Arid landscapes
What did I know about Malta? To be honest, almost nothing.
It’s a very beautiful island, with the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, a common destination for those who travel on superyachts (and I know that thanks to the reality show Below Deck, which I’ve been binge-watching for at least two years with Cons), it has a very different language… And well, that’s about it.
Well, less than a week it's not enough time to see much. But I found out that it's not just an island, but an archipelago, and that it has over 360 churches—one for every day of the year, which means it's a VERY Catholic country. You see images and crosses of saints everywhere.
The language, Maltese, has Arabic and Italian influences—a very interesting mix. You can even read a few words and figure out what they mean, but when you listen to the locals, you can’t understand almost anything, even though it sounds very Italian. And there are plenty of Italians, and the cuisine is also quite a blend.
Our spring visit treated us to breathtaking scenery with lots of flowers, warm sun and cool breezes, blue skies, and a spectacular fireworks show on the night of April 25th. It was especially meaningful, by the way, since it was my honey's birthday! <3
Even though I was sick at the time, I made sure to go on walks and observe every little detail of the place.
In the capital, Valletta, there are the famous colorful balconies that stand out against the facades of the residential buildings. They’re really cute, and against the beige and yellow of the sandstone buildings and the blue of the sea and sky, it’s hard not to capture a photogenic shot of your trip.
I used Kodak Gold film to take photos with the Olympus AZ 300. It’s practical, has a good zoom for capturing details, and is easy to carry.
Argotti Botanic Garden
We also visited the island of Gozo, a ferry ride of about 40 minutes, and once again enjoyed the stunning scenery of the Mediterranean Sea and the salt pans. Silence and tranquility—a breath of fresh air for both mind and body.
And, oh, of course. The cats. Cats everywhere, and little houses built by the city to shelter the colonies. Lovely!
