Brightly coloured doors and balconies along with waterfront at Marsaxlokk
The Bigger Island of Malta
Thoughts before arrival
The bigger island of Malta is only 80km south of Italy. With it’s population of 475,000 people within an area of 246km², once again a lot of people within a small area when comparing to Western Australian standards. This island is 27km long and 14.5km wide, once again not very big at all. Public transport is not the best so I hear, the roads narrow, old and congested.
This trip needs to be a Slow Travel trip (no promises but I’ll try!) and not expect to be able see everything as I’m sure that would just lead to lots of frustration on my part.
So, Malta has been inhabited since 5900BC so that 900 years earlier than Gozo. A quick glance at the history of the island talks about inhabitants and rule by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantine, Aghlabids and Normans. There are too many more to list here. Perhaps by the end of the trip I’ll know more about these rulers and the battles won and lost.
Blue Grotto a popular swimming place on the coast
Thoughts after arrival
Over the course of our 2 weeks in Malta we’ve managed to see quite a bit of the main island of Malta. Considering the large number of people on such a small island there is quite a lot more land not built on. This is mainly put aside for farming. Lots of vegetable farms and there is livestock somewhere. They are kept indoors in summer so the only living things seen generally are stray cats, lizards and lots of pigeons and a few ducks. On the coast at Dingli I saw a couple of sea birds, possibly terns.
I’ve enjoyed visiting the coastal bays and villages and the capital Valletta. A few of the tourist areas are havens for UK residents on holidays or expats. I guess it’s a bit like us and our relationship with Bali, close and warm climate.
About to board the plane to come home now so will cut this short. May add to this post a little later if time permits as lots more to say.
If you missed my last post on the Little Island of Gozo click this link to take you there now.
Gzira waterfront, the old and the new building right next to each other
A large cruise ship and a small boat sharing the Grand Harbour
City of Birgu on Dockyard Creek
Front of a traditional Luzzu fishing boat at Marsaxlokk
Traditional Luzzu fishing boats on their moorings at Marlsaxlokk Harbour
We enjoyed our short stay in Malta and would have loved to have stayed longer.
I enjoyed it but 2 weeks was long enough and I really wished that the last week was spend in downtown Valletta but never mind.