Malta Day 2

So you know I said I double booked myself today with a tour and a car hire? Well I rang the tour company to postpone till Thursday. It was the least Topaz could do letting me use their phone to compensate for its shoddiness. Honestly breakfast was rank, cold, felt like I was eating in an old people's home. No 4* I can tell you! And little things aswel like the (waitress's?) uniform which looked like it had been thrown on and had a rip in it.

Anyways!! I was so so nervous about my car hire, especially as the lady at Avis said I would have to pay 600 euros excess instead of the 100-150 advertised, and I had a gut feeling that I would have some sort of accident (the drivers here are crazy and some of the roads are atroceous, and I haven't driven in well over a year, and I'm all by myself and no good at directions). But too late to be backing out now, off I go!! Hmmm not as bad as I thought when in the drivers seat! The roads are easily navigable with clear road signs.

First stop Marxasslokk which is a fishing village on the East coast. I would have stayed here longer if a man who wanted to "befriend" me hadn't tried to get in my car with me to show me Peters Pool which is supposed to be a very nice bay with 8 beaches. I only wanted him to help me with my reverse gear (which as it turns out, you have to pull up at the same time), and after he did, I wanted to say goodbye (he was about 60). So I did. This village is picturesque, but only good for taking a few photos if you don't like fish, like me. It is also one of the few sites without concrete monstrocities erected along the shore in the shape of hotels and apartments.

Next stop was Blue Grotto. It is one of Malta's most beautiful natural scenes, and also quite a wonder how the rock formation came about. Very pretty!

Then it was the Hagar Qim. I didn't pay to see these as there apparently isn't much to see, so I admired from a distance. They are covered by ugly shelters to protect them from the elements, which is fair enough, as what is left of them are over 7000 years old! I wish the tourist touts would go away they ruin it totally, which is another reason I wasn't keen on paying. I suppose they gotta make a living though!

Then on to Ghar Lapsi, which is a small sun bathing bay with a rock lido. Not much to write home about but is good for sunbathing and swimming.

Next stop was Rabat and Mdina. Rabat is where St Agatha's catacombs are. Legend has it that here St Agatha, who was on the run from the advances of a sicillian governer, hid away. She was found and taken back to Sicilly where she had her breasts cut off with shears and tortured to death. St Paul's church and catacombs are also here. I didn't go into either as I was self conscious about the short shorts I was wearing!
Mdina is without a doubt the most beautiful city I have ever seen, if only cars weren't allowed to be parked within the walls. It is a completely walled citadel and is the oldest on the island. Breathtakingly beautiful. So.many.tourists though, so I went back the next day early morning to see it without the tourists. I see now why its called the silent city.

Then onto Golden Bay and that better bay next to it which I can't spell. I didn't go to either as I planned to come here tomorrow early while I still had the car.

Next Popeye Village. Closed. So on to the Red Tower (St Agatha's Fort). I don't know why but this tower is one of the most fascinating attractions to me on the Malta, I find it really haunting becuase of its history and how old it is. Also, there are great views over Comino and Gozo. It has a twin, in white, on Comino.

Then back to mingin Bugibba. So so happy to get back to the hotel only because I actually made it all by myself in one piece! I honestly feel like after doing that, I can do anything!!

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Part of trip: Malta

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