35.54.444N 14.30.859E

Yes we really have moved. Well at least we (Stephen & Anne) did. Koshka, Yoyo and Wanda stayed in Tunisia. We had 3 month visas for Tunisia and had the option of paying for each week we overstayed our visa or leave the country then re-enter to get another 3 month visa. As Malta is fairly strict on entry of animals we were unlikely to visit with Koshka & Yoyo so we decided to go to Malta for a long weekend.

We had a very early start with a car arriving at 3.30 am to take us to Tunis airport. When we checked in we had to have our bags examined by customs who were very apologetic about the whole process. We were then told to head through security checks to the boarding gates as the flight might be leaving early, which it did. We left half an hour before our scheduled departure. The flight was one of the shortest we have ever done. We think we were at “cruising” altitude for about 5 minutes if that.

We arrived at our hotel at 9.30am and after waiting for a few minutes while they cleaned the room we were given the key to our room. What brilliant service. After unpacking we went out to explore Malta and find some breakfast. We had a wander around the shops in Sliema and then took the ferry across to Valetta and had a wander round there. After a siesta in the afternoon, well we had been up since 3am, we wandered around more of Sliema and found somewhere for dinner, then back to the hotel for an early night.

On Friday we got one of the old buses out to San Gwann. We had arrived in Malta with a very empty bag containing a few clothes and another bag, so we could stock up on food items we can’t get in Tunisia. There is a Lidl in San Gwann which we were hoping to find. As it turned out it was very close to the bus stop so we were able to stock up on Muesli, cheddar cheese and a few other items.

After our Lidl trip we went to the supermarkets in Sliema. Maltese supermarkets are fantastic for us; they stock a great mixture of English and Italian foods. So we stocked up on our English and Italian favorites. After a hard day shopping we decided to give the Italian restaurant across the road from the hotel a try. We were really glad we did our meal was delicious.

On Saturday we headed back over to Valetta. Valetta is the earliest European city to adopt a grid system for the road layout. So it’s really easy to find your way around. We decided to explore the Cathedral. It was very ornate and very packed. We were glad we went in but didn’t enjoy all the tour groups that were also there, stopping in the most awkward places. A few times we had to re-trace our steps to find an alternative way round. There was a delegation of Japanese people who were getting a VIP tour, which meant a few areas were out of bounds for everyone else for a while. We managed to sneak in the back way to see the painting of the beheading of John the Baptist, just as the Japanese delegation were leaving, which meant we jumped the queue rather nicely. After more of a wander round Valetta we got the bus back to Sliema.

For our evening meal we decided to re-visit the restaurant across the road. This time it was a rather different experience. Anne’s soup arrived, but it was far too salty and so was sent back. Stephen ordered the same type of pasta he had had the day before. When it arrived it was completely different. When we complained, the Chef was sent over who explained they had run out of spinach, so he would create something else for Stephen. After a short wait he got a lovely pasta dish of mushrooms with some truffles.

After all the exploring we had done we had a lazy day on Sunday. We walked across the road to the small fort that is now a bar and watched the F1 Grand Prix. We then went back to the hotel and packed. With all our provisions we now had two full bags weighing 20kg’s.(our full weight allowance for the trip back). The drive to the airport was exciting to say the least, but at least we arrived in one piece. During our wait in departures we were sandwiched between two rather full flights to Leeds and Gatwick. When we boarded our flight we felt like we had a private jet. Well OK not quite “private” there were about 6 other people onboard, but that was all. We boarded after the Leeds and Gatwick flights but managed to take off before both of them.  

We were back onboard Wanda by 11.30pm. Yoyo was pleased to see us, but Koshka got rather scared by the two large bags of goodies being loaded onto the boat.

Below are views of Valetta and Sliema, some of the Maltese buses currently in service, the interior of the Cathedral and a view of Grand Harbour.