An aerial view of Marlene Farrugia’s attempted 1.2km swim in January waters (presumably in her clothes?) with a rainstorm about to break

Published: January 4, 2014 at 12:02am

There’s something very odd about this story. Are we supposed to believe that Marlene Farrugia:

1. stripped off in front of her 20-year-old son, handed him her clothes and shoes, and said ‘Here, try climbing while carrying these and I’ll meet you over the other side’;

or,

2. jumped into the water to swim the distance fully clothed while gripping her shoes in her mouth like Fido or Spot.

I don’t wish to get the male fantasists going on this one, but when the Civil Protection officers arrived in their dinghy, did they find the Minister of Health’s girlfriend:

1. wet and naked?

2. in her wet underwear?

3. in her wet clothes?

4. in her dry clothes but with wet hair?

I have a bit of a soft spot for Marlene Farrugia, but I’ve got to say that you really have to be kooky indeed to decide that it’s safer to swim round a 1.2km headland in an area notorious for its currents, in January-cold water under a sky threatening heavy rain, than to climb across. The jellyfish would have been the least of it.

The Karraba headland

The Karraba headland




30 Comments Comment

  1. ciccio says:

    Il-lahwa x’dawra mar-Ras kellha ddur.

  2. H.P. Baxxter says:

    Is this an official DOI map (you never know in Malta)? Because I think your reconstruction has one or two flaws, Lestrade.

    I think the “rock” in question is the spit of land more unfortunately associated with the “underground” nudist community, just twenty metres by five, give or take. It is connected to the terra firma by a narrow ledge with a five metre drop on each side, and the whole thing rises steeply up to the treacherous clay slope. It’s far easier to reach the pathway near il-Karraba by swimming across to the little sandy beach, especially if the rocks are wet and slippery.

    Watson here will now strip off and demonstrate.

    • H.P. Baxxter says:

      Here’s Baxxter’s reconstruction

      http://i42.tinypic.com/2uhb7nt.jpg

      • Harry Purdie (back on the rock) says:

        Baxxter, having lived here since 1992, mostly under the rule of a relatively sane government, can you please explain to me why Labour sympathizers, and even their MPs, appear to have severely eroded their brain cells. Is this a cunning plan, or just a product of inbreeding?

      • hmm says:

        It is a tough path. Did it when I was 18 and vowed I would never do it again as it was madness. It is really dangerous.

      • H.P. Baxxter says:

        Elementary, my dear Purdieson. Brain cells are in short supply in Malta. Those with a modicum of intelligence will tend to vote against Labour. Think of it as a skewed bell curve, with the higher probability density at the lower end of the intelligence scale.

        It’s not a cunning plan at all. I don’t think it’s down to just inbreeding. I’d say it’s more to do with patriotic narcissism. Because when you think you’re the best, you refuse to learn anything from johnny foreigner.

        Oh I don’t know. It’s Saturday night. I should be thinking at this time.

      • Harry Purdie (back on the rock) says:

        Baxxter, I bow to your superiour intellect. However, being a crazy Canuck, I still consider them so incredibly, fucking stupid.

      • H.P. Baxxter says:

        Harry, I bow to your superior business skills.

  3. TinaB says:

    I find it hard to believe that neither Marlene Farrugia nor her son noticed that there were hundreds of jelly fish before she decided to jump in the water – anyone who has visited Gnejna recently would tell you that there are so many of them that it is almost impossible for one not to spot them as soon as one sets his or her eyes on the water, unless of course one is blind.

  4. P Shaw says:

    It is even more nutty when you consider that there is an easily walkable round-pathway between the two beaches along the headland without the requirement to climb the clay hills.

  5. Rahal says:

    Looks like some of our politicians are not psychologically rational in their personal life.

  6. Gahan says:

    I don’t believe she was with her son.

  7. marks says:

    She said that her swimming prowess is due to her fishing village roots.

    I assume she means Wied iz-Zurrieq. As a district MP she should know that Wied iz-Zurrieq is part of Qrendi.

    I think she ended up in the sea unintentionally and concocted this story to save face.

  8. northerner says:

    That’s what happens to dissidents in some parts of the world. In North Korea they are stripped naked and mauled by dogs whereas in Malta they are savaged by jellyfish.

  9. Bob says:

    This is what happens when people opt to do things they are not fit for, they take a non-calculated risk and end up a burden on society.

  10. WhoamI? says:

    Exactly my point in a previous post.

  11. Lestrade says:

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140104/local/gozo-hospital.501306#.UsffzsK4upo

    “Situation at Gozo hospital not as bad as depicted by MUMN”

    So Times of Malta is being used (manipulated) as a government apologist now

    • Gahan says:

      When MUMN stated that the hospital was in shambles all the elves put the blame on the previous administration.

      As soon as Times of Malta reported that all seems clear on the Western front, the same elves came out telling us that MUMN was exaggerating things and that the Gozo Hospital is as good as Mater Dei.. naturally..thanks to Labour.

  12. matt says:

    I always thought Marlene Farrugia is a lost cause. What a bizarre story.

  13. arguzin says:

    Malta’s new Brama Queen?

  14. anthony says:

    The answer is no to all these questions.

    And I am not a male fantasist either.

    I am very grown up and still have my wits about me, I think.

    The real explanation is that Marlene Farrugia carries her swimwear with her every day of the year whatever she is doing and wherever she is. Just in case.

    Go tell that to the marines.

    This fairytale stinks to high heaven.

    It reeks.

  15. Mike says:

    As we were enjoying lunch an SMS comes in from Mario. Mario who, I exclaimed.

    My wife’s phone had been bombarded by this guy during the last general election, inviting us here and there to meet Chris Cardona.

    We never bothered, as we’re not into pole dancing. And now that we thought we had finally got rid of his SMSes we start getting this: 50% off till stocks last on clothing from Pardi and Scruples Birkirkara, Paola, Hamrun.

    U ejja, xi dwejjaq ta’ nies.

    [Daphne – He’s Mario Azzopardi, now on the public payroll as Chris Cardona’s chief of staff. http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/04/whats-chris-cardonas-canvasser-doing-at-this-meeting-with-the-foreign-minister/ ]

  16. Angus Black says:

    When one wishes for a respite from the frivolities and stupidities of this government and its operatives, something like this happens.

    At least it has its entertainment value.

  17. just me says:

    Maybe with this story, Marlene wanted to show us she had courage… the courage she lacked in parliament to vote as her conscience dictated.

  18. anthony says:

    Maybe she got a sudden urge to emulate Jane Wyatt in Frank Capra’s The Lost Horizon.

    Shangri-La and Ghajn Tuffieha .

    She must have forgotten about the jellyfish.

    Xi hlew.

  19. Bullivant says:

    For heaven’s sake, many who have uploaded posts on other portals are, wittingly or unwittingly. oblivious that her son is 20 years old and not a toddler in stroller (or are they stilled called “buggies” ?) .

  20. ketchup says:

    Giving the lady the benefit of the doubt re her version of the story, I guess she really must have been having a walk with whoever (not my business) when she slid down the clay slopes and couldn’t make her way up again.

    Then she came up with the story that she had to ‘swim’ and had to call for help anyway. I’m curious though. Did she suffer from jellyfish stings?

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