About five minutes later we arrived at the terminal, and were greeted by a buzz of many different languages. After collecting our luggage we made our way outside, again refreshed by the night air; now we were away from the fumes of the aircraft, it was possible to elucidate many different scents, when the wind blew, I detected a faint smell of food cooking: a sign of the typical Maltese habit of continuously throwing barbeques on the beaches at night. At times when the air was still, a person could be overcome by the sea scent; the salty air somehow smelled different here, although I have grown up in a place surrounded by sea, it seemed to be completely diverse to the damp Cornish air.
As we drove through the little towns, I was in awe of the difference in the appearance of the unusual surroundings compared to that of which I am used to. The buildings were small and picturesque, but not in the way that they were stately, obviously expensive buildings, but they were beautiful in the way that you instantly knew that the families that inhabited them almost cherished these little buildings, as if the way those buildings stood the test of time reflects upon the family’s ability to stick together, and the way each and every home had its own personality.
We arrived at our flat and I was completely overwhelmed by an extraordinarily powerful scent… LEMONS! Glancing around, I couldn’t see where the smell was coming from. As soon as we entered the building I ran through it, unaware, almost subconsciously knowing where to go, finally finding what I was looking for. I threw open the door at the end of the passage, ran through the remaining bedroom towards the huge patio doors and flung them open. Immediately I was engulfed in a rich citrus aroma. I looked up towards the clear night sky to see a gargantuan lemon tree abounding with fruit.
That night I left the doors open. All I heard that evening was the chirping of crickets, rustling of lizards and the calls of the sea birds in the distance. The fusion of the heady Mediterranean scents in the night air lulled me into a deep sleep.
* * * * *
I awoke the next morning with the sunlight streaming through the open doors and onto my face. It took me a while to remember where I was. I looked at my watch and was startled by the time; it was only 8 o’clock in the morning but the temperature had already risen to higher than that of the warmest day in England!
After breakfast I was told what new adventures the first day of my holiday would bring. I was overjoyed to find that I would be taking a day cruise to the beautiful ‘Blue Lagoon’- a place famed for its clear turquoise depths and serene landscapes.
We boarded the ship loaded down with extra film for our cameras, our swimwear and plenty of sun lotion. Thanking our lucky stars that we had managed to get the best seats, we grabbed our cameras and hung over the railings of the boat, wasting no time in getting photos of the picturesque scenery.
Many spare batteries and films later, our fingers aching from relentlessly pressing the shutter button, we arrived at the lagoon. I looked around, hardly daring to breath, not wanting my breaths to disturb such a breathtaking, tranquil, astounding location. Getting my senses back, I followed my family down the steps of the boat and onto the rocks surrounding the water.
After setting down our belongings on a rocky ledge, a few feet above the waves, we finally had a chance to take a better look around. In the depths below us, it was easy to see the darting of brilliantly adorned little fish.
The heat of the sun was starting to reach its peak, so overwhelmingly hot, no amount of chilled water had any effect on our sweltering bodies. We climbed into the sea, the cool hands of the waves caressing our bodies until we were eventually refreshed.
I climbed out of the crystal clear water and sprawled across the rocky platform. Gazing up into the dazzling blue sky, unspoiled by a solitary cloud, I drifted into an unknown subconscious: surrounded by the pure bliss and beauty of the milieu, lulled by the natural ambience.
Something told me I was going to have the time of my life.