Malta, in the Land of the Knights of St John

Sunday at 2 pm we set off for Bologna, where the Ryanair flight in about one hour and forty minutes takes us straight to Malta. We arrive at around 6.15 pm, leave the airport and right opposite we take one of the ARRIVA company buses (the X4 or the X5) which after 6 km take us directly to the bus station at the entrance to the city of Valletta. The cost is 2.20 euros per person and is valid for 2 hours; in these 2 hours in theory you can take all the buses you want.

Forget the "legendary" colourful buses you see in the guides about Malta, they have all been retired because of pollution, you will only find them on postcards or magnets! At 7.30 pm we are in the centre of Valletta and head for St Paul Street, where waiting for us is Patrick, the owner of the flat we have decided to rent for 3 days in a classic historic Maltese building with colourful balconies in the Arab architectural style (gallarija and gardjoli).

The flat (70 euros a day for 3 people) is simply spectacular! Modern, with every comfort, 3 LCD televisions, a large bathroom, kitchen, living room, small bedroom and double bedroom with balcony…what more could you want! Patrick is extremely kind and gives us all the advice we need; what's more, waiting for you in the flat there is a lovely bottle of wine, a bottle of water, fruit, chocolates and the essentials for breakfast, all offered by Patrick. We go out at 9 pm for the first dinner; it is Sunday evening and there are not many people on the streets; Valletta with its colourful balconies, its squares, its historic buildings and the little streets that descend towards the sea to the left and right of the main street feels like an open-air museum. We take some photos and then treat ourselves to a nice dinner and then off to rest.

There are many restaurants and you will not lack the chance to choose well. Monday morning, after a nice breakfast in the flat, we go out to see Valletta, what was the historic base of the Order of the Knights of St John, and all that is most worth seeing. Absolutely not to be missed is a visit to the magnificent baroque St John's Co-Cathedral (8 euros) where in the baptistery you can also see 2 paintings by Caravaggio: The Beheading of Saint John (1608) and Saint Jerome. Once out you can go straight afterwards into the Grandmaster's Palace (10 euros) with its sumptuous rooms and an exhibition of armour. Once out of the latter you can enjoy the city by walking through St John's Square, Great Siege Square, Misraħ M.S.

Gorg, the library, the law courts, the National Museum of Archaeology, the opera house, the bastions of Sant'Andrea, the church of Saint Paul pro-cathedral, the Albergo d'Aragona and then head towards the tip of the city where Fort St Elmo stands; here continue along the bastions until you see the Siege Bell (a monument to the Second World War siege), then reach first the Lower Barrakka Gardens and then the Upper Barrakka Gardens, from which you can enjoy a wonderful view over the Grand Harbour (Birgu and Senglea are the towns you find opposite); from here you enjoy an incredible sunset and can take truly unique photos! In the afternoon we decide to take a bus to the opposite side of the Grand Harbour, that is, to visit the beautiful little towns of Birgu (or Vittoriosa) and Senglea (or L-Isla) (bus 2 or 3, stand no.

14); they are beautiful with a charming seafront, at the far end of Birgu there is Fort St Angelo, there are also beautiful cathedrals and the typical little alleys with the ochre colours of the stone used to build the houses and buildings in Malta. From here you can enjoy the panoramic view of the south side of Valletta. In the evening we return tired to the flat and after a nice shower we go out to eat in one of the little restaurants in the city. Tuesday morning, after a nice breakfast, we decide to plan for the morning a visit to the famous fishing village south of Malta called Marsaxlokk and in the afternoon the ancient capital of Mdina and the adjoining Rabat. With bus no. 81 at stand no. 11 we reach the village of Marsaxlokk in 40 minutes (buy the daily bus ticket, which at 2.60 euros is valid all day on any bus).

The fishing village is truly charming, its square is dominated by a beautiful church in ochre/orange colours, and the little harbour is characterised by the typical, very colourful Maltese boats called Luzzo, which have 2 eyes on the prow that bring good luck. The seafront is full of little restaurants for anyone who wants to take advantage. Having visited Marsaxlokk we take the bus again towards Valletta and then here take bus no. 51 or 52 or 52 which at stand no. 9 take you to Mdina/Rabat. Once we arrive we enter what was the ancient capital of Malta, a kind of fortified city in ochre colour full of beautiful buildings, churches and narrow alleys that recall a little those of the Middle Eastern medinas. From the bastion of Mdina you also enjoy a beautiful view of the island of Malta from above.

Having left the ancient capital we go to visit the centre of the adjoining Rabat; here a stop is worthwhile at the beautiful church of St Paul, beneath which is the grotto of Saint Paul where the latter was imprisoned by the Romans for 3 months during his stay in Malta. Satisfied and a little tired we return to Valletta, where after a nice shower we go out to enjoy the last dinner in the centre. Wednesday morning we have breakfast, then, since we are in a flat and for Patrick it is not a problem, we leave the suitcases and go out until 4 pm to make the last visit to Malta, since the plane leaves at 7.30 pm.

The weather is cloudy and we decide to take a bus that first takes us to the towns of Saint Paul and Mellieha to the north-west (nothing special), then to the town of Mosta, where the "Rotunda" of Santa Maria Assunta stands, the fourth largest dome in Europe (3 euros entry), which inside houses an unexploded Second World War bomb. Then we go up to the north-west to Anchor Bay, where the characteristic "Popeye Village" built as a film set for the film of the same name stands, and finally we come down again and go to see at last the tourist towns of San Giljan and Sliema with their lovely seafront, from which you can enjoy the view of the north side of Valletta. In great haste we head back to the flat, where after a shower we treat ourselves to some final shopping and then off to Bologna.

In short, anyone who wants to go to Malta for 3-4 days, I strongly recommend basing themselves in Valletta, the real centre and hub from which everything branches out, even though to see it all properly (including Gozo and Comino) a week would be needed, but we are satisfied. Buy the daily ticket if you use the buses, have a little patience because there is a lot of traffic on the island! Happy travels to everyone!