A place where history and contemporary compete for eyeballs. Malta is an independent Republic located in the Mediterranean. Its history spans many centuries and occupation by many, including Romans, Italian and English. The weather is pleasant with extremely hot summers from June to August.
We arrived to Valetta, the capital city, on the ferry from Pozzallo, Sicily which is only a two hours ride across the Mediterranean. Arriving in Msida port in Valetta you can see the old Roman bath pools dotting the stones with swimmers and sun bathers surrounding the city. It is a calm but busy harbour with an eclectic mix of swimmers, kayaks, boats, ferries, fishing boats, gondolas and cruise boats aplenty.
Instead of walking up the hill from port we hopped into a cab. It is also convenient to use the lift up from the port if you have suitcases. Our hotel was in the Sliema neighborhood with an amazing view of the neighborhood of St.Julian and the Mediterranean sea. Sliema is known for its historic buildings, beaches, restaurants and shopping.
Take the ferry and in 5 minutes you can be in downtown Valletta to visit the Duomo, St John’s Cathedral and many other historic places. The streets are an interesting array of historic houses and buildings with colorful bay windows appearing as huge boxes of color; red, blue, green, white and yellow. Maltese foods include a rabbit stew and horse meat but they also serve amazing racks of barbeque ribs and fish.
The evening ferries brings a younger crowd from St. Julian and Sliema that are headed for the bars and nightclubs in Valetta.
The town has a distinctive atmosphere, with many languages spoken: Maltese, English, Italian, Spanish, Arabic and others. Many Italians work in Malta; one Italian taxi driver was so funny, when a horse walked slowly in front he blurted out: “these Maltese horses are diesel, no good”
The Valetta area is a frequent stop for large cruise ships that bring a flood of visitors to the city. The ferries provide a link to Malta’s three main islands. Malta’s key economic activities are tourism, movie filming locations and electronics. It has become a hub for internet gaming, finance and a growing destination for digital nomads.
Tips
1. Most tourist’s attractions are in Valetta and Sliema.
2. Driving follows the English pattern on the left side, be extremely careful and look both ways when crossing the streets.
3. Retail shopping is from 9am to about 7pm so plan accordingly.
4. It is quite hot during the summer, dress accordingly to walk the hills of Valetta.
Till next time,
Walk good
Nuevo Nomads 