In October 2013 we went to Malta. I hadn’t done any research before we went. My husband had a friend in Australia that has an apartment there. He said we could stay in it. So we took him up on his offer. We had heard from others that it was a lovely place to visit.
Russell’s son arranged to fly with his girlfriend to Dubai to meet us, then we all flew to Malta. When we arrived at the airport we were met by the son of Russell’s friend who lives there. He whisked us away to the apartment on the other side of the island. We had no idea where or what it was going to be like, accept that it would be good. We had a delightful drive winding around roads as he would point out places of interest and things to see and do. We saw little alcoves of beaches, greenery and shops. We got glimpses of fortified walls surrounding “Valletta” which we knew nothing about at that stage.
About 25 minutes later we arrived at the apartment block in St Julian .Our apartment was on the 2nd floor, where we had a lovely view overlooking a clear blue marina, which was filled with large colourful boats and yachts.From the balcony we could also see glimpses of the ocean. Every now and again we would see ships and yachts passing by, even passenger cruise liners.
It became a ritual every day around 5pm we would have G&T (Gin & Tonics) with some nibblies on the balcony. The guys would have a few beers. Then in the mornings we would have these delicious little pastries called Pastisi. They were filled with ricotta and herbs or mashed peas. They were so moorish.
We tried many of the local dishes at different restaurants. The food was absolutely delicious and well presented, like works of art! Not to mention the locally made ice cream was just divine!!! We had to have one just about every day, of course.
There is so much to see and do in Malta. The people mainly speak English and Maltese. They are very friendly and helpful. The island has a laid back, relaxing feeling, like you are in a bit of a time warp. They mainly travel by bus and car and ferry. We went on a few tours. A couple of boat tours (spirit of malta) to the other islands nearby. Comino & Gozo. The thing that amazed us the most was the heritage and culture of Malta. It is very rich and diverse. They are proud of it and preserve and maintain it.
The cats of Malta
They even have a lady that feeds all the stray cats. She has made a special area for them to go to. They have their own little houses with their names on.
When we went to Valletta we learned all about the colourful history of Malta. It dates back to 5200 BC. see http://www.visitmalta.com/en/history to learn more.
They have wonderful museums. The War Museum at Fort St. Elmo. The Museum of Archaeology in Valletta houses an exceptionally rich collection of prehistoric artefacts. The Museum of Roman antiquities. http://www.visitmalta.com/en/attractions
Many films and sitcoms have been made in Malta such as “Gladiator, U-571, The Count of Monte Cristo, Troy,Munich BBC’s Byron and ITV’s Coronation Street. Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Wolfgang Petersen, Guy Ritchie and other renowned directors, as well as a host of A-list celebrities such as Russell Crowe, Brad Pitt, Sharon Stone, Madonna and Sean Connery, all experienced Malta’s movie making facilities and its many charms.” http://www.visitmalta.com/en/filming-in-malta
We would thoroughly recommend going to Malta. You won’t be disappointed. We loved it.
Malta,spirit Of Malta,maltese,valletta
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