About Malta ... August 2009
The idea of \u200b\u200ba holiday in Malta was born almost by chance, a little 'because it remains an economic goal, especially for kids who can not have a high budget and a little' because a friend of mine father of Maltese origin I had spoken well.
From February to August, I tried to documents on the Internet but are not so much information available on this island (well the photos are scarce), but the site of tourism in Malta is rich http://www.visitmalta.com/main of information.
The idea that I had done the things I saw in Malta and from which they were not disappointed: the beautiful beaches, beautiful palaces built by the Knights of St. John, forts, numerous churches (think that there are 365 on this small island), the golden Valletta (the plane that was already beautiful), the legacy left by the British as well as telephone booths and the right-hand drive and finally the unique megalithic temples dating back over 3000 years before the birth of Christ.
August 8
Start with Air Malta with a 30 h delay from Verona (we prefer this airport to Bologna on the grounds of highway traffic), and landed at Luqa airport mid-afternoon (it is about 7 km from the capital).
As in 3, Sliema decide to get a taxi (fixed price of 21 €).
On the way we do a little 'conversation with the taxi driver who speaks Italian and quickly takes us into what will be "home".
The apartment we had booked in February on the site http://www.holiday-malta.com/
There are really of all sizes, so much so that our era 4 people so big enough for us three!
expenditure: € 280 per person x 2 weeks.
We go out for dinner just an hour from "Ta Pina," but the tiredness and the heat can be felt so we go to bed early.
August 9
spend the day relaxing in the small beach of limestone near our apartment.
The many steps with handrails provide easy access to the beach and the sea. There are also numerous flat rocks on which to relax comfortably. In this area the sea is deep, clean and clear offers unparalleled beauty with snorkellers.
In the evening we decided to go to dinner at "Ta Kolin" and sample some traditional Maltese dishes such as:
Aljotta: hot fish soup
Timpani: it is a kind of pie and macaroni
Bragioli Fenek, respectively, and rabbit rolls
After dinner take a walk on the promenade overlooking Valletta
August 10
We start early with a visit to the bus station (Sliema Ferries) to take the 645 bus (1.16 euro each) that will take us to the island's largest sandy beach: Mellieha Bay beach, which lies at the foot of the hill with beautiful water, shallow water ideal for families with children. We expect a lot
casino and instead will not be so! For only 2 € where we rent an umbrella repair during the hottest hours.
return to the same bus in the late afternoon and have dinner at home.
August 11
We decide to spend the day today in the capital.
Between bus and ferry we decide to use it to reach it: the cross is about 8.10 min and the single fare costs only 0.90 cents.
Valletta is located on a narrow promontory (which is why there are narrow roads with slopes not to be underestimated), in which open on both sides with magnificent natural harbors. The city is named after Grand Master J. Parisot de la Vallette. As you may have noticed from the photos of Valya, are many houses with colorful bow windows.
Just landed, quickly reach Triq it Republika which is the heart of the city and is full of shops and people.
The heat kills us today .. First half
Journal of the beautiful St. John's Co Cathedral (7.50 euro per person with student discount).
Among the co-cathedral's treasures kept in the museum are two paintings by Caravaggio and a series of tapestries from designs by Rubens and Poussin.
The weather is too hot and after walking a bit to the center, we decided to go for lunch in a place that I recommend "Trattoria da Pippo": the menu includes mostly fish, but in reality there is no real menu and precisely because it depends on the food fresh daily! We take spaghetti with seafood and bragioli (meat rolls stuffed with ham and cheese). Very popular with Maltese
After lunch we decided to visit Grand Master's Palace (7.00 euro per person with student discount), the palace built by the same architect of the Cathedral. The beautiful building that now houses the presidential offices and the Maltese Parliament.
The building may in fact be closed when the parliament met. Well for two centuries has been the site of the Grand Masters of Malta.
Exit the Palace, we make a 'another short walk that ends at the point of boarding the ferry to take us back to Sliema.
August 12
spend the morning at the beach in Sliema where we love to snorkel among the rocks and the colorful fish. In the afternoon at 17:00
do the 'Harbour tour "(which shows the beauty of the three cities Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea view from the sea) relying on Captain Morgan (15 euro each) http://www.captainmorgan.com.mt/harbour_cruise.htm
The tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes to 19:00, so we are back to the port of Sliema. From here, we decide to take the bus number 70 (it is already a night bus so each ride costs 0.73 cents each) in the direction of St. Julian is a small village about 2 km from Sliema and is heaven for kids from throughout northern Europe. Join us for dinner
Highly recommended by "Paparazzi" where you can eat a pizza.
August 13
This morning we get up early at 8:30 and in fact we are already on the bus line 645 directly to the terminus in Cirkewwa. The driver when the fare asks us where we are going to go and kindly tells us that he will warn us when to get off.
Well not keep you on your toes, I tell you that we are direct to the beautiful Blue Lagoon which is a strait that divides the wonderful color from Cominotto Comino.
just off the bus, we head immediately to take the ferry company's Royal (10 € a / r).
I recommend to get to the Blue Lagoon as soon as possible to avoid a full house at lunch time!
Just enough time to take a long bath and when we get out of the water we see that where we lay our towel (1 in 3), is full of people and you can hardly walk ... Rather than stay on the island, we decided to take the ferry (included in the ticket there is a mini tour of the caves) and spend the afternoon at another beach. The beach is
vicissima we choose to board the ferry to Comino. The water is so beautiful umbrella and 3 beds for the modest sum of € 4, and enjoy the afternoon relaxing and without mess;)
spend the evening around Sliema sipping Kinnie (bitter orange) which is their national drink. In Malta, the Beer
Cisk and Kinnie chinotto cost less than bottled water!
August 14
Today we got up early and a bit 'rough because we deliver the machine and experience the English but driving on roads in Malta (which scares us a bit, since Malta is the Europe, with higher rate of road accidents). Since
not stay in a hotel, I had been in agreement with Economy car rentals https: / / www.economycarrentals.com / Default.aspx I have phoned on the morning of August 14 to agree on the delivery of the machine. We deliver a Ford
Fiesta well kept. Time to assemble in the car, familiarize yourself with the commands "inverted" and I do not have time to begin the maneuver to exit the parking lot that I already play
Victorious Destination to visit the Inquisitor Palace, Maritime Museum (7.00 € each with student discount) , photographed from outside the church of St. Lawrence and have lunch with bruschetta Maltese Ħobż biz-Żej the Victory Bar in the square of Vittoriosa.
After lunch walk through the beautiful neighborhood of Collachio (neighborhood where in 1530 the Knights built their Auberges that is a sort of inn, currently not open to the public).
In the afternoon we travel to Mostar, a picturesque village with a beautiful cathedral (Is said to boast the third largest dome in Europe). The country is already fully decorated for the celebrations to be held in the evening, but we decide not to stop for the party but to go and see what takes place on 15 days ago in another country.
in Malta in fact, from August until the end settebre every night there's a village festival with religious procession, fireworks, band and show.
Before returning home, we go to visit the nearby villages Lija and Attard and note that it is preparing to celebrate.
August 15
reach early in the morning without any problems Paradise Bay is located near Cirkewwa.
The water is very beautiful, but even here, the more time passes the more we find the right choice to escape to the lunch hour. Parasol paid 2 €.
Immediately after lunch we go outside to see the Popeye Village known by this name since 1980, having been the place that hosted the filming of the movie Popeye with Robin Williams. Currently it is a sort of Water Park.
struggled a bit 'to find the Golden Bay: Another great beach of golden sand and full of kids. The beach is well equipped and there is also a DJ on the beach. In water we noted the presence of current even if the bottom is not deep.
Let's go home early enough in the evening because it expects the country to party Mqabba. We have dinner with
5:50 in 3 to € Max Pastizzeria very beginning of the promenade in Sliema. Around 21:00
easily reach Mqabba and ask for information on holiday to a gentleman who kindly replied that the fireworks will start at 21:15 (and will end only around 22:30).
August 16
Today is Saturday and Sunday many tourists like us and especially the Maltese go to the market of Marsaxlokk. Country with traditional and charming port. The bay is full it is hosted of Luzzu (typical boats) colorful.
lunch with fresh seafood at the restaurant "The Shack" and then in the afternoon we reach the rocky beach of St. Peter's Pool.
August 17
for this morning is going to visit the town of Naxxar, the church and Palazzo Parisio: elegant palace built in 1733 with lots of elegant baroque gardens. Trivia: This palace was the first telephone installed in Malta.
In late morning we decide to move in close to Ta Qali Craft Village: inside the hangar at a former airfield are exposed pieces of Maltese crafts such as glass, ceramic, wool and filigree.
After returning home lunch, we prepare to spend another afternoon relaxing at Armier Bay Fortunately very few people there and the water is beautiful.
August 18
Today we decided to go to Gozo.
The idea was to take the ferry at 9:30 but due to road traffic and so many people queuing for the car ferry, we can take the next that starts just 15 minutes away.
The price for the car ferry + 3 adults is 25 € a / r seems to us soon!
of Malta Gozo is quieter and is even smaller so it is very easy to turn in the car.
The first goal of the day will Dwejra, the western tip of the island, which is characterized by rugged cliffs, impressive rock formations such as "Fungus Rock (great rock that is named after the prized fungus that grows on you always) and the characteristic" Azure Window "(which, with its massive rock arch 100 meters high, is perhaps the most photographed place in Gozo).
without peeking photograph the Blue Hole and Inland Sea because the heat is really too much today!
On the way towards the Citadel, there is the Craft Village and decide to take a ride just to enjoy a little 'shadow
We go into a shop just in time to attend to lacemaking.
renounce to see the temples of Ggantija as we will see more tomorrow in Malta.
Around lunch time we go to visit the beautiful Basilica "Ta Pinu" near Gharb: it is the most important pilgrimage destination of Gozo. The numerous votive offerings are evidence of answered prayers.
After a quick lunch eaten in the shade, we decided to visit the Folklore Museum in Gharb.
In the afternoon we drive to the Citadel of Victoria (Rabat in local language), the capital of Gozo. The Citadel, now in ruins, but very striking and offers magnificent views, a beautiful cathedral and a group of interesting museums.
parked the car in a parking located in a main street of Victoria Cross and climb to the Citadel on foot being careful not to slip on the asphalt liscissimo.
Here we decided to visit the Cathedral with its museum and the old prison (particularly for the graffiti made by prisoners and are still visible). Resume
the car for the last stage in Gozo: Ramla Bay, a sandy red. Case
tired and hot, we decided to take the ferry back to Malta at 18:00 and luckily there is a ferry waiting for us.
In the evening we go to dinner in Sliema to "Plenty." The pizza is very good and friendly place, I take a pizza Maltese (Maltese cheese and sausage). We spend about € 9:50 per person.
August 19
morning at the beach.
In the afternoon we visited the attraction which alone is worth the trip, the 'Hypogeum Hal Saflieni, preonotato well in advance at http://www.heritagemalta.org/hmshop/hmshop.html limited due to availability. L 'Ipogeo is Paola.
hypogeum After the visit, we spend another half hour to visit the Tarxien Temples are very close but they are nothing special.
August 20
This Morning the spend to visit the temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra (much more interesting than those of Tarxien).
We dedicate the afternoon to the inland, more specifically to visit: Mdina and Rabat.
spend a pleasant evening in Sliema between bands and fireworks.
August 21
The last day of stay on the island we spend in part on the beach and partly in Valletta to see the last things left: House Little Rock and the Upper Barrakka Gardens.
August 22
Back in Italy, (
Ques'isola is very special and beautiful. We'll be back soon but certainly not in August. It's too hot!
"You have given a copy of the album with Noel?" "No. .. I've downloaded it." This response, issued during an interview by a sardonic Liam Gallagher, engaged in promoting the debut of the Beady Eye is a summary of previous games (the dissolution, Paris, smashed the guitars and an end to adventure Oasis). The title of onset of the new / old band, Different Gear Still Speeding summarizes the present, the desire to get back into the game without spoiling the sound. Liam always a few months ago made it clear what to expect, "certainly we will not make African music." The album is a snapshot of a cohesive group, testifies to the musical growth and human Liam and his desire for revenge screamed in Four Letter Word , the piece more "rock" disc. Beady Eye I wanted to prove to fend for themselves, and they have heart. Pretty In this Mr. Green was helped by Andy Bell (ex-Ride) and Gem Archer (Heavy Stereo), two authors of unquestioned talent, but must be "crushed" by Noel. With greater freedom of composition have turned the sound softening since the last Dig Out Your Soul . More Beatles, but also Kinks, The Who, Faces: in short the best of Swinging London. Apart from the unsettling Bring The Light with its atmosphere rock'n'roll à la Jerry Lee Lewis, there is also something the Smiths here and there. For Anyone Songbird is a new, much more melodic. The fab four are in play loudly in Wigwam and The Beat Goes On , while the ubiquitous The Roller is their Instant Karma. Among the "pull" Beatles and Stones, ("tribute" to My Generation), Standing On The Edge Of The Noise . Masterpieces Different Gear , Kill For a Dream and The Mornig Son, with its beautiful tail psychedelic. 
