ucent, luscious, luxurious, LUZZU!!

Surrounded by sea, Malta is a quintessentially maritime nation. Its most iconic sea vessel, the luzzu (pronounced loottsoo), is a traditional fishing boat whose typically vibrant colours and eyed bow (see photo) allow it to stand out against and find its way around the vast bright blue expanse of the Mediterranean sea. 

Berthed on the shore of the quiet and picturesque Qawra Bay just yards away from the glitz of Qawra's myriad recreational spaces is LUZZU, a recently and modernly refurbished complex comprising a conference hall, a restaurant and a lido. 

In mid-spring 2018, dozens of competitive Scrabble players and their guests from around the world will meet aboard LUZZU to play, dine and unwind for a whole week as part of the 11th edition of the Malta International Scrabble Open (MISO 11). One person who is particularly excited about this week to come is Karl Abela, the metaphorical skipper of LUZZU and the Event Sales Manager at the complex. This is what he has to say:

"The LUZZU Complex represents the spirit of the Maltese islands. LUZZU evokes the natural day light, direct seaview, flexibility, a subtle styling, and a penchant for organising successful events not only from a business point of view, but simply just for the love of seeing our international guests socialize and share experiences during their stay in Malta."

LUZZU will set sail on its MISO itinerary on 28 April, when it will moor for the whole day in the quaint little port of the MISO 11 Early Bird.

On the morrow, after more passengers embark, LUZZU will depart for and berth for three days in the much larger port of the MISO 11 Main Event, where, among other things, the seafaring Scrabblers and their guests will be treated to a sumptuous and entertaining BBQ Dinner, tantalisingly dubbed foOdISM.

On the fifth day, LUZZU will moor in the port of tOurISM, where passengers will alight to explore the hidden and unhidden beauties of the Maltese Islands.

On the sixth day, LUZZU, steered by the acclaimed Canadian captain John Chew, will arrive at its last destination, the MISO 11 Late Bird. In this port, it will remain anchored until the seventh and final day before returning to its home berth in Qawra Bay. Here the disembarked Scrabblers will bid each other a warm farewell and an anxious au revoir to 2019 for another memorable week aboard LUZZU. 

(penned & published by Nicky Vella Laurenti)