The Island of Malta
Our hotel was amazing and we were keen to make a splash in one of the four swimming pools on-site and our very own private beach! A quick change into our swim things and we had soon picked the perfect lounging spot! A lilo had been packed in one of our suitcases and once blown up we had hours of fun messing around, playing games and practising our swimming. We also did a great job of relaxing, soaking up the sun on the sunbeds.
A super day was spent in the capital city, Valletta. We jumped on the local bus which took us through villages along the coast showing us a variety of historical buildings dating back to the 15th century. We had soon arrived within the walls of this extensive fort city, and you could only imagine the history this magnificent island has lived through.
The best way to see the sights was by walking through the ancient streets to the battlements to witness the daily firing of the canon as a reminder of the history. The Barrakka Gardens was the strategically chosen location for its highly defensible position, and we could see why this made such a great view point…..you could see for miles. After exploring the pristinely kept gardens we went in search of some traditional Maltese food, Ftira a special bread that was filled with local ingredients. We gave it a 10 out of 10! We ended the trip with a brilliant ride on the street train with a running commentary on the history. We waved to all the other tourists as we drove past. A last spot of souvenir shopping to purchase a few gifts before we left this magnificent city.
An afternoon was spent at the Classic Car Museum housing many iconic, restored classic cars alongside 1940s, 50s and 60s memorabilia. We even saw a Jaguar for sale costing a whopping €100,000.
We were ready for our big night out and we were on the hunt to find the Elvis tribute act that we had been told about. We didn’t only find one, we found two! We all agreed it was one of the best tribute shows we had ever seen. Elvis was rocking the whole place and we were up dancing with the rest of the bar to his famous hits.
We had to be up bright and early ready for adventure out on the water. We boarded our boat the Sea Adventurer, with a glass bottom! There was a gentle breeze, but the sun was beaming down on us as we set sail on the calm waters. The sea sparkled and was the most terrific turquoise colour. We had soon arrived at Comino, a very small (and very peaceful) island midway between the islands of Malta and Gozo. The island is inhabited by only a handful of people and is mostly visited for a day trip, both by the Maltese themselves as well as tourists. It is a tourist hotspot for campers and hikers.
The sea was so inviting, we couldn't resist having a swim! Lots of fun was had making a splash as we whizzed down the slide into the sea.
The boat continued to Gozo where we disembarked and found our way walking through the town of Ghajnsielem. This appears to be an abandoned film set but is actually a reconstruction of the village of Bethlehem, in which Jesus was born. During Christmas and Easter, around 150 actors recreate life as it was centuries ago. Any other time of year, however, the village is empty. It was an amazing find! Continuing our walk, we made our way into the majestic town square to Our Lady of Loreto church. This Gothic-Lombard style building is in the shape of a Latin cross. Construction of the church began in 1924 as the population of the village grew and a larger church was needed.
Before we knew it was time to head back to the boat and sail back to Malta. The sun had just started to set over the island, making our day even more special.
The sun was shining as we met up with Antonio who was taking us out in his minibus for the day. Our first stop was at a stunning fishing village where there is a small market selling traditional Maltese cakes and sweets with a nougat and peanut brittle. We couldn’t resist buying a few tasty treats! The small fishing boats are extremely colourful, and we found the perfect spot to sit with a drink, watching the world go buy. We then made our way up the windy roads to the stunning Blue Grotto. The site is extremely popular, attracting some 100,000 tourists per year and is inundated with divers. The grotto also features in the film Troy (2004) starring Brad Pitt.
Our next stop on our tour was Mdina, the original walled capital city of Malta. It is also called the silent city due to its quiet streets and strict vehicle restrictions. We started off with the Mdina experience that was a film telling us about the history off the city. The film was very informative and full off action. Then we walked around the narrow streets marvelling at the fantastic architecture. We walked up to a viewpoint where you could see for miles all the way out to sea. Continuing our exploration, we walked to St. Paul's Cathedral, a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle. We also saw the Vilhena gate which is the main gate into the city.
We were so lucky to be able to come and relax around the pool after our jam packed days out. We had certainly made the most of the glorious sunshine, topping up our tans. The pool was a huge hit with us all and the best way to cool down!
