The morning was spent swimming in the pool, or in the sea near the hotel. At lunch, we were invited to eat at the University of Malta, where we met the gentleman who had been kind enough to arrange this for us.

We also made a stop at the Crowne Plaza Hotel to thank them for arranging us such fantastic accommodation. Unfortunately the person responsible was not there but his secretary received our thanks.

Later in the afternoon we had a meeting with several of Malta’s top runners, including a 2.07 marathoner. They set a brisk pace (which was slow for them!) for the run from St Anton to Valletta, a distance of about 6km.

The sun was hot on our backs and the breeze behind us as we entered the city of Valletta and finished the run in the welcome shade of the Parliament buildings.

Malta is a charming island where most of the buildings are constructed from a local yellow sandstone, which glows warmly in the bright sunshine. There is a rich cultural heritage, reflected in the local language, architecture and customs. We were happy to have the chance to briefly experience the country and most importantly, to run there.

The Government secretaries of education and sport met us in the courtyard of the Parliament and spoke about the importance of efforts to promote harmony and understanding throughout the world. After chatting to them for a while, we cooled down, waved goodbye to the runners, and took the bus back to the hotel. We had an early start ahead of us so we tried to get an early night. We would need the rest in the days to follow…!

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