Number 40: The first time to Malta and time with family.

Unique wooden and stone balconies of Malta in Valletta.

After leaving Sicily and crossing to Malta on a late night ferry we have been with my cousins Bruce and Cathy. 

I have appreciated time with them, getting to know them better and seeing Malta through the lens of residents.

Number 40:

The first time to Malta and time with family.

We:

• Were hosted so graciously by Bruce and Cathy at their Sky Villa in Ta’ XBiex.
• Swam lengths in their 9^thfloor pool with views across the harbor to Valletta and bobbed in the Mediterranean Sea at Golden Bay.
• Played scrabble on the patio, G&T in hand, enjoying the cool of the evening, watching the impressive fireworks over the horizon.
• Had a delicious braai, Bruce showing that he has not lost his basic South African skills.
• Talked and laughed and shared family stories over coffee, beer and wine. And even funnier was Bruce imagining that his half bottle of beer had been whipped away by the waiter which certainly got Fred going!
• Marveled at the Caravaggio paintings at St John’s Co-Cathedral and took the 2-hour tour of this extravagant cathedral of the Knights of St John.

  

  Awe inspiring detail of St John's Co-Cathedral, over a hectare of restored gold leaf surfaces.

• Ambled around Valletta, took in the town and the views across to the Three Cities.
• Walked Roman Roads and mysterious ‘cart tracks’ at Xemxija.
• Stood at the zinc counter inside the iconic Caffe Cordina, dating from 1837, for coffee and pies.
• Bought pretty Mdina glass earrings.

  

  Detail from the Hagar Qim Temple.

• Loved the colour pallete of Malta, golden hues and pops of pastels.
• Noted the fabulous enclosed painted wooden balconies, so unique to Malta.
• Were in awe of man’s story on the island spanning 5000 years and more, as we walked about the Hagar Qim Temples and saw the priceless relics at the National Archaeological Museum, particularly the ‘fat ladies’ from the temple era.
• Got completely tongue-tied trying to pronounce Malti words, a complex Semitic language which includes Arabic, Hebrew and Amharic.
• Appreciated the strategic importance of the location of Malta in the Mediterranean, the depth and importance of the Grand Harbour.

  

  Views from Valletta across the Grand Harbour.

• Road the bus and took a ferry to get around, when not walking of course, or been driven around the island by Bruce.
• Bought delicious pastizzi from sidewalk kiosks, ate Maltese sausages, local cheeses and drank a local cold drink called Kinnie.
• Admired the 17thC watchtowers dotted around the island.
• Delighted in a rural 3 generational kitchen and deli in Dingli called Diar il-Bniet, where Bruce bought us their artisanal honey, so special after having seen the 2000 year old apiaries at Xemxija, and we had delicious tarts made from their farm strawberries for afternoon coffee.
• Peeped into the world behind the austere façades, the Secret Garden at Bacchus in Mdina and a stroll around the gardens of Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar, where Cathy has her bookclub – just a little envious of the setting.
• Strolled around the beautiful walled hilltop city of Mdina, taking in the gracious honey coloured buildings. Another Game of Thrones setting at the main gates!
• Heard sparrows nesting in the huge ramparts of Mdina and have just checked Fred's photo, they are new for my European bird list - Spanish Sparrows.
  

  

  Honey-colored buildings of Mdina.

Kersten's and Wedderburn's at play in Malta.