| And a celebration of disasters | | | | the gnawing the ends of our fingers before the |
| My visit to Malta 1-14 March | | | | trip is over. |
| Weather in Malta was like my trip, sunny and | | | | When we returned to the hotel we found our |
| sometimes plain ugly to others. | | | | bags sitting in our room, and manager Joe Bugeja |
| He began with a time delay, as well as the | | | | (Josefina in the novel) is waiting for our doors. |
| equipment, leaving Minneapolis, turning what should | | | | When I could breathe again, I commiserated with |
| be a simple connection to Gatwick dizzying race | | | | him for what he had to transport a book-filled |
| to catch our plane in Malta. Evie and I arrived | | | | bags up the stairs. He just shrugged and stuck his |
| thirty minutes before the Air Malta flight was to | | | | lower lip (a typical Maltese gesture, I decided.) |
| leave. In flight the agent called the agents to tell | | | | "It was not that bad. Ascensor |
| them we have come. When she looked at us I | | | | works." |
| knew we were in some bad news. We were on | | | | I bit my tongue, or they would be able to hear |
| the passenger list, but they do not have our | | | | me scream Mdina five miles. |
| tickets | | | | Exhausted, we turned in early. I woke up at 3:00 |
| <a rel="nofollow" | | | | am with excruciating pain in my legs. I could not |
| onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' | | | | stand, I could not sit, and so I pace the floor for |
| outgoing/article_exit_link');" href= >tickets< | | | | most of the night. |
| a and we must prepare them. We did not have | | | | The next morning, after breakfast, we had to |
| any. All we have confirmation of a letter we | | | | leave to Dr Tony Abela-Medici, our friend and |
| received from the travel agency. In addition, the | | | | coroner of Malta. Tony looked more tired than I |
| gate agent had no authority to make a new | | | | am. He three-member family in the hospital, and is |
| ticket. "Tell me, please wait"? She | | | | guarding them. Despite this, he seeks to do |
| asked. It is the ultimate rhetorical question. | | | | everything he could to help us. He told us he |
| We stepped aside. While we waited, I sold copies | | | | knew the President of Malta, and he thought he |
| of my book for two American tourists who were | | | | could organize the presentation of the book. |
| on the way to his first visit to Malta. After all the | | | | In looking up. |
| other passengers left, I began to take action on | | | | We went back to Valletta, and met with the |
| various issues, (I think there is a psychological | | | | distributor. David De Angelo was impressed, as |
| term for this behavior). No wonder that when I | | | | far as I know about Malta and said he loved the |
| measured the distance from the desk to the | | | | book cover. He gave us names of contacts, |
| baggage X-ray, I watched suspiciously from | | | | including the Maltese language, a talk show host |
| security agents. | | | | who sometimes talked about the books. We also |
| Minutes later the loudspeaker announced the last | | | | received a promise from the Editor related to the |
| call for boarding flight to Air Malta | | | | Malta Times that the review of this book will be |
| <a rel="nofollow" | | | | presented in a booksigning. |
| onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' | | | | We immediately headed for the legendary Strait |
| outgoing/article_exit_link');" href= >tickets< | | | | Street, where the talk show, was released. In the |
| a, Noticing our desperate look in our other | | | | old days of knights dueled each other in the |
| relations service said, do not worry. Even if we | | | | cobblestones and the ladies of the night came to |
| start to plan where to stay near Gatwick for the | | | | show their products. No one had any idea where |
| night, and maybe for the whole trip, the phone | | | | we would go, (numeric addresses mean nothing |
| finally rang. The tickets were ready. | | | | Malta), but, finally, a pub owner pointed to a new |
| After a stunning flight over sunny Alps and down | | | | structure across the street. The building has |
| the Italian coast, we nearing Malta. What we have | | | | proved a highlight of the trip. A dark entryway |
| done the sun disappeared, the sky turned gray | | | | hallway and passed the iron gate. Beyond the |
| and drops of rain splashed on the windows. When | | | | courtyard, along with hundreds of exposed pipes |
| we deplaned, it was cold as it was when we left | | | | hissed and gave the top hint of methane. Best of |
| Minneapolis. Despite this, we were happy to go | | | | all, the hanging basket with a rope tied to the top |
| back to our adopted land. Until we found out that | | | | floor railing as we were laughing uncontrollably. We |
| our luggage did not arrive, that is. We forgot to | | | | never know what was in the cart, but we |
| check it to Malta, where we left Minneapolis, and | | | | guessed he had the mail carrier will not climb up |
| bags are still in Gatwick. Very friendly young man | | | | six flights of steps. After the ascent of five |
| at the Malta airport told us it was nothing to | | | | flights, we found tiny business card stuck in the |
| worry about. They will be delivered to our hotel | | | | closed door with the name we are looking for. |
| the next day at the latest. | | | | We took a chance and knocked. A very young |
| All that we had with us was the clothes on our | | | | woman opened the door for us. Once we have |
| backs, and what we had in our backpacks. At | | | | described in the book, she said she was |
| least we could wash our faces and brush our | | | | interested in it and planned it mentioned on the |
| teeth that night and change our clothes. | | | | show. |
| We are expected to out of tracks, but an | | | | In the future, we also met with the director of |
| inexpensive guest house, where we always stay, | | | | the Maltese Tourism Authority, and presented him |
| but our room was next to the upper level, as in | | | | with a book and spent a pleasant half hour |
| the stories, an elevator is not working. In | | | | chatting with him. |
| Bellestrado in the book is actually Soleado in | | | | After this course of events is rapidly going down. |
| disguise. The Charter of from lack of sleep, we | | | | In sciatica kept getting worse during the holiday |
| puffed our way up the stairs and went to sleep. | | | | week, and walk really was my only relief. The |
| I woke up at 2 o'clock with the patient leg. I | | | | next Thursday, it was unbearable, and we went |
| mean, my Torn right hamstring in September and | | | | to the hospital, which was just a few blocks from |
| was at the rear of the two within a month | | | | the guesthouse. A woman who is perfect in my |
| (remember, as Rick has always bemoaning his | | | | new Catherine treated me. She was a tall, |
| bad luck?) And ask for low back pain by various | | | | gorgeous and had a bubbly personality to match, |
| doctors and chiropractors. I also had sciatica in my | | | | and I immediately started dreaming about the day |
| right leg for some time as a result. At this time | | | | when I make a movie from Masterpiece Chellini |
| he was on the left. Fortunately, we have aspirin in | | | | so that I could have thrown her for the role. She |
| our backpacks. I took one and went back to | | | | gave me a prescription for anti-inflammatory and |
| sleep. | | | | Painkiller, and sent us on our way. Unfortunately, |
| The next morning we were ready to start | | | | its provisions do not work, and we returned to |
| promoting the book. Even if we did not have a | | | | the hospital at four am. At the doctor on duty at |
| copy of it with us (they are still at Gatwick), we | | | | the hospital to me, and I got a strong injection, |
| had a few flyers in our backpacks. We decided | | | | which finally relieved my agony. The next day I |
| we would visit every bookshop in Valletta, that | | | | had a MRI. |
| the shopkeepers know that we were in town, | | | | How to get to my exam was cheaper than an |
| and that copies will be available from Agius | | | | ambulance at the taxi and the woman who rode |
| (pronounced ah JUS if you are not familiar with | | | | with me was chatty. She told me, as a Maltese |
| the Maltese), and Agius booksellers. In the shop | | | | woman hate Russian women, who come to the |
| was hilarious, and smelled of fresh newsprint, but | | | | island. "We cook for our husbands," |
| we found a number of buyers present. In the | | | | she said in disgust voice: "We keep the |
| clerks were friendly and told me to go back | | | | house for them and their children. And these |
| tomorrow. One actually suggested some time. | | | | Russians will come and steal them from us. And |
| Little do we know that this was just a taste of | | | | they know only one thing. This is terrible. |
| Malta typical business style, and that we will leave | | | | |