24th-26th of February 2018
Introduction:
Let's say that we would like to transform this dates into an annual tradition for celebrating my niece and brother in law birthdays. It started last year in Barcelona and this year it was Malta's turn.
This trip is one of the few I haven't prepare anything except booking an appartement in Valletta. Consequently I didn't know what to expect from Malta. Hopefully my sister had a plan... always good counting on people you are travelling with.
First impressions:
The trip could begin:
My sister and me went for a bite while waiting my niece waking up. I was expecting to see the Mediterranean style of the waiters trying to get you in in each restaurant or shop. Not at all, the waiters didn't seem caring a lot about it, they seemed a bit cold at first sight but once you have said "hello" a nice smile was appearing.
The cuisine is definitely inspired from Italy and the Maltese language seemed having a lot of similarities with Italian. I tried one of the salads with Maltese cheese: delicious! Their cheese had the texture of mozzarella but harder and saltier.
We finished by doing a small walk around the public Library and the Saint George square, before meeting my brother in law and niece.
Soon later we all got out together. Walking, Valletta doesn't need a lot of time to be seen. We passed again by Saint George square, the Library, Jean de Vallette square where obviously the statue of Jean de Vallette was standing after whom the city was named. This guy basically saved Malta from the ottoman occupation. As the main fort was destroyed and to avoid their coming back the Maltese built a new fort which was named after De Velletta.
Nearby the Our Lady of Victories Chapel, the Castille Palace and the Herbert Ganado gardens were giving a complementary authentic atmosphere of the city.
Some observations after this first day:
We finished the walk by a stop at the Triton Fountain which looks really amazing during the night. After a nice dinner on a terrace we can be back home. It has also been decided going to the island of Gozo (the second biggest island which both with Malta are forming the state) the next day.
Let's say that we would like to transform this dates into an annual tradition for celebrating my niece and brother in law birthdays. It started last year in Barcelona and this year it was Malta's turn.
This trip is one of the few I haven't prepare anything except booking an appartement in Valletta. Consequently I didn't know what to expect from Malta. Hopefully my sister had a plan... always good counting on people you are travelling with.
First impressions:
- I left Paris in the morning where the temperature was -3 and reached Malta in the early afternoon where it was +17. Such a great thing removing my winter coat!
- I didn't expect the island being so close to Italy. Indeed, the plane monitor was showing 40km from the Italian coast.
- I took a bus from the airport which reached Valletta in 30min. Enough time to appreciate the general style of the architecture. Well quite amazed by it: if we exclude the cars, it was such as I was traveling back in the Middle Age. The yellow stone houses and churches haven't changed their style in centuries.
- I also didn't see a clear separation between the cities. Indeed, it seemed that the city of Luqa, where the airport is located, is stuck to the next one and the next one stuck to Valletta.
- The bus dropped me in front of the Valletta's gate which welcomes you with the wonderful Triton Fountain. Valletta is actually a fort and no buses are allowed inside. I got into the city which seemed small as in 10min I reached the house and met my sister, brother in law and niece.
The trip could begin:
My sister and me went for a bite while waiting my niece waking up. I was expecting to see the Mediterranean style of the waiters trying to get you in in each restaurant or shop. Not at all, the waiters didn't seem caring a lot about it, they seemed a bit cold at first sight but once you have said "hello" a nice smile was appearing.
The cuisine is definitely inspired from Italy and the Maltese language seemed having a lot of similarities with Italian. I tried one of the salads with Maltese cheese: delicious! Their cheese had the texture of mozzarella but harder and saltier.
We finished by doing a small walk around the public Library and the Saint George square, before meeting my brother in law and niece.
Soon later we all got out together. Walking, Valletta doesn't need a lot of time to be seen. We passed again by Saint George square, the Library, Jean de Vallette square where obviously the statue of Jean de Vallette was standing after whom the city was named. This guy basically saved Malta from the ottoman occupation. As the main fort was destroyed and to avoid their coming back the Maltese built a new fort which was named after De Velletta.
Nearby the Our Lady of Victories Chapel, the Castille Palace and the Herbert Ganado gardens were giving a complementary authentic atmosphere of the city.
Some observations after this first day:
- I think I haven't seen so many churches in such a small area literally every 200/300m there was a church. If you are true christian believer Malta would definitely satisfy all your spirituality...
- considering the limited space, the buildings are often stuck one to each other (maybe Hong Kong got inspired from there). Well this situation is not something bad at all, but sometimes it just limits the observation of the building as a whole. Such as the church: Carmelitte Church which you can see in front but not the back.
We finished the walk by a stop at the Triton Fountain which looks really amazing during the night. After a nice dinner on a terrace we can be back home. It has also been decided going to the island of Gozo (the second biggest island which both with Malta are forming the state) the next day.
25th of February
Thanks to my niece we left the house around 8h... it is really cool seeing the empty streets of Valletta and few cafés getting ready to welcome the first clients.
After 1h30min ride by bus we reached the ferry terminal and 30min later we were at Gozo.
Well here again it looked like cities haven't changed a lot since the Middle Age. We enjoyed a nice lunch at Victoria which is the main city located in the heart of the island.
I went to one souvenir shop where I was surprised by the British accent of the lady (well she was English so it is only a half surprise afterwords). I was curious to know how come she landed there and what people do to live in Gozo and I wasn't really surprised by her answer: either tourism or government work.
After this nice discussion we had time to walk around the city. Here again the buildings were stuck one to each other and sometimes hiding the beauty of the architecture. Well, I guess the beauty of those cities is not in the details but mostly in the whole picture because once you get a bit far and maybe higher the landscape is really beautiful.
Talking about details, it seemed like Saint Georges is the patron of the city as almost every house had a small sculpture of him killing the dragon.
We finally went to Ir-Ramla but except the hotels there was nothing exceptional to be seen. We went back to Mgarr and took the ferry to Malta.
Once we returned to Valletta there were still some things I haven't seen. So with my sister we walked around the Victoria gate which was just magnificent and the Upper Barrakka Gardens which were offering a great view over the harbor.
Thanks to my niece we left the house around 8h... it is really cool seeing the empty streets of Valletta and few cafés getting ready to welcome the first clients.
After 1h30min ride by bus we reached the ferry terminal and 30min later we were at Gozo.
Well here again it looked like cities haven't changed a lot since the Middle Age. We enjoyed a nice lunch at Victoria which is the main city located in the heart of the island.
I went to one souvenir shop where I was surprised by the British accent of the lady (well she was English so it is only a half surprise afterwords). I was curious to know how come she landed there and what people do to live in Gozo and I wasn't really surprised by her answer: either tourism or government work.
After this nice discussion we had time to walk around the city. Here again the buildings were stuck one to each other and sometimes hiding the beauty of the architecture. Well, I guess the beauty of those cities is not in the details but mostly in the whole picture because once you get a bit far and maybe higher the landscape is really beautiful.
Talking about details, it seemed like Saint Georges is the patron of the city as almost every house had a small sculpture of him killing the dragon.
We finally went to Ir-Ramla but except the hotels there was nothing exceptional to be seen. We went back to Mgarr and took the ferry to Malta.
Once we returned to Valletta there were still some things I haven't seen. So with my sister we walked around the Victoria gate which was just magnificent and the Upper Barrakka Gardens which were offering a great view over the harbor.
26th of February
Day of departure but I had almost a full day in Malta. The plan was easy: going to Mdina in the morning and then finish by Slima.
Again my niece's natural alarm helped us to get out fast from the house and being at Mdina before 10am. This is city is basically famous for giving the departure of the Maltese knights. We visited the the small fort which looked like an open air museum where people were still living. However, the cars were also allowed inside which is not the best idea I guess especially for the narrow Middle Age streets. Quite impressed by this little city !
At some moment we saw a movie production. I thought it might be the last season of GoT and I would be able to see John Snow because the place was famous for having turned some scenes of the serial... well, not exactly. After checking It was actually a movie for Picasso sponsored by National Geographic and with Antonio Banderas... not bad either !:)
We came back to Valletta where I had one last thing to visit: the Saint John cathedral. Wow! Awesome place! All in gold and wooden structure and built thanks of the help of several knights.
The master pieces of Caravaggio were also exposed. It is quite rare to see so rich decorated church.
We finally went to Slima, not because the place itself is something wow, but mainly because of the great view offered from the ferry of Valletta. Indeed, it confirmed that this city needs to be seen as a whole piece of art.
The lunch around the sea and the sun recharged my batteries and I was ready to go back (even if later I realized I could stay a day more, as my plane was delayed because of the bad weather in Rome and had to spent a night there... the expression saying that all the paths are leading to Rome was confirmed).
Day of departure but I had almost a full day in Malta. The plan was easy: going to Mdina in the morning and then finish by Slima.
Again my niece's natural alarm helped us to get out fast from the house and being at Mdina before 10am. This is city is basically famous for giving the departure of the Maltese knights. We visited the the small fort which looked like an open air museum where people were still living. However, the cars were also allowed inside which is not the best idea I guess especially for the narrow Middle Age streets. Quite impressed by this little city !
At some moment we saw a movie production. I thought it might be the last season of GoT and I would be able to see John Snow because the place was famous for having turned some scenes of the serial... well, not exactly. After checking It was actually a movie for Picasso sponsored by National Geographic and with Antonio Banderas... not bad either !:)
We came back to Valletta where I had one last thing to visit: the Saint John cathedral. Wow! Awesome place! All in gold and wooden structure and built thanks of the help of several knights.
The master pieces of Caravaggio were also exposed. It is quite rare to see so rich decorated church.
We finally went to Slima, not because the place itself is something wow, but mainly because of the great view offered from the ferry of Valletta. Indeed, it confirmed that this city needs to be seen as a whole piece of art.
The lunch around the sea and the sun recharged my batteries and I was ready to go back (even if later I realized I could stay a day more, as my plane was delayed because of the bad weather in Rome and had to spent a night there... the expression saying that all the paths are leading to Rome was confirmed).
In conclusion, a great time spent with my sister, brother in law and niece. Malta is definitely lovely and when I come back I would like to rent a car and turn around with it because the landscapes and the villages are great and preserving the legends of the knights ! Grazie Malta!