Hi

October - it will still be warm, and so will the sea. Av rainfall for the month is 6 cm, so not that much, but alot more than May-Aug when it hardly rains at all. Personally, I think Oct is the best time of year to visit - its still around 25C, and nice and quiet !

Blimey Mark you must be losing your touch, thats the first time I can remember that you have never mentioned or tried to lure someone over to Ghawdex

Inselli ghaliek
Sliema2

when I first typed my answer, it did mention the fairer isle, but thought would leave the hard sell till later

Is this after you have issued them with a ( surprise surprise) winning scratch card and a promise of a naff bottle of wine if they go to Ghawdex ?.

Hey Sliema2,

Didn't realise that Mark was one of those shifty time share merchants! Certainly had us all fooled,

Trev

two differences tho

1. I do it for love not money (the odd Cisk passed my way never gets refused tho)
2. Gozo is by far an easier sell than some dodgy time share !

now, if I could get the Gozo Tourist Association to sponsor/pay me.... oh, yes, the Chairman is Mr Borg, who also part owns Ta Cenc Hotel... it was all looking so good until then

Thanks for that.

Next question: I don't mind going when its quiet, but are most things (restaurants/excursions/bars) shut for the season by October? For example, I quite fancied going on a cruise but I had a look at a website (http://www.malta247.com/categories.asp?cat=4&typ=2) and they appear to finish in September.

I'm not that into excursions generally, and we'll do our own thing most of the time, but one or two boat trips would be good.

I had a quick look at that website - all the cruises I checked were still running in October - which ones were you interested in ?

As for restaurants and bars, some will be closed, but there will still be plenty to choose from - where are you thinking of staying ? Gozo, Gozo or Gozo ?

Malta is fabulous in October especially Sliema, there a still a few village festas to visit as well.

Hi Gulfax,

We used to go late October most years because it was a school holiday week and we were able to go for the last bit summer so to speak. Our biggest problem was ensuring either a late Fiday evening or weekend flight so that we were back for work the week after.

Regarding the past weather we had, October was always either hot & sunny or some days it was warm but overcast. Can't ever remember any rainy weather but can remember coming back all sunburned - something we would never do now!

If you're going to Gozo beware of that time share bloke called Mark - mind you if you give him a can of cisk that should stop him pestering you!

Trev

Just for general reference, I prefer Cisk in bottles, and the export version, and even better in a pint glass mixed with a Lacto - for special favours a bottle of Fullers ESB brought over from the UK has been known to ensure even better service in the future
(this has now handily been added to my interests, which can be found by clicking on my name)

Hmm Fullers ESB - what an excellent real ale that is Mark! I've had many sessions drinking it in the past and it still rates as one of my favourites!

However what is Lacto - is it some kind of milk stout? Can't recall seeing it for sale antwhere?

Trev

Trev - a good guess. Lacto is a milk stout, brewed by Farsons in Malta, but difficult to find - they didn't even mention it on their website a couple of years ago - I emailed them asking why - it seems its considered old fashioned.... just checked the website - they do now ! Supposedly the darkest beer in the world

http://www.farsons.com/page.asp?p=7469

a couple of reviews

http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/index.html?beerid=663
http://www.bunitedint.com/Products/farsons_cisk/farsons_lacto_stout.html

Hi Trev and Mark, and very nice it is too, and yes before you both ask yes I do know where to buy it and also at least one pub that sells it still.

Inselli ghaliek
Sliema2

Okay Sliema2,

Where can I buy it??

Mark Lacto seems to indicate lactose which as a chemist I know is an unfermentable sugar found in milk - just the job for sweetening milk stouts - hence my guess!

Trev

I looked at the sunset cruise and the one to Sicily, and neither of them were on. However, I just checked the Captian Morgan website and they still have most of their cruises on - hurray!

I don't really mind where we stay. Neither of us drive, so somewhere where there's a few pubs and restaurants within walking distance would be best. It'll probably be somewhere on Malta rather than Gozo. Any recommendations?

What is it with the timeshares? My sister was there for honeymoon and apparently she got stuck for ages with someone trying to sell her one when they were having lunch, and when the woman finally got the message that they weren't going to buy one she said something like "I'd always believed that Scottish people weren't as mean as they were made out to be, but obviously that's not true," and went off in the huff!

Hi gulfax,
Sorry to hear that your sister had an unfortunate experience with the slimeshare sellers. I have already mentioned that their new tactics are to hang around bars and try to persuade people that their product is fantastic and only a fool would refuse to buy it

If anyone comes across them in such bars then my advice is to inform the owner that your leaving the bar because they are pestering customers.

I've never come across a timeshare tout in Gozo - another thing to add to my list of why Gozo is better than Malta
(awaits mass sightings of them somewhere in Gozo....)