Doing Tourism in Reverse

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There's still lots left to see in Valletta, but we decided that we would go on a little adventure today and get the boat over to Sliema. We eventually managed to work out where the ferry left from and how to get there, as there was little in the way of signs. There's a road that goes off in the wrong direction, but then loops back through a tunnel under the main road.

The boat leaves every 30 minutes on the hour and the half hour, and was bang on time (maybe the influences from nearby Italy are not as strong as we thought they are - see No, That Isn't Vesuvius Coming Back to Life). We decided to brave the sun and sit on the top deck, where we got some excellent views back towards Valletta. And forward towards Sliema for that matter.

Sliema is a lot more modern and commercial than Valetta, with row after row of huge, multistorey hotels, although there is the odd much older building sandwiched in-between the more modern ones. We got the impression that most people stay in Sliema and then get the boat across to visit Valletta. Not the other way round. We've got a lot to learn about tourism it seems.

We walked across to the sea on the opposite side of the town and then we aimed to walk along the sea-front and round Tigne Point back to where the boat would be leaving. Sadly, a huge building site put pay to that, as it seemed like that whole end of the town is being redeveloped. More multistorey hotels presumably.

We did find a shopping centre or two, along with an "iCentre" (basically an imitation Apple Store), a Marks and Spencers and a Costa Coffee. I have to admit that I am a fan of Costa Coffee. It's an excuse for social gatherings that do not involve alcohol, given that, and despite what these blogs might lead you to believe, I am not a complete alcoholic! And I proved that, as this Costa actually sold lager and I showed enormous restraint, opting for a fruit smoothy instead. Despite it being significantly cooler than it was yesterday, a hot drink was still not an option

We were a bit aggrieved though as our Costa points card is not valid outside of the UK, so there were no credits towards our next free coffee. What the hell Costa, I might need to reconsider my loyalty!

We came across a map of Sliema, which showed a very picturesque view of the area including a short walk to an ornate bridge over to the charming nearby Manoel Island. That looked like a nice way to spend our time, but the reality quickly became apparent, as the bridge was miles away, it was a very unglamorous road bridge and the island looked industrial. The fort at its tip might be worth the hour round trip, but, to be honest, there are plenty of those in Valletta.

After a short wait, we got the boat back to Valletta.

Once we got back, my wife headed back to the hotel. I, however, wondered if the road leading to the boat carried on round the edge of Valletta, so I decided that I would go for a walk and see where I ended up. It was definitely worth it. Once I had stuck with it and strutted across a building site, which seemed to discourage some other people who were also doing the same thing, I crossed round the rocks around the edge of the Fort St. Elmo and ended up by the harbour wall. I'd loved to have walked along that to the lighthouse, marking one side of the harbour, but it was sadly blocked by some very daunting gates.

I carried on round and came across some beaches, which are relatively inaccessible and I suspect are therefore the providence of the locals who know how to find them. Whilst looking back at the bridge, it was apparent that they were not as daunting as I thought they were. Some locals had clearly been able to get past them, get up to the bridge that formed part of the wall and jump into the sea below.

I got an indication that the beaches where not as inaccessible as I thought, as I passed a pizza delivery guy in his crash helmet and leathers on the way to deliver (obviously) pizza to some people on one of the beaches. And sure enough, at the end of the next beach were some steps that I could climb back up to street level and I found myself right outside Fort St. Elmo, i.e. the War Museum.

Entry is €10, so why not, let’s have a look round. I'm not big on war museums, but I honestly think this would be better named the "Malta History Museum" as that is essentially what it is. Granted though, war is a dominant aspect of Malta's history. Various global powers fighting over it, whilst poor Malta seemed to get the worst of it all. Invaded, sieged, bombed and occupied, it must have been with great satisfaction that they finally became an independent country in 1964 and a republic in 1974. f*** off to the lot of you (Britain included)!

The exhibitions are across various numbered areas around the fort. Once you're following them, it's very easy to move from one to the next, however, it wasn't obvious where to start. Area 1 definitely needed to be sign-posted better. Once I was following it correctly, was so interesting that I was surprised when one of the museum employees told us all that they were about to close and we needed to leave. It was already 6.00pm.

Anyway, the history of Malta. Maltese history goes back 7,000 years, but it all seemed to get more lively with the arrival of the Knights of St. John in 1530, as we had found out about yesterday in the Co-Cathedral (see Considering What Should Be On My Decorated Tombstone). There was then the 1565 Great Siege when they successfully defended the island against the ever expanding Ottoman empire, in what seemed to be the front line in a battle between Christianity and Islam.

During the 18th century the British, French and Russian empires took over from the Spanish and Ottoman powers and Malta was in the hands of the French until 1800 when they surrendered the island to the British. I know we're close allies and friends, but getting one up on the French is always hugely satisfying, as it doesn't happen very often nowadays. I'm writing this blog after our evening of cocktails (see below) so sorry if I'm being less diplomatic than I should be.

When the Suez Canal opened, Malta became a key refuelling point on the route between Europe and India and was a British base during the Suez crisis. It was heavily bombed during World War II, but the axis powers were never able to invade.

After the British navy left in 1979, Malta has stayed strictly neutral. In fact it was where the agreement was signed between George Bush Senior and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989, which officially ended the Cold War.

I hadn't been long back in the hotel and it was time to head out again for the evening. After crossing through the wall into Valletta, we came across a restaurant that ticked all our boxes, although that was in no way influenced by the fact that it was two-for-one happy house on cocktails and spritzers. My wife opted for a Mojito (sorry, two Mojitos). I spotted a Limoncello Spritzer, given that I have still not quite got over my Limoncello obsession from our earlier break to Italy (see But 2.8kg of Limoncello Isn't Going Last Me Very Long).

It did get a bit confusing and we almost ended up with eight drinks (such tragic mistakes do happen). We eventually worked out that the Maltese say "one-for-two".

It looked like they might have some live music about to play. One of my pet hates is live music that's so loud that you can't speak to each other. We checked and were assured that it would not be that loud. It wasn't (actually it was really quite enjoyable), but what they didn't know about was that the outdoors auditorium that is nearby would start blasting out drum music literally one second after we sat down and ordered our drinks. Too late, but after a Mojito and a Limoncello Spritzer, followed soon after by a Cosmopolitan (times two obviously), I was sufficiently relaxed and no longer cared.

What was it I was saying about not being an alcoholic!?

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Photos

Il Fortizza
One of the few older buildings in Sliema.

Ferry
The ferry between Sliema and Valletta.

Postbox
Still some influences from the British.

Sandwiched Building
Old buildings literally sandwiched in between the new.

Costa Coffee
Cold drinks as it was too hot for coffee.

Fort Walls
Walking around the outside of Fort St. Elmo.

St. Almo's Fort
Guns outside the Museum of War (Malta history).

Valletta Architecture
This is the typical Valletta style of building.

End of The Cold War
The treaty that marked the end of the cold war was signed in Malta in 1989 by George Bush Senior and Mikhail Gorbachev.

Happy Hour
A Limoncello Spritzer and a Mojito each.