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  • TravelerMaltese Islands, Mediterranean
    Day 13

    We love the Maltese Islands

    April 3 in France ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    A postscript to our 'sejour' on the Maltese Islands.

    Our time in France is coming to a close for this year - we are going home to Pretty Beach in early May. Before our return, we wanted to go 'somewhere' for a few weeks. With our usual 'go to’ holiday of long distance walking out of the question for now, we went searching for a destination. Somewhere new to us, relatively easy to get to, near the sea, maybe a little warmer weather, with interesting history and culture, natural beauty - and good food.

    The Maltese archipelago seemed to have it all ... and it did not disappoint. In fact, I think it exceeded all our expectations. Malta has an extraordinary history that has led to today's rich and varied culture and architecture. At times it reminded me of Morocco, at other times of Andalusia and of Italy. All this, overlaid with the many French and British influences.

    While the Maltese language sounded like a combination of Arabic and Italian, having two official languages - Maltese and English - makes for easy travelling for English speakers. We were warmly welcomed by all our hosts. Our lasting feeling, at least as visitors, is that everyone is welcome in Malta.

    On a personal note, there were many moments during this holiday where I thought of my darling mum Helen - soon to turn 95. She was the first person I ever knew who had visited Malta - in fact she visited twice, some decades ago. A friend from Brisbane had moved there with her Maltese husband and they had invited Helen to visit as a side trip to her UK holidays. Not long before we left to travel to Valletta, I was speaking to Helen about her visits and she sang the praises of Malta as she did all those decades ago. And now we know why. It was a bonus to feel that we were following in her 'trail blazing' footsteps.

    Helen also reminded me that her great uncle, James Connolly (later Sir James) was Agent General for NSW in Malta from 1929 to 1932, during which time he promoted migration from Malta to Australia. These days, Australia is home to the largest Maltese diaspora in the world, so maybe he played a small part in that. Certainly, many of our hosts in Malta and Gozo, were excited to tell us they had family members living in Australia.

    There is plenty of information 'out there' about the unique history, culture and natural beauty of the Maltese Islands. No need for me to write more. but, in short, we loved our time there and hope to return one day. ❤️🇲🇹❤️

    https://www.visitmalta.com/en/    Read more

  • TravelerMaltese Islands, Mediterranean
    Day 12

    Day 12 • A post for Camino walkers

    April 2 in Malta ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    There is a short Camino in Malta, which has been recognised as an ‘official’ route to Santiago de Compostela.

    The local XirCammini association is active and enthusiastic. I was in touch with them a while ago and the gentleman I corresponded with, James, was very welcoming. In our email exchange, he told me ‘the Camino is in its infancy and - in this respect - also a work in progress. It is labour of love which the volunteer organisation XirCammini has embarked upon and that is coming to fruition. Almost 400 people have already walked the Malta segment of the Camino Maltes since its official roll out in March 2023.’

    The Camino has its own Kredenzjal (credenciale). The XirCammini website describes this short camino in the following way:

    ‘The Malta segment of the Camino Maltés is only 35km, typically completed in 1 or 2 days. The route of the Malta segment of the Camino Maltés joins the route of the Universal Peace Walk over several waypoints. It starts in Rabat, joining the Universal Peace Walk 1543AD in Mdina and continues on the Universal Peace Walk 1543AD until St. Gregory’s Church in Zejtun (i.e. for approximately 28km). From Zejtun the Camino Maltés continues through Zabbar to the 3 cities, stopping at Fort St. Angelo, Birgu (Citta Vittoriosa). ‘

    We had already decided not to walk this Camino during this holiday, as I was not up to walking 10 kms or more at a time and so, at best, it would take two or three days of our time here. But we were delighted to come across signs of The Way.

    On Day 1, I posted that on our first afternoon in Malta, on Bigur in The Three Cities, we visited Fort Saint Angelo, which we discovered is also the end point of the Camino Maltes. From there, pilgrims would cross the sea to the southern tip of Sicily, crossing again to Sardinia, and again to Barcelona … then on dry land on to Santiago de Compostela.

    You will see from the map that the Camino Maltes does not start in or pass through Valletta - now the capital but a city built ‘only’ in the 16th century. In fact it starts in Rabat. During his walk in Rabat this morning, The French visited the catacombs of Saint Paul, and discovered it is also the starting point of the Camino Maltes.

    It seems fitting to us that we would have this camino connection on our first and last days here. We’d like to walk this short Camino one day - who knows, perhaps continuing on through Sicily … and maybe Sardinia … Another good reason to return to Malta. 😎

    https://caminomaltes.mt/    Read more

  • TravelerMaltese Islands, Mediterranean
    2243
    Day 11

    Day 11 • An evening in Rabat

    April 1 in Malta ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    This morning we took the Gozo fast ferry to Valletta and then a BOLT * to Rabat - Mdina for our last two nights on Malta. We visited the Mdina on the way back from Dingli Cliffs last week (see Day 4), but hadn’t wandered around Rabat. Accounts of Rabat - Mdina seem to vary - but there’s no doubting a rich history going back many thousands of years. More info below.

    We arrived at our new digs, grateful for an early check in and delighted to find we had a light and airy studio with kitchen facilities and a sunny terrace. The French went for a stroll to a nearby shop and came back with provisions to make a ham cheese and tomato baguette for lunch on the terrace. 😎.

    In the afternoon The French went back to the Mdina and also did a reconnaissance for likely dinner spots not far from our apartment. He discovered quite a few restaurants in the heart of Rabat, and just 800 metres away. It was a fine evening, and we enjoyed a slow stroll, through some charming narrow streets, and dinner in the courtyard at Castelletti. We had a small (very small) martini blanco as an aperitif (or I should say aperitivo) to begin.

    Lovely evening. Last day tomorrow. 😎

    More here on Rabat and Mdina

    https://www.visitmalta.com/en/a/mdina-and-rabat/

    https://www.malta-guide.net/travel/mdina-rabat-…

    * Travel tip: Up until my knee started playing up we’d mostly taken local buses (frequent, efficient, on time, inexpensive, clean) to move around - when ferries were not an option. In the past few days we’ve opted for a BOLT car door to door. On Malta they have taxis, Uber and BOLT (new to me) with the last being the most popular. We’ve never waited more than a few minutes. Given the size of Malta, and Gozo much smaller still, it’s rare to need a long/expensive journey. Most of our journeys have been between 5 and 10 kms. Recommend downloading the BOLT app if visiting Malta / Gozo.    Read more

  • TravelerMaltese Islands, Mediterranean
    2
    Day 10

    Day 10 • Nadur, Gozo - Easter Sunday

    March 31 in Malta ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Nadur is a small town sitting above the Mgarr Harbour. I read that it was ‘one of the first hamlets of Gozo island to be raised to the status of a village. It took place in 1688, when Nadur with its outlying area was dismembered (!) from the Matrice parish in the Citadel and established a parish on its own.’

    Easter Sunday morning and soon after we finished breakfast the procession began from the Church around the corner. I was able to take a couple of videos from our balcony. I’m not much of a videographer - I kept cutting at all the wrong moments. And while faffing around with the video, didn’t take any photos until right at the end. The French was down in the street, just at the corner with a close up view. You can see him top right.

    Nadur offers picturesque coastal walks to nearby beaches, which we would have enjoyed in other circumstances. Instead, I had a quiet and relaxing day in our B&B - grateful for Netflix, though I could/should have been doing some French homework - while The French took the bus to see the Fungus Rock.

    It was a lovely evening and The French and I took a short, slow stroll to the town square for dinner. We were surprised and delighted to find a small restaurant offering a Japanese / Thai menu. ☺️    Read more

  • TravelerMaltese Islands, Mediterranean
    1
    Day 9

    Day 9 • Il Barrag Farmhouse B&B, Nadur

    March 30 in Malta ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    Here on Gozo, it’s beginning to feel like ‘Déjà vu … all over again’.

    Some reading this post might recall that late last year, while on what was supposed to be a 1,000 km walk, I had knee trouble that put an end to that - specifically a stress fracture in my right knee (and later a meniscus tear in my left but that’s another story). After months of doing very little, some of it on crutches, it seemed that the fracture had healed, confirmed by a scan. I started building up exercise, walking a little more and all was going well.

    On this holiday, I’ve been prudent, or so I thought. But a few days ago my right knee started bothering me … a little at first, but more so now. I know from experience where that can lead and I do fear a refracture. So I’ll be taking it easy until we fly back to Marseille on the 2nd April, and hoping a few days’ rest in the meantime will help to get me to our next destination and then home without too much drama.

    I’m encouraging The French to explore a little more in coming days and I can share some of his photos - in the meantime here are some of our digs, a restored (400 year old) farmhouse B&B in the small town of Nadur.

    After two nights here, we will make our way back to Malta Island to Rabat / Mdina for another two nights. Thankfully we’ve already had a short visit to the Mdina and The French will have time for a longer visit which he’s keen to do. The good news is that we’ve pretty much seen everything that was high on our list so, while this is a frustrating development, there is no sense of missing out.

    And our host tells us that the Easter procession on Sunday morning will pass along the narrow street right by our front door. Our room has a small balcony on to the street, so we may not even need to leave the room to see it.

    l-Għid it-Tajjeb. That’s Happy Easter in Maltese. 😎    Read more

  • TravelerMaltese Islands, Mediterranean
    11
    Day 8

    Day 8 • Comino Island and Blue Lagoon

    March 29 in Malta ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Well, I think the pictures are worth a thousand words. What a glorious place. 😎

    Not really much to say other than - if you are visiting, go as early as you can. We arrived at the Blue Lagoon soon after 10am. There were a few boats alighting, but not crowded. Some stayed on the beach or swam from moored boats. We walked on the island for about an hour and a half. By the time we got back to the Blue Lagoon at 11.30, there were many more boats and at least 10 times as many people.

    Happily, the boat we were on then took us around to Crystal Lagoon where we moored for about 45 minutes - for lunch, for a swim in the clear turquoise waters, to just enjoy sitting on the rocks - or all of the above. Tranquille.

    It is Easter long weekend, so that accounts for some of the ‘busyness’, but we are not even in April yet. We could only imagine how crowded this glorious island becomes in summer. Go as early as you can … and enjoy. But don’t expect you will be the only one with that idea. 😎    Read more

  • TravelerMaltese Islands, Mediterranean
    2221
    Day 7

    Day 7 • Marsalforn Bay and the Salt Pans

    March 28 in Malta ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    ‘Salt is born of the purest parents: the sun and the sea.’ - Pythagoras

    We saw this wonderful quote today as we arrived at the salt pans of Xwejni. After the weather of the last few days, we woke this morning to clear blue skies and barely a breath of wind, so we didn’t waste any time starting the day. First, an excellent breakfast provided by Giovanna, then we took a local bus from Victoria to Marsalforn and walked along the coast to the Salt Pans. What a magical place.

    At the small shop set in the cliff opposite the salt pans, we briefly met owners Manuel and Rosa, whose family is one of three salt farmers of Xwejni. They explained that they are in maintenance mode now until next month when harvesting will begin. From what we’ve read, salt farming is hard work but certainly a labour of love for Rosa and Manuel. How’s this for a story:

    ‘The Cini family’s ancestors have worked the Xwejni Salt Pans since the 1860s. Josephine Xuereb is a 5th generation salt-farmer continuing the family tradition of her mother Rosa’s family. Her family are synonymous with salt. In Gozo, the process of making artisan salt through evaporation goes back to Phoenician and Roman times. During the British occupation of Gozo salt-harvesting was revived when the Government offered concessions for local people to work them and share-own them.

    Josephine says: “My father Manuel is known all over the world as ‘Leli Tal-Melh’ which means Manuel The Salt Man. He’s been making salt since 1969, when he married my mother Rosa and they revived her family’s business. Salt harvesting then was dying out because it is physically very hard, back-breaking work. But after my mother met my father, she taught him the trade – they fell in love, they fell in love with the salt pans and the rest is history. Today, 50 years later they are both still harvesting salt. The salt preserved their love and preserved the local trade as well.”

    Xwejni’s Salt Pans chequerboard pattern and shimmering mirrored reflective pools are always a dynamic sight to behold. Spanning several kilometres across Gozo’s northern coast. Today they are divided between 3 salt farmers. The intricate formation of shallow square pools and larger feeder pools, which Josephine compares to delicate ‘lacework’ use 3 raw natural ingredients: the sun, sea and wind to create this essential mineral for life.’

    More here.

    https://www.visitgozo.com/blog/the-saltpans-of-…

    What a treat. 😍

    PS. We visited some other cool places today but the Salt Pans were definitely the highlight so will leave it at that for today. 😎    Read more

  • TravelerMaltese Islands, Mediterranean
    1
    Day 6

    Day 6 • Gozo, one of those days

    March 27 in Malta ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    ‘It was one of those March days …’ though the problem was not so much the shade but the wind.

    After yesterday’s wild winds in Valletta, we were relieved to be able to take a morning fast ferry from Malta to Gozo - given what came later, I’m pretty sure the afternoon ferries would have been cancelled.

    We settled in to our lovely Bed and Breakfast in Victoria, visited the Tourism Office to get a Gozo map and bus timetable, and by early afternoon we were at the prehistoric Ggantija Temples.

    Just as well we didn’t waste any time … by mid afternoon, the wind had whipped up again, but this time accompanied by a drop in temperature of about 5 or 6 degrees. March weather … Rather than include my few and not very good photos, here is a link to Heritage Malta’s description and much better images.

    https://heritagemalta.mt/explore/ggantija-archa…

    Arriving back in Victoria, the wind was icy. We took a few hours refuge in our B&B, then braved the cold for an early evening stroll before dinner. Here are some photos including some of the Citadelle. We’ll visit again tomorrow, for sure. 😎    Read more

  • TravelerMaltese Islands, Mediterranean
    11211
    Day 5

    Day 5 • Valletta

    March 26 in Malta ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    A day late with this post, and all I have to offer is an odd collection of images from Valletta. It was blowing a gale there yesterday so we cut short our time. Ferries were cancelled so we took the bus back to The Three Cities. By early evening the wind had died down and we enjoyed a delicious dinner dockside at a Greek restaurant. 😎

    Might come back to this post later with more on Valletta.    Read more

  • TravelerMaltese Islands, Mediterranean
    11
    Day 4

    Day 4 • Dingli Cliffs, Mdina and more

    March 25 in Malta ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Today didn’t turn out quite as expected. But we didn’t mind at all. The French and I are nothing if not adaptable. That’s one of the advantages of independent travel - you can be agile and change course easily.

    Our plan today was to go to the Dingli cliffs on the south west coast of Malta. It’s less than 20 kms from The Three Cities and easily accessible by a local bus, a few steps from our boutique hotel, and changing at the Valletta bus interchange to another bus to to the town of Had-Dingli. From there, a short walk to the coast and along the cliffs. We would have a few hours there, maybe a late lunch and then make our way back.

    It was cloudy when we left The Three Cities but the forecast was otherwise fine with no wind. Maybe the cloud would lift. You have to take your chances. Unfortunately by the time we arrived at Dingli cliffs the clouds were not only in the sky but had descended to sea level. Not exactly the ‘belle vue’ we’d hoped for, but it was quite atmospheric, even though you could barely see the cliffs. The French and I reflected that, as fabulous as the Dingli cliffs may be on a fine day, we do have spectacular cliffs in our own backyard, back home on the Bouddi Peninsula, so we can’t be too disappointed. Our time at Dingli cut short, what to do next?

    The bus we’d taken from Valletta had stopped at Rabat / Mdina, where we will be staying for the final two nights of our holiday. But, we thought, why not stop there on the way back and have a short reconnaissance tour of the Mdina. So that’s what we did, and thoroughly enjoyed our stroll and a delicious late lunch as well. Our time there made us even more enthusiastic for our longer stay late next week.

    So, next, the bus back to Valletta. But instead of taking another bus at the Valletta interchange we crossed the town and made our way down to the ferry stop. While waiting for the ‘big ferry’ - the one with extra things like safe gangplanks and life jackets - we noticed a man spruiking a ride on a traditional boat. Why not? So, on we hopped and had a quick and fun ride back to The Three Cities. Careful not to drop my phone overboard, I managed to take a couple of videos that I’ve included.

    One final treat, a family of mother duck and gorgeous fuzzy ducklings we had seen yesterday among the outdoor tables of a Greek restaurant on the waterfront were there again this afternoon. All in all a great day.

    Tomorrow, our last full day on Malta for a while, we will spend in the big smoke, Valletta, just across the harbour by big or small boat. 😎    Read more

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