Valletta: Saturday, 24th November 2018 The location of the Lascaris War Rooms, understandably, is not as easy to find as some of the other Maltese tourist sites: after all the War Rooms were the secret underground headquarters for the Allies’ defence of the Mediterranean. Signs led us on a rather convoluted route down steps and through tunnels: it all seemed to be part of the experience but we did find a more direct route when we exited. There was a personable young guide greeting visitors who was dressed in an WWII RAF uniform but as we had a plane to catch, we could not wait for the next tour and had to opt for the audio guide. The War Rooms proved to be one of the highlights of the trip: like stepping back in time you can see . . . . . . the telephone exchange rooms and all the charts, plans and tote boards used to plot the movements of ships and aircraft. Notice the big island on the map is Sicily, this is where the Axis planes were based and mounted their attacks from and was subsequently the focus of the Allied attack, co-ordinated by Eisenhower and Montgomery in […]
2018 Malta
Valletta, Mdina and Rabat: Thursday, 22nd – Friday, 23rd November 2018 Another trip on the three cities ferry across the harbour and we discovered that our Valletta passes only covered one return trip on the ferry [this is clearly stated on the ticket but we overlooked it]. We were told we would have to pay on the return trip but as all fares on the Maltese buses and ferries seem to be €1.50 per person, this will not have too serious an impact on our holiday budget. Our destination for a very filling, slap-up full English breakfast to sustain us for a day’s sightseeing was Il Bacino with harbour views. Replete, we headed to the bus station to board the 53 to Rabat and Mdina. For much of the journey, the bus ran parallel to the 26.5 km Wignacourt Aqueduct, which was built in the 17th century by the Grand Master of the Order of Saint John to carry water from springs in Dingli and Rabat to the newly-built capital city Valletta. Mdina, [above – see more later] – a stunning fortified citadel – is the old capital of Malta and has just 300 inhabitants. Rabat – which means suburb in Semitic […]
Valletta: Tuesday, 20th – Wednesday, 21st November 2018 Arriving quite late on Tuesday, we checked in to our hotel and were pleased to have been given another free upgrade to a room with a balcony and a stunning view across the harbour. We are assuming this is an unexpected perk of travelling out of season when there are vacant rooms. The hotel was chosen for its history as it is said to be the longest established hotel in Valletta. When booking Robert read that various famous people had stayed here but at the time of writing we cannot find any confirmed celebrity guests to support this. The situation and the views are however excellent. We were advised by a very helpful receptionist where we could go to find a bar and enjoyed an al fresco beer, whilst hearing that it was snowing at home. This meteorological news encouraged Matilda to appreciate the winter sun break even more. After breakfast on the restaurant balcony in the sunshine… … we walked towards the main square and on to the bus garage to buy a day pass which is valid for 24 hours from the time you first use it. Not only has Valletta been […]