Tuesday 25th September

We're off!

Gatwick

A direct train takes me from Milton Keynes to Gatwick, on a wet autumn afternoon. The train arrives at Gatwick at 17:00 and 10 minutes later I meet up with the rest of the Nutters. We check in and find a bar to relax and talk and drink. 

Flight

are our hosts for the week. They have a A320 to fly us to Malta. 

Who are JMC? They're result of Club 18-30 merging with Caledonian Airways, apparently.

Malta

We are welcomed by the heat, and a tatty visa form to complete. We collect our baggage and clear customs quickly. The luggage is bundled onto a box van - and we board a coach. We're with 50 other odd souls on our way to Bugibba. A chirpy JMC rep talks to us as the coach makes its way to Bugibba. 

I do not like being chirped at at 1 o'clock in the morning.

The coach is regularly over-taken on the inside. It merrily drives though a set of red traffic lights. This is our first taste of Maltese driving!

Winston Apartments

The coach empties passenger en route to our Hotel, the Winston Apartments in Bugibba, pronounced ‘Booojiba’.

We have booked accommodation for the ten of us. Six in one apartment, Four in another. We find the six bed apartment (D3) - twin rooms, one of which has an en-suite, bathroom, and large kitchen / lounge that overlooks the pool. 

We check out the second apartment (A7). This is a more humble affair. One twin bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. The beds are narrow 2' 6" affairs.  A special mention of the stoical souls that occupied the inferior accommodation: Maky, Bernie, Dave and myself, (Nick, your webmaster, editor, and tormenter of Jack.)

My immediate reaction to the cramped accommodation was "bugger this - let's find a proper hotel room tomorrow!"

The aforementioned stoical souls and Jennifer look for beer. We walk towards the sea front, 400 metres away, and find a 24 hour bar to reflect, drink, drink some more, tuck into some gateaux, drink some more, then welcome the dawn.

We wander down to the sea front.  The beach is bizarre. There's no sand, just a weird eroded limestone shelf meeting clear blue seawater. Most odd.

Our group meanders back to the apartments - for an hour's sleep.