Beautiful Malta!

Not surprisingly, there wasn’t a lot of time to run or write while Husband and I were in Malta last week. We have several friends there and there was lots to see so we filled our days with visiting, eating, talking and touring. Eight days went by in a flash but we certainly made the most of our time there. We visited a variety of historic sites and museums highlighting Malta’s fascinating history as the home of the Knights of St. John’s and its pivotal role in WWII, went on some delightful walks in the countryside, enjoyed several delicious meals with dear friends, sampled nearby restaurants and cafes, and spent time sitting contentedly on various balconies sipping local wines and watching the world go by.

While we were looking forward to arriving here in France, we were sorry to say goodbye to Malta and to all our friends there.

As for running – well, I donned my running shoes only twice in Malta. The first morning we were there, I crawled out of bed early and did a short turn around the neighbourhood to get my bearings. After a 12 hour journey and a short night’s sleep, my body wasn’t terribly happy but it still felt good to work out some of the kinks. I didn’t run again until the day before we left when it suddenly donned on me I wouldn’t get another chance to run along the Promenade.  

Despite high temperatures and humidity, I managed a slow 8kms savouring the sights and sounds of Paceville, St. Julian’s and Sliema and arrived back at the house feeling more myself.  Though we walked miles and miles – often up and down steep hills - in Malta, I still missed running regularly.

Now we’re in Avignon, France, and the weather is even more hot and humid so it’ll be challenging to run this week but I’m determined to get out more often during the remainder of our vacation. This morning (our second in France), Husband and I managed a short slow run around the city wall. I’d feel embarrassed about running such a pathetically short distance except that we followed it up with spending the day biking along the Rhone and around the Isle de la Barthelasse. It was totally idyllic – particularly our lunch at this excellent restaurant perched on the river’s edge.  

If I do nothing else but eat while we’re here, I’ll remember Provence fondly.

Happy running and writing friends!