Midnight at the Oasis - but do the Camels know the words?.....

[Pushka]

Just got some random photos from Mr P.

 

[Pushka]

That night we all booked into the hotel’s Asian fusion restaurant. The others decided on the degustation menu.

We didn’t. We’ve finally accepted that degustation isn’t for us. By about course four we’re wondering if it’s ever going to end. We’d much rather order exactly what we feel like eating, so we went à la carte. It turned out to be the perfect arrangement.

We enjoyed our two courses at a sensible pace while the degustation kept arriving at the other end of the table. Every few minutes another beautifully presented plate would appear and we’d all lean over to see what masterpiece the chef had come up with next. It became almost as entertaining as the conversation.

The food was outstanding. That was probably the biggest surprise. The menu was enormous, which often means a restaurant tries to do too much and doesn’t do any of it particularly well. Not this place.

Everything that came to the table looked and tasted excellent. It was one of those meals that everyone was still talking about the next day. Did they finish the menu? Nope. A lot went back to the kidlets rooms for later consumption.

 

[Pushka]

Our last day in Malta was deliberately quiet. There was packing to do, a bit of lounging around the pool, plenty of chatting and one last chance just to enjoy being together before everyone headed in different directions.

Dinner followed the now well-established routine. Drinks, plenty of conversation and another relaxed meal. Of course there was a touch of sadness knowing it was nearly over. But it wasn’t quite the same as previous goodbyes.

This time we already knew we’d all be together again in a few months on our Cunard cruise. Having the next trip already booked made the farewells much easier.

One thing that struck me over the week was how well we all got on. Not just with our son, but with his in-laws as well. We came from opposite sides of the world, yet somehow it all just worked. Lots of laughs, plenty of good-natured banter especially about the English Cricket Team, and absolutely no awkwardness.

I don’t know if that’s unusual, but I do know how lucky we are.

As holidays go, Malta delivered far more than we’d expected. It wasn’t just a beautiful place to visit. It gave us something much more valuable… time together.

 

[Pushka]

The next morning it was time to head our separate ways. Her parents had an early flight, so we didn’t get to say goodbye again. We’d already done that the night before.

Our plan was to meet the kids in the airport lounge after check-in before our flights went in different directions. We were flying Lufthansa via Frankfurt to Lisbon, while they were on British Airways. We sailed through check-in, but they struck a problem. Their flight had been delayed, so their boarding passes wouldn’t allow lounge access until two hours before departure. Not to be beaten, they explained that the husband simply had to say goodbye to his ageing parents before we all disappeared to different countries.

Bless the lounge staff. They let them in.

We had one last drink together, one last chat, a few hugs, and then this time we really did go our separate ways.

Our first flight to Frankfurt was on another Neo. This one was much newer than the previous aircraft and felt far more spacious. The food was perfectly acceptable without being memorable. Frankfurt involved a fairly long wait, although the lounge almost made up for it. I wasn’t expecting Germany to produce one of the best butter chickens I’d had for a while, but there it was.

The final flight to Lisbon was on a much older Neo and the difference was obvious. No charging points, tired cabin… definitely showing its age.

By the time we landed it was well after midnight. Then came the final little travel quirk. Business class passengers somehow seemed to be the last people to receive their luggage. We all stood around watching bag after bag appear before ours eventually rolled onto the carousel. By then all you can do is shrug.

Eventually we made it to our hotel. What a contrast.

The moment we walked through the gates we knew we’d chosen well. The old convent had been beautifully converted into a hotel, with gorgeous gardens and a wonderfully peaceful atmosphere. We were greeted with a glass of champagne at reception, which felt like exactly the right way to end a very long day. The room itself was tiny. The wardrobe was even tinier. But everything had been done beautifully.

Time for sleep. Tomorrow, Lisbon.