I have no inkling as to what my thoughts were as I walked.

All I remember is that I walked, I walked and I walked to the point of lying down on the floor and heaving a great sigh of relief as I had arrived at my destination.

I thought of the elderly, especially the ones residing in Valletta, and my heart missed a beat. They could not possibly walk this long way, I thought.

Some elderly woman might have thought this trip to the monti as the highlight of her week but now being nearly 80 years old it was no joke. She would have to give the monti a miss permanently.

The monti was on the right and on the left with one side actually into the locality of Marsa. At first glance what struck me most was the grumpy faces of those who were ‘selling’. They would kill their own mother, I thought to myself.

One of them told me his problem: “I am going home today to tell my wife and four children that all I sold today was an item costing €5.” One by one those grumpy faces surrounded me all with the same story to tell. There was just no business where they were situated. Business was completely and utterly dead. I profess that I have no solution to this great problem but surely someone has. Anywhere but where they are at present.

■ Valerie Borg

Valletta