Underground

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Geo: 35.84, 14.54

The Hypogeum - one of Malta's most famous historic sites, and considered by many to be a can't-miss attraction. But as far we were concerned today, it was a bit of a "meh" attraction, hardly worth the effort and advance planning required to obtain tickets. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Hypogeum is the fact that it dates back to 3600 BC, and that the people of that time had the knowledge to create this necropolis so far underground, digging it out of the rock.

But as far as the site itself, there really isn't a whole lot to see, as it's quite compact and the light levels are kept low for preservation purposes. Again, the best part was the historical significance, but having to book several months ahead to ensure entrance during the busy tourist season, was a bit too much hassle. The 20 Euro per person fee was also steep, though that's largely because only 80 people are allowed in each day, in order to control CO2 levels, in an effort to prevent degradation of the stone.

In a way, the Hypogeum was disappointing, which we dealt with the only way we knew how - by stuffing our faces with some more fine Maltese food! Marsaxlokk is a fishing town popular with tour groups, and is popular with locals as a destination for a fine seafood meal - we're happy to report that Marsaxlokk more than lived up to its reputation.

Still, today was a bit sad for two reasons - first because I only took maybe 20 pictures today, and more than half of them were of food - but that's a different type of sad! Second, because it was our last night in Malta - our time here has truly been wonderful, with this tiny island nation far exceeding our expectations in nearly every way possible. It's funny how Malta was little more than an afterthought during the planning stages, chosen mainly because of its proximity to Sicily. But at the end of it all, Malta ended up being one of the highlights, in a trip full of them.

Gelato Withdrawal Symptoms: Withdrawal symptoms are peaking, leaving us with the shakes. But fortunately, tonight we found a great way of counteracting the problem - with a bottle of excellent Sicilian white wine!

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Photos

Trabuxu ...
... perhaps one good thing did come from all the shoe shopping yesterday - a recommendation from the salesgirl to try out this neat little wine bar, located down in a cellar.

Typo? ...
... it didn't quite make sense to us. Should the tramp stamp on the pig have read "We Love Making Bacon in Malta"???

Out With the Old, In With the New ...
... after nearly two years of loyal service and countless kilometres, it's goodbye to my travel sneakers. They held up surprisingly well on this trip, as they have zero tread left, and the soles were nearly worn through.

Massive Oysters at Ix-Xlukkajr ...
... we nearly skipped them, balking at the 3.50 Euro/oyster price, but these were HUGE. Not being an oyster connoisseur, they weren't worth the price for me.

Mixed Seafood Platter ...
... this was the platter for one, so you could imagine how much food there would've been had we ordered the platter for two! The scallops weren't anything special, and the razor clams were a bit chewy, but the mussels were fantastic, plump and melt-in-your-mouth, probably the second-best I've had in my life, bettered only by Albanian ones. The shrimps were mushy, as seems to be common in these parts, and the regular clams were excellent.

Tuna Carpaccio With a Mango Chili Sauce ...
... really good, but a small portion.

Panna Cotta Trio ...
... from L-R: fig, coconut, and passion fruit. Light and delicious.

Banana Parfait With Peach Coulis ...
... lightly frozen, and tasty - couldn't decide which was better, the parfait or the coulis, both of which were bang on with their flavours. A suitable substitute for gelato.

Assorted Meat and Cheese Platter at Trabuxu ...
... looked much bigger than it really was, since it was sitting on a bed of greens. It was a fairly light dinner compared to what we've been eating, and was nice because of the selection of fruit - apples, grapes, and kiwi. A nice touch was a bunch of excellent basil leaves, really nice with the great tomatoes on the platter.