After 2 and a bit hours we arrived in Malta from Madrid and were greeted by Daniel, Ellen and her sister Meredith. Flights are so cheap and it's great to not feel any jet lag!
I was born in Malta and always feel a sense of homecoming every time I come back here as I have cousins here, which I'm looking forward to visiting. The previous time was 5 years ago.
We arrived at our 3-bedroom harbour-side apartment in Sliema and were pleasantly surprised at the size. I paced out approx 9 x 47 metres!
Where's Max? Standing in the doorway of the bedroom!
It was nice to be in a milder climate as we've experienced a very long cold spell this winter.
Typical Maltese architecture
We took a trip to Gozo with Daniel, Ellen and Meredith. The boat ride was a bit rough but we enjoyed the day out. Here is the view from the Citadel in the capital, Victoria.
We visited Mdina on the mainland, known as 'The Silent City' as cars are not allowed in most parts.
The door knockers represent particular families' crests.
Mum and son outside the entrance to Mdina.
The horse and carts in Malta, or 'Karozzins'
The walls of Mdina.
It was great to catch up with our lovely cousins.
A trip to Valletta - Malta's capital
Daniel recommended this place for a cocktail.
We're glad we went!
Just outside the entrance to Valletta.
The whole city has walls that protected it from invaders over the centuries.
An old olive tree that won't give up.
One of the many lanes that run off the main street in Valletta.
Cheers! The food and drinks were reasonably priced too. Admittedly, when compared to the UK, everywhere is relatively cheaper!
A quick trip to the fishing village Marsaxlokk (pronounced Marsa-shlock)
This boat is called a Luzzu. Many luzzijiet (plural) have the eye of Osiris painted or carved on the bow, a symbol said to have been brought to Malta by the Phoenicians.
Some of the older dwellings
Prickly pears are common here and, delicious. You have to be careful how you handle them as they have fine prickles that lodge in your skin and are difficult to remove.
The view of Valletta from our apartment
Well, it's goodbye to Malta and was wonderful to see our cousins and the sights once again. It certainly is a lot busier now than when we were here 5 years ago. Hopefully, that trend doesn't continue as Malta is a jewel in the middle of the Mediterranean and needs to be valued and protected from over-development.
Back to Madrid and then, a drive to the Algarve in Southern Portugal for our next sit.
How lovely that you met up with your cousins Paul. I hope you all had a wonderful time catching up. Did I tell you that I had a Maltese aunt? My maternal grandmother's brother, was posted to Malta during WW2, where he met and married a Maltese lady, Pauline Gauchi. They emigrated to California, USA where they lived until they both passed away. Their daughter Carol, is still alive in California. We still send each other Christmas cards. Enjoy the Algarve. Portugal is my most favourite European destination, so I'm well jell as they say 🤣😂 xxx
ReplyDeleteLooks sensational....hope we get there one day
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you're doing it in style! Enjoy the Motherland.
ReplyDeleteYvette Muir xo
Nice knockers! U
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to catch up with family on home soil! It looks fabulous. I just might make it there, one day.
ReplyDeleteMy brother spent 4 weeks in Malta last year (his partner was born there) he loved it .
ReplyDeleteGreat photos