Janet Reflects - So why Little Malta?

So why Little Malta?  I was ask this question in the airport in Rome by a young mom with her husband and little girl returning home to Malta. Sometimes your body and mind just need a break to unwind and regain energy. This vacation fell together quickly, just little over a month to find a destination where we could use our timeshare and with Tom’s great planning skills, the trip happened!

 

 

 

I’m the girl behind the blog, offering suggestions for stories and pictures and providing an occasional edit here and there. Most of the magic of the blog happened late into the night, after I had closed my eyes from our day’s adventures and the internet was finally available.  

 

So why did I love Malta?

 

It was the towns with the winding streets, the magic of the walled city, with cobblestone roads, horse drawn carriages, a maze of streets lined with colorful windows and doors with unique door knockers and mail drops.

 

 

Flowers of all types line the small alleys with birds flying overhead looking for a place to build a nest.

 

It was the Dingli Cliffs, where you walk along the roadway and feel the strong winds coming up from the sea.

 

It was here where a small restaurant made a dish of homemade ravioli stuffed with fresh herbs and eatable flowers picked from the gardens just outside the door. This is where the fennel plants grew everywhere, spreading their seeds among the rocks along the cliffs. 

 

 

It was along these cliffs that the farmer walked home each afternoon with his herd of sheep and goats, and a man gave his child a ride.

Malta is a safe place. Many people travel by bus and foot, traveling from site to site. We discovered laughter has no language barrier as the couple from Poland jumped into our back seat, needing a ride to the Blue Grotto, and we went through farm roads because the GPS has taken us through yet another farm. 

 

I loved the smells of the sea, wandering through the Sunday fish market with the fish mongers displaying almost every gift from the sea. 

 

Many of the locals come to the market and buy their seafood and vegetables for the week. 

 

 

After strolling through the market, we found a café that let us design our own fruit de mar, consisting of mussels, prawns, calamari, octopus, and fish. It was a magical afternoon sitting along the sea and feeling the sun on our faces. Most cafes and restaurants offer alfresco dining.

Why Malta, it was our trip to the neighbor island of Gozo where we stopped to chat with the man along the road beside the salt flats. One quick question and he was very proud to show us the entire process of harvesting salt. 

 

 

My special treat was when he insisted I taste his latest harvest. Yes, I bought some, and yes, I packed it in my carryon bag because I anticipated each search of my bag through security. It made it safety through each time with my smile and comment, it’s just salt.

There are historic sites and museums for all. 

We chose to skip all of the large popular museums and enjoy the off finds. Tucked down under the church in Mellieha is a War World II bomb shelter. I cannot imagine an afternoon spent in those long halls, but the people of Mellieha spent days there. It was our honor to meet the old man at the door who was 7 at the time of the bombing in 1942. He still has vivid memories of being so hungry and afraid. With his descriptions, it was as if we were right back in the time of war.
 

The water is so blue! I’m a Caribbean girl, but I must admit the Mediterranean Sea is a beautiful azure blue. Water temperatures were too cold for this girl to get her swims in, but I am glad we traveled at this time of year. 

 

These beautiful beaches will be full of sun worshipers, snorkelers, and divers in just a few weeks.

My triathlete friends, this is the place for you. The bays offer beautiful areas to swim, the roads have lanes marked for bikes (although I think the wind will always be blowing), and “lines” for hiking and running between towns, forts, and castles.

So to those who ask, Why Malta?, it was the beautiful sea, the wind off the cliffs, the farms lined with rock walls, the flowers and herbs, the abundance of great food- seafood, deserts, and Maltese wine, but mostly the smiles and great conversations we enjoyed with the Maltese people.

Day 8 - Goodbye Malta - Hello Rome

Friday morning came early with a 4:30 am wake-up call.   The airport shuttle was right on time, and we traversed the island in the dark.  The ride was bittersweet in that we could not view this lovely island one more time, but were excited to begin part two of our trip.  The traffic was very light and check in with Air Malta was a snap. 

 

Time flew by before our boarding and not long after sunrise we were airborne for Rome.  As normal for many of our trips, the sun came out as we were leaving and the forecast was for warmer temperatures.  The final image from the plane of this small island in the middle of the Mediterranean will leave a lasting snapshot in our memories.  Malta is a very special place and we got to share it together.

 

Next stop, the ancient city of Rome!  We were not surprised that the forecast was calling for cloudy skies and rain, but hoped for better.  We stayed in a hotel outside the city using the last of Tom’s Marriott points.  The Marriott Park was beautiful and we got upgraded to a suite.  Sweet!  The room had a humongous bed, a big tub, with a walk in closet.  Best of all, there was a large balcony overlooking the countryside of Rome to the left and the headquarters for Toyota in Italy on our right.  J

 

What the hotel did have, which was a pleasant surprise, was a shuttle service downtown.   We dropped our bags and caught the 12:00 shuttle.

 

Arriving Piazza del Tribunal, a short 15 minute walk to the Vatican, we chuckled that we had done no planning for our day in Rome.  How do you see a place like Rome in six hours? One really cannot, but we were determined to at least see as much as we could in 6 hours.   The shuttle allowed us to get off on a good start.

 

As we approached the Vatican we walked down a fenced route that lead directly to St Peters.   There were no shoving tourists, no selfie stick vendors hassling you, or no one trying to sell you the best tour in Rome.  The closer we got to the Vatican, the more concerned we became.  Maybe we are not supposed to be in this fenced path?  Diverting over to the side, we queried a young girl selling tickets of some sort.  Her reply was priceless, “Really?  Where are you…? Rome!  What year is it it…The Jubilee!  You are on the Pilgrimage route to the Holy Door!”   I was quick to ask, how long is the line?  You are in the line – there nobody in line!  So we continued slowly, now headed to a door that neither of us ever imagined would have a chance to enter.

 

We entered the Basilica, and suffice it to say the beauty is overwhelming.   Although we did not have the time to visit the Sistine Chapel, which did require a ticket, the passing through the Holy Door and being able to walk around the Church was very fulfilling artistically and spiritually.  One is allowed to take photos inside in certain areas of the church, and of course I did, but any photo I took could not capture the scale or grandeur of this place of worship.

 

Exiting the Vatican our stomachs were growling from lack of temporal nourishment.   The continental breakfast we had 7 hours earlier in the airport in Malta was just a memory.   Finding a small street, which was 7 or 8 blocks out of the mass of humanity around St Peter’s, we sat down for an alfresco lunch just as rain drops began to fall.  Sitting close under the umbrella, we enjoyed Parma Ham with fresh melon, which was followed with a tasty pasta lunch.  Revitalized with nourishment we were ready to continue.  Our next stop was the Spanish Steps and so off we went in a new direction.

There is so much to take in just walking down the streets of Rome.  Unfortunately you will have to do it with 10,000 other people in close proximity everywhere you go.  The price of visiting Rome, but well worth the annoyance.  

Following our map, we found the steps made famous in the movie Roman Holiday. (Roman Holiday Movie Clip) Ok, maybe they were famous before then, but do not judge it is where I learned about them.   Unfortunately, they were under construction and blocked off so I could not play Cary Grant and sweep my Audrey Hepburn off her feet and off to a sidewalk café (which honestly Tom would have preferred).   Instead we took a short break and just surveyed all around us.  We are in Rome!

The next circled destination on our map was Trevi Fountain, but a pit stop was needed.   I only mention this to future travelers – There are no public toilet facilities in Rome.  In my search for a restroom, I discovered why they have McDs in Italy.  Enough said on that topic.

Feeling much better, our expedition continued towards the fountain.   As we approached a roar like no other could be heard.  It seemed if every tourist bus, hop on hop off, and tour group had arrived at the same time.  Guides waving flags, parents marshalling kids, and EVERYBODY wanted a selfie!   Why not – so we joined the masses and went for a selfie. 

 

It was in that moment I learned why Rome has so many vendors selling those damn selfie sticks.   I decided to join into the fray and muscle my way to the fountain.  Forget about the selfie, I like this one better.

 

What next you ask?  Why of course it would be the Colosseo (Coliseum)!  Putting one foot forward we proceeded to our goal.   Albeit, the pace was starting to fall off.   It is quite a haul from the fountain to the Coliseum, but it was not raining and we were possessed to see it.   There was lots to look at in the area that surrounds the ancient sporting venue (I guess that is a warped way of looking at it).  The important thing was we made it!  Snapped a few pictures in celebration. 

 

There was a lot of fencing which was obstructing my picture taking.   Then it all became clear, Sunday is the Rome marathon. The start/finish was right in front of the Colosseo.   I cannot imagine what downtown will be like with so many of the city’s roads being shutdown, as athletes run through the historical district.   My bet is all participants get a medal, a T-Shirt and a Selfie Stick!

 

Our rendezvous time with the shuttle bus was approaching.  We had to be back at Piazza del Tribunal by 7 to be picked up.  Choosing the path less traveled, we followed the river back to the piazza.  It was a much longer walk, but there were no crowds to fight.  At the halfway point we stopped and enjoyed a wonderful gelato. 

Now that is what Rome is about.  Sooooooooooo Gooooooood!

We made it back to where our city adventure had begun.  The technology fad, a fit bit, on Janet’s arm reported over 20,000 steps of city walking (9.9 miles) on uneven roads, crowded by other people doing the same thing, and with less than ideal weather conditions, but in the words of Dora the Explorer – We Did It!

 

 Did I tell you that our room had a big deep tub?   Well it does! 

I will post a map later when I can find a sharpie and trace the path.

Day 7 - Sorry We Are Closed

Our final day was one that was almost humorous.   Everywhere we went seemed to be closed or come back in two hours.   Our goal was the catacombs in Rabat, but we took a short detour to the craft village. 

Yep, it is a tourist trap, but was neat because it is in old RAF buildings left over from WWII.   We watched demos of glass blowing and jewelry creation. 

 

 

Right down the road from the craft village was the Air Museum.  Tom wanted to see a Spitfire and Janet was smiling with a new bracelet so off we went.  

 

Honestly, the museum was a little disappointing, but the heavens had opened up and it was a great place to wait out the storm.

Off Ramp:   If you have not seen the 1953 movie “The Malta Story” it is time to pop some popcorn, put your arms around your sweetie and download on Amazon Prime.   Black and White, a great war story, and has mushy love scenes that will leave you crying.  The movie, from what we understand accurately depicts the conditions of Malta and the featured character is real.  

When the rain stopped, we headed to Rabat, but as we entered the city the heavens opened again and we missed our turn.   Oh well, we headed to the Cliffs for lunch.  It was our first and last lunch on the island and was amazing.  

Janet went for the Borage Ravioli again.   There is something about eating wild flowers and herbs 

Tom went for his favorite and a Malta specialty - Panned Fried Rabbit!  Yum Yum 

We had the waiter call a winery we wanted to see, but it was closed.  Departing, we headed through the farms and found the Malta government sponsored enologic research center.   No wine to taste, but great conversation. 

A better than average road, but not room for error

The two gentleman were curious about Virginia wines, and got us pointed to a winery that was open… until we showed up and the gates were locked.

We headed back to our side of the island to visit a castle.  Guess what – It was closed.

All in all not a good day, but it was a great day together.  Covered a whole lot of ground and basically saw nothing, but passed everything.  We turned in the car and the GPS, which were both operational with no scratches.  We had done it - conquered the roads of Malta!
  

We have to get up at 0430 for our flight to Rome.  Bedtime!

 

Before we go...

No internet last night and it is 5am now.
We are headed to the airport so the last day will have to wait.

But please keep following.  I do not want to hit you with this stick.

Day 6 - Our side of the Island

Today was a local day. We stayed on our side of the island, which the tour books have labeled the wild side. Right below our hotel and next to the large church is a series of tunnels that go on for what seems like miles.

These are bomb shelters dug into the sand stone between 1940 -1941. Each family could dig out a section to call home, albeit they were smaller than most people’s closets today.

There was a gentleman sitting at the entrance, who was a survivor of the WWII bombings. He was only 7, but his memories were vivid. Mellieha was not an important military target like Valletta, but in April of 1942, Malta endured 3 straight days of bombing with no break. I could not imagine living in these caves,





We needed wide open spaces after that tour and rode out to the furthest point on this side of the island. The winds were howling again. I mean they are blowing hard enough to move me. 

Hence, getting close to the edge was not option. Even though it was cloudy it was beautiful. They say there are 365 churches on this island, well I think this one must be that last number. 

BTW – Our nice GPS (the bad name has gone away) has decided paved roads are much nicer and quicker to navigate.

At one of the highest points there is a red tower. It was built in the 1660s, and is just one of many that were used as watch stations. 

The view from the top was spectacular!

Tom had to do a drive by of Popeye’s Village. This was the location of the Robin William’s movie many moons ago. It is now a theme park. If you look carefully you can see Popeye and Olive Oil.

A quiet lunch in Golden Bay was enjoyable as we watched some fools take a swim. All young men feeling manly, but I am sure that was solved when they hit the water.

Our day ended in Mosta. This town is the home of the third largest dome in the world. 

This church is absolutely amazing, and survived a bomb penetrating the ceiling in WWII. The munition never exploded.

Then it was back to our room to sit on the balcony and enjoy our view.

Another wonderful day, with only one more full one to go.