Day 12 - Valletta, Sliema & Birgu, Malta

The day started with us having breakfast at Cafe Jubillee, just a few minutes walk from our hotel.

After breakfast we caught a bus to Tarxien, a small village that has The Hyergeum, a Neolithic subterranean structure dating to the Saflieni phase (3300 - 3000 BC). It is often referred to as the Hypergeum, which in Greek means “underground”. The Hypergeum is thought to have been a sanctuary and necropolis, with the estimated remains of more than 7,000 people documented by archeologists, and is among the best preserved examples of Maltese temple building culture. The structures in the Hypergeum were all dug underground using primitive stone or flint implements as this civilisation related the Bronze Age. They found the Hypergeum when digging a for a new house and a labourer broke through to one ove the areas.

The tour underground revealed underground caverns, tombs and burial chambers which have withstood the test of thousands of years.

Charlie and Cornelia took us to Marsaxlokk, a small, traditional fishing village. Known for its views, fishermen and history, it was used as a port by Phoenicians, Carthaginians and has the remains of a Roman-era harbour, St. Peter’s Pool and then lunch in Marsaxlokk at a cafe with a shaded area on the sidewalk by the beachfront. It was approx. 36 C and humid, and the slight breeze helped keep us cool somewhat.

After lunch we went back to the hotel room to have another shower and a rest before venturing out again. The pint of the day was a Farsons Hopleaf Pale Ale.

Dad, Katie, Desma and I went to the Malta Experience, a short walk from the hotel, where the history of Malta from the earliest inhabitants to the many sieges that have occurred by a number of invaders over the past 4 thousand years or so. To say that Malta has undergone numerous attempts to seize control by invaders, some successful, some not, is no understatement. Malta was invaded by the Phoenicians, Carthaginian’s, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, crusaders, French, British, with the last being the German/Italian axis during WWII. Malta is in a strategic location due to its location close to the African coast and also its location for sea passage via the Suez Canal. The island was continuously bombed for over 60 days in succession during WWII, in an attempt to cause as much damage as possible, and to also starve the inhabitants.

As part of the tour a guide explained how the Sacra Infermeria played an important part during WWII.

We then caught a water taxi from the Valletta harbour to Birgu which is directly across the harbour. Walking the streets with their traditional stone buildings, many with traditional balconies, the curved streets and preparation for their upcoming festa in honour of St. Laurence. Preparations commence weeks prior with streets transformed into colourful avenues with statues, flags, banners and festoons. All of the work is done by a team of dedicated volunteers, and when the festa comes around the whole village turns out for the festivities and parades.

We then returned to Valletta to prepare for a drive to Sliema and St. Julian’s, referred to by Cornelia as “the Gold Coast of Malta”. We found somewhere to have dinner & Gelato seeing the weather was very warm.Read more