This year I've made it my aim to visit as any different countries that I've not yet been too. I've been doing quite well so far. Morocco, Denmark and now Malta.
One of the things which attracted me to Malta is its rich history. Arabs, French and the Spanish are some the nations who have occupied Malta. This is evident in their language with merhaba ( hello in Arabic ) and bonswa ( bonsoir- in French, meaning good evening).
The architect bought me back to Cuba with the sand coloured buildings and balconies overlooking the harbour.
This trip was a treat for my mother. We stayed in Sliema at Victoria hotel. The rooms of the hotel pay respect to the British monarchy and culture.
Unfortunately the hotel was situated up a hill which wasn't the best thing for my mum. Also considering what I had paid for the four nights at a four star hotel, wifi in my room was an expectation. However, it was 3 euros extra a day.
This did mean less wifi meant it was therapeutic and I was not constantly checking my mail.
Anyway, we headed to Gozo ( a neighbouring island) on our first full day which was a mission to get to. An hour bus, a ferry, and a bus ride again to Victoria ( the capital of Gozo).
The ferry ride was lovely. It took about 20 minutes or so. Not too bad.
We got a bus over to the Victoria which is home to the citadel which looks over Gozo. There's also a cathedral and museum on the grinds. Unfortunately, we arrived lated so we never had the chance to go inside .
After the citadel, I had booked wine tasting at Tal Masry vineyards which were about a twenty minute taxi ride from Gozo. There weren't any signs and we weren't quite sure if the taxi driver knew where he was going. We were greeted by Anthony and his wife who were absolutely lovely. Anthony told us about the history of the vineyard as well as the history of Gozo and how you can differentiate between good and cheap wine. Wanna know how..? Swish the glass a few times...The liquid should appear like teardrops around the rim of the glass!
Above you can see the snake used to poor wine. Pretty cool!
Some accompaniments for our meals! Goat cheese and pesto. Maltese food tends to be very salty.
We had a lovely day and got to taste the grapes used to make wine which are tiny!
Gozo is very different from Malta itself. If I had the chance to travel again to the islands, I would definitely spend a couple of days in Gozo. People from Gozo regard themselves as very different from the Maltese, despite the island being part of Malta!
