Malta

Dawn and I on the Dingli Cliffs

Pam descending into the Catacombs

The family walking in Mdina

The courtyard of the villa looking to the house

Pam and Dan, Belle (6), Caleb (13) and Ben (18)

Just a quick note on our trip to Malta.  We had a wonderful time.  We were told that the people of Malta were very nice and they were.  We were always greeted with a smile, candy for the kids, and little old men who would show us "empty" parking spots and then want a "little" something.  You gotta earn your money somewhere on those small islands!  Really, really nice people though.  The island of Malta has been Roman Catholic since St. Paul shipwrecked there.   The people of Malta loved Paul, and their faith is shown all over the island with churches and shrines everywhere.   On Malta, divorce is illegal and english is the chosen language.  

The island was so small, that we were only 5 minutes from the airport and about 10 minutes from the capital, Valleta, which was on the other side of the island!  This being the case, we were able to see and do a lot more than was expected.  Our village of Zurrieq, was on the southwest side of the island and near the sea.  We stayed in a villa that was a 300 year old farmhouse/mill that had been converted.  It was like a mini castle.  A cold mini castle!  From the outside, you just saw a stone building and a red door, but open the door, and all kinds of beautiful things awaited.  It really was set up with the bedrooms surrounding a central courtyard with a pool and jacuzzi.  The crime is very low in Malta, and we felt very safe there walking around at night.  We weren't used to the "siesta" when stores closed from 12-4.   Because we went during an off time, not during a high season, two nights we went without a dinner of sorts.  One night we drove clear across the island to Valletta in search of somewhere to eat.  Valletta is on a hillside, and by the time we saw somewhere to eat, we were past it and couldn't figure out how to get back!  lol  Crackers and cheese that night!  

We saw temples older than the pyramids, mountains, caves, old cities, cliffs, more Bays than you can shake a stick at, the Hypogeum, sheepherders on the road with their sheep and of course, wonderful hillsides filled with blooming color!  If you get the chance, go to Malta, see the many hues of blue color in the sea, and experience history like you have never seen, heard or walked it before.   A wonderful place to visit!