In May 2015, I travelled to Malta. My great-grandmother, for some reason I don’t remember, liked the country and it felt like maybe I could know a bit more about her (she died when I was very young, and I don’t remember much). Also, a friend had lived there and loved it. So I decided to give it a go and booked my flights. I don’t know exactly why, but I didn’t feel anything special for Malta. To me, it lacked personality and charm. Valletta is beautiful, but lacks colours. I don’t know, it just didn’t click. It felt very British and not as welcoming as I thought it would be. I visited Comino and Gozo islands, and Gozo is the one that touched my heart.
Some Context About Malta
In case you are not familiar with the country, Malta is composed of three islands: Malta (the biggest), Gozo and Comino (the smallest). Valletta (located on the Malta island) is the capital of the country.
In 1813, Malta became a British colony until 1964, when the United Kingdom gave Malta its independence. This is why there are so many British influences in Valletta. In 1974, it became a republic. Before that, Malta was ruled by several people: Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, French and British… Malta is a mix of a lot of cultures.
Malta has two official languages: Maltese and English. The Maltese language became official only in 1934. Previously, the official language was Sicilian (from the 12th century) and the Tuscan dialect (from the 16th century). Interestingly, Maltese is both one of the most ancient languages still spoken (9th century) and one of the most recent ones, because its alphabet, spelling and grammar were formalized in 1929. Maltese vocabulary is composed of Arabic, Italian, English and French. This is the only Semitic language written with the Latin alphabet, but its grammar comes from Arabic. In the European Union, Maltese is the only Semitic language.
Travelling To Gozo
To go to Gozo, I took a ferry and then I visited the island using the Gozo Sightseeing bus. It was the easiest way to see the main places and at the same time, to take as much time as I wanted to visit each site. If I remember correctly, the bus comes every 45 minutes. The Gozo Sightseeing bus allowed me to see the Azure Window, the Ġgantija Temples, the Ramla Bay and Victoria.
Just so you know, roads in Malta are not all in a great shape, and I have experienced many delays. For example, on the day I visited Gozo, I woke up at 7.30 am. My bus was late and there was an accident on the road, so I only arrived at the harbour at 10.50 and the next ferry was at 11.50. If this happens, take a deep breath, this is annoying, but buses are unpredictable in Malta. Also, just a tip: I had real trouble finding food (except for ice-cream) during the day in Gozo, so maybe, just in case, prepare yourself a sandwich.
The Azure Window (now destroyed)
I consider myself lucky, because I could see the Azure Window before it collapsed on 8 March 2017. Apparently, before being a “window”, it was a cave. When the cave collapsed (probably in the 19th century), it created an arch. The site featured in several movies and series, such as Game of Thrones. This is where the Dothraki wedding was filmed.
The ground near the window was quite special: very hard, but also fragile. It was made of fossils and the sea salt made it sound like it was crunchy under my feet.
The Ġgantija Temples Of Gozo
According to the legend, the two Ġgantija Temples were built by a giantess. Depending on the sources, the legend varies. Bones were found on the site, so there could have been rituals including sacrifices of animals. Some other sources speak of fertility rituals.
The temples were built 3600-3000 years BC. Older than Egyptian pyramids, the temples are today part of the UNESCO World Heritage. There are not many explanations on the site itself, but a museum right next to the temples gives more information. Some stones bear strange inscriptions that have not all been decrypted.
The Ramla Bay
The Ramla Bay was a beautiful beach, with vineyards not far. I didn’t do much there, except for relaxing, eating a delicious ice-cream with real strawberries and walking in the waves.
Victoria And Its Citadel
I ended my day at the Cittadella in Victoria (also called Ir-Rabat). Since the citadel was built on a hill, it offers a beautiful view of the surrounding buildings and countryside. I love this kind of places, because it’s full of little streets and I feel like exploring each of them. At the top, there were several small walls with yellow flowers in their enclosure. It felt wild, but groomed, as if the citadel was letting nature express itself. I think it was the perfect conclusion to this day. It might be a great place to see the sun set, but I was tired and I had to make sure I would get a ferry back to Valletta, where my hostel was.
To see more photos of Malta, you can visit the gallery Malta.
