Malta
The second stop of our triangular trip was Malta. It is a place from which you either have very high expectations or don’t have any. Because it is a relatively distant island country. Something must be unique there. Or nothing special. In the end, everyone decides for themselves. And I think this decision is being made not immediately. At first glance, of course, Malta is gorgeous and unique. And this is true!
The most convenient way of transport here is water transport. We didn’t use a single bus there, but a boat or ferry – multiple times. They are often quicker, cheaper, and more relaxing than being in a noisy can with 35ºC outside.
On Malta, there is still a tradition to fire a canon 2 times per day: at noon and at 4pm. But we saw a special occasion. A big ship was departing, and they decided to shoot all 8 canons individually. The ship’s deck was full of cheering people.
Streets
What I found the most vibrant part of Malta is its vibrant architecture. Colorful parts of the houses built with the same type and color of stones give a unique feel of colorfulness, despite that, in fact, the number of colors and their variety probably not larger than the ones in usual cities. But here, together with the whole “being in an island country” atmosphere, it felt very bright and picturesque.
Right next to the restaurant around the corner, there can be an old church, or next to the busy street there is a park where the cat can’t decide if he (or she) wants to hunt or just chill in the sun. Those streets are truly an adventure!
Of course, Valetta, Malta’s capital, is full of tourists. It seems like the city enjoys and celebrates its guests. Almost every day there is a festival, kind and friendly people in taxis and local shops are happy to help and show how to find an elevator or ferry stop. Being a very isolated place centuries ago, now Malta is the world in miniature. Not forgetting how many offshores are situated here.
Coast
Despite almost exclusively stones and rock coast, there are many places to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea. The water is considerably colder than in Greece or Turkey since we are kind of in the middle of the sea.
Following our host’s suggestion, we went to the southern part of the island and found places that were not overcrowded. Unlike the famous “Blue Lagoon” which in fact was just a place with artificially brought sand. Yes, the water is very blue. But next time I would spend more time on local beaches in the southern or western part of Malta. Fewer crowds, fewer human presence marks. Nevertheless visiting this mainstream highlight was also an experience and I am glad we did it.
Triangle thoughts
So, this was our already third or fourth triangle trip (depends on how to count. December’s trip to Malaysia, Thailand, and Dubai was not a triangle, but the goal was the same). What I like about those trips is how well-mixed the experience can be. This time historic and buzzing Athens were mixed with relaxed and calm Malta. Different food, different beaches, different ways to spend time.
But the root idea of such planning was more simple: airline ticket prices. Many times I saw tickets from us to somewhere being cheap, but the inbound journey cost is like 4 times the outbound price. That’s how I discovered that we can just continue somewhere else first and then come back home. Of course, it requires more effort to plan. But according to my calculations, spending more time planning and finding such deals we already saved at least 5 flights. Better for our budget and even for the environment.
Echo 