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Malta

October 2017
A 9-day adventure by Caroline Read more
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  • TravelerMalta
    Day 1

    There, then here

    October 4, 2017 in Malta ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    After an unnecessary, but unsurprising, 3am wake up for both of us, the taxi arrives bang on time at 05.45. Security is efficient, we buy supplies and very quickly, it seems, we're belted into seats 3a and 3b.

    The flight leaves on time but we're delayed starting our descent into Malta due to the depression that is sitting over the island preventing us landing. We're warned of probable turbulence during the approach and landing, to the extent that the staff are handing out extra sick bags! In the event, the turbulence clears and Captaim Eammon executes a textbook landing.

    It's raining. A lot. Yuck.

    We whiz through this tiny airport and are in our taxi to St Julian's within minutes. We drop our bags at our apartment at midday but cannot stay long as the cleaner is due but do step quickly onto our terrace to check out the view.

    Then we potter off into the grey damp with the prospect of several hours to amuse ourselves. Thank goodness the rain has eased so we wander round the harbour checking things out for a while. Eventually it starts raining more again so we dip into Bar Moak, opposite Balutta Church, for some cold local beer, Cisk (pronounced Chisk), and some lunch, mussels for me and just tomato bruschetta for John, who had only recently eaten his Gatwick all-day-breakfast sandwich. We move on to the Irish pub, The Dubliner, for another beer until, finally, we can take possession of our apartment.    Read more

  • TravelerMalta
    Day 1

    Now we feel we're here

    October 4, 2017 in Malta ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We settle in and gradually the clouds begin to break up. We're not talking clear blue skies but enough to give us a teaser of what to expect. A small glass of red improves matters and I can see this terrace getting a lot of use over the next week.

    Our dinner reservation tonight is at Wigi, just next to where we ate at lunchtime. We need to arrive early if we're going to get one of their coveted window seats. We do! But by five past seven all four window tables are gone. We have a lovely view across the water to Balutta Church.

    We enjoy Thai style calamari fritti and beef carpaccio with celeriac remoulade for starters. I retract my avowed dislike of celeriac and redesignate my dislike to cooked celariac. Main courses are a local fish called meagre, in a delicate olive oil and lemon sauce and pink rack of lamb served with Moroccan spiced vegetables. Mmmm. Predictably, I am defeated too soon, leaving John with some of the fish and most of the lamb to deal with...

    Then back for final drinks on our terrace, before an early night.    Read more

  • TravelerMalta
    Day 2

    Thursday morning

    October 5, 2017 in Malta ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    It's still dark when I emerge onto the terrace with my coffee. It's also raining and seems cloudy so it doesn't look as if the depression has moved off just yet. As it lightens up, the rain stops but it is still grey and murky. At least it is a pleasant temperature to sit outside.

    Brief update : 07.50 and we seem to be in the midst of a thunderstorm... Luckily, our terrace is covered so it is still usable despite the rain lashing down.

    We shoot out to Dick's Bar for a fry up to get us going, before heading for Valetta for the day. Despite my misgivings, we find a bus easily and it's not long before are in Slimea, waiting in the queue for the Valetta ferry. It's raining again so everyone piles inside for the short crossing.    Read more

  • TravelerMalta
    Day 2

    What to do in Valetta in the rain?

    October 5, 2017 in Malta ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    As we leave the ferry in the rain I spot a sign for a free exhibition, "Fort Builders" so we duck in there. It's a detailed and interesting exhibition about the development of the fortifications of Malta over two millennia. Malta has been so historically significant in the Med due to it's superb location in the channel between Italy and North Africa, dividing the Med into the east and west basins, it has been blessed with a magnificent harbour and is easily defendable so that maintaining strong defences has been of paramount importance to its many occupiers.

    We leave and, hey, no rain! So we start wandering the streets to get a sense of this city. After a while we swing by Ortygia, a Sicilian restaurant, for lunch and enjoy a platter of meats and cheeses. Stepping outside afterwards it's clear we have, again, escaped the rain!

    We check out the city gates, the massive walls, wander the streets and finally end up in Upper Barakka Gardens shortly before the firing of the evening gun at 4pm. This cannon was traditionly fired twice daily at noon and 4pm to advise any ships in the harbour of the correct time.

    We drift down the city, passing the arrival of a bride at a church, ending up right at the end where the massive St Elmo's Fort guards the harbour entrance. No time for a visit today so we head back to the ferry.

    One's in but there is such a huge line waiting that they leave without a lot of people. We join the remaining queue for the next ferry and are 74th and 75th in line (some of us have too much time on their hands!). This crossing the coveted seats are outside on top and we get two of the last. We're straight on a bus after disembarking, and crawl back to San Giljan in the evening traffic.

    Next, a couple of asides...    Read more

  • TravelerMalta
    Day 2

    Maltese balconies

    October 5, 2017 in Malta ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    As you wander the streets of Valetta, take the time to look up and you will see the unique Maltese balconies in abundance. Their origins are vague but one thought is that they were acceptable forms of decoration for the Knights whilst Valetta was being built. Others believe an Arab influence seems likely and it is a popular thought that women in the 18th century could sit hidden up there and watch the world go by.Read more

  • TravelerMalta
    Day 2

    Local food for dinner!

    October 5, 2017 in Malta ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We enjoy a couple of glasses of wine out on the terrace, whilst watching the lightning in the far distance on an almost continuous basis, before going out for dinner. The Indian we fancied was full so we choose Gululu which is very close to our apartment.

    Good news, the lampuki festival is on! We'll have to try it. But what is it? It sounds like it has the potential to be something perhaps slimey or maybe internal... Actually, it's the fish we also know as dorado or mahi-mahi. John has it served traditionally with a delicate caper sauce and I have a local dish of rabbit fried with garlic and then braised in white wine with herbs. We share and both are very good.    Read more

  • TravelerMalta
    Day 3

    Mdina and the classic cars

    October 6, 2017 in Malta ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    We wait and wait for the 202 bus to Mdina. Finally it comes round the corner but it's full and doesn't stop for us... Just great. And the next bus isn't for another hour so we have to call a taxi, instead of using our already paid for bus passes. The taxi is air conditioned and quick so there are advantages over standing, crushed, on a hot bus for an hour.

    We walk through the huge main gate into beautiful Mdina, once the ancient capital of Malta. We explore the narrow steets and alleys, enjoying how pretty it is.

    The Classic Cars are on display in St Paul's Square, in front of the cathedral, so we head over there. We enjoy a glass of Prosecco and admire all these lovingly maintained cars, in the buzzy atmosphere.

    Then to Bacchus to share a Maltese platter of sausage, olives, sun dried tomato, cheese, octopus, bean dip, bread sticks and bruschetta for lunch. The restaurant is inside the old powder store with big arched ceilings.    Read more

  • TravelerMalta
    Day 3

    Catacombs and cathedrals

    October 6, 2017 in Malta ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    First stop are the tiny catacombs of St Cataldus, where there is no information but we can take pictures.

    And then it's on to the much bigger catacombs of St Agatha. We join a tour and learn a lot about catacombs : nobles and the rich have the central tombs, the middle class are in tombs around the walls and the poor were in tombs donated by the rich but in areas like corridors. If two tombs are together but there is no wall between then, that depicts that they were married, a wall and they weren't, priests were in tombs in the chapels. There are still remnants of paintings from two thousand years ago. The catacombs are huge but we are shown only a small but significant part, there's nothing in the remaining section that we haven't seen. So interesting to see but no photo taking is allowed.

    After that we return to the Classic Cars again, and then visit the cathedral and the cathedral museums, which had a lot of stuff on display but not much in the way of explanations so we whistled through fairly quickly. As we came out the Classic Cars were beginning to leave which was fun to see and hear - vroom, vroom!    Read more

  • TravelerMalta
    Day 3

    This evening

    October 6, 2017 in Malta ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Would you believe it? A packed 202 has driven straight past the crowded bus stop again. Again, the next bus isn't for another bloody hour. We wince at the price of a taxi home from Mdina but a couple overhear us and ask if we'd like to split the cost with them which, of course, we do. Chatting on the way back it turns out they were on the bus this morning that didn't stop for us. As well, they were eating in the same restaurant as us last night. Small world!

    Back at the apartment we have a glass of wine on the terrace, before walking to Peppino's for dinner. We're lucky enough to get their tiny arched, sea view balcony with just the one table. Perfect! We share a starter of razor clams and mussels gratinee , followed by sea bream and bass, which we split between us. We'd barely finished, when the traffic was stopped and a chanting procession celebrating Santa Maria came past. Always interesting to catch something local like that.    Read more

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