Malta is a beautiful country. The citizens are friendly and English-speaking, the food is great, the cities are safe and the scenery is fantastic. I met Mary Ellen at the Madrid airport the following morning of my arrival to Madrid. Being unfamiliar with the area and airport, I got there first by about an hour. Turns out, if I knew what I was doing I probably could have shown up about 1hour before my flight and had time to spare.
When Mary Ellen arrived I immediately recognized her. Happily, she was not a 300 pound creepy looking man. She looked just like her photos. Not wanting to make the initial greeting awkward we had already decided that we would follow the traditional Spanish greeting of kissing cheeks. Upon further inquiry I learned that this actually meant kissing the air, and that you lean left first. So we did that and then had about 1.5 - 2 hours to talk before the flight. So we did that. It was primarily a mixture of chit-chat and indepth discussions. I don't remember having any awkward moments, but there was a bit of anxiousness on my part and she probably had some too. Recall that we had not even spoken on the phone prior to meeting. Outside of e-mails, and just a couple text-based chats, this was our first time having a real conversation.
During the flight, it was more of the same. However, I remember we brought books in case we felt that we needed breaks during the trip from one another. We are both taking classes and we made plans before hand to have time in the afternoon to study. So during the flight she pulled out a spiritual based book on lesson's learned from "It's A Wonderful Life", and she had me read the first chapter aloud. We were going to read a chapter a day.
None of this really creeped me out. Actually I greatly approved of one of her books, the writings of Josemaria Escriva. He is awesome.
When we landed we got a taxi and road to our Bed and Breakfast. Mary Ellen heard of this place that charges only $35 a night, and is located in the heart of beautiful Valletta. The Bed and Breakfast was run by an 80 year old 4 foot tall lady. She was incredibly sweet, and like anyone her age would not suffer fools. Mary Ellen caught her yelling at someone who wasn't behaving. But as far as guests in the Bed and Breakfast, it was just her and I for all but the very first night, where there was one other guest. We had huge separate rooms and our own showers. So it was very nice. At nights we would sit in the kitchen and watch movies on my computer since the Bed and Breakfast had free wi-fi.
Our first official date was in a cafe not more than a 5 minutes walk from the Bed and Breakfast. Although due to the disorienting layout of the city, we had to ask for directions 3 times. We both had the lasagna. It was interesting watching one of the locals feed a pigeon part of her lunch while sitting inside the cafe. The food in Malta was excellent when it was good and unedible when it was bad. By unedible I don't mean that the ingredients were spoiled, I mean that the cultural differences between their taste and American taste are not necessarily the same. Our first night, I ordered a dish that came highly recommended by our waiter. Mary Ellen tried it and then proceeded to laugh at me the rest of the night as I had to eat it or go hungry since it was so late and no other place would be open for service. While hers was delicious. But one night we found a restaurant called Nenu. Oh my. The chicken. You have not experienced chicken before. We had to go back the next night for more. In fact, we discussed that if we were to marry, Mary Ellen would have to fly the chef (remember the girl's family is in charge of the reception) out to our reception hall, and everyone would eat this chicken dish. There would be no other vegetarian or meat options. Just chicken, and everyone would be the happier for it. I have no idea how it was prepared. It looked liked a piece of chicken was beat thin, then rolled into a tube without stuffing, then cooked over a charchol grill, and served with a vegetable-based sauce.
Mary Ellen and I grew close very fast. The entire trip was a blast, primarily spent hiking through towns and up and down cliffs, and eating. We probably ate 5 - 6 times a day. Mary Ellen is a practicing Catholic who goes to Church every day and that did not change in Malta. However, I would be surprised to find anyone who would complain about going to Mass in Malta. These Churches were jaw dropping. For example, one of them had the floor tiles decorated with skeletons and Death (and also interestingly a seemingly random chicken). Then as you started to raise your eyes to the ceiling you started seeing the angels and finally at the highest peak the Trinity. And every view was a masterpiece. So no complaints.
At one point Mary Ellen decided she wanted to be in a relationship. She wears one of those rings with a heart and depending on how it points it means if you're taken or not. So when she decided she wanted to date, and I certainly wasn't going to disapprove, she turned her ring around.
The final night was actually spent in Madrid. I was to fly out early the following morning and she was to take a bus back to Pamplona, where she is currently studying. That night in Madrid we took a taxi to downtown Madrid and had a steak dinner. The steak seemed very expensive at first. Then I realized the price was per kilogram. A kilogram is 2.2. pounds. And a 2.2. pound steak is quite a thing. So we ordered one which is served on two very hot plates. The plates are hot so that the steak does not get cold while you are eating it. Steaks in Spain are served with french fries. No baked potatoes, or brocolli, or whatever else you think might go with steak. French fries. The idea is that you are to use the french fries to soak up all the juices from the steak. And what a steak it was.
Finally the trip had to come to an end. When we got back Mary Ellen told her parents. She did not tell them beforehand! Could you imagine if your college age daughter were to call you up on the phone and say, "Hi Mom and Dad. I just got back from a 5 day trip to California (assume you live in Eastern America), which I spent with a guy I had been talking to for the past two weeks online. We had a blast and now are dating." The appropriate response is to flip right out. But no, her parents were thrilled. Perhaps it's because she is 1 of 10 siblings, but their happiness about the situation caught me by surprise.
Since then we continue to talk everyday through e-mail and usually text-based chats. Typically once a week we have a Skype-date. And right now I am typing this in the Atlanta airport, because I am currently on my way to go visit her in Pamplona.
