Mike woz here

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Mike was here just before Easter so we rented a car and managed to get some air as well as check out what work had been done so far on the house. We also walked around Vittoriosa on a Saturday. One of the oldest buildings in Vittoriosa - the Norman house in Triq it-Tramuntana (North Street) was open and we met the nice gentleman that meticulously restored the house and is in the process of restoring the house next door to it. We asked if he'd like to have a look at La Indulgenza and the marine graffiti we found in the chapel room. He said he'll gladly come by on a Saturday.



We also found the opportunity to have a peek at the Piano Nobile (first floor) of the residence of the village band in the main square. I mentioned this in an earlier blog entry. Unfortunately most of the walls of the house were covered to create the ambience for a Holy Week exhibition but the music room with it's balcony that gives unto the main square was there for us to ogle.



Work has finally started on the roof. I was in for a shock yesterday when I visited the site after the workers had left. I looked up and noticed all the "xorok" (ceiling stones) were misaligned. I called the contractor, knowing fair well that he was leaving for Sicily this morning. He explained that the hand cut "xorok" of the period are never straight. He asked me to have a look at the ceilings in the other rooms. They were all haphazardly shaped but seemed to fit in like a jigsaw puzzle. The absence of pointing in the newly laid ceiling upstairs made it more conspicuous. This morning the mason explained the techniques used to avoid any cracks appearing once movement occurs with temperature changes. Can't say it's not a steep learning curve I'm faced with.


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