This year, we had another family trip planned for the end of summer. My mother has become quite the traveller, and I totally understand her. Travel while you are fit and able to do it. Time spent with the people we love is probably one of the most precious things in life.


The original plan was for my mother, my daughter, my brother and me to travel together, but unfortunately my brother had to work, so I ended up travelling alone with the girls.

We were heading to Malta, which almost felt like going home to me. I lived there for almost a year, so I know the island like the back of my hand.

DAY ONE


Surviving the heat without the sea


We arrived late in the evening, so technically this was already our second day, but let's start with our first full day. It was already sweltering in the morning, and the best thing to do would have been to head straight into the water. But things turned out differently, and we had to rethink our plans. I figured the old town of Mdina would have plenty of shade in its narrow streets, and the air might feel a little cooler, especially if there was a bit of wind.

Historic stone archway with motion-blurred movement in foreground.

Hat meeting at the gates of Mdina

And it did. There was a bit of wind, and the shade was just what we needed. We took a long walk around the entire old town. For lunch, we stopped for pizza and pasta. My favourite drink in Malta is the bittersweet Kinnie. I drank as much of it as I could during our stay. I still wonder why they only sell it in Malta and don't export it.

Classic red British telephone booth on a sunny street.

The girls are ready to explore

Mysterious green door with foliage in old stone building.
Horse-drawn carriage on cobblestone street with ornate street lamp.
Vintage horse carriage with yellow wheels on stone pavement.
People walking through narrow sandstone alleyway in Mediterranean town.
Historic Mediterranean street with vibrant bougainvillea flowers climbing up a sandstone building facade.
Ancient stone street with ornate statue and architectural details in a historic Mediterranean city.
Ornate white stone statue under a decorative canopy against bright blue sky on historic building facade.
Church window with illuminated stained glass cross pattern at night.
Narrow alley between historic stone buildings with sunlit courtyard at the end.

Shade and wind, what we needed

Ancient stone wall covered in weathered graffiti and inscriptions.

Modern-day hieroglyphs, Egypt is not far away from Malta  :)

Red double doors with fanlight window and ornate hardware set in limestone archway.
Rustic olive green double door with ornate metal hardware framed by a stone archway in Mediterranean architecture.
Stone statue and vintage lamp on historic building facade against bright blue sky.
Narrow alley with stone walls leading to church dome through arched passageway.
Fresh wood-fired pizza with mushrooms and cheese served on blue plate with olive oil bottle.
Green Mini Cooper parked in front of traditional Maltese limestone building with blue door.

After lunch, we went back to the hotel for some rest. After a quick power nap, our next stop was Valletta. The view of the harbour from the Upper Barrakka Gardens is beautiful. There is also a lower garden a few streets away, which is less well known but offers some beautiful views of the sea. We came here to watch the sunset. Two huge luxury cruise ships were just leaving the harbour. (One day, someone could surprise me with a few days on a cruise ship. I'd also love to try a river cruise on a smaller boat.)

A scenic view of a Mediterranean coastal town framed between buildings with golden sunlight illuminating the architecture.
Fort Saint Angelo fortress in Valletta harbor at sunset with warm golden light.
Historic archway passage with tourists walking through golden-lit limestone architecture.
Sunburst through decorative fountain at sunset in Mediterranean city.

Triton fountain - Valletta

A small boat floating alone on vast blue Mediterranean waters captured from above.
Classical stone columns with religious statues and ornate carvings framed by green foliage.
A large cruise ship docked in a Mediterranean harbor during sunset.

David and Goliath

A cruise ship viewed through a stone archway with a lighthouse in the distance.

Watching the first Behemoth leaving the harbour

A white cruise ship with smoking funnel docked in a Mediterranean port.

And comes the second one — almost hitting the Kayaking guy

A large Costa cruise ship anchored in Malta's Grand Harbor during sunset.

We were on our way back to the hotel, but the Bridge bar was on the way. My wife and I used to come here quite often when we lived in Malta back in 2015. It was Friday night, which meant there was a live jazz concert — just like almost every Friday. We listened for a while, had a few drinks and then headed back to the hotel.

Candlelit outdoor dining area along stone walls with traditional architecture in Malta.

Jazz concert at the Bridge bar every Friday

Stone steps adorned with string lights and potted plants create an inviting evening dining atmosphere.
Bustling nightlife street in Malta with string lights and historic buildings.

Crowds on the main street of Valletta

Illuminated coastal cityscape at night with bright lights along the waterfront.

Watching the passing traffic from the roof

Nighttime terrace overlooking city lights with modern outdoor furniture.

Late night swim in the hotel rooftop pool

DAY two


brewery and museum


After breakfast, the girls wanted to go shopping, so we headed to the mall. On the way, my mum remembered a little hidden jewellery shop where she had bought a Maltese cross pendant years ago. She thought she'd surprise herself with a matching necklace. The owner was a very kind Maltese jeweller. When he found out that we liked cats, he told us to wait for a moment. We had no idea what was about to happen and, lo and behold, he came back with his 19-year-old cat. It was the first time I'd ever seen a jewellery shop come with its own ball of fur. Suddenly, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. So, it turns out the cat had his own jewellery shop — and even a butler. That's how it works. :)

Swimmers and sunbathers enjoying a rocky beach along Malta's blue Mediterranean coastline.
People swimming and relaxing at a concrete pier with turquoise Mediterranean waters.
Green banana bunch growing on tree against bright sky.

Bananas grow on the street

Historic Maltese church facade with ornate architecture and religious statue.

Churches everywhere we go

Yellow and white striped umbrellas shade lounge chairs by a pool area.

Sunbathing at the harbour

Okay, next stop: The Farsons Brewery Experience. It was getting close to lunchtime, and since I knew there was a restaurant at the brewery, I thought we'd have lunch here. And what a good decision that was — I had the best seafood pasta I'd had in a long time.

Row of yellow labeled Cisk beer bottles lined up on a shelf.
View through a wooden cabinet window showing a glimpse inside.
Large copper brewing tanks in an industrial brewery facility.
View through a small window opening in an interior space.
Interior view of a brewery showing copper brewing equipment and metal railings.

What happens if I rotate this?

Copper brewing kettles and fermentation tanks in an industrial brewery setting.

Mum, I'm not sure that's a good idea

Neon beer sign glowing through a window at night.
Illuminated orange and red neon Cisk Lager sign with beer glass icon.
Modern restaurant sign reading 'The Chapels Gastropub' on hexagonal wall pattern.
A brewery hallway floor with the word 'BREWERY' written in large red letters leading down a corridor.
Motivational wall art about drinking beer with friends against dark background.

Thanks for reminding me

Plate of pasta with shrimp served with wine glasses in restaurant setting.

Seafood pasta and craft beer tasting in the background

Row of beer tap handles at a bar featuring different brewery labels and logos.

A pint of each, please.

 

Beer being poured from a chrome draft tap into a glass at a bar.
Flight of different colored craft beers arranged in a line on a wooden bar counter.

How about an ice cold Kinnie?

Carbonated beverage being poured into an ice-filled glass against a blue sky.
A glass of Parsons Blue Label beer with a frothy head against a window background.

And the winner this year again is the Blue label

Large copper brewing tanks in an industrial brewery setting.
"In the afternoon, we made reservations for the next day's boat trip. The destination is the Blue Lagoon, famous for its crystal clear beautiful blue waters."

DAY three


Going to the blue lagoon


Let's go catch the boat. Our boat, Jade, was waiting for us in the port of Sliema. Gozo – Comino – Blue Lagoon” was written on the back. That was our itinerary for the day. A full day of swimming and sunbathing — finally, we were at sea.

Aerial view of boats anchored in crystal clear turquoise waters of Blue Lagoon in Malta with beach umbrellas visible.
Boats floating in vibrant turquoise Mediterranean waters surrounded by rocky coastline under blue skies.
Blue and white beach umbrellas shading boats in crystal clear Mediterranean waters.

It took about an hour and a half. First, we dropped off the passengers visiting Gozo, Malta's sister island, before continuing on to the Blue Lagoon. Anyway, we were cruising along, thinking: it's not every day that we get to travel between islands. Along the way, we stopped several times to admire some spectacular caves from the sea.

Speed boat carrying passengers along Malta's historic harbor walls and fortifications.
Historic Valletta skyline and St. Paul's Cathedral seen from harbor viewpoint in Malta.

Valletta in the background

Large decorative spheres displayed on top of a boat deck in Malta's harbor.

Our boat's name was Jade

Two people watching a boat sail across blue Mediterranean waters from deck viewpoint.
Tourist capturing photos of stunning blue waters and limestone cliffs in Malta's Blue Grotto.
Passengers enjoying boat trip on Mediterranean waters with equipment and safety gear visible.
Tourists photographing Malta's coastal town and harbor from boat deck perspective.

Gozo Island

Historic church perched on a hilltop overlooking a Mediterranean harbor filled with boats in Malta.

Church of St. Anthony of Padova

Dramatic cloudscape over Malta's rocky coastline with boats dotting the azure Mediterranean waters.

Getting closer to the Blue Lagoon

Crystal clear turquoise waters of Malta's Blue Lagoon with boats anchored near rocky cliffs.
Natural rock arch formation over turquoise Mediterranean waters in Malta's coastline.
Aerial view of boats anchored in turquoise waters between rocky cliffs in Malta's Blue Lagoon.

Many arrived by private boats

View through boat canopy of Malta's Blue Lagoon and rocky coastal cliffs.

All right, it's going to be another quiet day

Panoramic view of Malta's Blue Lagoon with boats scattered across the crystal clear waters.
Through-window view of ocean horizon from inside a boat cabin.
Passenger resting against white boat railing during Mediterranean sea journey.
A Malta Public Transport bus window reflecting golden hour views of historic buildings and architecture.

Valletta is reflecting back

DAY four


last walk, last swimming


We got up a little later, so we decided not to do anything special today. A bit of swimming would be enough, but we also wanted to visit the cat park and bring some food for its residents.

Time was running out, so we looked for a nearby beach. We didn't want to go too far. We found a nice one next to the cat park.


After two hours of swimming we were starving. I knew where was a good quality Asian restaurant nearby and we were able to quickly get some delicious lunch from the wok. Everything was delicious and we wondered what to do next. Yesterday, from the boat, we spotted the Zaha Hadid-designed Mercury Tower in the distance. We only had to walk a few streets to get a closer look. It's an amazing building. Sometimes modern and old architecture can exist in perfect harmony, and I think this was one of those times.

Beautiful beach cove in Malta with historic church and limestone buildings overlooking turquoise Mediterranean waters.
Colorful benches in a Mediterranean garden with olive trees and cats being fed. Called cat park.

What's in your sandwich?

Large blue cat sculpture displayed on top of a sandstone building against cloudy sky in Malta.

Stylishly cat toilet in the cat park

Modern skyscraper building viewed through olive tree branches against blue sky. Mercury Tower by Zaha Hadid.

Zaha Hadid's new Mercury tower

Hand holding a rose shaped ice cream in front of a modern glass building.

After an ice cream, we headed back to Valletta for one last walk before our early flight the next morning. It was a great trip, and I hope the girls enjoyed it as much as I did. We always love coming back to Malta. As small as the island is, there is always something new to experience.


Historic stone street with tall columns and architecture in Malta's old town during golden hour.
Majestic dome of Carmelite Church photographed between buildings during sunset in Valletta.
Historic limestone building facade with bright turquoise doors and shutters in Malta.

My brother and I could have had one-one door, no problemo maybe next time

Pink airplane wing flying over blue ocean and small island.





Bye malta


was good to see you again