Chocolate Heaven

Yesterday I realised just how much living on a Mediterranean island leads to you taking things like the sea and the sun for granted. We had a BBQ on the beach with Maltese and new Scottish colleagues and us Maltese were just in the shade not particularly bothered, whilst the Scots went directly to a sunny patch and jumped right into the sea. And they loved it - understandably so, because the Med Sea is amazing, but because it's just always there for us, we didn't feel the need to swim, which in a way is a pity because it could easily lead to apathy for the wonders around us.

There are some really amazing places in Malta and I've decided to be really generous and share my discovery of an amazing Belgian chocolaterie in Valletta, which I had heard about but was never quite sure as to where it was exactly.

So last Saturday I decided to go into Valletta to browse one of the second-hand book shops that I frequent to see if I could come out with any bargains - alas, I didn't. I did however come out with a few bargains from NEXT. Hah! Something you need to know is that most shops believe in siesta time in Valletta, especially on a Saturday where they often only open in the morning. So it had just gone 1 o'clock and most shutters were down, shut for the rest of the weekend and I was traipsing the streets and decided to head down 'Gold Street' in Strada Santa Lucia - I call it this because it's lined with jewellery shops and I emerged in Merchant's Street which houses the daily market but was now void because all the hawkers had packed their wares and headed home for lunch. And right opposite me, where the continuation of Strada St. Lucia becomes a hill with steps on either side, I see this sign displaying the name 'Valentino - Belgian Chocolaterie'. I had found it, without even looking!

I headed there in haste hoping that they weren't closed... and luck was on my side. I entered this tiny shop with a large display counter filled with the most alluring chocolates and their scent just wafted into my nose leading to a huge smile spreading across my face. The lady behind the counter then told me 'Everyone who walks in here, starts to smile'. I'm not surprised! So I carefully chose six chocolates to take home with me. You can purchase boxes of 6, 8, 12, and more for different prices depending on the weight of the chocolate. The process of choosing was a delicate one but I was pleased with the end result. And just before I left, the lady behind the counter gave me an extra chocolate to taste and I tried it there and then, and it was like biting into a piece of chocolate heaven!

A curiosity that occurred that morning was that I got a sudden craving for McDonalds food, which I don't usually take. It's probably been about 2 years since I've eaten McDonalds as far as I can remember, but for some reason I just felt like it! And I decided that I would go to McDonalds for lunch, but after I ate that chocolate the craving just disappeared and there was no way that I was going to ruin that amazing chocolate taste with such a thing as McDonalds food!