Life lately: a birthday, bookstagram and a hike

February 2020 has officially been declared the driest one on record even though, traditionally, it is considered to be the wettest month of the year. Which means that I was looking out of the bedroom window every morning in the vain hope that the sky would be full of big fat black clouds so that I could wear my winter jackets. But it never happened. So they have been idly hanging in my closet all winter and I am already counting down the days to December. I'm just joking. I'm trying to learn to live in the moment and be thankful for each new day.

So let's take a look at some things I've been doing during February.

2020 reading challenge and #bookstagram
My 2020 reading challenge is coming along nicely. In February I finished two thick books: The Strawberry Thief by Joanne Harris and All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. They are very different books and both excellent in their own way. I continued to struggle with Tess but I refuse to give up and I hope that I will finish it before March is over.

It has also been interesting to form part of the #bookstagram community on Instagram. I enjoy participating in the various book challenges from time to time and I didn't realise that photographing piles of books could become a minor  obsession. Following fellow bibliophiles on Instagram is also a great way for me to learn about books that I might like to read in the future. Which means that adding books to my Goodreads 'Want to Read' tab is becoming an almost daily occurrence.

14th birthday

My son celebrated his 14th February last month, during his mid-yearly exams. He wasn't very happy about that because we couldn't do much on the actual day itself (especially since he had two major exams the next day) but I cooked his favourite meal, herbed salmon en croute, and baked a triple chocolate cake - both of which sound really fancy but are actually really easy to make.

Once his exams were over we went out for a celebratory family dinner at Wood and Coal. We've been to this restaurant several times and have never been disappointed. Their grill section is excellent. I opted for a Pizza ai Funghi (with 4 different types of mushrooms) this time and it was good, if a little bland - which could be due to all the mushrooms.

Hike to Ta' Lippija tower

Once exams were over we made the most of a very mild and beautiful sunny day to hike to Ta' Lippija tower. We had already hiked to his tower a couple of years ago and I had written about it here. The Ta' Lippija tower is one of series of coastal fortifications built by various Grand Masters to ensure that Malta was well protected from attacks and invasions from the sea. A total of 19 towers (and a number of small forts) are strategically located along the coastline of Malta, with each tower being visible to the next one so that, in case hostile ships were spotted, the alarm could be raised and passed along in a matter of minutes. 

I find these towers and the rest of Malta's very extensive network of coastal fortifications fascinating. But what I find even more interesting is the thought of the men that were posted in them in what, in the past, were very isolated spots, with just the sea, the garigue and miles of unspoilt farmland for company. It must have been pure bliss and sometimes I think that there's a story about one of these towers brewing inside me. I just need to give life to it.

 

Movies I've enjoyed

In this house it's become a family tradition to watch a movie on Saturday evenings while eating a pizza made by my husband. Some movies we've seen recently that I've enjoyed and am happy to recommend are:

JoJo Rabbit - at first I wasn't sure how to react to this movie about a boy whose imaginary friend is Hitler. But I ended up really enjoying it as it has quite an endearing story.

The Great War - during the last days of WW1 a group of American soldiers is sent in search of a lost platoon. Although not all of them come out unscathed, the ones that do learn that courage has nothing to do with the colour of one's skin.

Love Actually - I wanted to watch this again because I had forgotten what it was about and I really can't resist a movie when Hugh Grant was in his heyday.

Midway - my two guys wanted to watch this and I was a bit grumpy about it at first. because I wasn't really in the mood to watch another war movie.  But I eventually got into the story about the US's revenge on the Japanese for Pearl Harbor. Naturally, like all war movies, it has its sad moments.

67 Kapitali

On the last Saturday in February my husband and I had to run some quick errands in Valletta and I gave my phone a bit of a work-out with my constant photo snapping. But we also got to traipse around some eclectic shops, had a chat with a rather eccentric Australian shop owner and discovered a tiny but excellently stocked old-fashioned store selling herbs and spices by the gram. I got a great discount on a hat (the internet tells me it's called a Gatsby) from Accessorize and bought some make-up from the Body Shop since they were having a buy-3-pay-for-2 special.

For lunch we wanted something quick but tasty so we headed to 67 Kapitali for a sandwich and a beer. This artisan cafe' has a vast selection of craft beer and local beer on tap and the staff will make sure to help you find a beer to your taste. I will try to do a separate write-up about 67 Kapitali soon.

We ended our visit to Valletta with dessert from Sunday in Scotland. I am at a loss for words to describe their desserts. I had the chocolate tart (that looked more like a huge truffle than a conventional tart) and the taste was subtle at first but then there was an explosion of dark chocolate and chocolate mousse in my mouth and, at the very centre, a hint of saltiness from a thin layer of salted caramel. What can I say except that I was in chocoholics heaven? It was expensive but worth it for the occasional indulgence.

Coronovirus hysteria

Up till the end of February no cases of Covid-19 were reported in Malta but, as I write this, the amount of infected people has risen to 5 in just 3 days. Although Italy is in total lock-down, only people that have travelled to areas of high contamination are being asked to self-quarantine over here. Meanwhile life goes on and  we are trying to lead the lives we normally do, but the hysteria that is manifesting itself on social media (most notably Facebook) beggars belief. To keep my sanity intact I am trying to stay off of Facebook because many comments are insensitive and disgusting, and the amount of conspiracy theories and  misinformation being circulated by self-appointed experts is an excellent example of the dangers of the internet that go beyond the predators and perverts that we are all constantly warned about. Educating the masses about the correct dissemination of data should become a mandatory part of every school's curriculum to avoid the hysteria that is gripping the masses. I hope and pray that this infection will be contained as quickly as possible.

And that about sums up my February. March will bring new growth in our little garden and the promise of flowers. I can't wait.