3:10am - The alarm clock went off on time and I'm now up, washed and dressed. I've checked over the room and not found anything that I haven't packed, that I need to take with me. I've filled out the hotels questionaire and left it on the table for housekeeping to find. All that is left to do now and haul myself and my bags to the lobby, pay my bill, check out and wait for the bus to show up.
6:05am Malta International Airport - Well the bill came to 21Lm which is actually less than I thought it would be, so that was a relief. I had a relaxing (if somewhat hot and stuffy) ride in a big touring coach to the airport and I am now sat at Gate 8 in the Departure Lounge waiting to board Flight KM 5214 to Exeter. The flight is at 7am, so I've got a little while yet. I've bought a few items from the duty free shops, namely a big bag of Wine Gums (I love Wine Gums), and also a litre bottle of Blue Label Smirnoff Vodka which is 50% proof (the version you can buy in the UK is the same price but you only get 70cls and it is 45%).
I have also bought a better present for Mum than the candle I found, as she collects miniature model houses, I got her a Maltese Watchtower (as she doesn't have any castles or the like). There is quite a range of shops here and a Hard Rock Cafe too. Certainly a much better quality airport than Exeter, although Gatwick is far more impressive still.
11:00am Home - My good friend Richard Adams was waiting for me at Exeter Airport to give me a lift home, for which I am very grateful. It was good to see a familiar face. The drive home was relaxing, with only one odd occurence near the airport when for a minute at most we drove through torrential rain, which vanished as fast as it had appeared. Very strange. I'll leave the unpacking until later, as I have a couple parcels at the Sorting Office across town to go and collect.
All in all it has been a good week, and I now have a lot to think on. I want to go on holiday again and a lot sooner than the 8 year gap between this past week and the last time before that I had gone abroad (a weekend to Denmark in summer 1998). I think Malta was a good choice of vacation, and I'd be looking for something similar next time, a blend of sun and sightseeing. Somewhere like Crete or Italy...
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