If you plan to "do Valletta on your own", You can walk off the ship, go through the cruise terminal, and get tickets for the hoho bus tour around the island (probably a 5 to 10 minute walk to the ticket kiosk and buses). It's s great way to see the ancient capital of Mdina and get a good overview of the island The cost is about 15 euro per person. Cathedrals, palaces, forts, beautiful gardens, and a war museum provided a full day of exploration. As we were in Valletta on Saturday, I think most of Malta's 370,000 inhabitants were on the marble pedestrian streets with us!!
Maltese cuisine is similar to that of its closest neighbor, Sicily. Rabbit is a local favorite and we saw it on many menus as we were deciding where to lunch! We found a nice cafe with outdoor seating and snagged a table for 2. Ken ordered one of the local seafood specialties, spnott, otherwise known as sea bass. Presentation was beautiful with the whole fish nestled on a bed of sautéed veggies.. Eggplant, zucchini, onions, and tomatoes.
Me, being a bit more timid, chose another local specialty of spaghetti bolognese... Just couldn't do the rabbit! The pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce was a light tomato & minced beef with chunks of carrots. The side salad came with French fries!
We spent time in the the National War Museum. I see where it closed in September and will be re-opening at a later date as the new Military History Museum.
Did you know that the tax rate in Malta is 18%?
Though I searched the island far and wide, I saw no Maltese dogs; but I did see dogs that reside in Malta! I missed my little Maltese dog Zoey and was hoping to meet some of her ancestors.
Valletta reminded me a bit of San Francisco with its hills. We walked a lot up and down those hills along the sea walls, and on the side streets, with colorful laundry hanging from windows and balconies.
You'll see some interesting architecture, fishing boats, and buildings.
Here are some websites with some good information on Malta:
Visit Malta
Malta Tour Guide
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