I spent the day on an old wood paneled yacht, called the Barborosa, cruising around the islands Gozo and Comino with a group of my cousins. About twenty of us had the enormous sailboat to ourselves and (as if this wasn’t enough space) the limitless boundaries of the Mediterranean horizon in our view.The crew was generous and accommodating as most Maltese are. After lunch, I went into the cabin for a glass of wine just as they were preparing their own meal. A portion of beer battered Lampuki and Gringa along with grilled onions and tomatoes picked fresh from the captain’s garden were immediately plated for me, and I spent some time getting to know the Barborosa Crew.
These sea men are a practical bunch, making a living off the tourism industry in the summer, and returning to local jobs in the wintertime. One of them is a teacher, the other runs a hot dog stand by night. The third works in the shipyard year round, maintaining yachts.
This evening, they were fisherman. As we cruised along Gozo’s coastline one of the crew spotted a large fish afloat in the water. It was dead, but clearly fresh, with a hook left in one fin to indicate it was another fisherman’s loss. Without hesitation our yacht’s chef dove into the deep sea toward the floating fins and bare-handedly claimed his prize: A 30 kilo Acchula. A monger will buy this delicate whitefish from the crew, leaving them with the equivalent of three hundred or so dollars at the end of the day. Nice bonus.
I was hoping they’d whip up another fish fry. But I can’t complain – I definitely got my money’s worth from today’s adventure at sea.
