Walk with a spring in your stride at Ghajn Tuffieha and Golden Bay
Spring in Malta is often quoted as being the best time of the year. But is very brief, and sometimes almost non-existent. I always say I go from wearing boots to flip-flops in week in Malta, so abrupt is the changing of the seasons.
The ‘mezzo tempo’, as our neighbours the Italians call spring (and autumn too), is a season rarely worth buying any clothes for. You may find yourself overdressed and sweating one day, or without enough layers the next having assumed the sun would continue. But it’s not worth planning for, as fashion houses do.
Today though was a beautiful day, which would lighten any heart and a day to be out in the blue and warmth as long as possible. We walked the short, but stunning cliff-top path from Ghajn Tuffieha Bay to Golden Bay. It’s our regular spring walk as it has amazing flowers budding up as well as great views. En route, we mulled over ‘how you can tell spring is round the corner in Malta’. Here’s our list of the obvious and the not so:
Everybody rediscovers the countryside.
There are more bikers on the road.
The first lizards emerge.
The cat’s tail starts to twitch more.
The new range of sunglasses shows up.
Tourists start going pink after minimal sun exposure.
You start seeking some shade when sitting out at cafes – but the shade is still a tad chill.
The lads in the ‘festa’ building are there more often renovating old decorations for the coming summer.
The green slime on limestone walls and stone floors starts to disappear.
It hasn’t rained for two weeks.
Lidl supermarket’s special offer days include gardening equipment – gloves, trellises and watering cans.
What’s left of the fields start to sparkle in yellow English weed and red poppies.
The Eurovision song contest is back on the agenda.
Heads peer down wells to determine water levels.
The cafes on the beach start getting repainted.
People start washing their cars.
Householders start inspecting peeling paint on doors and windows
Some people think about fasting for Lent.
The light is just beautiful. The sky is cobalt.
Low-cost airlines now offer more times and routes but seasonally adjust their fares.
Working parents realise there’s only one more full term before the long summer holiday, and start thinking of summer schools!
Spring hunting debates rumble.