Valletta

Valletta is an old city. The vast walls that encase it above the relentless sea below are starting to crumble, dotted on every street are statues of historic figures, and the cross of the Knights of Saint Paul is publicly emblazoned wherever it feasibly can be. In some areas the buildings are still recovering from what they endured during the 20th Century. But by Maltese standards, Valletta is a positively sprightly, youthful place.

Malta is home to some of the oldest relics of human civilisation on Earth. The Ġgantija temples in Gozo are 5,500 years old. That's not just older than the Pyramids, they're older than almost any other structure on Earth, second only to Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. For a history buff like me, a country as steeped in the past as Malta is a great starting point for my latest solo travel adventure.

I have two aims on this trip. First, I want to visit more of the world's smallest countries and understand their unique, particular stories. Second, I want to travel the length of Italy and experience its famed North / South divide. While I'm at it, I'd also quite like to enjoy the sun, the sea and the food that make this part of the world such a delight to visit.

To that end, after spending the hour-long delay to my flight devouring a Malta travel guide cover-to-cover, I spent the afternoon exploring the grid-like streets of Valletta and visiting a few (thankfully air conditioned!) museums. The Malta Experience was a 45 minute film that gave an overview of Maltese history. It really highlighted the tumultuous story of this island, located so strategically in the Mediterranean that it was controlled by so many powers that have risen and fallen - the Romans, the Byzantines, the Ottomans, the Order of the Knights of Malta, Napoleonic France, and the British Empire just to name a few.

After the film, I went on a tour of the Sacra Infermeria - the hospital ran by the Knights of Saint Paul following the founding of Valletta by Jean de Vallette. The tour guide was fantastic, very knowledgeable and a natural story teller. She took us through the former hospital, explaining the gruesome details of how the Knights treated their patients, which seemingly relied more on divine fortune than anything resembling medicine.

After also touring the National War Museum, I went out in search of Malta's national dish - stuffat tal-fenek, or rabbit stew. Washed down with a glass of Malta's own cider brand, Tuff, it was a very flavoursome dish, though admittedly the bones were a little bit fiddly!もっと詳しく