sThe Waterfront Hotel is Situated in a prime location along the Sliema seafront promenade, this hotel has been built and developed to the highest standards of comfort. Its location provides spectacular views of the harbour in front and of the famous fortifications of Malta’s historic capital city – Valletta. It is within a short walk of the centre of Malta’s most popular resort – Sliema, and close to shops and popular restaurants and bars. In only 3 minutes walk there is the central busstation, from here you can take the bus and discover this beautiful island. This hotel is comfortable and modern accomodation in a central location. The view from your room is amazing!!

Basic rooms,smelt of mould, quite small. Dated furnitures. Location is ok, bus in front of the hotel. Harbour within walking distance. Major problem : Toilet overflowed three times in the week... If I was to go back there I would choose a different hotel.

Eeeek. What a fabulous month this has been. Well, sorta. It was very up and down, but you don't wanna hear all the boring stuff, but it was an action packed 4 weeks that I had back in Melbourne, so much to do, so many people to see, and do you think that I got it all done? Nup!!! But I've already been off work for 6 weeks, what a bludger (loving it!), moved outta my flat, partied hard (very hard, danced til 9:15am! still hung very for most of the flight here!!!)

I wasn't really sure what to think about Malta.  Malta had never really made it to my list of places I wanted to travel.  My boyfriend did have it high on his list ...  7000 years of history!  Wow!  Ok, interesting ... but not something I base my trips on.  He is helping me appreciate history much more ... this is good for me, I know this.  I thought about not going.  Give him some space; let him explore on his own.  I've traveled alone and each time has been a unique and growing experience.  But the self-control to pass up a travel opportunity ...nonexistent.  So, I bought my ticket and let him do the rest (hard for a travel-planning control freak!).  I started doing some Internet reading and snuck a peak through Geoff's travel book.  Hmmm, this place was really starting to look interesting...  But I still wasn't sold.  I had read too many reviews from folks on tripadvisor ...and the opinions were polarized.  Love or hate.  Well, didn't matter.  I had the tickets, and I was committed now.

Sunday, 6 May 2007:

We drove up to Manchester and flew out on British Airways.  Prices weren't shabby ... 100 quid round trip.  Or course, I worked the day before until 8pm (bad habits), so I was zonked on the plane.   As the plane came in on its glide slop, I started to catch a glimpse of Malta.  Hmmm... brown. Ok, water --good.  But, everything else is ....tan, sandy, with specks of Mediterranean deep green.  We land.  We disembark.  Brown.  Where in God's name are we?  I keep in mind that airports and land surrounding airports are not usually garden spots.  But, there were bits of disappointment dashing through my mind. (I try to make the best of everything, but have trouble suppressing the natural pessimist in me). 

We grab our bags.  Correction.  Geoff grabs his bags.  I can manage to pack a week-long trip in a back pack, while the man is still carting around a full size suitcase and backpack.  I run out to get in line for a taxi; I pre-pay at the stand; and figure I'll wait until Geoff comes out with his bags.  For some reason, this caused all kinds of commotion!  The taxi drivers kept circling asking when he'd be out ...what was taking so long....not sure if they could wait....  What!?  I was the only one there and 6 tazi drivers were sitting there whistling, picking their nails, staring at the floor...  Finally, Geoff pops out the door, we jump in the taxi and head to the hotel in Sliema.  They aren't kidding when they say the driving is crazy there!  While most of the scenery whizzed by ...I was catching bits and pieces.  Tan, sand, limestone, olive trees, those Mediterranean shrubs that are the deepest of green...  This place looked like no other place I had been.  Geoff remarked that it looked like Jerusalem to him.  I had to take his word for it. 

Arrive at the Victoria Hotel in Sliema.  Geoff picked.  So nice of him to plan out the trip, but I am a travel control freak for good reason!! :)  The hotel--while rated #1 on tripadvisor--left a little to be desired. More on that later.

We dropped our bags and headed out the door.  We walked all over the Sliema harbor.  There were many sidewalk cafes ... we stopped at three :)  Had drinks, sat, listened to the water, convinced each other to stop talking about work....and, finally, started to decompress.  The final café stop was at Paparazzi in St Julian’s bay.  Yummy. 

The sun was brilliant.  I was starting to dig this place.

Monday, 7 May 2007:

For whatever reason, our best attempts to wake up early and hit the sights fails every time.  We got out of the hotel at 10am ...not too bad, but always later than we 'plan'.  We jumped on the bus.  The bus is interesting in Malta.  Most of the orange/black buses are school bus style; no shocks, grumpy drivers and all! But, they get you where you need to be and CHEAP.  Twenty minutes later (lots of stops) we arrived in Valletta.  What a neat little capital.  It really is a lovely city.  We visited the Grandmaster’s Palace and State Room, the Archeological museum, and St John's Co-Cathedral. 

St John’s Co-Cathedral was amazing.  Gaudi, but amazing and so ornate.  This is the cathedral built by the Knights of Malta in the mid 1500s.  Ladies --don’t forget to bring a sweater or something to cover your shoulders.  Conservative.  Catholic.  Your tank tops won’t be allowed in the church…

The Grandmaster’s Palace was also very interesting.  This is the current housing of the House of Representatives of Malta.  The Knights of Malta originally bought this Palace. The Armory was also intriguing, but I can only look at so many swords and knives before I get all armored out…

The National Museum of Archaeology was very interesting.  Malta has a long, long history….so you will see some of the oldest rocks you’ve ever seen! J  I was particularly intrigued by “The Sleeping Lady” figurine.  But even more intriguing was the exhibition upstairs called “The Silent Warrior” !!  Suddenly, I was no longer in Malta …I was in China!  I lost myself in there!  What an amazing exhibition.  This is the army of terracotta soldiers (about 7000 soldiers!!) who were crafted for Emperor Qin Shi Huang for his use in the afterlife.  Several of the life-size terracotta soldiers and horses had been moved from the museum in Xian for the exhibition in Malta.  Stunning.   I must get to Xian someday!

 
My favorite tourist attraction:  lunch.  We stopped at a café right outside St John’s Co-Cathedral.  Sure wish I could remember the name…  I had Bragoli or “Beef Olives”  --thin sliced beef stuffed with--well--more meat and other things I’m not aware of…then braised…with tomato sauce and green olives on top.  Oh my.  Now that was good. 

Post-lunch coma shopping.  Walking, walking, and more walking.  We wandered all over Valletta and then came upon some gorgeous gardens near the sea wall --the Upper and Lower Barrakka.   A café near the Upper Barrakka …just us, two lesbians, and a French couple who were all making out more than we were (ok, we were not making out…)…  The view was wonderful…of the harbor.

Had dinner at Ta Kolina (151 Tower Road, Sliema, Malta 335106) --on the water front in Sliema.  Don’t know why I’m providing the address; it sucked.  I had Lampuki fish, a Maltese specialty ….but not as prepared by Ta Kolina.    

Tuesday, 8 May 2007:

Took the bus to Mdina and Rabat.  Mdina is an old walled city.  Very cool.  The Cathedral was nice, very much like what we had already seen in Valletta, yet far less ornate.  Geoff then had to see “The Knights of Malta”  …a “multi-media” “production” …I was nice and said nothing.  Then my highlight:  lunch J  We found a little courtyard hidden in an alley.   The place was called Ciappetti (5, St Agatha’s Esplanade, Mdina, tel: 21 459987).  I loved this place.  We just got appetizers, but they were plenty!  Olives, sun dried tomatoes, cheese, and some other Maltese specialties.   Then off to Rabat.

Wednesday, 9 May 2007:

Took bus 645 to the ferry and then hopped on the ferry to Gozo. 

The zone of Sliema and the neighbor of San Julian constitute the zone of the hotels and more tourist of Malta. Several hotels exist from 5 stars to pensions. It is necessary to very consider that the stars of the hotels of Malta are not compared with stars of Spain, because they are inflated, 4 stars of Malta is 2 stars superior in Spain, thus go with care. This zone with an ample bay, the zone of exit of the boats for the cruises by the port, is very pleasant, innumerable, bars, terraces throughout the stroll, make it very cosy. In order to walk or to do jogging he is ideal, with the breeze of the sea front. In the typical hours in the morning, to make the cruises, in the stroll it is a madness trying the agents of sales of the different lines of the cruises to convince the tourist who goes in his. The company that seems but strong is the Captain Morgan Cruises, although all offer the same and to request reduction, that if they always do not go full reduces. Taken care of with the change, that always is in favor of them. By the others, which is seen in the affluent cruise is worth the trouble any small annoyance which we could have had (the discussions with the salesmen of the ticket).

La zona de Sliema y la vecina de San Julian constituyen la zona de los hoteles y mas turistica de Malta. Existen varios hoteles desde 5 estrellas hasta pensiones. Hay que tener muy en cuenta que las estrellas de los hoteles de Malta no se comparan con las estrellas de España, como que estan infladas, un 4 estrellas de Malta es un 2 estrellas superior en España, asi que tenganlo en cuenta. Esta zona con una amplia bahia, la zona de salida de los barcos para los cruceros por el puerto, es muy agradable, innumerables, bares, terrazas a lo largo del paseo, lo hacen muy acogedor.  Para pasear o hacer jogging es ideal, con la brisa del mar de frente. En las horas tipicas de la mañana, de hacer los cruceros,  en el paseo es una locura intentando los agentes de ventas de las distintas lineas de los cruceros convencer al turista que vaya en el suyo. La compañía que parece mas fuerte es la Captain Morgan Cruises, aunque todos ofrecen lo mismo y pedir rebaja, que si no van llenos siempre rebajan. Cuidado con el cambio, que siempre es a favor de ellos. Por lo demas, lo que se ve en el crucero bien vale la pena cualquier pequeña molestia que hubieramos podido tener  (las discusiones con los vendedores del billete).

Turkuaz is the only Turkish restaurant in Malta ...I don't know if this has anything to do with The Great Siege, but...anyhow... I'm a fan of Med and Middle Eastern food, so I was happy to try this place out. We made reservations at 2000 hours. When we walked in we were the only ones there ...and remained the only ones until about 2130 hours! Nice and romantic for us, but I felt bad for the owners. The important bit: the food. WONDERFUL. The food was outstanding. I ordered a starter of hummus, and Geoff ordered a 'hot' mixture (calamari and some other fried goodies) ..both were wonderful. Almost forgot...we were started with fresh baked bread and homemade yogurt that were ...to die for!! I even joked to Geoff that I was going to take the leftover bread home in my purse. He begged me not to, I laughed internally as I realized I was turning into my mother, and when Geoff looked away ..into the purse it went. Hey! We were the only ones there! For the main: we both ordered the kebab. I ordered the plate and Geoff ordered the wrapped version. Both were outstanding. My lamb kebab meat was served over chunks of their bread (heaven) with a tomato sauce over the bread. The bread soaked up the juice from the lamb and the tomato sauce and it was out of this world! It was accompanied by their yogurt (yumm, again), couscous, potato, grilled tomato ....it was so wonderful. I would have loved dessert, but not a bit more was going to be stuffed into me. We asked for Turkish coffee at the end, but they don't offer it. Huh? So, we got espressos. Yummy. Happy again. We talked about going back, but there are just too many other places I wanted to try. Hey, I'm a minor league foodie. GO! to Turkuaz.

En unas islas donde el mar ha sido tan caprichoso, formando tantas calas y ensenadas y que ha sido aprovechado para edificar estas ciudades tan fortificadas es una delicia realizar un pequeño crucero en barco, de 2 horas de duracion, recorriendo estos puertos, con tanta belleza, en este mar Mediterraneo tan tranquilo, con las aguas tan azuladas y con tanta historia. Con un poco que uno deje volar la imaginación esta viendo piratas, caballeros de la Orden de Malta, turcos y armaduras por estos puertos cargados de tanta historia. Los malteses se sienten orgullosos de haber salvado a Europa de la invasión de los turcos otomanos en el siglo XVI, en estos puertos que ahora se recorren con tanta tranquilidad. No dejes de hacer este pequeño crucero, vale la pena y es muy agradable