The Island of Malta with Jamie, Lisa & Ellie

 The Island of Malta 

The sun was shinning as we arrived at our fabulous hotel and we couldn't wait to make a splash in the many pools!  

The bus picked us up for our first adventure of the holiday which drove us to Sliema port for our 3 Islands Cruise! We were looking forward to seeing the Maltese coastline especially as the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was the first time on a boat for some of the group and what a treat it was! 

We admired the cliffs and spectacular views as the boat headed towards the famous St Maria Bay in Como. Some of us sat out on the top deck, enjoying feeling the wind in our hair!

The boat pulled up and the captain lowered the stairs into the clear, sparkling water! Dean was quick to get into the beautiful sea followed by Kim who enjoyed her first swim in the sea! Our journey then continued around the coast where we enjoyed free drinks on board which kept us cool in the hot sun. We pulled up at Blue Lagoon which offered another chance for a dip surrounded by sheer natural beauty. An amazing buffet lunch was enjoyed, and we all agreed we could get used to eating surrounded by panoramic views of the Maltese coastline. We aren’t quite sure if the food gave us some extra energy as a few of us were keen to enjoy the sea once more and this time we were feeling brave and jumped off the stairs into the water! Jamie and Dean went first and then Shannon jumped in not once but 3 times whist we all cheered. Following her amazing achievement, Lisa also jumped in too which we all clapped!

Today we explored the stunning capital city of Valetta! We had already glimpsed the beautiful city from our bus and boat ride. The city was filled with more beautiful architecture, sweeping views of the sea and a huge, beautiful fountain! 

Our exploration continued but not by walking but by horse and carriage! We got onto our carriage and set off though the gates! It was a fantastic way to see the city from a different perspective and we enjoyed the winding, cobbled streets looking down the beautiful alleyways! It was then time to walk around the town, looking in the shops and admiring the incredible views over the island. 

We made our way to the famous Castille Square which had a beautiful garden and balcony overlooking the Saluting Battery, Malta’s ancient ceremonial platform from which cannons are fired. We went down to the platform with one of the guards in uniform who gave our group a special talk about how the cannons worked. 

 

We then watched in awe as the cannon was prepared and fired across the bay! It was really loud and very exciting for us all! There were some amazing market stalls so some of us bought handmade named necklaces and bracelets! We then went to the Malta at War Museum where we discovered lots of interesting facts and artefacts. We then explored more of the streets, taking in all of the beautiful buildings! 

We took a leisurely stroll along the seafront to spend the morning at Malta National Aquarium. The Aquarium has over 150 species of marine and freshwater fish and there were lots of colourful rooms to explore with huge tanks full of amazing sea life! 

We enjoyed learning about what was in each area and listened to a fascinating talk, watching a very funny and friendly stingray have some food! It was amazing to be able to walk through a huge tunnel surrounded by fish swimming above our heads.

   

We couldn't wait to check out the gift shops and everyone managed to buy some great souvenirs. 

An ice cream treat is always a must....we were on holiday after all! 

Another glorious day with bright blue skies as we drove to Mdina, a beautiful ancient walled city which is also known as the Silent City as there are no cars except those that belong to the few residents that live there! Mdina is built on the islands highest point and our driver told us about some movies that had been filmed there, including Gladiator! 

We took a walk to The Malta Classic Car Collection Museum. Inside there was a huge selection of restored cars and collections of antiques and memorabilia from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s! We saw T-Birds, Spitfires, Jaguars, Fiats and Fords and enjoyed taking photos next to the beautiful vehicles, deciding which one we would like to drive! 

Every evening we enjoyed the best entertainment. We put on our ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ on specially as tonight we were going to an Elvis night. We had reserved a table in the bar with the best view and had a fabulous night singing and dancing to our favourite hits! Elvis even came to our table for some special photos.