Il-Belt Valletta

We arrived in Malta at 12:30pm local time after waking at 4am to catch our Ryanair flight. Our friends, Charlie and Cornelia, were at the airport to pick us up to take us to our hotel in Valletta, The Grand Harbour Hotel.

On the way we stopped at a local cafe to have lunch where I opted for a traditional Maltese tuna ftira, washed down with the traditional Maltese beverage, Kinnie. Ftira is a large thick crust bun, halved and filled with Mediterranean type ingredients such as olive oil, tuna, tomato, capers and olives - all the yummies I love. (Non existent diet - watch out). Kinnie is Malta’s favourite soft drink, and is a unique bitter tasting drink with orange flavouring and aromatic herbs. Katie wasn’t a fan of Kinnie and was happy with a coke.

When we booked our hotel we arranged to have harbour view rooms, and WOW, what a view we all have. Facing us, on the opposite side of the Grand Harbour, lie Malta’s trio of cities- Vittoriosa (or Birgu in Maltese), Senglea (Isla), and Cospicua (Bormla).

Known collectively as The Three Cities, they offer an insight into Malta’s maritime fortunes. Each was critical to the defence of the island, which explains their strategic position right across from Valletta, with Birgu and Isla being the most prominent as they jut out into the Grand Harbour.

All 3 are enclosed by a huge line of fortifications, built by the Knights.

After a much needed shower, Katie and I went on a short walk to find some bottles of water. We soon found a restaurant with all day happy hour serving 4euro Spritz and cocktails. We then retreated to the hotel to meet our guides (Charlie & Cornelia). they took us on a tour of Valletta. Measuring only 1km x 600m, with every street leading to the sea, Valletta’s walls contain stunning 16th- and 17th- century townhouses fronted by traditional balconies. In recent times Valletta has blossomed with exciting cafes, restaurants, bars, new galleries, museums, and an emerging nightlife scene.

I can only describe Valletta as old (yet beautiful), steeped in history everywhere you turn, vibrant and oozing 21st century life.

While we were in Valletta, the Malta International Food Festival was on in Triton Square, drawing huge crowds. We were taken to the prestigious Phoenicia Hotel for drinks before finding a place to have dinner.

We walked a bit more before coming across a restaurant offering traditional Maltese food. I had the grilled octopus and to say it was amazing is an understatement. I gave Charlie the job of picking a nice red wine and it didn’t disappoint. Also he gave me a new app called ViVino which tells you about the wine and reviews - this will be used a lot from now on!

At the end of the meal it was a leisurely stroll back to the hotel to view the cart skyline from the roof top of our hotel before going back to our rooms to get a much needed night’s sleep.Read more