” the car parks too costly”

Your typical Maltese mentality. Immorru nixorbu u niffangaw, izda biex inhallsu minn tlieta sa hames ewri ghal parking, hekk le hej – dawk niehu drink bihom.

Lord give me strength.

Of course. All EU passport holders too. Certified by yours truly.

The only downside to Medasia is the Maltese-Maldivian barman with his smouldering Mediterranean looks, who’s a confounded chick-magnet and such a distraction for my Ritienne.

I don’t really care whether the Black Gold stretch of bars is classy or not. Living in Msida, that stretch of bars equates to going to the local for me with easy parking at Manoel Island and within walking distance of Sliema.

I rarely go to Sliema because the parking situation is highly inconvenient and the car parks too costly. Same with Valletta. Totally agree with Baxxter on this one. Then again, I have no problem frequenting watering holes where the clientele ranges from professionals to former prostitutes as long as the food is of acceptable standards and the prices affordable. You’d be surprised but you can actually hang around chav places, sit at a table, read a book and nobody bothers you.

[Daphne – ‘Nobody bothers you’. That’s because you’re not me. Medasia is so thick with chav Laburisti that I can’t even walk through their pavement tables on my way to somewhere else without hearing ‘Ara minn hemm’, ‘36,000!’ and other such intelligent remarks and displays of good manners. Not that the cafes down at the Sliema xatt are any better nowadays. I rarely go there, either. I tend to stick around my part of the island.]

When you don’t have any social or class pretensions, it’s actually a blessing cause you can hang up your work suits and slip into a shorts and tee and totally chill. Even during lunch hour, along that stretch of road there are places frequented by office workers and prostitutes alike and the two mix harmoniously, everybody minding their own business.

[Daphne – I have no pretensions but unfortunately, I am instantly recognisable, so no, I can’t go to the Black Gold stretch in shorts and a T-shirt and chill. Do you know what it’s like to walk into a cafe and have everyone look up as though they’ve seen a Martian? And then proceed to goggle as though their mothers never taught them not to stare? Well, then. Now you know why I prefer to go to places where people have manners.]

Same goes for Medasia Playa which has been transformed from a dump to a great eatery/beach club.

I frequent these places at least 3 times a week (but never on weekends) and I have never encountered the clique you mention.

Nothwithstanding the owner’s political views I congratulate him for a very professional operation.

[Daphne – I don’t have that freedom, because when the Labour Party has made you a target for years and paraded you all over Super One and the rest of its media, to people who can’t read English and have no idea what you write, you have no privacy. That is my position. So after some very bad experiences with people passing rude loud remarks, and other experiences with people staring and nudging, I tend to go only where I know it’s going to be quiet or where for a fact people are civilised. I prefer that anyway, and always did. The thing is, Freedom5, that you have to be in my position to find out the true nature of people. Somebody who leaves you alone and might even chat nicely will find it imperative to mutter ‘36,000’ or ‘min tahseb li int’ in my direction. Call me undemocratic, but I really don’t need to be around that kind of person.]

Skuzani Michael imma it-tarf tal-kobba nghid ghalija sibtu, jew ahjar qedha turih Daphne.

Well, that’s Malta for you. If I had to avoid all the watering-holes frequented by chavs, I’d be drinking Ribena at home.

Besides, how else can I eavesdrop on the machinations of our politicos and report back here?

True, I swear I only saw the first two paragraphs/ sentences and took to writing straight away. The words ‘commissioner’ and ‘casha’ instantly triggered the connection, knowing that the AC had a brother who was a businessman, even though I don’t know his first name. Thousand apologies!

Only place I was ever handed a proper dry Martini (chilled glass, but no ice). In a proper glass too. They even understand “lemon twist”.

Here’s to barmaids the world over, and down with politicians.

[Daphne – I wouldn’t be seen dead there. The Black Gold stretch of bars is completely beyond the pale. It used to be hooker heaven until really recently and now it’s frequented by the kind who don’t charge. That’s why the people you described go there, because they can’t tell the difference since they’re Sliema outlanders and it means nothing to them. Wall to wall chavs. Awful.]