As one of Europe's smallest countries, Malta is a joy. Culturally like "Istanbul on an island," Malta is home to more than a half million people emcompassing a broad range of religions, cuisines, and customs. Maltese is a language in its own family, but as a former British colony, you'll also find English names such as Pembroke and Ponsonby. I was supposed to get here the evening before instead of last night but I missed my flight, and when you only have two days in a place, you can't sleep in until 10 AM. Finding a CouchSurfing host in Malta was tricky but I'm staying with a guy named Pete in the village of Sweiqi. He was flexible and understanding when I missed my flight and then stayed awake until I arrived last night. I was up at 4 AM and out the door before the sun was up, with a goal of seeing and doing as much as possible. It wouldn't be long before I signed my first Maltese geocache and then walked through St. Julian's to catch the bus. Valletta, capital of Malta since 1571, was on my radar to start the day. Buses are cheap at only €2, and you can use the same ticket to transfer for two hours after the first ride. I nearly shed a tear as the bus whizzed past many possible photo opportunities, but I knew I'd have to make some effort. Valletta is small with narrow streets and surrounded by a wall.
Tan is the preferred colour of buildings here, perhaps because the abundant sunshine would strip away any other colour. Blue and tan are the recurring colours as the tan slowly gives way to the sea.
At the tip of the peninsula is Fort St. Elmo, which is an old military fort that is nearly 500 years old. It wasn't open for the day so I went for a walk along the perimeter. Rubbish and graffiti have been left all around the outside, presumably by teenagers wanting to hang out with their friends and then being inconsiderate. The view and the stroll were nice, however, as were some boats as I got to the other end of the fort.
As a pint-sized capital, Valletta is lovely and fantastic for a morning stroll. Interesting is the Siege Bell Memorial.
During World War II, Malta was a British colony, was heavily bombed by Italy, and more than 7,000 people lost their lives. In summer it's very hot in Malta, and you'll likely be doing a lot of walking. Two hours in Valletta made my feet sore and I still had a lot more to see. Cooling my feet off in the fountain helped...
...as did a delicious lunch. Being so close to Italy, pizza and wine were fitting as I sat in St. George's Square. It wasn't even noon and I was nowhere near done for the day. My own personal staircase beckoned, and it seems they go to heaven.
Well, I didn't want to spend the entire day in Valletta so I got the bus back toward Pete's flat since I wanted to grab a few things at the supermarket. It was there I'd have a run-in with a security guard as I didn't want to leave my backpack with my computer with someone. It seriously gets on my nerves that people think that, since I have a backpack, that I must be out stealing stuff. Pete slept in until 3 PM and I just did a quick grab of a few things and then I was out the door again. Sliema would be next on my list, and I decided the rest of the day was going to be on foot. "Triq" is the Maltese word for "street." and I sure saw many such signs today. With narrow streets and loads of blind corners, walking requires a degree of caution. Eventually I'd find myself walking along the waterfront where there were loads of people swimming, playing, and sunbathing.
As a predominantly Catholic country, it's illegal for women to go topless on beaches in Malta. On the beach I met a beautiful Italian lady named Surja. She has loads of tattoos and is in Malta for several months working on a boat. Surja would allow me to snap a few photos of her and then we swapped phone numbers; I would love to see her again tomorrow. Days are long at this time of year so I ensured I used up every possibility, but by 8 PM I was spent. With a lengthy walk home I eventually got back to Pete's home. He was trying to convince me to get drunk with him but I was up for a couple glasses of wine and that was it. His friend came over to visit, and I'm thankful she did so the two of them could have some quiet time.
For my only full day of my short Malta sojourn, I sure made the most of it. Thousands of steps and a few mishaps later, I don't have any regrets. In fact, Mal-Tease me some more!
