Malta 1st Report

A 1hr flight to London, 2 1/2 hr wait and then a 2 hr 45 mins flight to Valletta in Malta saw us arrive about 4.30pm local time.   Immediate difference was that it was still daylight.

Taxi to our airbnb apt. We are spending the week in a modern ground floor stand-alone sort-of unit. It is in a quiet, narrow residential street, that we now know is most characteristic of this country.  Needed supplies and consulted Google for the nearest supermarket. A stone's throw away. On the way there was small bar called The Hole In The Wall.   Perfect for a Maltese introduction. This neighbourhood of Sliema is across a small bay from the original old town of Valletta.  I immediately loved the local area, away from the bustle but minutes away from facilities.

A simple home-cooked meal the night before, washing now hanging on the clothes horse, suitcases emptied of this weeks clothes and we were ready to explore.
The islands of Malta are hilly. As we were UP the best thing to do was to go DOWN to find the centre of things. Through a pedestrian Mall that appeared to cater for holidaying visitors and we reached the shore. Old Valletta is just there, across the estuary or creek as they call them here. The unique architectural feature is the balcony that everyone seems to have. Protruding from the main facade, a bus driver told us later that an original decree had stipulated that all balconies had to be different, not the same as your neighbours. Now, safety regulations dictate that they are all the same. Typical.

A cool breeze kept the temperature low as we wandered. We had coffee in the tiniest cafe and a yummy fresh baguette in an equally tiny sandwich bar. Our lunchtime hot chocolate had the consistency of a well-melted block of chocolate. Like runny cream.

With Tony's knee not really happy with long walks, we booked a day tour for tomorrow. For the afternoon, the quick ferry trip across to Valletta beckoned. The tout who hassled for an introductory tour of the town by an open electric mini-bus, got 3 takers, including us.  More steeps hills here. San Francisco but the roads are narrower.  After a visit to the prominent cathedral with its array of crystal chandeliers, we ventured to the Grand Palace and The Armoury.  Those Knights of St John certainly could put some glamorous rooms together to impress any visiting dignitary. Powerful for 500 years, repelling the Ottomans determinedly, they were eventually dispersed...by the British.
Back to Sliema, an aperitif and another simple but tasty home-cooked meal in our warm, roomy, quiet abode.

Pressed for room.

Traditional buildings, ubiquitous cabling and the inescapable car.

Juggling for space. How long will the small enterprise hold out?

Modern Malta near Sliema.

Historic Valletta. 

Happy for the mini-bus to negotiate the hills. 

Balcony in the Grand Palace. 

Glad that I was not involved in a battle.