between generations as children grow up and understand the need for changes in their way of thinking and living if they are to survive in the world, even as parents cling on to traditions and cannot understand the need for change. The author uses Kersi’s character at both the personal and collective levels to show how life shifts with time.

    Two of my favourite stories are “Of white hairs and cricket” and “Lend me your light”. Both star Kersi and are points in his life that make him realise how the world he inhabits is constantly shifting, and he cannot always hold on to the things he thought were eternal. The last paragraph in the first story is something I could wholly relate to – when one feels precious things slipping through fingers and is powerless to stop it. I think anyone who has had to leave a place they considered home will be able to relate to the second story – the array of mixed feelings when one has to leave, when one has to visit even for a short time, and the idea of being a stranger in one’s own home.

    There is an excellent skill of observation that has been put to good use in all the stories, and a remarkable sensitivity that is evident in the writing. The writing technique somehow feels rich even when writing about the ordinary days of a life, and somehow, despite that, or maybe because of it, one feels that these are people one might actually know already.