National Museum of Fine Arts

Walking through Valletta the first time I am reminded of Venice. It seems like everybody here is a tourist, of course, including us. Is it like Venice where nobody actually lives in the city apart from the tourists? Turns out that's not quite correct. When you look over the harbor you can see quite dense housing everywhere and although the main thoroughfare of Felicia is wall-to-wall tourist, you do still see locals. You also see evidence of apartments down the many tiny, narrow side streets with their balcony windows built out over the street.

Malta is such an ancient historic place built on sandstone which is still being quarried. Historically it can be traced back to Neolithic times. Christianity was brought to Malta by the Romans in 60 AD, then came the Arabs, the Normans and for a while Malta was controlled by Sicily. The French were here for a brief period of time before Malta requested help from the English and evidence of that time until Independence is everywhere. It is however still very much both a European country and yet British. They are in the EU and euro is the currency.The cars drive on the left and English and Maltese are the two official languages. The Maltese language derives from its early Arabic roots. It is hard to escape the influence of the Catholic church. Church spiers can be seen everywhere. They must have been significant wealth because the churches are very ornate.

Our hotel is very well located in the center of Valletta and we have a balcony overlooking some of the city's spectacular buildings. We have been advised to seek out the gardens close to the hotel and we go there for our morning coffee every day. The gardens sit at the top of the hill of which there are many, overlooking the stunning harbor and bays. This place has been a fortress for centuries and battlements are everywhere clearly to defend the country. The first day, over coffee we hear the sound of cannon fire, which scattered the vast number of pigeons that live in this small garden. The 12:00 salute is undertaken everyday where one cannon is fired by an officer in a British army uniform. Originally the cannon signalled it was mid day so sips could keep accurate time.

Bob takes a tour of the bunkers and war rooms. Used by different armies including NATO. It might be a very small country in the Mediterranean but it's strategic. Unsurprisingly I did not go on the tour.

It is easy to see why Malta is so popular with tourists and it's relatively cheap. It is very pleasant walking the streets as we do the first couple of days. Just looking at the houses, buildings and churches. The only issue is Valletta is built on a hill and one concession for pedestrians is a lift at the bottom for €1. Haven't tried that yet but can see very well why it is necessary. I can't imagine any local becoming overweight here. Everyone would be fit.Les mer