Goodbye Holland and Finally! Namaste India…

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Goodbye Holland and Finally! Namaste India…

Both Llew and I awoke much later than we had hoped. It was 8.15 am before we got out of bed, knowing that we had to board the free hotel shuttle to Schipol Airport at 9.30 pm. This left us very little time to wash, take showers, dress and get to the restaurant in the Corendon Hotel in the next building for our free breakfast.

I really must say a word about our lovelyt studio. It was luxury itself. Of course, we had a massive flat screen TV which we were unable to use for want of time. Our bed was super comfortable. We had a lovely sitting area and a fully-serviced kitchenette with every necessary appliance. In fact, I had placed some cheese in the fridge, the previous night, and then left a note on the door to remind myself to take it before leaving. There was a separate toilet and a separate shower cubicle with the wash basin outside. This place, the Residence Inn by Mariott, was so well located—just 10 minutes on the shuttle from the airport and there was such a convenient service to and fro that we did not feel stressed in the slightest.

Breakfast of Champions:

Of course, we had to hurry through breakfast, but then we had already packed everything away, the previous night. So all we had to do was pack up our night clothes and we picked up the cheese from the fridge (the reminder on the door did help!) and we were off. We found the restaurant on the first floor in the hotel opposite and were amazed at how sumptuous it was—and that too free

So, as usual, I started with muesli with strawberry yogurt. I then picked up a hard-boiled eggs and some sausages that were in a skillet. Next, I cut myself a long, thin slice of dark brown rye bread and picked up ham, salami and cheese to place on it, together with herbed cream cheese to make myself an open sandwich. Next, I went to the coffee machine and made Americanos with hot milk for Llew and myself. Llew got pretty much the same breakfast except that he left out the muesli and toasted two slices of bread instead. He too thought it was a splendid breakfast and I couldn’t help but wish we’d scheduled more time for it.

But at 9.25 am we left, grabbed out stuff and went down to the hotel lobby to wait for the shuttle bus which arrived, on the dot, at 9.30 am. We had booked our tickets online while eating breakfast—5 euros each to get to the airport. Within minutes, we were in the coach and headed off to the airport which we reached in 15 minutes. We headed straight for the Departures Board and found our gate without much ado. Schipol Airport is beautiful and it actually has an art gallery with Flemish Masters paintings—and had I more time, of course, we would have gone to see it. But time was of the essence and we had none to lose. We were whisked through Security and Immigration as Priority passengers—which was lovely.

We found our gate easily enough and were boarded. Once on board, I discovered that Llew and I did not have seats together—he was two rows behind me in another aisle. Both of us were shocked about this as the clerk who had made the change, the previous morning, had not informed us that we would not be seated together. I took our boarding passes to the steward and he told me that he would try his best to keep us together. It took a bit of juggling among the stewardesses and the steward but eventually, they did manage to request another passenger to change her seat with me and, presto, we were together. This made a big difference as it was a very long flight (9 and a ½ hours)—so we really did want to be together through it.

b>A Most Comfortable Flight:

Other than this slight hiccup, I have to say that the flight was totally delightful. We had the best and most helpful cabin crew and they were nothing but lovely from the very first minute to the last. We had wonderfully comfortable seats, more than adequate leg room, really delicious food (I meant they served sparkling wine, a BOLS Negroni cocktail, which was just delicious), a good red Shiraz for Llew, a smoked salmon salad, an Asian Chicken Salad, Cherry Cheesecake Ice-cream—what was not to love? Plus, they had stations at several points offering cake, chocolate, Biscoff cookies, etc. throughout the flight. It was awesome. As if this were not enough, their in-flight entertainment was first grade. I chose to watch Mary Poppins Returns and believe me, I could not have watched a more entertaining and moving film. I loved it. After the film, I walked about the aircraft--in fact, Llew and I did quite a bit of walking about. And then I sat down and finished one blog post—so overall, it was a very productive flight for me and I was absolutely delighted. Before I knew it, we were preparing for landing. Immigration, as always, took more time than we would have liked…but clear it we did. To our utter joy, our baggage had actually arrived (much to our surprise after both of us had experienced losses through Air France) and with that, we grabbed our stuff and were off. It was just past midnight when we landed and we were out of the airport at 1. 15 am. We took an Uber and got back home by 1.45 am, ready to crash

Conclusion:

At the end of a trip like this, it is so hard to say exactly what was the best part. Each day brought a new adventure, an exciting delight, an unexpected journey. Llew and I loved our time together and enjoyed ourselves fully. Among the many sights and sounds that will stay with us are:

. 1.The wonderful New York Writer’s Workshop at the Delada Institute where the ghostly emptiness of Oristano in Sicily, after Bombay’s teeming hordes felt like Armageddon had arrived.

2. ⁠The incredible shades of blue in the Mediterranean Sea: azure, jade, acquamarine, turquoise, cobalt, navy—I saw them all in distinct bands of vivid color that mirrored the sky in waters whose crystal clarity was breathtaking

3. ⁠In the above context, the Blue Grotto in Malta (actually a series of six caves whose shades of blue reflecting off the waters were simply mesmerizing).

.4 ⁠The Baroque interior of the Cathedral of San Giovanni (St John the Baptist) in Valetta, Malta. Spectacular does not even cut it.

5. ⁠The Palatine Chapel in the Royal Palace in Palermo, Sicily—entirely encrusted in Byzantine mosaics—devotional artistry pushed to the max.

6. ⁠The entire Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Sicily—whisked me back to Greece in 500 BC—walking along a street constructed when men wore togas was a completely surreal experience for me.

7. ⁠Gazing upon the hilltop hamlet of Ragusa in Sicily from a panoramic viewpoint (on one of our endless mountainous treks) and wondering how human beings could have created so curious a habitation after an earthquake in 1678 had leveled the entire township…

8. ⁠Photographing the thickly-walled bastions of Valetta in Malta and thinking of the Crusading Knights of St John (besides whose headquarters in Farringdon, London, I’d once rented a flat) who’d built them with such enormous Christian zeal.

9. ⁠Savoring an exquisite meal at DOBA, named after chef Dominic Basile, who served us raw langoustine on Pistachio Pesto Pasta and Porchetta (Pork Neck braised in beer for 12 hours) with the best caponata I’ve ever tasted as an amuse-bouche. A wedding anniversary gastronomic celebration.

. ⁠Sardinia’s rich archeological finds in the Sinnis Peninsula (from excavated land and centuries-old shipwrecks) seen at the museum in Cabras midway between Oristano and Cagliari.

From Valetta in Malta to Amsterdam in the Netherlands Goodbye Valetta and Hullo Amsterdam—Return Journey to Bombay Begins…Or So We Thought

Monday, August 31, 2026

From Valetta in Malta to Amsterdam in the Netherlands

Goodbye Valetta and Hullo Amsterdam—Return Journey to Bombay Begins…Or So We Thought

Our flight leaving Valetta, Malta, was at 7.25 am. from Malta International Airport. That meant we’d need to be at the airport at 4.30 am—three hours for international flights is our personal rule of thumb. Accordingly, we had called an Uber the previous night and had actually received a confirmation from the Uber driver that he would be there. Setting our phone alarms for 3.30 pm (In order to leave the studio at the ungodly hour of 2.00 am) meant that we showered and did all our packing the previous day. And we went to bed with a prayer on our lips, thanking God that we’d had such a splendid trip and hoping that all would go well on the morrow. Well…nothing went according to plan.

Uber Driver Goes AWOL:

First of all, our alarms went well on time, we awoke, got ourselves organized in half an hour, followed all the studio instructions from our landlady and dragged our baggage out into the alley to await the arrival of our Uber driver (who had been given instructions exactly where to meet us) at 4.10am. Needless to say, he did not arrive, Llew was running up and down the alley in the dead of morning looking for him and hoping he would appear, but no dice. Finally, I used my phone and called for another Uber on my own. We were surprised that a lady driver arrived after about 12 minutes and we were on our way to Malta International Airport about 20 minutes away. Despite the first snafu of the day, we arrived three hours before our flight’s departure—only to find that the desk would open half an hour later. We waited patiently and finally received our boarding passes. We requested the traffic assistant to place Priority tags on our baggage to ensure that they would be loaded on to our connecting flight in Bombay (after having both gone through the nightmare of lost baggage upon Arrival in Cagliari in Sicily via Paris through Air France, a few weeks go). He obliged and we were off.

Valetta Airport in Malta’s capital, is small but even though it was 5.00 am, it was buzzing. Once we cleared Security, we were in an area full of interesting shops selling handcrafts from Sicily. But, by that point, all we wanted to do was get a coffee and something inside us to sustain us through the few hours ahead when likely we would get nothing on the flight.

Flight from Valetta to Amsterdam:

As we had booked our flights through KLM, we were headed to Amsterdam. There, we would connect to a flight heading to Bombay—but we had only 50 minutes to make the connection and we were rather doubtful that we’d make it in time. Imagine our anxiety then, when we reached the gate and just before Boarding began, it was announced that our flight would be delayed by 30 minutes owing to bad weather in Amsterdam. “Ok, there goes our connection,” I said to Llew. I knew we could not afford a minute’s delay and a 30 minute delay was simply untenable. I immediately called Rohit in Bombay to let him know that there was a likelihood our return to India would be delayed, but we would keep him posted.

Our flight left about 40 minutes behind take off time. It was pleasant enough, I suppose, if one blocked out the anxiety of missing a connecting flight. We ordered Malta’s traditional snack, the pastizzi (filled with mushy peas) which the stewardess warmed for us before serving it, as well as a hot chocolate for me and a hot coffee for Llew. And with that, we felt we had some sustenance to go on, no matter what lay ahead. Meanwhile, darkness made way for dawn outside our window and I looked forward to the promise of a new day. We were also pleasantly surprised to receive a large chocolate chip cookie and water with the compliments of KLM as we’d made our booking through them.

And so, we made a landing at Schipol (Shee-pol) International Airport in Amsterdam, under drizzly skies but with a courageous sun trying to pierce through heavy cloud cover to reveal a rainbow which I was able to photograph through the window. A little while later, we were disembarking, pretty sure that our connecting flight had already left. However, to our surprise, we received a message online to inform us that our connecting flight to Bombay had, in fact, been “disrupted” (meaning cancelled) and that we would need to see KLM Ground Staff about rescheduling the flight. We had to walk through the length of several terminals to find the Desk that handled Transfer Passengers.

Eventually, when we did find the spot, we also found a good KLM Ground Assistant who gave us a waiting list number to join a long line of passengers waiting to be rescheduled on future flights. As Llew joined the line, I wandered around the Duty Free shops of Schipol Airport taking in the cheese shops, the clothes boutiques and realizing that Fall is here already in the Northern Hemisphere as passengers were already warmly clad and all the merchandise was for the cooler months head. I managed to get one really delicious complimentary cocktail in the liquor shop (that was much-needed and very cheering) and lots of cheese tidbits to sample in the many stores. Then, I joined Llew in the line and we eventually (after an hour) arrived at the counter where we were able to make our case. By this time, I had received word from KLM that we had been rescheduled on to a flight leaving at 5.30 pm (it was still only 1.30 pm) for Bangkok! It would arrive in Bangkok at 9.30 am (local time) and then we’d have almost a 12 hour wait in Bangkok Airport before we boarded a flight for Bombay. We’d reach Bombay about 40 hours later after midnight! Needless to say, this was completely unacceptable to us and we requested the clerk (in view of the cancellation and our age) to place us on the first flight going directly back to Bombay. This happened to be 24 hours later (as there is only one flight per day going directly to Bombay from Amsterdam through KLM). Of course, this also meant that KLM would have to host us in Amsterdam overnight. We would accept nothing less than a hotel for the night as well as all meals paid.

As it turned out, the clerk was more than obliging and gave us everything we asked for as well as travel allowance to the city and back to the airport in case we wanted to get there and see something of Amsterdam as we had so many hours at our disposal. We were overjoyed! By this time, it was almost 2.00 pm and we’d been subsisting on snacks and paltry hot drinks—so we took our new boarding passes and then made our way up to the Food Court to order some food (a proper lunch) and then use our phones to find a hotel close to the airport for which KLM would later reimburse us. Accordingly, I made myself a really delicious salad at a salad bar upstairs with lemon hummus as my dressing and Llew did the same. He also picked up a bottle of red wine while I picked up a Heineken can and with that promising tray, we sat down and ate.

More than an hour later, after having found a hotel through Booking.com that we felt would work for us (Llew wanted it to be close to the airport, rather than in the City Center, and I agreed), we left the Airport precincts, hoping to find a shuttle bus to our hotel (Residence Inn by Mariott). Only my phone did not work and we could not get through to the hotel to find out if they offered a free shuttle service and if so where we ought to wait for it, It was really quite nippy outside after the sweltering heat and humidity of the Mediterranean (indeed it came as something of a surprise and not a very pleasant one as we did not even have a jacket to keep us comfortable). Luckily, I always carry a wrap/shawl in my backpack and this proved invaluable. I also lost my patience trying to find a shuttle—so we simply hopped into a cab in the hope that KLM would reimburse charges (it was not very much—just 43 Euros). We found a cab soon enough and within 15 minutes, we were at our beautifully-appointed studio apartment right outside the airport Ring Road. We checked in, loved our studio, but had no time to admire or enjoy it. We merely used the loo and were off. We had no time to lose as we wished to see as much of Amsterdam on this bonus and entirely unexpected layover as possible before we lost light and darkness fell.

Carrying only what we needed, we took the shuttle bus to the airport (for a cost of 5 Euros each) and in 10 minutes by 3.30 pm, we were at Schipol Airport again. From there, we followed signs to the Railway Station that literally happened to be underground just below us (no need to walk miles as in London) and there we were. We bought our return tickets (24 euros for the two of us, round trip) and off we went. The train came in one minute and in less than 20 minutes, we were pulling into Amsterdam Central Station.

I have to tell you that I was really exhilarated as this visit to Amsterdam was not on the cards at all and I could think of a thousand worse places in the world to be! En route to Amsterdam, I had used my internet services to access Lonely Planet and find out what was the best way to see Amsterdam in 3 hours (because by 8.00 pm, we thought we would return to our hotel). Llew was also fighting a cough-cold and was not feeling entirely himself. However, being the trooper he is, he did not dampen my enthusiasm for exploring and he gamely followed me.

Our Walking Tour of Amsterdam Begins:

Of course, we could have done a million things with our three hours: headed straight for the Rijksmuseum to see some of the greatest Flemish art masterpieces in the world; taken a romantic canal cruise to see the city from its network of canals; or walk to some of the landmark areas to get a general feel of the city all over again—for we were returning to Amsterdam after about 15 years and were happy to recapture some of its unique charms.

As we exited Amsterdam Central Station, so many memories came back to my mind—this was at least my third visit to this city, although it could have been my fourth (I could not remember). Outside, it was heaving—a welcome change from the places I had frequented in the last three weeks that seemed to be devoid of human habitation. We followed an online map that took us along Damstrad, the Main Road leading from the station to Dam Square, the best-known spot for human congregation in the city. En route, we passed by every kind of touristic shop: souvenir stores selling T-shirts and magnets; cheese shops that also offered generous tastings; shops offering fries, burgers, pizza and other cheap tourist foods; shops selling tour packages including the daily sightseeing bus. We took in these aspects of the city but walked on as I enjoyed the delightful Dutch architecture—the narrow-gabled houses, brightly colored, the Amstel river filled with sailing craft, etc.

Eventually, we arrived at Dam Square. It was filled with people and pigeons and together, they made for some very atmospheric pictures. Of course, we posed in all the significant spots until we left the Royal Palace and the Modern Marble Monument behind as well as the Medieval church. I remember taking a walking tour in this area, several years ago, and being explained the significance of each of the important buildings in this square. I also remember eating a fresh raw herring with nothing but finely chopped onions, in this Square. About 35 years ago (when I had first arrived in Amsterdam, it was the cool thing to do and I had gamely done it. I remember the taste being quite pleasing but the texture (being slimy) not so much.

We sat at the Square for a bit and took a rest before following a map again that would take us to the most distinctive part of Amsterdam’s urban features—its network of canals.

Hanging Out at Amsterdam’s Canals:

And so, about fifteen minutes later, past narrow streets filled with delightful, one-of-a-kind merchandise, we arrived at our first canal. I was simply thrilled to take in the picturesqueness of the scenes. There were bicycles by the thousands, everywhere you turned, chained to railings; there were bicyclists by the dozen tearing past—it was scary…you had to look both sides carefully before crossing. There were canal boats filled with people taking cocktail cruises. There were the spires of distant churches to photograph and the dome of a distinct museum. There were vividly-painted bridges with arches or railings—all so lovely, so evocative of this glorious city that, in late summer-early fall, made it the perfect place to explore on foot. I was so relieved to leave the sauna that was Sicily and Malta behind and return again to the temperate zone where you could walk without feeling the urgent need for water or take a few steps without feeling as if you needed someone to push you forward from behind!

A Delightful Arty Series of Coincidences:

Yes, we lingered by the canals and bridges and took many pictures. We browed in the boutique and stroopwaffel stores where you could make your own waffle, decorate it as you pleased and take it home in a gift box. I entered a jewelry store to buy a pair of ear-rings, inspired by Vermeer’s painting, “Girl with a Pearl Ear-Ring”, only to find an interesting story behind the shop site. It had once belonged to a man called Herman Doomer, a wood-carving artist, who in Vermeer’s day, had made wooden frames for his cotemporary, Rembrandt’s, paintings. Although Rembrandt usually only painted the portraits of Flemish nobility, he as so grateful to Doormer for his labors, that he painted Doormer’s portraits as a gift to him. This portrait found its way to New York and eventually to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where I have seen it several times. Now what are the odds that I, an Indian woman, and a Docent at the Met in New York City, would come across a pair of ear-rings, inspired by Vermeer’s painting of a “Girl With a Pair of Ear-Rings’ while in the former home of a man who had made wooden frames for Rembrandt’s paintings and whose portrait (by Rembrandt) is currently in the Met—all bought while I was wearing a pair of pearl drop ear-rings reminiscent of the ones worn by the girl in the painting! It was all so fascinating to me—what an enormous twist of multiple coincidences it turned out to be!

Then, it was time for us to take a rest—we had been on our feet for almost three hours and Llew, who was making a valiant effort to keep up with my energy levels, needed to sit down. So, we looked for a place where we could eat. And so…we sat down to enjoy one of Holland’s best-known treats: its pancakes!

Enjoying Dutch Pancakes in a Dutch Master Pancake House:

The Dutch Master Pancake House is strategically located on Damstrat (the main city artery leading from Amsterdam Central Station to Dam Square) and ingeniously designed. It is focused on the work of famous Flemish painters: modern replicas of these masterpieces line the walls of this tiered restaurant which is classy and very sophisticated. You may be opting to eat pancakes, but you do it in an environment which makes you feel as if you are indulging in fine dining. This was exactly how we felt as we entered and were seated at a table that was overlooked by a clutch of Flemish 16th century worthies as seen in one of Rembrandt’s paintings. On the opposite wall, there were a number of Rembrandt’s works from his own self-portraits to those of his beloved wife. Saskia van Uylenburgh. Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Ear-Ring’ had her own privileged corner. Right behind me was ‘The Laughing Cavalier’ by Franz Hals—the original is in the Wallace Collection in London. Downstairs, where I ventured to use the loo, was were more paintings by Rembrandt while one tier was kept exclusively for Van Gogh.

We decided to share the Traditional Dutch Apple and Bacon Pancake. When it arrived, we were surprised to see how thin it was—I meant really really flat. Thin slices of apple and bacon were embedded in it. There was maple syrup and powdered sugar on each table and we were supposed to moisten the pancake with them before eating. It was really delicious—the combination of sweet (apple) and savory (bacon) producing unique flavor. We also both ordered a hot chocolate (mine with whipped cream) and for dessert, we were given a complimentary stroopwaffel which was caramely and made for a cute sweet treat. All the while, I marveled at the fact that we were actually seated in Amsterdam—something that was simply not on the cards for us amytime soon! But I’ve come to realize that such is Life—you go with the Flow. When Life throws lemons at you, you squeeze every last drop and make lemonade. As long as you grab every opportunity that comes your way, you will never have any regrets. I am really pleased that Llew joined me on this enterprise. However, after we paid the bill and I asked him if we could stay for one more hour until the lights came on—so that we could see Amsterdam by night—he told me that he was not feeling well at all and really wanted to get back home as soon as possible. I completely understood and was grateful that we had done so much in the short four hours at our disposal.

Back to Our Hotel:

And with that, we decided to make our way back to our hotel by retracing our footsteps. We walked towards the Station, clicking pictures at every step and then found our platform for our train back to Schipol Airport. There was one in just five minutes and we were happy to find out platform (we had bought return tickets) and board our train. In twenty minutes, we were back at Schipol and in about ten minutes, along came the shuttle to take us to the Residence Inn. It was a little after 9.00 pm when we got ourselves ready for bed. The clerk down at the Reception Desk gave each of us a toiletry kit so that we had basic items to brush and floss our teeth and to wash up. It was indeed a most convenient place and one that made our unexpected layover in one of the world’s most beautiful cities truly a pleasure.

Until tomorrow, ciao…

Malta by Tour Bus: Valetta, Mosta, Mdina, St.Julian, Sliema Traveling Around Malta on the Hop On, Hop Off Tour Bus for More Sightseeing:

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Malta by Tour Bus: Mosta, Mdina, St.Julian, Sliema

Traveling Around Malta on the Hop On, Hop Off Tour Bus for More Sightseeing: Valetta, Mosta, Mdina, St. Julian, Sliema.

We spent today exploring Malta. We went far out of Valetta, the capital city in which we were based, to explore parts associated with its Islamic past. But first, we awoke after a restful night, showered, got dressed and went in search of a church as it was Sunday and we were keen to catch Mass somewhere.

As we walked towards the Main tourist area, we realized that, being Sunday, everything was closed: all shops, all eateries, everything. The streets were eerily quiet—perhaps the shops would open later in the afternoon. But at 8.00 am, they were dead.

Hearing Sunday Mass in St. Catherine’s Monastery Church:

the route to the main square, we heard sacred music emanate from one of the churches we were passing: on impulse, I told Llew that we should go inside as Mass was probably on. It turned out to be the church attached to the 400-year old Monastery of St. Catherine (which, by the way, has opened its doors to visitors after 400 years). I was right. Mass had begun but we were very early in the service and decided to stay on and hear Mass. It turned out to be another one of the ornate Baroque churches which are simply plentiful in these parts: grand altar, dozens of tall, silver candlesticks filled with really tall candles, oil paintings everywhere, marble sculpture on walls, pietra dura on the floor, a grand painted ceiling. There was a really old priest saying Mass with about a dozen people (all old as the hills) in the congregation. We stayed through the Mass, received Communion and left at about 9.00 am when Mass ended. We then walked towards the Main Tourist Plaza.

Visiting the Fabulous Cathedral of St. John the Baptist:

When we arrived at the entrance to St. John’s Cathedral, we realized that the place was closed to tourists today. The only persons allowed inside were those interested in praise and worship. We walked briskly around the side to arrive at the grand Baroque entrance of the church, complete with Greek Neo-Classical pillars. Inside, Mass had begun, but it was close to Communion time. This gave us a chance to get inside and to see the place without being able to see the Caravaggio paintings that are closed to the public on Sundays. Needless to say, I was seriously bummed out, but we simply had to accept it.

And what can I say about the Cathedral? On a trip in which we had Baroque splendor coming out of our ears, this one outshone all the others. I mean, it was seriously OTT (Over The Top). Words cannot describe the exuberance of the interior design. There was a soaring ceiling that was magnificently painted. The altar was a masterpiece of sculptural elegance—so finely wrought that I could have sworn the ‘Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist’ was by none other than Bernini himself (it wasn’t). There was heavy gilding all over the pillars that held up the nave. And since this was a Cathedral built by the Knights of St. John ,soon after their arrival in Malta as part of their journey to the Holy Land during the Crusades and after, they spared no pains in bringing motifs from their own uniforms (helmets, shields, coats of arms, etc.) to the décor. Plus, the use of Pietra Dura was so abundant that there was every possible shade of marble that you can imagine on the floor and the walls. In every niche in the side chapels, there was lavish decoration by way of gilding so that the entire interior of the church seemed to glow with a heavenly light. Believe me, this was jaw-droppingly stunning and I was simply overwhelmed. My eye did not know where to rest as everywhere it looked, there was another wonder to behold. When we had done almost a complete round of the church (after Mass had ended) and after I had taken several photographs, the same Keralite guard with whom I had chatted yesterday, came up to tell me that I could not take pictures as the Cathedral is closed to visitors on Sundays. I apologized to him and said that I was unaware of this (of course, by this time, we had taken all the pictures we had wanted and seen almost everything).

Once outside, in the Square, we made a beeline for the SPAR (supermarket) as we were still on empty stomachs and felt peckish. Llew chose a pain au chocolate and I chose a pistachio croissant. Llew had a hot American and I had a mocha frappe as it had already become warm enough for me to want something cold to drink. With these goodies in a paper bag, we walked out and made our way to Independence Plaza in time to board the Hop On Hop Off Bus for our second day of touring. But, as we were just a bit early, we sat in the quiet garden attached to this square, ate our breakfast and sipped our drinks. A little later, on time, the Bus arrived and we reached for the top deck. There, with good seats, front and center, we prepared ourselves for what would technically be our last day of sightseeing as early, tomorrow morning, we’d be leaving Malta and returning to India. Hence, we really felt the need to see and do everything that was on our list today.

First Sightseeing Stop--The Town of Mosta:

The fact that Malta is a small country (among the smallest in the world) is evident from the fact that you can basically drive around and see all of it quite comfortably in three days (we would be seeing it in two)! It is basically a lot of wilderness, punctuated by three or four big cities/towns where the majority of the inhabitants are based. Among them is Mosta, one of the bigger towns that is renowned for its single highlight: a massive Cathedral which is based on the design of a Rotunda crowned by a dome. It is to this place that most visitors head and when the bus put us down, we had to walk for about 15 minutes to get to the Church Square where the church is located.

Visiting Mosta’s Rotunda Church:

This church is known world-wide for having the third largest unsupported dome in the world. It is also known as the Miracle Church because during World War II when Malta suffered heavy shelling, a bomb was dropped right in the center of the church while Mass was going on with about 300 people inside. However, for some inexplicable reason, the bomb did not detonate and every single person escaped unhurt. A replica of the bomb is kept inside the Church.

In this church too, Mass was going on when we arrived. We requested the guard to allow us to enter for a few minutes of quiet prayer and she agreed. This gave us the opportunity to take in the Baroque elegance of this church—it was beautiful and impressive but not Over The Top (as the Cathedral of St. John is). Yes, in this church too, we had the chance to walk around discreetly, when Mass ended, and to take just a few pictures. I was particularly enthralled by a statue that portrayed the Virgin Mary in a luminous navy blue mantle—in her state of Assumption into Heaven.

On the way out, we had the opportunity to take a look once again at the grandeur of the exterior of the church with its grand staircase, its thickly carved bas-relief on the pediment and its imposing entrance.

Quick Cold Coke in a Local Café:

We had about 20 minutes to go before we began the hot walk to our bus-stop and so we decided to stop off at a local café just opposite the church to have a cold Coke. This also allowed us to use the facilities as we had been out already for a few hours. This short break was perfectly refreshing and allowed us to muster up the resolve we needed to go out again in the blazing sun to get our bus.

Back on the Bus: Headed to Mdina:

Back on the bus (we sat on the lower deck as it was a short hop to our next stop), we gradually made our way across really arid, brown countryside to our next port of call: the town of Mdina. And if it sounds similar to Medina in Saudi Arabia, the holiest city of the Muslim world, it is not coincidental. Mdina was founded and developed by Muslim settlers who arrived in Malta, many centuries ago, and placed their stamp upon the land and its people. The spelling is only slightly different but the cultural ethos is very similar.

From far away in the distance, we could see Mdina because it sits magnificently on a towering mountain. Furthermore, the Cathedral with its imposing dome brings even more stature to the venue and the drive up the mountain to get to the summit (where all the action is) provides some fine photographic opportunities. My camera kept taking in every angle of these passing scenes as they were entirely fascinating to me.

Exploring Mdina:

Once the bus put us off at Mdina (with the suggestion that we return after an hour to catch the next bus forward), we found the place simply heaving with tourists. After Valetta, this is probably the most popular part of Malta. It is characterized by structures—religious and otherwise—that are solid, extravagant and imposing. As in the case of most cities in Sicily and Malta, there is the residential part of the town which is basically a warren of narrow lanes that curve picturesquely and are punctuated by old-fashioned gas lights which make them very atmospheric. Here too, the visitor is encouraged to get lost in any of these mazes and take in the exceedingly romantic atmosphere. We, alas, did not have the time to do this…but we did get a pretty good feel of it as we walked along these narrow lanes to get to the main religious building. There was the Monastery of St. Peter that we visited to gasp anew at yet another Baroque Church.

Visiting St. Paul’s Cathedral:

Just a little ahead, we entered the main religious building in Malta—St. Paul’s Cathedral. This structure is named after the Biblical figure who was known to have been a persecutor of Christians until he was struck by the Lord and underwent a conversion. He then became a champion of Christianity and spent the rest of his days preaching and spreading Christianity. In the course of his conversion tours, he passed through Malta having reached the island when his ship became wrecked. It is upon the spot where he alighted and met the ruler of Malta that the Cathedral was built.

For me, the most striking element of this Cathedral (in a trip that took us into one more gorgeous church than the other) was the painted ceiling: it was entirely reminiscent of Michaelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. Plus the nave, the altar area, every bit of the church’s ceiling was grandly painted. Furthermore, through the use of Neo-Classical columns with Corinthian gilded acanthus leaves at the top, greater Baroque splendor was added to the space. Beautiful Venetian glass chandeliers hung down from the high ceiling. Here too, Mass was going on when we entered but the place was lit up sufficiently well that we could take in all its visual details from the main door itself.

Seeing the Carmelite Church Next Door:

Next, we ventured into the Carmelite Chapel where the ceiling was simply exquisite. Although this is just a small chapel and lacks the grandeur of the gloriously huge cathedral and basilicas we saw, this appealed because the ceiling was painted so charmingly to depict Our Blesserd Mother in her heavenly glory. The main altarpiece was surrounded by a gilded frame that was so elaborate and so gorgeous as to be total breathtaking. It was in church interiors, such as these, that we recognized the extent of Christian zeal that led to the construction and decoration of such awesome churches as each little town tried to compete with the other.

Mdina had a lot of tourist energy and charm. Other than these churches, there were horse-drawn carriages that wound visitors through the maze of lanes. There were gelato shops where one could have sundaes in fancy glasses. There were many shops selling Mdina glass--which is almost as famous as Venetian glass. We entered a few of the shops selling these wares and indeed they were just superb. Also because Mdina is built on a height, there is a lovely lookout terrace to which all visitors go so that they can receive sweeping views of the arid plains beneath. It makes for a visual treat although the haze and the uniformity of the brown color does not make it very photogenic.

When our hour was nearly up, we hurried to the meeting point so that we could board our bus once again. We had seen two of the major showpieces outside of Valetta and we felt seriously fatigued by the heat and our exertions at this point. It was a relief to be able to sit down in a bus and be driven around—although I have to say that the afternoon sun was so strong that despite wearing hats and sunglasses, I felt quite alarmingly dehydrated.

Driving Through Some Snazzy Maltese Towns:

The latter half of this day’s Bus Tour (the North Route) took us into some very interesting modern towns. The contrast was really evident between the ancient towns of Mosta and Mdina and the lovely seaside towns of St. Paul’s Bay where the water was so clear and so shallow that there were loads of swimmers enjoying the leisure afforded by a Sunday afternoon. Many new high-rise apartment buildings in this area introduced us to the affluent lifestyle of Maltese residents. In the same way, we drove through St. Julian’s and Sliema, two beautiful coastal towns with a heaving night life, an abundance of eateries and restaurants and any number of shopping opportunities from small Mom and Pop stores to grand shopping malls like The Point.

Lunch at St. Julian’s/Sliema:

By the time we arrived at St. Julian’s, we were ready to stop and have a nice (late) lunch. Walking along the busy waterfront where, apart from the tourists, a whole lot of locals were out enjoying the holiday, we picked a place with full AC facilities as I was simply too hot to sit outside at one of the pavement cafes. My idea was to look at some shopping possibilities at Marks and Spencer which was just next door to a number of eateries and eventually we chose a really nice place where we had Seafood Pasta (and yes, I did ask for the spaghetti to be well-cooked). It was served with a delicious marinara sauce and two really gigantic prawns perched on the top. It was so hot that we accompanied the meal with cold beers and believe me, it was one of the best meals we had on this trip—although really simple and not highly touted.

We spent the rest of the afternoon hoping to shop for some clothes, swimsuit, sandals, etc. as all the shops were having end-of-summer sales. It would be the only time we could allocate for shopping on this entire trip. Sadly, we did not find anything. Either the size was wrong or the prices were ridiculous. In the end, after about an hour and traipsing through about a dozen shops, we simply gave up. However, I did get some goodies at M and S in the shape of my favorite cookies—although most of the cookies I like had been swiped.

Back on the Bus to Valetta:

Knowing that last bus to Valetta would leave St. Julian’s/Sliema at 5.00 pm, we returned to the Bus Stop and, sure enough, along came our bus on schedule. All that was left then was to enjoy the last twenty minutes in the Bus as it took us back to our original boarding spot at Independence Plaza in Valetta. Once there, we browsed in the souvenir shops again realizing that this was the last opportunity we would have to do any shopping for gifts. Then, we decided to get back to our hotel and finish off our packing as well as close up our studio. Since this was not a hotel there were certain things we had to do like making sure the garbage was put out correctly, our crockery/cutlery washed and put back in the right places, etc. We had a drink together while taking care of all these chores at home. We also called an Uber for 4.00 am tomorrow as we need to be at the airport by 4.30 am for our 7.30 am flight to Amsterdam. We actually received a confirmation from our Uber driver—so we were really pleased and relieved to receive that. With all these tasks accomplished, we could set out again to have our last dinner of our vacation and we chose to go to ‘Sally Port Pizzeria’ which was literally just around the corner from where we lived.

Last Dinner in Malta at Sally Port Pizzeria:

When we arrived at ‘Sally Port Pizzeria’, we were surprised to find it packed. In fact, the server told us that we’d have to wait for about 20 minutes for a table. We were game, especially as I really wanted to be able to stroll along the waterfront at night to take in the sights of the city under moonlight. We were right on the promenade and had the opportunity to finally walk upon the city walls. Of course, we did take many pictures as the lighting was simply perfect. We could see fireworks across the harbor (probably in St. Julian’s) and as the watercraft came into harbor, it made for a very evocative setting of everything that Malta had offered us. We loved that last moonlit walk.

Then, we returned to ‘Sally’s’ and sat ourselves down to enjoy one last vacation meal. They did have an extensive pizza menu and we chose to share a large one with salami, basil and burrata which was very good indeed. I actually had a berry cider to go with it while Llew had a glass of house red wine. What a lovely end it was to our travels amidst the Mediterranean Islands! We consider ourselves very blessed that we had these marvelous experience and, on that happy note, we paid our bill and walked back to our studio. Literally, five minutes later, we were getting ourselves ready for bed.

Until tomorrow, ciao…

Valetta, Malta: Our First Looks and Our Many Impressions:

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Valetta, Malta

Our First Looks at Malta and Our Many Impressions:

Waking up in our B and B in Malta—a rented studio apartment really—allowed us to appreciate it in the clear light of day. It was a very large room with a kitchenette with all appliances, an en suite bathroom with shower and two lovely balconies. Very soon we were to realize that it was an old building and that the balconies were from the Moorish period when these enclosed balconies allowed the women (in purdah) to look outside without being seen themselves. We saw them all over Malta on our travels over the next couple of days—some very brightly painted so that they become the focal points of a building.

The studio was well-equipped, mostly, although there were a few missing touches that would have made it more user-friendly. Overall, however, it was AC-ed, we had full privacy (with our own entrance and set of keys), and a microwave and fridge—the only appliances we really use when traveling. What we did not have was a map or any instructions on where we could have found breakfast. This meant that as soon as we washed, showered, got dressed and were ready to leave for the day, we needed to figure out where we could get something to eat.

A little bit of research that I did before leaving indicated that since we had only 2 full days in Malta, our best bet was to take the Hop on, Hop Off bus that would wind us around the entire country and show us all the highlights. All we had to do was figure out where we could pick up this bus.

Finding a Grocery Store and Coffee Shop Nearby:

It did not take us long to figure things out and get our bearings. St. Dominic’s Road, on which we were located, was in the heart of Old Town. Just a walk around a couple of blocks, led us to ‘Gigi’s Grocery’ from where we picked up chocolate croissants (packaged). All we needed was a coffee shop for some coffee. And we found this easily too. A sweet lady took our order as we sat outside and awaiting our cuppas. They made a good starting out snack and with it, we felt fueled for the day. We also realized that we had only to climb up the shallow flight of stairs to arrive at the action—the main square where the Royal Palace (actually called Buckingham Palace) stood. The lady at the coffee shop told us where to go (“to a very large fountain”) where you will see many buses. That’s where, she said, we would find the Tour Bus we sought. It was just a little before 10.00 am, by this time, and all the Tour Buses began their rounds for the day at 10.00 am—so we were in good time.

Strolling past the large square where Buckingham Palace was located, we stopped to take a few pictures. Then, we entered a busy lane which was filled with restaurants, shops, souvenir stalls, etc. and loads of people. There were some very interesting buildings here, including one that was marked as having been the home in Malta of the English Romantic poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. I was quite delighted to come upon it. It happened to be right opposite the National Library and this building was next door to the most famous building in Valetta, The Cathedral of St. John.

We were too focused on trying to find the Tour Bus; but I did make a quick detour to find out about entry into the Cathedral. A Keralite Security Guard told me that it cost 12 euros to get in and that most people came there to look at two paintings by Caravaggio that were inside: one on the beheading of St. John the Baptist and the other on St. Jerome in his Study. I asked him for the timings, and he gave them to me and I figured that we would stay on track with our sightseeing plans for today and keep the Cathedral for tomorrow. What I would later discover, much to my horror, was that happened to be a Saturday and that tomorrow, Sunday, the place was closed except for Mass! This meant that I would miss seeing the Caravagios completely! It was perhaps the only real disappointment that we had on our entire trip!

Anyway, we reached the Fountain, a really massive monument, that took us past the equally massive bastons of the city of Valetta that were put up in the 17th century by the British as a form of defense from the sea—for the British made Malta their military base on the Mediterranean. I took many pictures at this point, as I simply could not get over how high, thick and forbidding they were—far more impressive than the Great Wall of China!

Onward we progressed until we made inquiries at the Tourist Information Center at the Fountain. They gave me maps and told me exactly where to go to find the Tour Buses. Before long, we found ourselves in possession of two tickets that were valid for two days and tips from the salesman. He suggested we do the North Route on one day and the South Route the next. On taking a quick survey to find out what to see first, we chose the South Route for today and decided to leave the North Route which went way outside of Valetta tomorrow. In a way it was a good choice and we’d get to see a lot of the major churches for free as no tourism business is conducted on Sundays. The churches are open then, but only for worship.

The salesman told us exactly where to go and stand for our bus and we followed his instructions. Valetta is a beautiful city. It is clean, green, organized and really splendidly planned. In this particular area, it has a number of gardens, squares and monuments. We needed to pick up our bus from Independence Square which is punctuated by a war memoria and many sculpted statues, plus a pretty garden where we could sit in the shade and await our bus.

On the Hop On Hop Off Bus in Malta:

And so began our first glimpses of this country, Malta—one I have wanted to see for ages. It has been on my Bucket List for such a long time—honestly, little did I think that I could actually visit it because it just seems to be in the middle of nowhere. But now we were in Malta and I looked forward to its offerings. I have to state that the heat was still almost intolerable and, but for the fact that we are here for such a short time, I would have postponed any outdoor activity as the sun was so hot and so unbearable.

When the Tour Bus came, we climbed to the top deck and were very fortunate to find seats front and center. This allowed me to photograph all of the monuments and the changing landscape. The heat made it difficult to leave our seats and go out to explore, but once again, we had to steel ourselves to do it.

Looking at my photographs now, I see that having left the precincts of Valetta, we drove along the coast for quite a while. We passed by the heavy walled bastions of the city which I found simply fascinating. The entire coast is barricaded with these thick walls. There is, frankly, not a lot I can remember from that first hot day. The commentary in English provided by the Tour Bus service, gives relevant details of every passing scene and you are fully educated by the end of it. This particular tour would take two and a half hours if you stayed on the bus for the whole course and did not get off. Among some of the highlights I remember passing were a fine church and the campus of the American University Malta (AUM). We also passed a museum where there was a special exhibition on “Malta at War”, but we did not get off the bus for at least one whole hour. The scenery from the top deck was so wonderful as we passed by churches, war monuments, gardens. One particular item that caught by eye was a Bell that was protected in a tower that had been inaugurated by the late Queen Elizabeth II. The color of the country is also a uniform, soft, honey-toned sand achieved by the lavish use of sandstone (which is very easily quarried all over the country) on every building. This gives a monochromatic color palette to the entire landscape. It also probably gives off a lot of heat which becomes pretty unbearable in the summer.

Lunch at Marsaxlokk:

Eventually, we arrived at Marsaxlokk Fishing Village which the ticket salesman had told us would be a good place to get off and have lunch. By this time it was 12. 30 pm and since the next Bus to pick us up would arrive at 1.30 pm, we had about one hour to find a good place to eat. The bus driver himself dropped us off at a lovely seafront restaurant which, apparently, specialized in seafood, and there we seated ourselves. We had a waiter called Rodrigo who waited on us but after looking at the menu, we decided to share the tagliatelle with tuna, cherry tomatoes and olives. Llew (who does not eat fish) said he would eat the tomatoes and olives and I could eat the fish and so we placed the order. We told them to cook the pasta really well as I find that the al dente-style serving here is much too undercooked for me. Since cooking pasta from scratch takes a good long time, we had to wait ages to get our meal. Fortunately for us, the waiter brought us this complimentary appetizer of an absolutely delicious salmon spread with bread and crackers to go with it. He probably knew that we were starving because the cup of coffee and croissant was all that we had subsisted on all morning! Needless to say, I finished up every last bit of that spread while waiting for our pasta to be delivered. And when it did come to us, we barely ate two mouthfuls before we asked for a box so that we could pack it all up as our bus was due in ten minutes. Time had flown and all we’d done was have lunch.

I did stop to walk around the fishing village while is very pretty and filled with colorful water craft. The promenade reminded me of the one in Split in Croatia which I do remember we had enjoyed walking along. There are also cute restaurants on both sides of the street overlooking the water. The venue is also home to a crafts fair (not sure if it is on daily) selling one-of-a-kind handmade jewelery, pottery, etc. Overall, it was a very nice place to get off the bus, take a break, walk about and stretch our legs a bit before boarding the bus again and going on to the next venue.

Next Stop: Ghar Dalam Cave and Museum:

next spot at which we alighted was a most unusual venue: it goes back to pre-historic times (the Bronze Age) and is a very large and long cave deep inside the earth which was only discovered in the last century (as most of these caves all over the world are) and then explored scientifically. Although there is an attached museum (and visitors can check both out pretty thoroughly) for an entry fee of 6 euros each, I have to say that we had time only for a cursory visit as the next bus to pick us up would be with us in another hour. Suffice it to say that excavations in the entire area have led to the discovery that rhinoceros and gigantic elephants (now extinct) probably mastodons roamed this area. Their skeletons have been found in almost intact condition and they form the corner-stone of the museum of natural history at this site. There were literally hundreds of molars of prehistoric animals here.

In the cave itself, which we reached by going down a deep flight of stairs underground, we discovered a long and very dark space. While there was nothing intrinsic there to grab our attention there were a couple of stalagmites in varied bands of colored stone that were interesting to look at. But this apart, there was not much else.

One of the Highlights of our Trip--Visiting the Blue Grotto:

An hour later, as the sun beat down on us with blazing force, we boarded the bus again and went towards the next point of interest: the Blue Grotto. This turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. While the Blue Grotto in Capri is by far the most famous in the world, few people know about this series of six caves, right here in Malta, that offer the exact same experience. I was really excited to be able to see this site as I had missed the Blue Grotto when I was actually in Capri. The sea had been extremely turbulent that day, in the Bay of Naples, and all small sea craft were staying off the water. In fact, my friend Amy (with whom I was traveling on the Amalfi Coast) and I were really lucky that the small boat taking us from Naples to Capri actually plied that day.

Getting to the Blue Grotto involved the driver putting us off at a popular spot with a couple of souvenir shops and restaurants on the top of a steep cliff overlooking the turquoise ocean. From there, we had to make our way down the cliff to the base where we could buy tickets to board the little boats that would actually take us into the Grotto. Now, I have to say, that looking at the mountain we’d have to climb to get to the top, when it was all over, was rather daunting. But Llew told me that we would cross that bridge when we came to it! Okay, I was game to continue to descend the mountain!

At the base, we found a lot of people enjoying the water. Some were swimming, others snorkeling, still others simply sunbathing. With our tickets in hand (10 euros per head), we were led to a waiting boat where we joined about eight other people to board a small boat. This would be rowed by a single rower who also provided commentary in English—just a few words, but adequate to serve our purpose. And thus began our sail to the Blue Grotto.

So basically, this is what the excursion is all about: As we all know, the Mediterranean Sea, in these parts, is this incredible blue. In fact, it is many incredible shades of blue from the palest aquamarine to the deepest cobalt. As the sea water enters these caves, the shadows produced by the shimmering sun on the walls turns them into this bright blue color too! Thus, when the boat is inside the cave, you are surrounded by the brightest blue light you can possibly imagine. It’s really quite quite magical. And unforgettable. I finally understood what the novelty of the Blue Grotto is all about. The rower took us into a few minor caves first—one called the Cat Cave, and by about the fourth cave, we were actually inside the Blue Grotto.

Apart from the color, what I found mesmerizing was the clarity of the water. It is only a few meters deep but one could see almost to the very sea floor. It’s like crystal. Seriously amazing. Then, there are the cave walls, which after years of being lapped by salt sea water and acted on by the light and warmth of the sun have actually turned the cave walls into amethyst and coral! It offered a lot of delightful and very unique photo opportunities and made for a most amazing excursion. The venue is also very far away from Valetta—so unless you have your own vehicle, but for the Tour Buses, you would be unable to reach these spots. So, as I said, this was definitely the highlight of my day and maybe one of the bet parts of our entire trip.

Well…when it came to the issue of getting back to the cliff top to board our bus, I was dreading the thought of huffing and puffing up the mountain, when hey presto…there it was! For 3 euros per head, there was a sort of taxi service that took people to the parking lot. We had enough time to get ourselves some wonderful gelato from one of the shops before our Tour Bus came along and we boarded it to get back on our way.

This time we did not go to the top but stayed on the lower deck as we had to get off at the very next stop: the Temple of Hagar Qim.

The Site of the Hagar Qim Temples:

The bus dropped us at the site just about fifteen minutes later, but as Lonely Planet’s tour notes put it, nothing prepares you for the sight of a pair of temples that go back to 3700-3200 BC. These were built by the inhabitants of a civilization that are only now being investigated academically. It is sufficient to note that these huge monolithic stones were dragged from God knows where (like the stones that comprise the Pyramids of Giza or Stonehenge—both of which are not as old as these) to form massive temple entrances, apses, columns and altars. What’s even more impressive is that there are tiny holes in the stone walls that throw light in a straight beam on to the altar during the summer and winter equinoxes—these convincingly inform us that these earliest inhabitants of Malta were familiar with the movement of the sun and revered it.

We walked around the area, took many pictures and although the place is not very photogenic and the heat still continued to be daunting, we did the venue justice. Llew even walked for about half a mile to the neighboring site to see the twin temple; but I bowed out and waited in the cool, AC-ed gift shop for him. When he returned, we boarded our bus again (which trundled around in an hour’s time) and continued along the route.

The end of the bus journey took us back to Silema, a very happening part of Malta and a place to shop. We noticed that all the British chain stores were here. Should we have time tomorrow, we will return to browse (if not to actually buy) for the place has some really good world-class shopping malls as well. We finally told the driver to take us back to Independence Plaza in Valetta, which he did. I have to say that the Tour Bus was such a good deal and such good value for money as it is incredible how much we saw and how far and widely we traveled in a single day. And we still had the next day to see the North Route which would take us further afield.

Getting Back to our Studio for the Evening:

By the time we arrived at Independence Plaza, crossed the fountain and arrived at the most happening tourist part of Valetta, it was past 6.30 pm and we were really very tired. We could not face the thoughts of hanging out in the square when all we wanted to do was go back to the hotel to rest. Hence, since we had almost all of our afternoon’s meal untouched in the take-out box with us, we decided to simply make our way home. We picked up drinks en route (a bottle of red wine for Llew and some beer for me) and once home, simply relaxed for the rest of the evening. By about 7.30 pm, we were tucking into our pasta—as we had a microwave in our apartment, we could heat up our meal and enjoy it.

And, on that satisfying note, our day came to a close. And what an amazing day it had been! For sure, Malta does not disappoint. There is history, distinctive architecture, religious buildings in the Baroque style, superb seafood everywhere, enticing shopping opportunities, open-air restaurants offering magnificent cuisine and, in fact, all the ingredients that would make a great vacation.

Until tomorrow, ciao.

Malta Arrivederci Sicily, Hello Malta

Friday, August 28, 2026

Malta

Sicily, Hello Malta

We spent most of the day on the road. It was the day we would bid goodbye to Sicily (very sorrowfully, I should add, as we’d had such a grand time together there) and move on towards our next destination—Malta—as our travels were starting to wind down.

Breakfast in the Garden in Ragusa:

But first things first: Breakfast. We woke after a good night’s rest in the charming B&B that has stood on its foundation since the 1600s. In fact, it was so quaint, being clad in white sandstone (think hewn blocks of it) under a curved stone ceiling that I could not stop taking pictures of it. It was also on the ground floor, so we were saved having to haul up our baggage to the higher floors where there was no elevator. We washed, showered, dressed and packed up as right after breakfast, we had to start looking at leaving Ragusa and moving on.

Conchita had breakfast under an awning for us in her garden as the fierce sun was already strong at 8.30 am. Her other guests had just finished (apparently, they had an early start to their day) and were just leaving when we arrived. Conchita looked as elegant as ever in her morning frock as she took our order for scrambled eggs. Meanwhile, there was thick crusty sliced bread which we sampled with a selection of her home made fruit preserves. There were all sorts and I tasted cherry, apple, pear, lemon—all amazing. There was also a selection of cheese and I tried those as well. Freshly-baked pastries filled with apricot jam and Nutella also stood ready for our eating pleasure. Plus, she had fresh fruit (figs and peeled cactus pear) ready for us. After we had eaten well, we thanked her profusely.

It was at this point that we asked her for her advice on getting to Pozzallo Porto to take the ferry to Valetta in Malta. She looked surprised as she probably does not get many guests who make such a journey. Most come by car or have their own conveyance. Anyway, after discussing two options with us (taking the bus to Pozzallo from Ragusa or taking a ferry directly to Malta from Marina de Ragusa), we came to the conclusion that the former would work better for us as the ferry from the latter venue left rather late (7.30 pm) and would arrive in Malta at 10.30 pm. Although it seemed straight forward, there were some glitches involved. Conchita suggested that we wait till 10.00 am and then go to the main square (Piazza de San Giovanni) and find out from the Tourist Information counter there, what our best option would be.

And so, fifteen minutes later, we strolled up Corso Italia, the main arterial road in Ragusa Superior, and were at the Tourism Info counter. There, the lady (whose English was very slight) helped us find out the bus timings to Pozallo Port and so, armed with those options, off we went. We knew we had a long and complicated journey ahead of us but we hoped for the best

Taking the Bus from Ragusa to Pozzalo:

Conchita helped us call a taxi to our digs and by 1.00pm, we were saying goodbye to her and entering our taxi that cost us 20 euros to get to Ragusa Bus Terminal. There, we discovered that a bus would be leaving at 2.10 pm to take us directly to Pozzallo with no changes. It was worth waiting for the good one hour it took before the good-natured driver told us to enter. We bought our tickets on the bus (about 7 euros each) and were soon off. The bus was almost empty. The driver told us it would take about 2 hours to reach. We had also found out that the ferry from Pozzallo Port to Valetta would only be leaving at 7.30 pm. That would leave us with several hours in Pozzallo but again, we had no choice and would make the most of the down time.

I must comment on the panoramic scenery we encountered as we left Ragusa. From the highway, the scenery of the city perched on the hill and built in tiers, was simply spectacular. The shades of soft beige that make up the color palette is distinctive to these little towns in Sicily. As we drove further, we saw lots of signs on the highway for Siracusa, Catania, etc. Sicily is beautifully connected by a network of roads and we were most impressed by their speed, efficiency and cost (very economical indeed). En route, we passed through the equally lovely town of Modica, which is a neat day trip from Ragusa (if one has the time). This too is a Baroque town, but we’d had our fill of Baroque churches in Ragusa and were not sorry to have missed this. Modica too is built in tiers on the mountains and presents the same sort of staggered look—except that while Ragusa has a far more rustic appeal, Modica is much more sophisticated in the elegance of its buildings.

Before long, we arrived at Pozzallo and the sweet driver told us where to alight if we needed to get to the Port. It was about 3.30 pm by this time and the sun was hot and merciless. To get out of the AC bus and step on to the road in the glare of the sun was daunting. The driver also told us that all we needed to do was walk a little ahead and make a left and we’d come to the Port. Carting our baggage behind us, this was not a happy prospect—so we wondered whether we should look for a taxi to take us there. Just then a middle-aged woman stepped out of a car and I approached her to find out if she spoke English to see if she could help us find a taxi. She understood more English than she could speak and when she heard that we wanted to go to the Port, she told us to wait. She went back to the car from which she had alighted and spoke to the lady driver inside. It appears that she requested her to give us a ride to the Port. She told me that it would be hard to find a taxi and that the lady would be happy to drive us there! Can you imagine? Complete strangers stepped forward to help us at a time when we were so worried about the journey ahead.

Well, into the car we stepped after stashing our bags in the hold. It turned out that the driver, Christina, a lovely young woman, probably the lady’s daughter, could not speak a word of English, but she used Google Translate on her phone to communicate with us. She asked us if we would like her to take us all the way to the Port. And we said, Of course—if it was not too much trouble for her. She smiled, said, No Worries, and we set off. Well, I have to tell you that the journey was long. And I mean Long. Far from it being just a few minutes, it was miles away! There was simply no way we could have walked that far and a taxi would have set us back a handsome sum too. We seemed to be driving right through Pozzallo before we left the town behind and drove towards the Port which also seemed to be miles away!

Anyway, about a good 20 minutes later, we reached the spot. The sun was blazing and there was not a bit of shelter. We told her that we needed to buy tickets for the late evening’s ferry but the ferry booking office was closed. It would probably open again closer to the time of the sailing. Christina suggested we sit in a restaurant close by so that when it was time for us to board the ferry, we’d have only a short walk to get there. This seemed like a most sensible idea. Fortunately for us, one restaurant was actually open and with deep gratitude, we entered it. It was like entering a small haven. It was air-conditioned, we could use the toilet facilities, and we could get something cold to drink with a meal. So, we ended up ordering cold beers and a ciabatta sandwich filled with tomato, mozzarella and prosciutto. Yummy! It was a massive sandwich and we shared one and kept the other half for dinner on the ferry. Then, we gave ourselves a nice long rest, played games on our phones, people-watched as they came in and out of the place and soon, it was time for us to look for the booking office. At 6.30 pm, Llew took a walk outside while I kept watch with our baggage and after booking two tickets on the ferry, he returned to tell me that boarding had begun Well…what a relief it was to know that all had gone smoothy for us (more than we had expected) and that we would reach Malta that evening, as expected

On the Catamaran to Malta:

So, on the dot of 7.30 pm, our vessel sailed off. It was not just a conventional ferry but a high-speed catamaran—a very sophisticated-looking sea craft that was built in tiers and on which vehicles could also be boarded. Lots of folks were on board but it was, by no means, full. This explains why there is only one sailing per day run by a company called Virtu Ferries. The journey cost us about 110 euros each and with a restaurant on board, we sat down, ordered another beer and ate our other sandwich. This was a more than filling dinner as twilight gave way to darkness and the vessel plowed on.

About two hours later, the faint and distant lights of Valetta came into focus and we got ready to disembark and begin the next lap of our travels—this time in Malta.

Entering Valetta Harbor:

I must say a word about entering Valetta Harbor because it was so spectacular. One of the reasons I have always wanted to visit Malta and had placed it on my Bucket List was because of the pictures I had seen of this amazing place which is completely encircled by thick walls and because of the long, vast and exciting history of the Knights of St. John and their contribution to Malta.

Well…the town is beautifully illuminated at night and long before our vessel berthed, we could see the lighted outline of the dome of the Cathedral of St. John and a bunch of other churches that are intrinsic to the life of this community. We took many pictures of the town as we approached the harbor. I really felt sorry that we were arriving in the dark as it would have been sensational to see the place by daylight with its forbidding bastion walls that were built for defense

When the catamaran docked, the disembarkation began. Our landlady at our B and B, Iana, had given us detailed instructions on how to get to her place and inside her home. It was about 11.00 pm when we arrived there—so we did not expect to find her there. She had told us to take an Uber or Bolt and they were actually half the price (12 euros) of the waiting taxis (25 euros). We called for an Uber and about ten minutes later, one of them pulled up. He took our baggage, placed it in his trunk and began the ten-minute ride to our place.

Finding and Settling Into our B and B:

I must make it clear that we did not use Air B and B anywhere. All our bookings were made through Booking.com, an app I have used for at least 15 years. Our B and B was located in the Old Town of Valetta on St. Dominic’s Road. Valetta too is built in tiers and there are hills and steps to be negotiated if you wish to do any sightseeing at all. Reaching our B and B after 11.00 pm was not very pleasant. We were fortunate to find people still around who were able to direct us to the place at the end of a long flight of shallow, wide stairs. Once at the door, we used the key box code to find out key and let ourselves in.

We’d rented a studio apartment that was actually quite nice. At that hour, after a whole day of traveling, all we could do was wash and change and get ready for bed. Best of all, it was mercifully air-conditioned as the Sicilian heat had followed us to Malta and even at close to midnight, it was muggy and humid.

It had been an adventurous day involving a taxi at one end, a bus, a ride from a good Samaritan (or good Sicilian), a ride across the Mediterranean Sea in a catamaran and a taxi at the other end! We were knackered and ready to call it a day!

Until tomorrow, ciao…

Exploring Ragusa in Sicily on Our Wedding Anniversary

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Ragusa, Sicily

Exploring Ragusa on our Wedding Anniversary:

We devoted the day to discovering Ragus Ibla. This is the other portion of Ragusa that sits across the ridge in the mountains. It is referred to as Lower Ragusa and it takes at least half a day to see it all. But first, breakfast—and what a delightful breakfast it was!

Breakfast at Conchita’s Family Mansion:

Just a minute to the left of the main door of our Locanda Le Meridiana, we found Conchita’s unique family home. It is an old mansion of three-stories in which she was born and where she now lives with her sister and brother’s families. She had set two tables for us in the garden and as soon as we entered it, we were engulfed by the pleasing fragrance of jasmine—a really glorious touch. Conchita sat us down at a table beautifully set in navy blue with heirloom pieces (silver sugar pot, monogramed china) and took our order for coffee—con latte caldo. Pastries, freshly baked that morning by her and filled with apricot jam and Nutella spread stood waiting for us. There was also freshly baked sliced bread, the largest variety of jams and preserves that I have ever seen (all made by her!) plus lovely fresh fruit. Apart from figs that I love, I was delighted to see cactus pear, all peeled and ready to be eaten. It has the color and look of passion fruit and when you cut into it, similar seeds too. But it was really incredibly and unexpectedly sweet. There was also a platter of Italian cheese, one studded with whole peppercorns, another was a parmesan and a third provolone—all very tasty and I know because we tried them all. As if this were not enough, Conchita asked us if we would like scrambled eggs and we gladly opted for them too. We really did enjoy our breakfast thoroughly and were deeply grateful for such a good meal that fueled us fully for the day ahead.

Exploring Ragusa Ibla:

And so our exploration of Ragusa Ibla began. We followed Conchita’s instructions to the T and went down steep flights of narrow stairs—down, down, down—until we arrived at the stunning panoramic point that offered views of the entire city right opposite us complete with cupola, domes and turrets of the many churches and the cathedral in this part of town. At every step, we stopped to take pictures as the uniformity of the colors (a monochromatic palette of shades of beige) was so enchanting as to leave us breathless. Soon, we found ourselves in a piazza where we first visited the Church of Our Lady of Purgatory

The Church of Our Lady of Purgatory:

After the earthquake levelled the town in 1678, Ragusa was rebuilt in the Baroque aesthetic. Most of its churches have the fulsome interiors of this style, i.e. Over the Top-interior Neo-Classical elements (Corinthian columns lavished with acanthus leaves at the top—heavily gilded), a variety of oil paintings in each of the side chapels, silver candlesticks galore, domes that are painted by renowned contemporary artists depicting versions of Biblical scenes. This one was no exception. In most cases, we walk around the churches, take pictures, read curatorial notes, then pause prayerfully before exiting. We did the same here.

Our map of Ragusa, thoughtfully provided by Conchita, took us into the narrow, honey-colored stone streets of the town, characterized charmingly by old-fashioned street lamps and gas lights, flights of steps carved curvingly along a passage or corridors. In this town, we found Baroque splendour even in the plainest residential buildings: wrought-iron balconies were supported by stone columns featuring the faces of gnomish characters—like flat gargoyles. We tried to visit the Church of our Lady of Il’Tria (of the Steps!), but it was closed tightly. At every turn I was clicking photographs as the landscape (natural hill country) seen against brilliant Neo-Classical arcades, passageways, etc. was impossible for a camera’s lens to ignore. We stopped in one of the arcade shops and bought a few souvenirs to give away as gifts and to have an ice-cold Coke as we really craved something cold and carbonated. The humidity took its toll with every step and my body was simply covered with moisture.

The Cathedral of Saint George:

We finally arrived at the Cathedral of San Giorgio (Saint George). This was another rust-colored church set high up on a hill and reached by a number of steps. Inside, its Baroque elegance was striking: hot pink altar backdrop was rather unusual but made a good contrast with the austerity of white marble statues scattered around. A very distinctive aspect were wooden carved choir stalls, so minutely worked that they reminded me very much of the rich carvings of the English Tudor, Grindling Gibbons, whose work I love and instantly recognize. The amin altarpiece presented St. George killing the dragon. The church’s reconstruction began in 1839 and finished in 1891. This church contains a large silver reliquary containing the remains of Saint Cascia, popular in these parts and I was struck (and photographed) a stunning luminescent statue of Our Lady of Glory, resplendent in a royal blue robe.

Our Walking Tour Continues in the Guiardini Ibleo (Ibla Gardens):

The sun was torturous, I should add, and we were consuming bottles of water like they were going out of style. We badly needed to rest somewhere in the shade. Eventually, following a meandering path, we arrived at the ornate Baroque gates of the garden and happily sank down on one of the benches as we pulled out our sandwiches (ham and cheese) and ate them—both of us were peckish by this point (it was almost 2.00 pm). When we’d rested a while and people-watched, we got up again. In front of us was a church and we could not resist entering it.

Visiting the Church of St. Francis:

This is a little gem of a church—the sacristan, who let us in, informed us that it is very popular with couples for their weddings. Indeed, it is picturesque and small and attractive. It has the most beautiful wooden painted ceiling (looks like a carpet stuck on the ceiling) and painted dome. There is lavish gilding on the walls and on the sculpted altarpiece presenting St. Francis. I was particularly struck by a frieze depicting God the Father surrounded by a bevy of angels—all in embossed stucco. Outside, in the garden, there was a lovely War Memorial honoring the dead patriots of Ragusa, playful fountains that arose in spikes from the ground to offer children the opportunity to frolic gleefully and in relief. We encircled the garden and then left to look for the final highlight of Ragusa Ibla—the Portale (or Gate) of San Giorgio.

The Gothic Gate of Saint George:

We found the Gothic Gate of Saint George just a few feet ahead of us. It is all that remains of a Gothic cathedral that was destroyed by the earthquake. It reminded me a bit of the main door of Chartres Cathedral in France—same carvings, similar set of bas-reliefs, etc. When we had photographed it, we moved on.

It was almst 2.30 pm and we were tired—I mean really exhausted by the heat, humidity and our rambles. We had found out that we could get a bus from this spot—we waited more than 45 minutes for it, but eventually it did show up and took us to the place we wanted to hop off. In our B and B, we sank down gratefully in the cool shade and took naps and we both needed the rest. I had to teach an online class (to Vikram, my student in Bombay at 5 pm) and at 6pm, we had scheduled a zoom chat with our friend Annalisa in Padua. Llew was chatting with her after ages and wanted to find out all about her current life and that of her town boys whom we knew when they were little and of whom we are really fond. After an hour of chatting with her, it was 7.00 pm—we said Bye and decided to look for a place for dinner. It was, after all, our wedding anniversary and we wanted to mark it.

Celebrating Our Wedding Anniversary in Ragusa Superior:

Both of us had carried a nice set of clothes to wear for our wedding anniversary dinner and were glad that the day finally dawned when we had a chance to use them. Dressing in travel style, we walked up Corso Italia (the main artery right outside our B&B) and arrived at the Piazza of San Giovanni. There, we started to look for a place to eat and after surveying the many offerings at a few places, we settled down for a side street and a small Mom and Pop place (rather than a place for fine dining which we’d had last night) called Mama’s Trattoria. This time we finally tasted the Arancini (Fried Rice and Cheese Balls) for which Sicily is famous (it is featured on their magnets too), had Spaghetti Carbonara for a Primi (First Course) and finished with Roasted Pork served with a delicious gravy and pureed spinach for a Secondi (Main Course). Again, we were too full to have dessert, but our meal was really delicious. We then took a few photos and left.

Until tomorrow, ciao…

Ragusa, Sicily: Arrivederci Agrigento and Buongiorno Ragusa:

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Ragusa, Sicily

Arrivederci Agrigento and Buongiorno Ragusa:

We spent most of today traveling—but indeed, it could have been worse. According to the tickets I had booked (by bus, long layover, then train), we’d be leaving Agrigento at 1.15 pm and reaching Ragusa at 8.00 pm. Alfonso and Pinuchia, his wife, discouraged us from going that route. They suggested an alternative route that would get us there faster and earlier. We decided to let go of our tickets and comply with their advice. Accordingly, after another sumptuous breakfast at their B and B, we were ready to get going. We had done our packing and were ready to move.

Our breakfast consisting of typical Sicilian pastries (cannolis, croissants with ricotta cream) and a variety of bread rolls with ham, plus yogurt and fruit and coffee, was enough to fuel us well for the day. So off we went in Alfonso’s car to the main bus station. There, he left Llew standing at the bus stop with our luggage and drove me to the SAIS company bus ticket office so that I could buy our tickets to Catania (about 11.00 euros each). The bus was leaving in 10 minutes (at 10.00 am) and we had no idea when it would reach Catania. We thought it would take no more than 2 hours. In point of fact, we reached at 1.00 pm (3 hours with a couple of stop in-between). At Catania Airport, we went to another bus station ticket office (ETNA) to get a ticket to Ragusa. That bus was leaving in 10 minutes and would take 2 hours to get to our destination (ticket cost 7 euros each). We had discovered, by this point, that the buses are not always prompt—often times they are late in arriving and boarding passengers.

Anyway, the long journey to Catania was not too bad as we were on the upper deck in a lovely, comfortable bus with AC. The passing landscape was also interesting and highly agricultural with every variety of fruit plantation in evidence including miles and miles of vineyards. Eventually, after Catania, our short ride to Ragusa was also good. We dozed off briefly and before we knew it, we were at Ragusa bus station. We had been in contact with our new landlady Conchita in our new B and B, Locanda la Meridiana, and she told us to take a taxi to her place. Luckily, there was a taxi waiting at the bus stand and we hired him, showed him our address and set off—for 10 euros he said he would drop us. But the jerk dropped us at least 2 blocks away (God knows why) and left us to manage our baggage till we got to the place. Luckily, he did call Conchita to let us know we had arrived and she did meet us and let us in.

A New B and B (Locanda la Meridina) and a New Landlady, Conchita:

Conchita is old—but very elegant (like all urban Italian women). She spoke beautiful English (turns out she had lived in London where she had studied English). She put us through the drill—showed us our room and bathroom, gave us keys, gave us a map and showed us how to find our way around. She also recommended what she called a ‘non-touristic’ restaurant for us to eat our dinner. Of course, we thanked her profusely and she went on her way (she lives nearby at 5 Via Scole) and we got into bed for a much-needed rest and afternoon siesta. In the evening, we would use her map and directions and go out to discover Ragusa Superior (Upper Ragusa).

Discovering Ragusa Superior:

Ragusa is an old medieval city that was all but destroyed in an earthquake in 1678. Completely leveled by the subsequent destruction, it was used as an opportunity to rebuild the city in Baroque style as was the fashion that day. The result is that Ragusa is a famous venue of tourist interest as it contains some of the best-preserved Baroque monuments in Sicily.

It was very easy for us to begin exploring Ragusa Superior which we began doing at 5.00 pm. All we had to do was make a sharp left and walk along Corso Italia until we arrived at Piazza San Giovanni where the Duomo is located. Along the route, we passed by the Poste and Telegraph building which was a mix of architectural styles: Baroque (beautiful carved statues at the top) and modern (a contemporary bronze sculpture at the bottom) co-exist on this building.

Inside the Cathedral of San Giovanni:

The Cathedral of San Giovanni is Baroque, of course. On the exterior, it has the same look as so many of the other churches in this part of the country—nothing really unique about it. Once we stepped inside, we were taken by the many side chapels (although the main altar is fairly plain). There were a number of sweet bouquets of red anthuriums at the altar (reminiscent of the Pentecostal tongues of flame). San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist) is a revered saint in Italy and there are two large floats on one side of the church that are obviously used in annual processions (perhaps on the Feast of San Giovanni) around the city. One features a large silver casket, the other a standing replica of the saint. Other interesting aspects of this cathedral is a silver casket or reliquary containing the relics of Saint Cascia. I was particularly struck by a painting of St. Gregory, the originator of the Gregorian chants which I rather love. The background color of the interior is a soft dove grey with gilded Rococo highlights in stucco which remanded me very much of the glorious Baroque churches we had seen in Vienna and Salzburg, Austria with their endearing curlicues. There are also beautiful pairs of stuccoed angels holding up plaques with Latin inscriptions on them that made the church look important. When we stepped out of this church, we saw a Uni-Credit Bank just across the road—we were able to use Llew’s global debit card through CHASE (he was testing it) to withdraw more euros. And with that money in hand, we decided to continue the walking tour route that Conchita had drawn up for us.

This walking route then took us to one of the side streets from where we found the three bridges that span a deep ridge in the mountains that divide the city into two halves. On one bridge, the night market was being set up with all sorts of sweet treats. One of them is called the Ponte Vecchio—it is the oldest of the three (and not to be confused with the far more famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence). It actually reminded us very much of the Pont du Garde, the famous aqueduct in the South of France, near Provence, which I had seen at least 40 years ago, while touring with Genevieve, my French friend. Using the map, we found our way to it and were able, while standing on in it, to see the other two bridges on either side of it (far more modern in style and age).

Dinner at Circolo Italia Restaurant:

That done, we made our way back to the Pizza San Giovanni. As twilight was rapidly falling over the city, we decided to go looking out for dinner and we found the place that Conchita had recommended right under the stairway of the Cathedral--it was a lovely upscale restaurant called ‘Circolo Italia’ and when she said it was not touristic, she was right. But it was an upscale restaurant, a fine dining place, which might have been better suited to our anniversary dinner tomorrow. Anyway, we were seated inside in the air-conditioning as I simply cannot abide the humidity you deal with when seated on the pavement tables.

Llew ordered a glass of the house red wine, I ordered an Apero Spritz (and it was delicious). Then, for dinner, we decided to go with one Primi (First Course) and one Secondi (Main Course). We chose Pasta a la Norma—a dish made with very thick tubular pasta in a tomato sauce with eggplant and grated cheese. This dish is named after Bellini’s opera of the same name, ‘Norma’, and the colors are said to represent the various colors of the Mount Etna volcano: eggplant’s black for the lava, Tomato sauce red for the fire erupting, spinach green for the trees at the base and cheese’s white for the volcanic ice-cap. This dish had no spinach, but it was very tasty indeed. For our Main Course, we took the waitress’ advice and ordered the Beef Tenderloin served with shavings of Parmesan cheese and a balsamic vinegar reduction. It was really delicious. Once again, we had no room for dessert—so we passed up on it. After paying our bill, we got up to leave and found the square outside just buzzing as a musical festival seemed to be on and people had occupied seats in front of a stage to listen to a rock group belt out a few favorites. We walked quickly past the square and made our way downhill along Corso Italia to get back to our B and B at about 11.00 pm.

As soon as we reached home, we got ready for bed and lost no time crashing—as we were exhausted. But, it had been a day well spent because although our arrival in Ragusa had been kind of dicey, in the end we made good time and were able to make use of the entire evening in seeing Ragusa Superior. Tomorrow, all we have to do is see Ragus Ibla and we’ll be all set.

tomorrow, ciao…