Malta log #3

On our second full day in Malta, we rode on one of those get-on get-off tour buses which travel all around the main island of Malta. This way we got to see much more of Malta than we had previously. After leaving Valetta, the first stop was at Medina; we knew not to get off the bus but we advised other travellers not to miss this. The stop after that was Medina Glass, a glass making/selling facility seemingly in the middle of nowhere. We did alight here, spent some time in the facility and unfortunately missed a bus, making the wait longer than it need be.

The next stop was in Mosta, which is almost exactly in the centre of Malta. This town boasts the third largest unsupported dome in the World, which we photographed from all sides before having a very rich - and cheap - lunch in a cafe across the road. The bill for the four of us was only slightly more than the cost of one portion in the restaurant in Medina the previous day, and the food was far more filling. Unfortunately, there isn't much more to do in Mosta so we had to wait there for more than an hour before the next tour bus came.

This bus took us around the northern coast of Malta, which is completely different from Valleta. There were a few small beaches, high rise hotels and a more resort- like ambience. There is a region called Golden Bay which is equivalent to any beach resort, except for the fact that the beach area is somewhat limited. The whole of the eastern coast of Malta was like this; every five minutes we would see a minute beach, a marina and a hotel.

Eventually we found ourselves back in Valetta, near the main bus station. We had to stop a taxi in the street to take us back to the hotel, but it transpires that where we stopped was only about a ten minute walk (for most people) from the hotel.

In the evening, I booked a boat trip for the following day; for this we would be picked up at the Castille Hotel, which turned out to be midway between the hotel and the main bus station, albeit up a steep flight of steps. When checking out the meeting place, we came across the Saluting Battery,and above it the Upper Baccara gardens. A very pleasant place to visit.

The following morning, a taxi took us to the Castille Hotel (there was no way that my father could walk those steps), and from there a minibus took us to the harbour from which the cruise ships leave. We went on the "Gozo, Comino and Blue Lagoon Fernandes" cruise which took us back up the eastern shore of Malta to the other islands in the Maltese archipelago, Comino and Gozo.

Comino is an almost unhabited piece of rock whose Blue Lagoon features another postage stamp sized beach. We stopped here for a few hours; some people swam whereas others went on a speedboat, investigating the many caves nearby. We opted for the (extra cost) speedboat, which was good fun. After an on-board lunch, we sailed for Gozo, made a 180 degree turn in the harbour, found another isolated spot for swimming (which seemed extraneous) and then headed for home. Most people by this time were nodding off.

This morning I made a quick excursion to St John's Co-Cathedral, which like everything else in Valetta, is only a few minutes walk from the hotel; I had to pick up some bits and pieces which we had tried to buy in a tourist shop the previous evening. I didn't bother taking my video camera, which was a shame, as there was an army trooping of the colour outside of the cathedral.

In another hour a taxi will come to take us to Malta airport. From there, we will leisurely make our way back to Prague, wait a few hours in Prague Airport, and then catch a plane back to the Holy Land. Estimated time of arrival is 3am tomorrow morning. This is going to be a long and boring day.