All Around Valletta

Trip date: January 2022

In Malta's Grand Harbor, January 1, 2022 greeted us with spectacularly sunny skies. After a full day/new year's eve the day before we were all happy to relax on our vrbo yacht for the better part of the day. We cobbled together lunch from leftovers, sat out in the sunshine, and did some laundry at the marina facilities.

Later in the day we took a water ferry across to Valletta. There are a couple of different ways to get from the marina to Valletta; you can drive, you can take a large water taxi, or you can take one of the little traditional dghajsa boats that have been used as water taxis since the Phoenician times! 

I was hesitant at first, as they seem a bit rickety, but it's hard to beat €2 per person and the pick-up was just down from our dock. In the end it was a great way to see more of the harbor and I liked supporting the local owners.

In the capital city we had a great time walking around. We started by heading up the Barrakka Lift which takes you 190 feet up the cliff to a stunning look out. They have been firing cannons at noon and at 4pm here for 500 years. Unfortunately they weren't fired when we there; maybe because it was a holiday?

The 450+ year old city, built by the Knights of St John, is incredibly beautiful. And besides the Knights, the city has been ruled by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs. This comes through in the language, the architecture, and the dizzying array of monuments, 320 of them in the tiny capital!

Even though most places were closed, as it was Jan 1st, just wandering the streets was really great. I mean, the entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage site!

During our walk we passed by the Church of St. Paul's Shipwreck. Come to find out that in AD 60 St. Paul was shipwrecked on Malta and it was then that Christianity was brought to the island. The church was built in 1570 and has some really interesting artifacts including bones from the Saint's wrist and part of the column that he was beheaded on from Rome.

After a few hours of sightseeing we decided that it was time for cocktails and made our way to Strait Street.  Originally this was the place where sailors on shore leave would party, it then became more of a bohemian hang out and was referred as "The Gut". Now, this 5-block long street, and at times not much more than an ally, is the location for bars.We chose the Kennedy Bar and had really great drinks, service and some average bar snacks. 

Afterwards we walked to the south end of Strait Street and had some lovely G&T's alongside delicious pintxos at Yard 32. They have an amazing collection of gins here! Unfortunately they only had outside seating available at the time and it was getting pretty chilly so we only stayed for one round. But I'd go back to both of these cocktail spots!

The next morning was sunny and soooo warm! I headed out solo to explore the area of Birgu which is where our marina was and also where the Fort Saint Angelo is located. It was a nice stroll pass many super yachts on the way to the fort. 

The fort was the Order of St John's headquarters during the Great Siege of Malta of 1565, but the location has had buildings on it since medieval times. It's an interesting walk around to see the old cannons and to take in the gorgeous views. The upper level is by far the prettiest with the palace and a little chapel. 

I continued to explore Birgu by walking up a VERY steep set of stairs to the main square area. Birgu is absolutely charming so even if you aren't staying in the area, I'd highly suggest spending an afternoon here!

I was starving after all my walking around so I stopped for a quick bite of ftira, a traditional circular Maltese sourdough bread, which is used in sandwiches like a baguette. Then I met everyone for a proper lunch at the terrace of one of the restaurants right at the marina.

It was our last night on the boat and we all wanted to enjoy every bit of it! We started happy hour a tad early and finished off the champagne while enjoying the gorgeous sunset. We had gotten incredibly lucky with the weather in Malta!

That night we had a very good dinner at d' Centre, outside in their very cute courtyard. Bonus that it was just a short walk from our boat. 

Forest and I got up early the next morning, grabbed a dghajsa water taxi, and made our way to St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta as we hadn't had time to visit when we were there before. Built in 1572, this was the church that the Knights held communal worship in. As soon as we entered I was floored by the opulence!

We picked up an audio guide and went through the 8 chapels, one for each branch of the Order of the Knights. The floor is laid with hundreds of marble tombstones, they cover the entire floor of the cathedral and each is a commemoration of a Knight of the Order.

Every square inch of the cathedral is decorated, gilded, carved, painted, sculpted, etc. It's an amazing sight!

Before we left we made sure to go to the Oratory and check out Caravaggio's "The Beheading of St. John". WOW.

I was so glad we made the effort to go thru St John’s Co-Cathedral, I would absolutely suggest this is a do-not-miss while in Malta. 

We got back to the boat in time to say goodby to Brian and Anne and then Thibault and I went and picked up one last order of pastizzi for lunch.

The next 24 hours were all travel. We had a 3 hour flight from Malta to Orly airport in Paris where I said goodbye to Forest and Thibault. My flight to Seattle wasn't until the morning and it was out of CDG. The US was still requiring a negative Covid test to enter so I took a Uber to the Moxy at CDG (for €100!). I had used some Marriott points for the room and had brought my own proctor assisted Covid test. It was a relief when it was negative and I knew I could return home the next day.

My flight home was suppose to have been on British Air but they had to cancel and reschedule me because their crew had Covid! I flew Business Class on American to DFW which was quite a bit nicer that the BA flight I took to Paris originally. My seat 5A was its own pod with lots of storage and very comfortable lie-flat bed. Good thing as it was 10 hours to DFW. My connecting flight was delayed 3 hours which made for a long day! I had First Class on the flight to Seattle but couldn't tell you how it was as I was asleep as soon as I sat down. Unfortunately my suitcase didn't join me back home for 2 days! That's travel for you!

Not only was it fantastic to restart our annual New Year's Eve trip, and have new people join us, but Malta is an amazing destination. If you've considered it at all, I'd throw it to the top of your list! And if it hasn't been on your radar, I hope it is now!

All photos from Malta here:

Other posts from this trip:

Country Count #51 Malta

All Around Gozo

New Years Eve in Malta

New Year's Eve in Malta

Trip date: December 2021

After 3 days on Gozo, the five of us were headed to Malta itself. We packed up, checked out of our cute farmhouse and drove to the car ferry. It was a spectacularly sunny day so we all sat up on deck and enjoyed the weather and the views. 

We drove about an hour, the length of the island, to the town of Marsaxlokk, surprisingly the only fishing village in Malta. This town happens to also be where one of my friend's mother is from and her brother had given us a great lunch recommendation right on the harbor.

All the dishes we had, as well as the local wine, at La Nostra Padrona were fabulous. We shared some delicious fried calamari and then I had a wonderful pasta with clams. You can't get fresher seafood than right here!

We didn't have a lot of time to wander around Marsaxlokk but Forest and I did go for a quick walk along the harbor and to see my friend's family house. The town is very charming!

From here it was a 10-minute drive to our next stop, the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. Luckily we had been advised to book tickets to this right after we booked our flights as they only admit 10 people on each tour and there are only 6 tours a day. 

The neolithic burial temple is in the town of Paola, in a neighborhood lined with apartments with traditional Maltese balconies called gallarija. The site was accidentally discovered in 1902 during the building of a new house, the workers ended up breaking through the roof of the hypogeum. That is some basement discovery!

It's a completely fascinating monument that was used between 4000 BC and 1500 BC. There were believed to be around 7,000 people buried in the multi-leveled chambers. There is no photography allowed on the tour but there are photos on the site that I linked. 

It was time for us to head to the Grand Harbour in Birgu, an area just south of the capital of Valletta and one of the oldest cities in Malta. We were excited to check into our new place; the 65' yacht Sea Baron IV! 

We wouldn't be chartering the yacht, just living on it for 5 days. It was a gorgeous boat with tons of space. Three bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, a large living room/dining room, smaller coffee nooks, outside area with table/chairs, and a bunny pad up front. And the Grand Harbour has some exceptional people/boat watching! (The current season of Below Deck is filmed in this marina!)

We were pretty smitten with our location so decided stay in and have pizzas on board for dinner and played games afterwards. 

The next morning was New Year's Eve and we had a lot planned! We were picked up (we had returned the car to the airport so that we wouldn't have to deal with parking) and driven 20 minutes to Attard to have a private cooking class with cookbook author and food writer Pippa Mattei. Anne had found out about her classes which are held in her home; her lovely husband John and her daughter Emma both were involved also. 

We had such a great time, I would highly recommend Pippa's class if you are with people who like to cook. The class was as hands-on as each person wanted it to be, so we all got very involved! We learned to make ravioli with two different fillings and a chestnut soup dessert. 

And possibly the best part was that after we made everything, we helped to set a table in Pippa and John's gorgeous backyard garden and got to eat everything and have some local wine!

During dessert we also learned that the Maltese put a drop of orange flower water in their coffee. It was delicious!

Their driver then picked us up and dropped us off at the walled town of Mdina. 

Mdina was the capital of Malta until the medieval ages. When they moved the capital most everyone left so the town was then called the Silent City. And Mdina was the filming location for a few scenes in Game of Thrones. It was high on my list of places to visit so I was excited to be there.

It's very small and doesn't take very long to walk around and the architecture is absolutely beautiful! Many of the residents were Maltese nobility and most of their property was passed down from families and from generations (and still continues). There are also wonderful views from the town out to the sea!

This would be a very easy stop on the way to or from the Gozo ferry as well! 

We grabbed taxis and headed back to the marina. Anne, Forest and I stopped at a grocery and loaded up on happy hour supplies for our New Year's Eve festivities. We had sunset drinks on the yacht, the weather was just gorgeous, and then got cleaned up for our dinner plans.

We had chosen the restaurant Terrone which is right in the marina so we wouldn't have to deal with traffic and could just walk over. Since Covid was still quite prevalent we also made reservations for outside. It was chilly but I just had a light weight jacket on and was fine. 

The setting (the restaurant is built into the walls of the Fort St. Angelo) and the food were both very nice, but unfortunately they were so short staffed that our service was really poor. It was almost impossible to get our order taken, refills on items, etc. which can be trying.

We headed back to our boat in time to pour another round of champagne and watch the fireworks. We had been worried that they might cancel the show but it went on as planned and we had a great time!

We had filled the last day of 2021 with a lot of fun and wonderful experiences! 

All Malta photos here.

Other posts from this trip:

Country Count #51 Malta

All Around Gozo

All Around Valletta

All Around Gozo

Trip date: December 2021

For such a tiny island, there are a lot of sights to see on Gozo. And right down the street from our rental house was one of them; the Basilica of Ta' Pinu. This huge church is a shrine to the Virgin Mary; there isn't anything else around it except for a parking lot, so it's a bit unusual just sitting out in the middle of a field. The site was chosen because a woman by the name of Carmela Grima claimed she heard the Virgin Mary speak to her there. She is entombed behind the altar as a thank you to for her faith. 

Outside of the church are mosaic panels with biblical stories which were created by artists from around the world. The work is quite beautiful.

A very short drive from our house in Ghammar is the Ta'Dbiegi Crafts Village. Local artists each have their own space and most are actively creating while you are there. It's a little touristy but we found some interesting stuff and also learned about the declining lace making industry. The owner of the lace shop wouldn't even let me take photos of their product as he said big manufacturers steal the local designs!

While we were all shopping Thibault found a whole herd of cats!

After our shopping we drove up to the north part of the island to Wied il-Għasri. This is quite a unique place with a sea canyon cutting through very tall cliffs and ending at a tiny beach.

There are about 100 stairs down to the beach but it isn't very steep. It was really cool to see the gorgeous blue water rushing in and out through the channel. There is a cave that people dive in and it's also a popular spot for snorkeling in the summer when the sea is calmer. 

After checking the area out we walked back up and out onto the limestone cliffs. Wow, the views around here are so stunning! And there were so many fossils!!! 

Besides the fossils we also stumbled upon some now out-of-use salt pans from when the area was partially submerged (but now sit on the top of sky-high cliffs!) We then got back to the car and drove to the currently used salt pans at Xwenji Bay. These pans are cut, filled with seawater, and harvested by hand. Some of them go back to the Roman ages! 

There was a basket with some examples of sizes you could buy and the directions to head up the hill a short way to the caves where the salt is stored and sold. We met Rose who told us her and her husband had been harvesting salt here for over 45 years!

She's got a little collection of historical photos as well as different varieties of salt for sale. We were more than happy to buy from her directly!

Throughout the day the wind was soooo strong and the waves were huge! As we drove along the coast to Marsalforn the sea had actually risen up over the road at one spot. Forest had to time the surge and drive through when it was least deep. A bit nerve wracking to possibly be swept out!

We had made lunch reservations at Qbajjar Restaurant. This restaurant has awesome views of the (raging) ocean and a menu filled with seafood and other local dishes. I had the best fish soup of my life here! I think everyone really enjoyed their food, I'd recommend it if you are in the area.

We tried to visit Xerri's Grotto in Xaghra after lunch but found it closed. So onward we went to the Ġgantija Temples. 

Upon entering the historic site, you wind your way through the museum which provides information on the Neolithic Period. There are also displays of really interesting artefacts excavated from various prehistoric sites in Gozo.

After trying to get your head around artifacts that survived from around 2300 BC (!!!) you wander outside for your first glimpse of the temple. 

Ġgantija is a megalithic temple (meaning built with large stones) and are older than the pyramids of Egypt!!! There's really no apt description of the feeling you get as you walk in and around the structure. I'll just say it is AWESOME!!!

Even with how old this temple is, they still don't know the exact use. But there are doorways, and halls, individual rooms, tiny stones, giant stones, and even ancient graffiti that is visible. 

We walked down the street afterwards to one of the last surviving windmills on the island. The Ta’ Kola Windmill was built in 1725 during the Knight's Period. The museum within shows tools used for harvesting and milling grain, as well as how the mill keeper and their family lived inside. It's interesting if you have time after the temple but I wouldn't go out of my way to get there.

We finished our amazing day at Dwejra Bay with the most amazing sunset I think I've ever seen! 

With the winds still gusting, the waves were absolutely spectacular! None of us could stop taking photos! If you are on Gozo, a sunset out here is a do-not-miss.

After some drinks in front of a little fire in our farmhouse (the owner had stopped by with some wood as it was chilly), we caught the bus which stopped right in front of our house, and had a quick ride to Victoria. We were having dinner that night at Maldonado but not in the normal restaurant area. We were booked for a special Maltese and Gozitan wine pairing dinner in the upstairs private space. I'd say there were about 15 diners for this.

The owner talked us through each of the wines while his chef prepared courses as we watched. It was great to learn more about the wines from the area and also watch the chef in action using local ingredients like in this mini tart with sheep's milk cheese, pea hummus, and zucchini. 

We just loved Gozo! If you are planning a trip to Malta it is really worth it to take a couple of days to explore this island as it is completely different then the main island country. 

All Gozo photos here.

Other posts from this trip:

Country Count #51 Malta

New Years Eve in Malta

All Around Valletta

 

Country Count #51 Malta

Trip date: December 2021 

After a year of not being able to meet up for our annual New Years Eve trip because of Covid, Forest, Thibault, and I were landing at our chosen destination of Malta! Malta was one of the only countries that we found to be requiring proof of vaccination which made us all breathe a bit easier. They also were still wearing masks, inside and outside, so it felt safe. The country is rich in history, prehistoric relics, amazing scenery, delicious cuisine, and is on the Euro. This little island country really has it all!

My friends and I flew from Lyon where we had spent Christmas with Thibault's lovely family. His mom even packed us sandwiches made with leftovers and his dad drove us to the airport. Very sweet! After 2 hours on Malta Air we were landing in the capital city of Valletta and my 51st county!

We picked up our rental car at the airport and were really surprised when they told us there was a €2k deposit! Driving is on the left in Malta and the roads are quite narrow and twisty, we also had a manual shift, so it was really nice that Forest offered to be the driver. As we drove through Valletta we passed a horse and buggy on the road; the experience had already begun!

Gozo is an island just north of the "mainland" of Malta and would be our first destination. It was a 40+ minute drive to the ferry dock, then about a 30 minute crossing. It was dark so we couldn't really see much but as soon as we drove onto Gozo we could see how charming the tiny towns were and all lit up with Christmas decorations!

It took us a while to find a restaurant still serving dinner as we were arriving later than planned but luckily we stumbled on Al Sale in Xaghra. Here we had our first taste of the Maltese sheep's milk cheese Ġbejna and I had a lovely pasta. As Malta sits in the Mediterranean between Tunisia and Sicily the food has wonderful flavors borrowed from both regions. My ragu had sweet earthy spices of cinnamon, clove, and cumin and the pasta was expertly made. We were full and happy and excited to see our rental in the neighboring village.  

The village of Ghammar is actually more like two intersecting roads. Our VRBO was a wonderful 3 bedroom farmhouse. Stone walls, tile floors, vaulted ceilings, a fireplace and a pool! I mean it was too cold to swim in December but still! My friends Anne and Brian would be arriving the next day and traveling along with us, hence the 3 rooms.

Thibault, Forest and I set out on a morning hike the next day from the farmhouse up to the lighthouse. It was great to be able to see what was around us since it had been dark when we arrived. Very pretty countryside. 

At the top it was incredibly windy! Like, oh-my-gosh-I-might-blow-over windy! And the views were breathtaking! Villages, terraced farms, ocean... this was our first real look at Gozo and we were smitten!

There were some old military barracks and an old canon up there too. It was a great little hike for exploring and taking advantage of the clear skies. We headed back to the farmhouse and grabbed the car to go into Rabat for lunch.

Victoria, also called Rabat, is the capital of Gozo. Its Citadel sits atop a hill, visible from most parts of the island. We decided to have lunch at Cafe Jubilee which had tables outside in the square and a menu of traditional cuisine. Forest and I had a hit-list of foods to try in Malta so this figured in well with our plan; I ordered the Stuffat tal-Fenek, braised rabbit which is the country's national dish.

Lunch was great, but sooooo slow! We figured after lunch we would do a little sightseeing on the drive to the ferry to pick up Brian and Anne but we ended up being late by the time we finished lunch! Gozo runs on a very laid back schedule, note to self!

Once we had our friends we set off to do a little walk around Daħlet Qorrot Beach which is on the east coast and not far from the ferry. Besides the small beach there are a series of caves which the local fisherman use for boat houses. Across the inlet we could see Sopu Tower which dates from 1667 and was the last watchtower built on the island. 

We walked for a bit around the coastline, the variety of limestone walls are really interesting! 

From here we drove to Ramla Beach where we read there was a bar and thought we would have a drink. Ramla has a wide, long stretch of red sand beach, and in the summer I can imagine it is packed with locals and tourists. But on this winter day we found the bar to be a closed up seasonal shack. 

After a nice stroll along the sand we decided to go back to Victoria and visit the Citadel at dusk. This original walled city of the island has had fortifications built on it since the Bronze Age! Until the 17th century all Gozians were required to be inside the walls at night for protection from raids.

You can walk almost all the way around the ramparts, taking in stunning views of Gozo from all angles. The winding cobblestone walkways inside the fortification take you past shrines, historic houses, and finally lead to the chapel in the center square. 

We were practically the only people there and it was awesome! Highly suggest an end-of-the-day visit for the lack of crowds and gorgeous light. We stopped into Victoria Central bar/coffee shop after and I had a lovely spritz using Maltese sparkling wine, local prickly pear liqueur, and soda water. 

One of the specialties of Malta is pastizzi, hand held pastries traditionally filled with either ricotta or curried peas. We had walked by Sphinx pastizzi a few times that day and their selection looked really good so we decided to grab some and have them for a casual dinner back at the farmhouse. Brian and Anne hadn't been yet, we had been out all day since picking them up, and we were all ready to relax. And let's be clear, Forest and I were more than ready for a martini!!

All Gozo photos here.

Other posts from this trip:

All Around Gozo

New Years Eve in Malta

All Around Valletta