Fountain and Bus Terminal outside Valletta

photo by Anne Pflug
This beautiful fountain welcomes visitors to Valletta.
photo by Anne Pflug
The Bus Terminal outside of Valletta.

Just before you enter Valletta, the capital of Malta, you can see this beautiful fountain.  It is quite large, as compared to the visitors below. This fountain also enhances the Bus Terminal which is located surrounding it. To the left of the Terminal, one can see the Cathedral of Floriana; to the right, the long standing Phoenicia Hotel.

 

If you enjoyed this, much more information is available in my   book:   Return to Malta   available from Amazon.com

Street in Valletta

Photo by Anne Pflug
A rare street in Valletta. Not so hilly.

Walking up and down Valletta, as well as other cities in Malta is quite a chore. Most streets are very hilly.  In fact, some of them are actually made up of stairs. (See The Seven Story street, a future blog) As a result, strolling along the side streets is very tiring.  Here is a main street that is not so hilly. You will note that as you go down this street, it does seem to slope a bit. Still, it seems the exception to the rule and it is still a bit narrow. In general,  prepare yourself, make a lot of stops and don’t rush.

 

If you enjoyed this, much more information is available in my book:   Return to Malta  available from Amazon.com

Republic Square – Valletta

photo by Anne Pflug
Restaurants at Republic Square

 

 

photo by Anne Pflug
Band entertains diners at Republic Square.                                                                                       

When you visit Valletta, you must lunch at one of the restaurants in Republic Square.  If you’re lucky, a fantastic band will entertain you!

 

If you enjoyed this, much more information is available in my book:   Return to Malta   available from Amazon.com

 

View of Valletta from the Harbor

photo by Anne Pflug
View of Upper Barrakka from the Grand Harbor, Valletta

After passing Fort St. Elmo, one sees Valletta on the right.  It is a medieval city with many stone walls and old structures.  In this photo, one can see the Upper Barrakka, its many arches shield the loggia from which tourists enjoy the view of the Grand Harbor.  This is also the general area where cruise ships dock to let the passengers enjoy the island.

 

If you enjoyed this, much more information is available in my  book:   Return to Malta   available from Amazon.com

Fort St. Elmo

photo by Anne Pflug
The entrance to the Grand Harbor, Fort St. Elmo

Fort St. Elmo, a star fort, stands on the peninsula that divides Marsamxett Harbor from the Grand Harbor. It protects the approach to the main harbor of Malta. Best known for its roles in both the Great Siege of Malta of 1566 and World War II, it  provides the first view of Malta to all shipping and cruising to the island.

 

If you enjoyed this, much more information is available in my  book:   Return to Malta   available from Amazon.com

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!  These blogs are meant to accompany my recently published travelogue and memoir,  Return to Malta

Either way, feel free to enjoy these beautiful photographs of the island of Malta, land of my birth.

wateering hole 3

Hello, I’m Anne and I’m very excited to be taking you on this journey with me. I was born in Malta, presently live in Florida and I try to visit every few years. I still have family in Malta.
Malta has changed immensely since the time I left when I was ten years old.

It has become a major tourist spot both to Europeans, who visit Malta to enjoy the warmth and the sun and to cruisers from America who see it as a new spot to visit when doing Europe. Cruise ships now stop at Malta regularly.

Once it was “Malta, where’s that?”  Now it’s “I’ve been to Malta on my last cruise”.  Quite a change.

I hope you enjoy these photos and the comments accompanying them as I tour Malta with you.

The photo above is of my favorite swimming hole on the western coast of Malta.

 

If you enjoyed this, much more information is available in my book:   Return to Malta  available through Amazon.com