2012 Calendar Project: July

Malta

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Sailin'... Takes Me Away

Another "Must See" in Malta is really a "Must Do." Well, if you like the ocean. And Sailing.

And well, Malta is a nation of islands, so hopefully you like the ocean if you go. Because the best way to visit all of the islands is by boat.

I signed up to sail around the main island over to the island of Gozo on a beautiful, wooden schooner with Captain Morgan cruises (this blog is in no way sponsored by them). They were a great company. They picked me up and returned me to my hotel and provided an altogether lovely experience. While it was a bit early in the season yet, and a bit chilly, the day was still absolutely gorgeous.

We sailed out of a 500 year old Baroque, European, North African harbor city, one of the most stunningly poetic sights I've ever seen, and made for the isle of Gozo.

Along the way we hugged inlets of azure blue, cliffs resembling Sicilian terrain and kissed the wind and waves with the helm.

I couldn't help but grab the most forward seat possible - practically hanging off the bow - and was the only person to ride out the entire ride in the same spot. Everyone else gave up, either a bit too cold, too winded or too seasick.

I'm an old sea dog and can think of nothing better than possibly being reincarnated as a ship prow's mermaid.

When we reached Gozo we were served a lovely gourmet lunch and then set free for two hours to explore the island and all of it's charms.

Docked at Gozo, looking toward Comino

Gozo is home to a few natural beauties, not the least of which is it's hilly terrain. Other things you'll find there include a "Blue Hole" (which I didn't see, but I will next time I go), the Azure Window, and the Blue Lagoon.

Gozo is featured in the movie "The Count of Monte Cristo" and from Gozo you can see the old fortress used as the "Chateau D'if."

The fortress on Gozo used as the Chateau D'if in The Count of Monte Cristo

A few hours of swimming in the Blue Lagoon and warming my limbs on the sun-baked volcanic cliffs and we boarded the schooner once again and made for Valetta.

 The Blue Lagoon

Don't Miss: M'dina, the Silent City

More on the perfect little Island-nation of Malta:

This gorgeous little chain of islands is home to an ancient city called M'dina (pronouced: MmmmmDina. Yes, like a hum, then Dina.)

It was once the capitol city of Malta and John the Baptist is said to have spent time in it's residences, writing his chapters of the New Testament.

In it's current state, M'dina is a Medieval town, complete with Medieval Cathedral, gargoyles and buttressed, Gothic architecture. It is stunning. But obviously, if John the Baptist spent some time there, the city is much older. Indeed, Ruins from earlier versions of the city have been found and date all the way back to the Phoenicians.  (Think: WAY before the Romans, about 800 years before Rome was established, in the 1500's, BC.)

Also, in it's current state, the city is referred to by locals as "The Silent City," the reason being that less than 300 people reside in it. Cars are not allowed to drive through it (except if they belong to residents) and most traces of modern civilization are completely hidden from street view. It's almost haunting, wandering down ancient alley-ways,

feeling the rough stone walls around you in the warm, welcoming climate. It almost feels as if the city is a recreation, a theme-park build, created for spectacle, except it's genuine and age bespeaks it. It is a friendly little city, bathed in sunshine and snug on it's hill.

You must visit Malta. Enjoy the beaches, visit the blue lagoon at Gozo and the blue hole, visit Sliema and beautiful Valetta, enjoy the friendly, lovely people and bask in the Island's rich history. But don't forget to visit M'dina. It is truly an unforgettable experience.

All Ease and Friendliness

I liked Malta immediately. Much like a certain Jane Austen character, It is "all ease and friendliness."

To have come from Egypt, with it's harsh, dry sandy climate and garbage-lined streets, to a warm island climate was a relief to my entire person. I was given a glass of fresh juice as I checked into a comfortable hotel amidst large and elegant bird cages, plush couches and green plants.

I walked by the pool and saw families playing happily. Different. Very different from the culture I'd just come from, where Women are covered from head to toe and wearing a swimsuit in a public pool (or possibly ever) would have been unthinkable. Not to say that Western culture is better than Middle Eastern. It's just what I'm used to, am comfortable with and LIKE.

My room was so starkly different from the Spy-Movie hotel room I'd just come from that I felt at once as though I was staying in the lap of luxury. (Not so, but it's all about perspective, isn't it?) I threw open the large sliding door to the balcony and looked out over a crescent shaped beach as the sun set in the sky and the trade winds blew the sheer curtains about gently. I wasn't long in that room before I found myself with my toes sunk into the sands and sea foam on that beach watching the sun set.

And for the first time in nearly two weeks, I slept soundly.

Captain Morgan & The Importance of Planning

The upside to booking any holiday well in advance is that you have the world at your fingertips. (That is also the downside, you know... where in the heck do you pick to go??) It also means that you have the convenience of time before actually leaving to think about the trip. Where will you stay? What will you do when you get there?

For my upcoming trip I have the luxury of time to research the places I'll be going and find the best things to do, so when I arrive I can do what feels best on a given day.

For some activities though, you need to make reservations well in advance, as annoying as it may be. There are a thousand-million little reasons why: Maybe your activity only runs on certain days. Maybe the tour will be completely booked by the time you arrived at your destination. And so on, and so forth...

I am not a person who takes kindly to missing out on an activity I sorely want to do because I didn't book it in time. Especially with trips I've been slowly planning for a year. (That's right, I started forming ideas for this trip while on my last trip in Rome... it's the best time really, when you're out and about and hearing of fabulous places to visit from other travelers)

My advice to you, if you have time on your side, is to research your activities/destination thoroughly. I start with tripadvisor.com and then eventually (a couple of months later) end up just googling the destination name + activities.

Today I made a breakthrough with my Malta activities. I knew that I wanted to visit Malta's smaller islands: Gozo and Comino. I also wanted to take a day and visit the ancient city of Valletta. And I knew that those things were about all I'd have time to do while on this trip. (Bummer!) A couple of weeks ago I started researching ferry routes to get to the smaller islands. I'm cool with taking a ferry. But I knew it may not be the best way to see those islands. I would have had to take a local bus to the ferry port and the whole thing could have become very time consuming (which, if I had two to three weeks solely on Malta wouldn't have been a bad thing). So. Not knowing what was available as far as boat excursions I finally happened upon this gem:

Captain Morgan Cruises/Fernando 85ft Schooner 
 (And you thought I was talking about Captain Morgan - the Rum, didn't you?)

Gozo/Comino/Blue Lagoon Cruise

Includes transfer to/from hotel, food, drinks and snorkel gear

My reaction: SOLD!

The Blue Lagoon at Comino

If you hadn't guessed it by now, I'm a bit of a boat junkie. "A bit" might
be an understatement. I love day expeditions on small boats that hug coastlines and offer snorkeling. So fun!
So I booked it today. If I had waited until I arrived on island (May 4th), I would have toured Valletta on May 5th and tried for the cruise May 6th. Well, the tour doesn't run on May 6th. They only operate Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays until June.

Oh my gosh I can't wait to be on vacation.