Malta: The Old

So in addition to hiking every day, we also visited some of the oldest standing structures in the world. Older than the pyramids! Older than Stonehenge! The temples on Malta and Gozo are big, old, and beautiful. These megalithic structures are a bit mind boggling, especially since there are so many sites and they are all strategically placed with stunning vistas and precise relationships to the seasonal equinoxes. And there are still plenty of mysteries surrounding their existence. I kind of like the fact that despite all of our fancy modern technology and knowledge, there are still some unknowns in this world. 

We visited Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, and Ggantija. Hagar Qim and Mnajdra can be seen together and there is a nice, little museum at the entrance to these sites. They are in a stunning location and if it is a nice day be sure to leave some extra time for hiking around the area. The only disappointing aspect is that both of the temple areas have recently been covered with a protective awning. I understand the need to prevent erosion, but it wasn't quite as picturesque as the images presented in the guide books.  Ggantija is located on  the island of Gozo. It is a smaller site, but still quite impressive and not covered. Also, if you are traveling with kids there is a small playground and soccer field just before the entrance to the Ggantija temple. When we return to Malta we hope to visit the Hypogeum (and we'll be sure to buy our tickets in advance). Prior to our visit, I had no idea Malta had such an ancient history, did you?

Malta: The Wild

Here's the amazing thing about Malta that we didn't really grasp until we were actually driving on the opposite of the road...it is a super small island. This means that everything is within a very short driving distance. We couldn't get over it. Within fifteen to thirty minutes we were able to travel through quaint towns, go around a couple of round abouts, and end up at a beautiful hiking spot. And that's pretty much what we did. We hiked every afternoon that we were in Malta.

On our first day we traveled back in time and hiked around the temple sites of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra . Taking in the striking vista, I can see why those temples were built there, but good grief, how did they do it?  On our second day we ventured (via short ferry trip)to the island of Gozo where we scrambled up and down a rocky cliff path surrounding the sandy, red beach of Ramla Bay. And on our third day we were treated to a dramatic sunset over the clay slopes of Ghajn Tuffieha Bay.

For such a small place, Malta has a surprising number of wild and wonderful spots and we can't wait to return for more. On future trips to Malta we'll be sure to print out a few of these walking guides. We'll get in contact with Malta Outdoors and perhaps get even more adventurous. And we'll also be bringing along this fabulous little book. We bought it while visiting Gozo and it turns out that it is actually a wonderful resource for Sicily, too, since we have many of the same plants and wildlife. And here's one more "wild" place we enjoyed visiting while in Malta: The Malta Falconry Centre. It's a small, but well maintained facility and the birds are amazing. We essentially had a private tour on the morning of our visit. We got to check out some baby hawks, see some of the larger birds in action, and even hold a beautiful barn owl. Be sure to call ahead to confirm the hours of the daily demonstrations.

Sometimes

it just feels so good to pick up a big rock and hurl it over the edge of a cliff. 

Noah

Sunset hike 
Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, Malta

Waffles and More

Plates sticky with syrup, heart shaped waffles, lego creations, fresh ricotta mixed with powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice(so simple and so delicious), laughter, warmth, and new friendships... all around a kitchen table in Malta. 

One of the highlights of our weekend escape was meeting Juniper, her lovely family, and a few of their welcoming friends. It is funny meeting someone in real life after getting to "know" them through their blog entries. It's not the first time we have met other families via the blog world (like Karen and Emily when we moved to Sicily), but each time still brings up a flurry of feelings in those anxious and anticipatory moments right before knocking on the door. Happily, our Sunday morning in Malta was wonderful. Everyone, kids and adults, quickly gelled into one laughing, chatting, waffle-eating group and it felt as if we were with "our people". It is so good when that happens, isn't it?

Maltese Escape

We snuck away to Malta. It was a very spontaneous decision. We hopped on the ferry and landed in a tiny island country and it was fabulous. The sunny weather, the colorful boats, the friendly locals, the intriguing mix of history, cultures, and languages...they all worked their magic upon us and we can't wait to return.