"MALTA!" Malta did not appear in our travel itinerary at all, although this small country is not far from Sicily. We knew C.’s wish to spend her birthday in Syracuse from the beginning, but T.’s wish only came to light two weeks before her birthday. She wanted to be in Malta on her special day. We try to “slow travel”, therefore we do not have booked anything in the future, so we are quite flexible in our plans.
The Saint John Paul II ferry of the company “Virtu ferries” is a catamaran and can carry up to 1120 passengers and 167 cars. The ferry departs from Pozzallo on January 2, 2020 at 2:30 pm. The crossing is fast. We arrive 1 hour and 45 minutes later at the port of Valletta, Malta and T. a little pale in her face. Oh, and one more thing we forgot, we must drive on the other side of the street (left! Kind of strange).
Malta is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and consists of several small islands. In the Romans, the current town was called Mdina or melita - this name probably goes back to the Punic War, meaning a “refuge – mallet” - which is probably the origin of the island's current name. Malta is very densely populated. Around 500,000 people live in all of Malta, 394,000 people live in the capital region. We booked a hotel with breakfast in San Giljan, in the middle of the bar/restaurant/casino area. Fortunately, it is off-season 😉.
The Saint John Paul II ferry of the company “Virtu ferries” is a catamaran and can carry up to 1120 passengers and 167 cars. The ferry departs from Pozzallo on January 2, 2020 at 2:30 pm. The crossing is fast. We arrive 1 hour and 45 minutes later at the port of Valletta, Malta and T. a little pale in her face. Oh, and one more thing we forgot, we must drive on the other side of the street (left! Kind of strange).
Malta is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and consists of several small islands. In the Romans, the current town was called Mdina or melita - this name probably goes back to the Punic War, meaning a “refuge – mallet” - which is probably the origin of the island's current name. Malta is very densely populated. Around 500,000 people live in all of Malta, 394,000 people live in the capital region. We booked a hotel with breakfast in San Giljan, in the middle of the bar/restaurant/casino area. Fortunately, it is off-season 😉.
Valletta
January 3rd, we are enjoying the beautiful weather and some late Christmas spirit in this wonderful capital, Valletta. Our daily walk today was 20km, San Gilijan - Valletta and back (we do not want to use our car every day). On the way back we pass by a hairdresser / barber shop and I push Pablo in there 😉
January 3rd, we are enjoying the beautiful weather and some late Christmas spirit in this wonderful capital, Valletta. Our daily walk today was 20km, San Gilijan - Valletta and back (we do not want to use our car every day). On the way back we pass by a hairdresser / barber shop and I push Pablo in there 😉
Happy Birthday
January 5th. It's T. big day. Already 12 years old.
January 5th. It's T. big day. Already 12 years old.
Aquarium, St. Paul’s Bay
Blue Grotto, Qrendi Temple, Dingli cliffs, Golden Bay, Mdina
January 7th, we drive and explore the southwestern side of the island. There is no corner without any archaeological excavation and a lot of history. The small island seems very touristic and we are happy that it is low season. We drive past a city and stop briefly. Pablo is extremely happy because it is the city of Mdina where the series “Game of Thrones” was partly filmed.
January 7th, we drive and explore the southwestern side of the island. There is no corner without any archaeological excavation and a lot of history. The small island seems very touristic and we are happy that it is low season. We drive past a city and stop briefly. Pablo is extremely happy because it is the city of Mdina where the series “Game of Thrones” was partly filmed.
Bahrjia - Miġra l-Ferħa – Bahrija Walk
January 9th. Malta also has very nice hiking trails and they are all accessible by public transportation. If we were not on our trip by car, we would only explore Malta by bus.
January 9th. Malta also has very nice hiking trails and they are all accessible by public transportation. If we were not on our trip by car, we would only explore Malta by bus.
Valletta - Pozzolla
January 10th. 4:30 am, the 8 days here in Malta come to an end. We get a packed lunch from the hotel because we miss our paid breakfast buffet. At 6:30 the ferry leaves for Sicily.
Until the next chapter!
January 10th. 4:30 am, the 8 days here in Malta come to an end. We get a packed lunch from the hotel because we miss our paid breakfast buffet. At 6:30 the ferry leaves for Sicily.
Until the next chapter!
