Malta and Gozo Revisited

I was excited to be back in Malta! This time around, I had the chance to experience the places I missed the first time I visited. 

Fireworks exploded as my plane landed.  It kept going for a good hour at least. Great omen!
The Cowboy got in Malta ahead of me and was already waiting at arrival.

 

Day One

Marsaxxlok Sunday Market. We chose to have our brunch at the markets, after having browsed through the different stalls and capturing photos of the coloruful boats. The Cowboy was just amazed! We ended up at a Mediterranean restaurant bar. I ordered “appetizers” for breakfast — turned out to be very large servings good enough for 2-3 people! I thought the bruschetta of olives, tomatoes, cheese and mushrooms would be one big piece, instead, it was 3-piece serving! Then the salmon, I thought it would be small slices like antipasti, but no, they were generously stuffed with shrimps!

St. Peter’s Pool. This was what I missed last time that I really wanted to go to! It was much bigger than I expected, with the surrounding landscape of gently contoured limestone rocks that turn bleached white against the midday sun! It highlights the clear blue and aqua ocean. There was an inlet with a cliff-jump take-off point… The Cowboy had a go with his go-pro. It was pretty cool. I just jumped off from a lower height.

 

We went past the Blue Grotto and just quickly had a look. Late in the afternoon is not a particularly good viewing time, as the cliffs cast shadows over the water.

Ghar Lapsi Seafood Restaurant. It was getting late but I thought we could have dinner at Ghar Lapsi. I forgot the name of this ubiquitous restaurant tucked out of –sight from the street , but overlooking the natural rock pool of Lapsi.  The waiter said they’re closed, it’s already 7pm. As we walked away disappointed, the owner called us back and said “our kitchen is closed, so we have limited choices. Maybe we can serve you something, small pieces of seafood ok?”

We thought small portions or appetizers… like tapas… sure. First a couple oysters, followed by a couple of raviolis, then four pieces of king prawns. Then the surprise came, a bucket-full of mussels. We thought that was it, but no, food kept coming… melt-in-the mouth soft and tender octopus, and then finally a bowl of calamari with salad and French fries. Over the top much! We had to pack the rest away! It was the best seafood ever, so fresh!

 

Dingli Cliffs. The sun was just about to set and I thought maybe we could catch the sunset at Dingli cliffs, just a few minutes from Lapsi. When we got there, we saw the last couple minutes of the red sun setting on the horizon. Hung out for a while and indeed the cliffs were more visible than the last time I was there. Found a wind shelter cave off the cliff and stayed there to enjoy the serenity.

Day Two

I’ve already been to Mdina and Rabat before, but this time around I got to experience something new, St. Paul’s Grotto and Catacombs. These catacombs were different from the St. Paul’s catacombs that I went to last year. Why the tour last year did not include this, is beyond me. It’s iconic to Malta.! St. Paul was captured by the Romans, and on the way to Rome, got shipwrecked and stranded in Malta for 3 months (or is it years?). During that time he managed to establish Christianity in the island. There is already a large Arabic influence in Malta, hence it was impressive for St. Paul to have done what he did. I guess, historically, we take for granted how those saints overcame language barriers and inspired a population of a different tongue to embrace a new faith.

World War II Shelters were right next to St. Paul’s Grotto and it was sobering to see what it must have been like during those dark days.

Day Three

Gozo day! We reached the ferry just in time, literally among the last few cars to get in before it left for Gozo from Malta. It would have been another 45 minute wait had we arrived few minutes later. Lucky!

Victoria – Il’ Rabat. We had a simple Italian breakfast of Panini and coffee at the center. We didn’t really explore much but I did see the citadel which I don’t remember seeing the last time I was here.

Ta’Pinu. I did not mind coming back, it was one of my favorite places of worship.I felt as though my spirit was cleansed stepping in and out of the place. There’s just something about the place, and it reminded me of my dream about an angel touching me and leaving me with a golden aura. The place felt like it had angels in it! Pope Benedict elevated the church’s status into a Basilica. Came here for a pilgrimage, because the Madonna of Ta’Pinu performed miracles. I petitioned for health and blessings for my family. At the altar (see my photo kneeling in front of it) was the golden rose bequeathed by the Pope to the people of Ta’Pinu.

 

Swimming in the Blue Hole. From Ta’pinu, it was only a few minutes ride to the Blue Hole. I did not mind coming back, this time to swim in the hole itself and not just take photos of it! It was awesome and refreshing!

Wied il-Mielaħ Window. They never really tell you much about these in guidebooks as the focus had been on the Azure Window that had already fallen down. This arch looked more like a flat slab of a bridge across the cliff held by a pillar in the sea. It’s amazing what nature comes up with!

Wied il-Għasri, another off-the-beaten-path in northern Gozo, was only a few minutes away from Wied il-Mielaħ Window. The water was so clear, you can see through the bottom of the water. It’s a very long bay that snakes through a canyon and goes out into the sea. Unlike other parts of the island, the substratit is that of smooth rocks and pebbles. It would have been a perfect swimming spot were it not for the jellyfishes staking their claim on the waters.

We made our way back to the ferry bound for Malta. It was a scenic route through to Marsalform, passing by salt pans and limestone cliffs.

The sun had set by the time we reached Sliema and St. Julian’s where we decided to have dinner. We finally settled on Tratoria right across Font Ghadir baths. Shared a scrumptious seafood tortellachi and octopus. We had the perfect seat right in from of the TV, enjoying our meal as we watched Colombia vs. England. We ordered desert and coffee as we watched the game extend through to extra time, ending with penalty shoot-out, 4-3. There are may poms in Malta, and we could hear an explosion of cheers for England and cars honking outside the street.

Day Four

Chilled out day today. We hung out mostly at Valetta and finished the day at Sliema baths.

Valetta Square. We were able to find parking in Valetta itself. We wanted to have a simple breakfast this time, ended up in a posh-looking restaurant… after a 5 Euro water (!) we realized it wasn’t what we needed… So I had to bring The Cowboy to this place right at the gate entrance of Valetta for croissants and coffee. Exactly what we wanted! Music played in the background with the changing of the Maltese guards as well. Opera singers and Maltese bands entertained us.

Grand Masters Palace was first on out itinerary for the day. The paintings on the walls and ceilings were mostly what made for the grandiosity. The Palace Armory was a good lesson in 14th-16th-century military. What caught my attention the most was the display about the Siege of Malta in 1565. It was truly heroic, with 400 trained knights or soldiers and few thousand Maltese, against 30,000 Ottomans. The Knights fought off the Ottomans for days before Spain came for reinforcement. The siege began in June and the Maltese won the battle on September 11 of 1565. All of Christian Eruope celebrated this win against the mighty Ottoman empire, and Suleiman the Magnificent. Gifts and wealth flowed into Malta afterward. It was to be the last stronghold of Christianity against the Islamic Ottomans.

 

St. John’s Co-Cathedral was even grander than the palace itself. This was built after the siege. The décor is an elaborate Baroque, designed from floor to ceiling. Grand Masters were buried there and remains of some saints kept in the cathedral.

There were chapels for each of the eight langues of Knights as represented by the 8-pointed Maltese cross. Malta is a nation of immigrants. The Knights settled in the country, coming from the noble families all over Europe.

If one had only time for either of the two, I would recommend the Cathedral.

In between sights, we enjoyed pistachio and bacio gelatos. I am not a fan of gelato or ice cream but the one I came across here in Valetta was the best I’ve ever had! I certainly remembered it exactly how it was and where, from last year.

Sliema and Font Ghadir was our last stop for the day. This is my favorite hang-ou place in Malta. We hung out by the no-sand beach of smooth limestone rocks. The Cowboy went for a quick dip, I only took a nap. From there we had dinner at Il Fortizza, where I had my birthday dinner last year. The seafood Nero Pasta was exquisite, and adding on a mixed seafood platter starter was enough for the two of us. Learned our lesson that Malta restaurants tend to serve huge portions!

We walked about by the esplanade and spotted an alfresco café bar where we had coffee and desert. I finally had the chocolate croissant that I’ve been craving for!

We were thinking of going to Paceville to party, but it would have been such a hassle going back to our place at Cospicua, getting ready, taking the ferry to Valetta and then bussing it to Paceville. The alternative was to take a cab which would probably take around 20-30 mins.

It was a 20-minute drive with all the confusing one-ways and round-abouts back to our place. Our host was awake, and as I hoped, we managed to carve out a good chat with her before we finally leave.

Day Five

We chatted till past 1 AM – and it was worth it. We talked about Knights, the Order and secret societies, her appreciation of the Royal family, her miraculous remission from leukemia at 10 yrs of age saved by her dog and how she had a visit from Prince Charles and got a kiss from him.

We had to say goodbye to our host. Wolfgang wasn’t particularly happy upon hearing the rolling of our bags. He knew we’re leaving.

It was one of the loveliest places I’ve stayed to date, with an equally lovely and interesting host. I could have stayed and we could’ve probably kept on talking for a week… even more! She’s so full of life, and has so much rich experience to share!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had our last breakfast at the Kingfisher restaurant by the Blue Grotto. Bruschetta, mussels, and feta cheese salad (with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, lettuce). Went into the Knights tower overlooking the bay that goes into the Blue Grotto. Climbed all the way to the top. It was a phenomenal view from there!

Proceeded to the airport with some time to spare. LaValette lounge in Malta was the best lounge I’ve had the chance to check into so far. We could have just had the brekkie there.

I was very happy I came back. I was extremely satisfied with my second trip to Malta!