Blogs from Sliema, Malta, Malta, Europe

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 ). 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 ... read more

A quiet day we decided with an early walk round the streets in behind the waterfront. Lovely Maltese homes designed for the weather with their 'galleries' out front. Soft but bright pink, blue, red, green, yellow, stand out against the limestone. As in any Country beside the seaside the weather is harsh the homes & need constant attention. We sat in Ballutta Bay square at the waterfront in the shade & a nice sea breeze for half an hour...just heaven....& watched everyone swimming. A parasail has been on the go out on the point everyday since we have been here. Yacht's & launches in & out the bay...masses of swimmers. No thunderstorms this time. The bus system has improved imensely!!!...or we have. And so it is Independence Day here...a public holiday. Although most places appear open ... read more

It's lovely being back in Malta...2min walk to the beach...so 3 swims. The water is warmer than home but refreshing all the same. It's like trying to crack the da vinci code to use the power here. First we need to find the 'power switch' to utilise the power point which also has to be turned on.....there are quite a few 'power switches'....power cuts are not uncommon here in Malta! Our apartment is nice in a new block & the owner has 8 units in it plus the penthouse ...he is also a Pilot. Spinola Bay was our first stop today...just around the corner. There was nice sea breeze so the heat was bearable. I think we saw only 2 of the original Maltese houses left on the waterfront! It has been totally transformed in this ... read more

It was a lazy Sunday morning for me today. I didn't have any plans so had decided to just take the day as it comes. I ended up venturing out around 11:30 and was wandering a bit aimlessly to start as I couldn't decide if I was hungry or not or what I felt like eating if I was! All I knew was I needed a coffee lol. I started walking toward's Giorgio's when I saw the Valletta ferry approaching so decided to jump on that and then work it out. When I got over to Valletta I went to get a macchiato from a cafe near the wharf and saw they also did toasted sandwiches so I asked for a ham, cheese and tomato sandwich. The service was terrible as they kept serving locals before ... read more

I set my alarm this morning as I wanted to make the most of my time before I had to check out at midday. There must have been a storm during the night as when I looked out the window, the water was stirred up and it didn't look as nice as the previous days. It was also a bit cooler, only 23 degrees. I still put my bathers on though and headed downstairs for a quick breakfast. After eating I walked along the bay but it was obvious the water was murky this morning and there was a fair bit of leaves and rubbish floating in it. Not at all appealingly. So I decided to go for a good walk along the coast and found myself heading towards the Xlendi tower. This tower was built ... read more