Gobble Up Turkey

Thursday 15th September 2026

Cliffs of Ta Chenc

Still a bit sore after the other days tumble and it was a fitful sleep. Breakfast was abuzz with guests, mainly German divers and Poms readying themselves for a day next to the pool getting red.

Get a sense that Malta has taken over the mantle from Spain and Portugal for older UK residents to buy a summer house or simply holiday here.

Started the walk right outside the front door of the hotel,sidestepping a black cat ( or was that a missed kicked) before heading up amongst the residential area behind the hotel with its local football club already doing a roaring trade providing coffee to the throng of ‘thinkers and problem solvers’ sitting out front.

Jane got pushed to the back of the line when she wanted to buy provisions- coffee for the men is  much more important.

Up past the local school where the friendly local policeman was acting as the lollipop man. Streets were full of tradesmen renovating older buildings or building new unit blocks. It’s easy to understand why Malta’s richest man is in construction. There are more cranes here than Dubai.

The poor old limestone miners must be worried as a lot of buildings are now being built using besser brick.

Had a look at the only Gothic church in town before s couple of photo snaps with the generational statue. It even had a kid on a mobile.

We were constantly being buzzed by vans full of divers heading down to one of the many dive sites along the cliffs edge. The one we would soon reach after an ankle twisting downhill walk was an old shipwreck only 30 metres down. Elsewhere there are apparently lots of caves to explore.

Reached the beach and looked back up to the Chambray Fort which held pride of place, but has the moniker of one of the least attacked in Gozo over history.

Comino island and the Malta mainland were clear looking back.

The divers were hitting the water as we had a chat to kids back home before heading off along cliff tops and amongst the innumerable bird roosts where watchers and shooters of the migratory birds have their fun.

It was a pretty rough and rocky path sometimes only just metres from a high dive you would not likely survive. The path then meandered its way around through pastures where a fair bit of cropping was taking place and then up to lookout tower.

The limestone cliffs were amazing, many pockmarked with caves and slides. As we walked along so close to the edge the thought of what would happen if the cliff side path collapsed, wandered across the mind.

Came upon our first opportunity for a swim, so the notes said, unfortunately it didn’t talk about the death defying steep steps down. It was a genuinely scary descent to a tiny beach, albeit with lifeguards, where nobody was swimming . Perhaps it was the fact that getting into cossies would have meant a fair bit of baring the skin.

Walked out just as steeply to do a couple of circuitous trips around headland before coming to the most prominent of the cliffs. Small boats were taking sightseers for a different view of things and above us flashed a squadron of Italian Air Force jets- one in particular doing some impressive moves.

From atop the ridge we could see a number of barns with solar power on roofs, presumed it was some of the livestock we could smell, but never see- just like trees and birds.

Some concrete road walking on steep paths has us in another town dominated by more new housing- not sure where they will get the population from. Interestingly houses have a name rather than street number out front.

One more run along the ridge and we worked our way downhill into the end of the walk in a town which encircled a beautiful bay where we enjoyed some lunch and a couple of celebratory beers.

Found the bus for a short transfer back to Victoria  and a crowded ride back to our accommodation.

Rested up after deciding to do a boat cruise tomorrow rather than the proposed town walk.

Enjoyed an aperitif on wharf side bar before a fabulous Italian meal. Interestingly when we went to pay the guys internet crashed and we had no cash. Owner’s response was ‘come back tomorrow or you can go down to the terminal and get cash.’

Such honesty deserved a reciprocal response so it was off to the ATM and a cash payment on the way home.

Trip to hotel was interrupted by an accident which create mayhem, especially for those trying to teach the ferry. We watched the mayhem continue from our balcony before boys in blue sorted it out.

Wednesday 14th October

Nadur Circuit

Up early with another bus connection walk on the cards in forecast warm and windy weather.

Seems most of hotel guests had the same idea with the breakfast queue out the door. 

Up to the local bus stop and a bit of dialogue with the locals about arrival times and bus selection left us a bit confused with them suggesting we catch the inward bus to make sure we got a seat in the outward one.

Opted to wait for the outward one and secured a seat easily to take us to the town we visited on Day 1 on our laundromat excursion.

Soon on another steep trail out of town offering views out over a valley covered in farmlands growing all sorts of produce from prickly pear to green vegetables, but no animals.

Track wound its way around and we came across a trail side littered with discarded fake designer handbags. How and why they were there was a mystery.

The lack of animals trend changed as we passed through the valley as we came across several horse farms. The mystery of why they were there was solved later in the day.

Soon headed upwards on rough tracks towards our first planned stop of the day at the Ggantija Archeological Park which is home to some of the oldest temples in the world being built before a pyramids, Stonehenge and invention of the wheel.

Even at 1000am the place was packed with bus tourists meaning slow progress through the museum. Myth had it, as the name suggests, the temples were built by a race of giants all about 7  feet tall. 

Looking at the size of the rocks in the ruins it may be well founded. We wandered through the ruins taking in the history before taking a panoramic view of surrounds. The horse mystery was solved with a huge trotting track at the bottom of the valley. Dr Google advised it was home of trotting industry on Gozo and they raced there 60 times a year. Binoculars only showed a lone horse doing trackwork.

Headed away from the valley towards the coast on tracks and minor country roads being buzzed regularly by off-road buggies obviously heading towards the beach at Ramla  Bay  for which we were bound.

Like  our own beaches parking  is at a premium and the side of a dusty road in was littered with cars from about 400 metres away. One smart farmer near the beach was selling paddock parking for 5€.

The beach itself was packed reminiscent of our own with rolling waves, red and yellow flags, beach umbrellas and in true European style deck chairs for hire at 10€ a pop. A Pom in front of me tried to bargain them down with little success ending up taking a hot sandy seat on the beach.

The beach whilst sandy had a good collection of rocks along it and out into the water. Even people with reef shoes were hobbling in and out. We opted to move on to the next beach.

Walk soon had us in the dunes and then heading up what could only be described as a rocky creek  leading through a bamboo forest. It was like an old Jungle Jim movie using the poles as a makeshift machete as we hacked our way towards the top where the bamboo disappeared and the track turned into a steep concrete road to the top where we enjoyed a great view back to the beach.

It was onwards towards another diversion to see the huge manmade Calypso cave overlooking the coastline. It was 3 km round trip for the privilege to scramble down rocky steps into an amazing cave which was sadly full of people reticent to move meaning only a distant glimpse from the back out to sea.

Back on track we continued to be amazed by the amount of shooting and roosts plonked any where and everywhere. Similarly almost every roadside was covered in wild thyme bushes- but none seem to end up in any dishes.

The next section of the track took us towards San Blas beach described as a tiny beach difficult to access via very steep steps which may be covered over by waves if windy. As the last chance for a swim it didn’t sound inviting and that turned out to be true. It meant getting wet so we soldiered on.

Track led down to a beach about 40 metres wide with a rocky entry reached only by scrambling over rocks. Only one person in the water and he was getting pummelled by the swell close to shore. It was to be a dry day for us as we settled for a beer in the cafe up near the carpark on the other side. We left wondering if that bloke in the washing machine would enjoy such a luxury.

It was the last time the word luxury was uttered as we crossed the carpark to go almost vertically up a road for 400 metres where grabbing the handrail was not a sin. The only sin would have been if I tried to keep up with the girl wearing a thong( not the foot type) who started off 25 metres in front of me.

The top of the hill was a welcome sight – the bus stop. It seemed to be heading in the wrong direction, so I politely knocked on the window of a car who was hopefully awaiting its arrival. Unfortunately, the driver with a parrot sitting on his steering wheel had either suffered a stroke or was inebriated and I left unsure which of the two had given me the answer.

Bus finally arrived , chucked a Uturn and soon had us travelling along now familiar roads back towards home base.

Exhausted and sweaty it was a shower and then a visit to the hotels infinity pool for a relaxing dip and lay in the sun, albeit in a back row of deck chairs.

Group in front left about an hour later and I grabbed two available chairs with an adjustable umbrella. Keen to set the scene for the perfect photo shot I upped the umbrella – and that’s when the problem started. A French couple objected to my shade impacting on their ability to improve the tan- mind you it’s 545 and not a lot of heat in the sun. 

It was almost a bugger you moment until Jane whacked me over the back of the head and suggested I not create an international incident by acceding to their request. I could only agree and order another Hugo cocktail and sit like a sulking Frenchman looking out to sea.

Pool time over it was time to get ready for the Hotel dinner and frock up. For the first time in 5 weeks I wore a clean long sleeved shirt which stayed clean for about an hour before dribbling some cherry sauce on it at dinner. 

Meal not as good as the restaurants, but the local Rose was very nice.

We went for an evening walk and stocked up on bottled water as the desalinated water here is dreadful then headed home ready for another day in perfect weather walking along the clifftops.

Tuesday 13th October 2026

Ghasri Circular Walk

After looking at bus connections to the trail head and breakfast timings it was up early to prepare for our first walk and first opportunity for a plunge into the sea.

Breakfast done and dusted we were out the door heading to the bus stop for a two leg journey to our starting point.

Remarkably we hit the trifecta, bus on time, traffic light and best driver on tour which meant we hit Victoria and changed and were soon passing the national shrine as we headed for Ghasri proper.

Quiet little town with only houses, church and a supermarket plonked into middle of farmlands where vegetables and prickly pears abounded.

The 360 degree view was filled with hilltop churches representing many different religions, as did the cemetery we passed early on.

We were a bit worried by the roadworks sign saying road was closed but it was only to cars.

When reading about the area it indicated it was a popular netting and shooting area for various birds- much to the chagrin of animal cruelty lobbies. We were soon in the middle of it as a flurry of pidgeons scurried of next to us after volley of rifle shots.

Our pace quickened and that ended up being to my demise as we scurried around a corner covered in what I thought was water, but it was oil. Poles and legs in the air I slid down the concrete road covering me and my clothes in oil.

No major injuries just bumps, bruises and abrasions treated with wet wipes and the juice of the prickly pear. As luck would have it twas only day I didn’t carry the medical kit.

Rejected the help of a motor cycling local more out of pride than anything and plodded along through fields following the bloody oil leak.

Plenty of farmers about,  as well as people dodging the roadworks elsewhere. Pretty appropriate when we wheeled into Marsalforn  that on the hill overlooking town was a huge Jesus The Tedeemer statue which inspired me down to the beachfront.

The town appears to be just huge blocks of units and  new hotels satisfying the needs of tourists- diving and boat rides seemed very popular businesses.

Thought about a swim but tide was high, wind was howling and waves coming in from the open sea were crashing against the ladders on boardwalk leading into water.

I looked and smelt like the local grease monkey with clothes covered in oil so I decided to ditch the walking shorts and change into cosies. 

Walked on a kilometre or so and found a very protective bay where we both enjoyed a swim. Jane managed to use the covered bocce court as  a dressing room and I found a little cave like opening to change.

Water was beautiful and many a local were drifting around in the bay, unaffected by the wind.

Off again we came across an area similar to Great Ocean Road, unfortunately the most famous of structures had collapsed into the sea.

The coastal path meandered along passing the old salt pans where locals used to harvest he salt which was s very tradable  commodity.

Only a few families still ply the trade. The man made pans run for about a kilometre along the seashore.

The sea was pretty choppy and the next swimming opportunity was a pit perilous so we pushed on along the coast passing lots of tourists and a bundle of fisherman down on the waters head.

Came across a weird statue on the cliffs edge which was two conjoined horses with no head. Unfortunately the plaque explaining about it had been vandalised so it’s still a mystery.

Last chance for a swim was a murky cove, apparently a smugglers port in days gone by, which was very unattractive – especially the 100 steep steps down.

Cut back inland through more farmland on a pretty rough trail following a gorge before heading up steeply past the lighthouse and then 400 metres of resort accommodation, with more being added on. Construction is really booming over here particularly housing aimed at the tourism market.

Soon we were up past the National Shrine turnoff and almost back where we started just in time for leg one of bus trip home.

First leg started outside of a kindergarden which just let the kids out. Was amazed to see 8-10 little tackers in a mini bus, none with a seatbelt.

Trip was uneventful until we reached changeover point where 70 into a 60 seat bus didn’t work. 

Elbows out we managed to grab a seat and look out window at the disappointed travellers at the stop.

Back in Mgarr and sat on balcony of Grand hotel sipping Cisk and eating  a late lunch before a bit of first aid and planning which walk to do tomorrow, which had same forecast 25 and bloody windy.

Snuck out in the proper clothes for a harbourside drink before an early dinner at a seafood restaurant where we put a decent hole in the seafood platter and a bottle of local wine.

Twas a slow waddle up the hill to the toot of the car ferries as they continued to move people across the channel between Gozo and the mainland.

Monday 12th October 2026

Naxaar to Gozo

Time to leave the main island of Malta and head to Gozo to slip the boots on for 6 walks around the island of Gozo.

Up early and endured  the repacking ritual before a poolside breakfast and then preparing for an 1100 pick up to take us to the ferry.

Thankfully we were well prepared because for a change the driver arrived 30 minutes early. He was to be our driver all the way across to Gozo. He didn’t disappoint us with his driving, making our previous ones look circumspect. 

Obviously arriving early meant he could aim at an earlier ferry, so it was full throttle while firstly holding the phone as a GPS and then a bit of face time with the grandkids, all between dodging in an out of traffic and getting up to 105kph in 80 zone. He was pretty peeved that a serious accident earlier in the day had created such heavy traffic- we were just hoping we were not the next serious accident.

We arrived at ferry terminal and I took a couple of minutes to unfurl my fingers from the seat belt- like that Procul Harum song I was a Whiter Shade of Pale.

Off the ferry and dropped at Grand Hotel and did it live up to its name. We were given a Supetior Room on 9th floor with an amazing view. Think it’s the poshest room I have ever stayed in- very

non-walker style accommodation. Interestingly,  when we first tried to find our room via the ‘gold elevator’ a staff member looked at us and said “ are you sure you are on the 9th floor”. Gave him the don’t judge a book by its cover look and enjoyed the treat.

In true walker style we hopped on bus and headed to the laundromat to do some washing and enjoying a weirdly concocted pizza of potato and goat cheese- half was enough for us both.

Decided to walk the 3km home to get a feel for the island and as usual Vasco had us treading paths that the local goat would baulk at, made worse by the fact that footwear was Birkenstocks

Made it safely back to the hotel before frocking up and traversing equally rocky trails for a pint at the harbourside seafarers bar. Then it was  a great dinner at the Italian restaurant where the pasta infused with Truffles went down beautifully for me and Jane picked her way through a bony and expensive oversized goldfish.

Popped up the hill and collapsed into the huge bed and watched a magnificent lighting display out over the port.

Sunday 11th October 2026

Mdina and Rabat

Slept fitfully for some reason – probably worrying about paying the bills back home- before facing up to a breakfast around the table with a couple of confused Italians who spoke no English who finally worked out their places were set up in one of the other nooks around the place and didn’t have to wait for our spots before they could eat.

Brochures and map, plus a bus timetable indelibly etched in the mind we set off for our trip to Mdina and Rabat.

Arrived well before the scheduled time and to our surprise the online and bus pole timetables did not match. Found a lovely older lady and enquired about which was right. That started a 30 minute conversation about her whole life and famous sister Mary Spiteri who finished 3rd in Eurovision many years ago. By that time her bus had come and gone and our question remained unanswered. 

After 40 minutes the bus arrived and promptly drove past as it was full to capacity and we had no idea if we would suffer the same fate next time around.

Tested our luck with Uber and got another racing driver with a penchant for rap music where every second word had an F or C at the start of it. About 10 minutes into trip he realised it might have been offensive so turned it town and decided to chat.

Finally arrived in Mdina known as the SilentCity which was the secondary Capital of Malta and like Valetta was a bastion surrounded by a moat and with a strong Knight history.

The place was teeming with tourists and a wander through the narrow streets     with their beautifully restored houses. It inevitably led us to the magnificent Cathedral which was holding service for about 50 locals with a hymn singing lass with the voice of an angel.

Next visit was to the old Palazzo Falson which housed an amazing collection of artworks and artefacts owned by Olof Gollcher. It was an amazing walk through history.

Walked some of the City Wall before heading out the gate to the very lively town of Rabat. It had double the number of tourists and the sombre mood of Mdina was replaced by a lively town  with bars and restaurants full to the brim- again with the quest to have the longest happy hour in Malta.

Enjoyed a couple of the famous patisizzi’s after queueing  for 20 minutes before heading for another queue- the ever reliable Maltese bus service. Not only was there confusion with times, buses were dynamically changing routes. Forty minutes later we were forgetting mannets  and elbowing our way onto a bus that quickly filled to capacity and left with many passengers stranded at the bus stop.

We were going to get off at Mosta where the world’s second biggest domed church was situated. It’s other claim to fame was being bombed in WW2 with the shell piercing the roof and fallling to the floor without detonating. Might be something in the power of prayer.

Decided the risk of getting stranded was too high so we opted for a photo out of the bus.

The throng thinned slightly just as we reached our stop, but it was still a bit of push and shove to alight.

Got home and had a swim, spa and mad moment under the cold water bucket treatment before freshening up and returning to the tapas bar to watch Liverpool get thrashed. Then it was off to the restaurant which was full last nigh, but had just over 20 guests. 

Jane still missed a feed of rabbit but the substitute of a local delicacy worked well and  I was very pleased with the Donald Duck.

Took a wander around streets before our last night on the main land and went to bed pondering what Gozo would have to offer for next 7 days with 6 walks on an island 14 kms long and 7 km wide.

Saturday 10th October 2026

In Valletta

Got awoken by a massive thunderstorm with plenty of lightning visible from our rooftop apartment.

Having arrived in the middle of the night we did not get a chance to see the rest of the complex. It’s three houses combined into one and as expected a maze of rooms. There is reception, library, bar, breakfast room, numerous other accommodation

rooms, two outdoor pools, one indoor pool, a salt room, sauna and jacuzzi and we had  a huge outdoor area. It’s truly amazing as was the service provided by mine host.

A lovely breakfast was followed by an unsuccessful wait for a bus to Valetta, about 30 minutes away. Ended up in an Uber and continued our trend with a race car driver at the wheel listening to God inspired music. Black, music and God seem to go together here .

We wound our away down to town through both ancient and modern suburbs on narrow roads , many affected due to overnight rain. Traffic was horrendous even without traffic lights, roundabouts and very courteous drivers. The number of new units being built is mind boggling and with 3 bedders starting at €800k they are not for the average person.

The harbour with many a luxury motor yacht and little boat greeted us and then the St Elmo Fort and a view across the Grand Harbour to the other fortresses. The harbour was abuzz with various craft and we expect it will be busier next weekend when the World Ocean Racers hold their annual

event.

I reckon it gives Sydney harbour a run for its money in terms of scenery.

Dropped off at fort and did a 45 minute show called the Malta Experience . It was a fascinating run through the long and turbulent history of Malta. They are truly great survivors after incursions by Romans, Etruscans. French, Moors, Spanish Turkish and anyone else wanting an island sitting between Europe and Africa. Interestingly the remnants of many of those marauders are etched in architecture, culture and language.

Followed it up with a visit to the new Convention Centre  which just finished hosting the Global Travel Show. It was not a surprising choice given the importance tourism plays in the economy.

The Centre has a strong historic past being the hospital set up originally by the Knights of St John. A six story structure originally with wards 150 metres long on the first two floors each housing 900 odd patients.

The top floor was for the wealthy and the bottom the poor where  bedding configurations ranged from 3 or 4 per bed.  Coloured drapes signified the type of illness to aid treatment.nit was not a great advertisement for equality with treatment restricted to males.

No air conditioning in those days being underground. Holes in the wall leading to gardens where fragrant trees  and flowers were grown helped sweeten the air.

The two top floors are now used solely for functions and conferences it’s now considered Europe’s most sought after venue.

There is a huge underground theatre that is now the centre for many European conferences. It was a staging area for journalists when the  agreement to end the Cold War was done offshore during a cyclone by Bush Snr and Gorbachev.

The tour was hosted by the best presenter ever.

Walked our way to the City Centre and grabbed a sandwich and Lemonchello Spritz, naturally it was Happy Hour which seems to go from 11 till 7 over here, which probably indicates why so many young tourists gravitate here. Even now towards season end the place is packed.

Jumped on a little golf cart tour of the city before heading to the St John’s Cathedral. With a queue out the door two online tickets were quickly secured and we beat the queue. 

If there is a better description than  ‘ pure indulgence’ to describe the place I don’t know it. From fresco’s to mosaics and paintings to religious icons it had it covered and with 500 people going through an hour at $20 a head the upkeep fund would be in the positive range.

Aside from the church offering there is a separate digital display of Caravaggio’s ‘Beheading of St John the Baptist’ ,to supplement the real thing  inside, which gives an explanation of the different nuances in the painting.

Culturally enhanced headed up to the bus depot to play time table lotto and catch the bus home. I will never complain about late buses in Australia or trains in Italy- Malta with its road design

and traffic congestion had them covered.

I read an article about the popularity of harness racing in Malta and got a close up look when a pacer flew past the bus whilst we were stuck in traffic. 

Got home cleaned up and headed out for pre dinner drinks adjacent to the church, which  like much of Malta is celebrating the 500th anniversary of St John’s  (-the originator of St John’s Ambulance around the world) , demise from rulership.

Had an Aperol in a Tapas come  Sports Bar where tables of football fans were cheering for both Spurs and Manchester United.

Our recommended restaurant was booked out so put in a reservation for tomorrow night before heading for another more upmarket place which served great wine and food with a smile.

Dinner over we waddled home through the narrow street back to our flower draped street, where dragging luggage is respectfully suggested, to navigate the maze

of corridors with its head skinning doorways to finish our first delightful full day in Malta.

Friday 9th October 2026

Golf in Roganstown Plane to Malta

The whistling wind and rat tat tat of rain on the window pane  were  unwelcome guests overnight as we lay awake thinking about the game of golf on the Championship course at Roganstown.

The weather App showed 10 mm of rain overnight and winds still to be the predicted 60-70kph. 

No use laying around panicking so we headed for breakfast and splurged on a late checkout so we could get dry and respectable before our flight in the late afternoon.

Arrived even before the Pro, who probably thought that nobody would be mad enough to pull around a cart at 800am in these conditions. He was wrong and we were on a mission to conquer the course.

Got our 9th free golf ball, a set of brand new Taylormade golf clubs, a good old fashioned pull buggy and a ‘ you won’t find many people out’ goodbye from the Pro before sloshing down to the first tee box.

The shape and width of fairway and abundance of bunkers suggested it might be a harder test of our limited ability than yesterday, as did the 5 stroke blowout in handicap.

Thankfully first hole was with the breeze and with a swish slosh splash we were off on a beautifully manicured course whete the robot mowers are smart enough to cut a pattern along the fairway.

Most of the holes, even Par 3’s were long and protected by bunkers and water. The water often ran across  or along to catch errant shots -aka mine.

The rain abated after 4 holes, so the jacket hood could come off, but the wind made the 11 degrees feel like 7. It was a day for hitting low trajectory shots else the wind would have its way with them. Even on the greens the ball would get blown off course. 

We did see 3 Greenkeeper , 1 bloke in a cart and innumerable robot mowers over the course of the first 7 holes before tracking to the other side of the course.

Made no difference with 8th hole needing a driver, 3 wood and 4 iron to nearly reach the green into the wind and it was a Par 4.

The ninth hole, a 190 metre Par 3 over the water was the signature hole of the course. No water for us but plenty of hits avoiding it.

Decided to soldier on for the back nine and it was tougher and more spectacular as a golf layout. Little wonder national and international events are hosted here,

Had the highlight of the two days on the hardest hole on the course. Followed great drive with a shot into trees 100

metres out and then whacked one 8 feet past the cup on steep downhill. Thinking lucky 4 or probable 5 I walked up the green only to see a gust of wind start the ball on a fortunate journey into the hole for a 3 and 5 Stableford points- half my total the back 9.

That gave me 29 points for which I was gratefully. The course triumphed over Jane despite her hitting some pretty good shots. It will surely whet her appetite to start using her news clubs when we get home.

Finished the game in no rain and slightly reduced winds, before grabbing a shower, tidying up and enjoying lunch and our last pint in Ireland.

A cab driven by a Kiwi who lived a chat about any sport, particularly rugby, had us at the airport some 3 hours before takeoff.

The Ryanair on ground experience continued to befuddle us, unlike the streamlined security and customs. Jane’s  new knee didn’t even set off any alarms and initiate the full body frisk which she is now starting to enjoy.

Sat around and managed to get front row seats on a packed flight.

Arrived in Malta around 930 and were soon through the arrival rigmarole and in the courtesy car heading for our accommodation in Nacaar . Sure he was an ex racing car driver for 30 minutes we were on the bumper bar of every car in front.

Arrived at Naxaar at the 3 Chapels B and B. Up three flights of stairs and across our private rooftop patio to a room that takes you back many centuries to Arabian nights with a beam and fabric  ceiling , brightly coloured walls and Arabic furniture. We are about 400 metres from the Mostar Cathedral. Can’t wait to see the area in the light of day,

Just to run some salt in about our bathroom renovation it has a 3 metre square walk in shower.

Thursday. 8th October 2026

Golfing at Swords

Enjoyed the first lay in, if you call 730 a lay in, in preparation for our challenge of the Swords Open course.

A circumspect breakfast for a day of what lay ahead of us on our first foray into Irish golf.

Arrived rugged up at the Pro Shop around 1015 in weather that according to BOM felt like 7 with rain forecast for around 3. A very obliging Pro Shop worker had us kitted out with pretty flash new Taylormade Clubs, new bags and a couple of sleeves of balls.

Got an earlier start than scheduled and wandered down to practice putting green where we asked where the sand buckets were. That earned a quizzical look and a ‘we don’t fix divots here the staff do that’. Well that’s one distraction we didn’t need to worry about.

The greens were immaculate and extremely fast. The grass on fairways was lush and good lies were assured if tou stayed in fairways.

I quickly dipped into the ball stocks losing one in the light rough on the first hole. Remarkably the open nature of course meant it was the only lost ball between us.

The fairways are cut continuously by little green rbpt mowers who seem to follow you around, they present great quality fairways and even have rules specifically written if you hit one or they run over your ball.

The course was pretty forgiving with wide fairways, but the fluffy fairway lies meant no run. Many of the Par 3 holes were quite short whereas the 4 and 5’s were long by Massey Park standards.

We managed to get 9 holes in before the rain arrived and the last 9 were played in wet weather gear. The bunkers are unforgiving with one trapping Jane and having her swinging wildly for a long time before hitting out sideways- partners coaching tips were not well received after the first 4 swipes. Thankfully I only had one shot in a fairway bunker.

The course was reasonably full on a competition day but we moved along steadily managing to finish first 9 in 1.75 hours.

The back 9 was a little tougher but we still managed to finish in 3.75 hours, unlike a few locals who called it a day after 12 when the rain picked up.

We didn’t break any records with our scores, but it was enjoyable and a good warm up for tomorrow’s early round on the Championship course which hosts national and international events. It’s likely we might put a dent in ball stocks over there.

Dropped off the gear, dried off and had a late lunch in the clubhouse, with about 6 people. It’s amazing how few members play and support the club, especially when the two have more than 1400 members combined.

A bit of a lazy afternoon planning how to fit a game of golf in and get to the airport to fly to Malta, especially given we are likely to be drowned rats if the forecast 7mm of rain and 70kph winds arrive.

A very light dinner and couple of drinks before heading back to prepare our bags for tomorrow. That ended avert but enjoyable day here at Swords.

Wednesday 7th October 2026

Dublin to Roganstown Golf Resort

A bit bleary eyed after the noisy night we jumped up and headed to breakfast in what we thought to be the cafe next door. Ended up being an upmarket Hostel and for a great €13 eat all you can buffet breakfast.

Walked the town for a little while down towards the Spire and Portal ( a camera set up in many capital cities across the world where you can wave to the locals) to find where the buses left for local township of Swords where the golf resort we will play at for the next two days is situated.

The streets were crowded with a very eclectic mix of nationalities. All seemed to have one common trait- never let a red light stop you crossing the road unless there is a tram coming.

Back to pub to store the luggage under the watchful eyes of 6-8 locals imbibing in their second and third pints at 1000am.

Headed off for a walk along the Liffey down to the Harp Bridge passing many remnants of the docklands history, including 2 blokes over 80 rowing a boat which looked as old as them using oars which looked like giant matchsticks and had no blades. An hour later we saw them coming back downstream taking advantage of the current.

Headed to the Temple Bar region, supposedly the area where Van Morrison kicked off his career, finding the actual Temple Bar. Already decorated for Xmas it was packed with a crowd enjoying the atmosphere of good drink, food and music.

Lunched on a square bench with a flock of pidgeons and starlings all awaiting a crumb to drop from the exotic pasties we grabbed to eat.

Did a little more wandering, then collected the bags and jumped on the bus headed for Swords for the princely sum of €5 for the both of us.

It headed out via the airport and picked up half of the Ryan Air flight staff who jumped off at a village aptly named Airside. Like the crowd walking the streets of Dublin they were a mixed bunch.

Jumped off at Swords a pretty lively village and manage to collar a cabbie just leaving the bank and he took us out to the resort which hosted two golf courses Swords and Roganstown. This area has 8 courses within a 10 km radius looking at the map.

A very grand place only 24 years old with the feel of a Concord Golf Club attached to a hotel. Our room looked onto a tough hole we would play tomorrow.

Checked our bookings for the next two days, did a bit of attire shopping as you do in an overseas Pro Shop and then wandered down to the adjoining 1st tees of the two courses.

Both looked challenging, but were beautifully groomed. A group of 4 aspiring Rory McIlroy’s were teeing off to be followed by a few other groups at 430 in the afternoon. Glad we were not in front of one who cracked a 200 metre drive without even a practice swing.

Wandered to the other side of the course and watched a Kids Clinic before popping out of the wind for some hydration in very posh surroundings.

Returned later to the bar come dining room for a pleasant meal in a sparsely populated room. Sat and checked weather for next 2 days and we might be getting chased by some typical Irish weather, particularly Friday with winds between 40 and 75 kph.

Tuesday 6th October 2026

Camp to Dublin

Early breakfast, including my favourite porridge, dressed in civilian clothing and no boots before wandering down the road to start the transport journey.

Short bus ride to Tralee followed by another short train ride to Mallow and then the long drag into Dublin.

Managed to give Mitch the grandson a call for his 22nd birthday using that very handy WhatsApp

facility on the way to Dublin and wrote a few blog bits to wile away some time.

Bade farewell to our Canadian walking partners before grabbing a taxi and battling our way through traffic to ‘the accommodation’ in town.

When you turn up to a pub that serves pints from 700am and no food since Covid it was no surprise to get the welcome we did.

Jane was propositioned 3 times before she reached the bar and I got harangued by a couple with a combined IQ of about 40. The less than helpful barman come receptionist didn’t help the initial impression.

It is the first time our ‘book a reasonably priced hotel or apartment accommodation’  method seemed to have failed us, especially when the room was at the top of a steepling staircase.

The statement of yesterday about ‘ not having killed each other’ was about to be tested until we walked into a lovely big room with a big shower and bed , plus complimentary nibbles.

Unpacked a bundle of walking clothes that could almost walk their own way to the laundromat given most of the time they had only had the shower and sink wash. 

Then a walk through a pretty dicey area with lots of homeless, drug /alcohol affected to the safe haven of the laundromat. It was quiet until an irate guy arrived at the adjacent dry cleaner and starting yelling and banging on the shutter to collect his clothes. Seems he missed closing time by a couple of mi ties or the lady took an early minute.

After spending 5 minutes complaining to we 3 customers and getting no support he shuffled off pretty miffed and without clean clothes.

A bit of a walk along the river and then out to a busy restaurant for dinner and a more discreet walk home on bones and muscles that seemed to be rebelling against a no walking day. 

Made a discreet side door entry and then had a night listening to yelling and screaming patrons and pedestrians and the hum of local trains and buses.