“See how this clock has only one hand” factors our Baroness de Piro to us, “that’s how one can inform it’s a standard Maltese clock.”
“Not till the 19th century did the Maltese create clocks with two arms. I feel it’s one thing to do with our relaxed strategy to time” she remarks with a glint in her eye.
We’re standing in one of many higher rooms in Casa Rocca Piccola – a grand, historic residence within the coronary heart of Malta’s capital, the place her household has lived because the sixteenth century.
The historic Maltese clock sits on the mantlepiece, in a drawing room, amidst a home full of treasures from the previous, which we’re being led round by the present proprietor, who lives upstairs 7 generations since her in-laws first constructed the home.
However regardless of what Frances the Baroness says about Maltese time-keeping, up to now all the pieces on our journey to this southern European islands has run like clockwork!
It helps, in fact, that I’m right here with Jet2.
Truthfully, if you need you to take pleasure in a stress-free getaway, travelling with Jet2 Holidays from London Stansted airport is like being wrapped in a heat security, journey blanket.
From the second we arrive at Stansted, cheery employees of their unmissable, vibrant purple uniforms are there to usher us by means of every step of the vacation course of, making bag drop, boarding, airport arrival and lodge check-in a doddle.
If, like my journey accomplice, you haven’t been away shortly, it’s reassuring and comforting that issues go so easily and effectively.
If, like me, you go away a little bit too typically, it’s pleasant that issues may be organised so rapidly and simply by another person – the proper excuse to take my foot off the pedal and slip seamlessly into vacation mode.
Which, as our cheery rep on the categorical switch from Malta airport to our lodge tells us, is precisely what time on this island is all about.
And certainly, after we arrive, the AX ODYCY simply screams holidays!
I imply the very fact it’s one of many largest lodges I’ve ever stayed in – dominating some time chunk of the coastal street – makes it’s laborious to not hear!
However in case you didn’t, then the all-inclusive packages, 6 eating places, 4 bars, 3 swimming pools, water slides, seafront location and the tanned vacationers milling by means of reception ought to provide you with a clue!
A part of the Jet2holidays LUXE assortment, the AX ODYCY is positioned in St Pauls, within the northwest of the island – round 40 minutes from Valletta.
Our yet-to-be-renovated rooms whereas not glamorous, are full of pure mild, glorious bathe stress and cozy duvet-toped beds that greater than do the job and, most significantly nonetheless permit us to entry the inviting services of AX Odysy’s 4* resort for a fraction of the same old worth!
Fairly frankly, the type of vacation deal I’m more than pleased to make the time for!
Trendy, spacious and with the type of white-trainer-clad, younger employees that couldn’t do extra that will help you, it’s the buffet breakfast (with its nuts, seed and salad choice, together with the same old pastries and cooked choices) and the adult-only infinity pool-topped roof terrace that do it for me personally!
Time begins to decelerate and we barely make it off the solar beds on day 1!
Day 2 nevertheless, we determine it’s time to discover additional afield.
The world round our lodge holds little enchantment, so as an alternative we determine to hit up the UNESCO-listed capital of Malta, Valletta, within the north east of the island.
Regardless of what we’ve been warned about, the bus there may be completely on time and the cease, full with displayed timetables, solely throughout the street from our lodge, couldn’t be simpler to search out.
Cost by money or card is sorted by the motive force onboard (a flat fare of two.50€ through the day makes issues simple) after which we’re away, the spires and domes of Valletta’s 2 major church buildings looming into view throughout the island’s mild sandstone panorama.
Valletta, we realise in just some hours, is a metropolis that wants 2 days – 1 greater than we have now!
It’s each bigger, prettier and busier than I had anticipated, so we get cracking.
First cease at 10am sharp is St John’s Cathedral – the town’s flagship spiritual constructing, the place we have now tickets booked for a step inside this Baroque behemouth.
We’re not late and, judging from the lengthy queue, neither is anyway else – a small fear till we realise we will skip it and enter straight into the Cathedral’s ornate inside to discover its distinctive assortment of Carvaggio’s works and explanatory digital shows with our pre-booked tickets.
From right here we hustle to the town’s artwork gallery, La Muza, earlier than urgent on to the Grand Grasp’s Palace, stopping just for a fast Qassatat (conventional Maltese pastry avenue snack full of ricotta) and espresso in native must-visit hang-out Gambrinus (the proper 2.65€ pick-me up).
Nicely-fuelled we scrabble on, by probability really, with the crowds to reach simply in time for the free 12noon canon firing on the Saluting Battery.
As anticipated, it’s largely a fast, loud blast and never a lot motion, however the sight of the historic 3 cities, which lie simply throughout the water, is price staying put simply 10 minutes for till nearly all of vacationers retreat and go away the gorgeous view unobstructed for us!
Because the TikTok movies I’ve been served relentlessly since I touched down in Malta have instructed me, a easy stroll to the decrease gardens would then assist you to catch 2€ gondola throughout the water to discover the gorgeous 3 cities, however we’ve acquired the slightly much less aesthetically interesting, however traditionally hyped Fort St Elmo & the Nationwide Warfare Museum to hit up.
As know from the introduction of this text, time (and going again in it) is an important level on this Malta meander, so our determination to go to the Warfare Museum (the one Valletta’s cultural treasure to go to should you’re pushed for time) was a properly made one.
Naively considering it will be targeted solely on the WWII historical past of the island (Malta stays the one nation to be awarded the George Cross for it’s bravery and tenacity through the relentless bombing it endured throughout WWII), the museum as an alternative begins from prehistory and runs proper as much as the trendy day.
And that’s as a result of, because the thought-about curation subtly factors out, just about the whole thing of Malta’s narrative is one in every of conflict.
Discovered on the sting of the EU, however solely a stone’s throw from North Africa, the sight of Malta’s light-coloured, flat-roofed buildings that mix in with dry, crumbling background of the island instantly throw me again in time to earlier journeys – Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Jordan.
And it’s no shock actually.
From the Phoenicians to the Carthaginians, the Romans to the Ottomans, Spanish to the Italians, nearly each empire and his canine has tried (profitable or in any other case) to overcome Malta at some stage.
Regardless of being residence to solely half 1,000,000 individuals, that is small island so importantly positioned within the Mediterranean, a mere 90 km of Sicily and underneath 400km from Tunis, that it’s a key stepping stone in a journey that for hundreds of years has been the ambition of nearly each autocrat going.
And in some ways, Malta stays a stepping stone at present, though maybe extra in time than house.
In spite of everything, the day’s 30,000 steps (a lot of them in an uphill try to overcome Valletta’s undulating streets) actually had us making the very best use of our day, to not point out our Heritage Malta Multisite Cross!
However there was nonetheless time for another cease – Casa Rocca Piccola – the place a fortuitous tour by the present proprietor (they don’t give them on a regular basis you already know!) leads us to the invention of the Malta clock and tales of a time when the Knights of St John started establishing the walled metropolis we’re stood proper in, as way back as 1566.
Whereas I dream concerning the historical tales hidden within the metropolis partitions, and return to my unending fantasy of shifting to southern Europe, golden hour is completely illumining historic Valletta, as she ebbs into the gap from our ferry deck view.
Transferring from the previous to the current, we’ve determined to complete the day in Sliema.
After the two€, 6 minute ferry shuffles us seamlessly throughout the physique of water separating this bustling condo-lined, trendy costal enclave from the capital, we handle a hurried sea dip at Fond Ghadir earlier than the sunshine completely disappears, after which a sedate stroll to St Julien’s for dinner, the twinkling harbour mild declaring the best way.
As if we hadn’t fully smashed our step objectives the day earlier than, we woke eager for journey once more, and so, on day 2 of our Malta Jet2holiday, we headed out to the general public ferry at Qawra for a day journey to neighbouring island, Gozo.
Translated from the Spanish as island of pleasure, Gozo is one in every of 3 islands that make up the nation of Malta – the middle-sized and the extra northerly.
If you happen to’re staying in Valletta, Sliema or St Julien’s, the foot ferry connection from the capital can be best, however for us up in St Paul’s, the faster northern crossing was the best choice.
Bolt, as you’ll rapidly study should you go to Malta, is the driving pressure behind the island and Ahmed amazingly pulls up exterior our lodge inside seconds of me making the reserving.
Grabbing the 4.50€ ferry tickets on the terminal, and hopping onboard and as much as the solar deck for the very best snaps (obvs!), inside simply 20 minutes we’re pulling into stunning Gozo, which appears to unfurl like a legendary creature infront of us.
As soon as on land, it instantly turns into clear that should you’re going to journey across the tiny island of Gozo, residence to underneath 30,000 individuals unfold throughout simply 14 villages, then the one approach to do it’s in a barbie pink tuk-tuk… clearly.
Fortunately Mike, from Yippee, had simply the set of wheels.
Having taken on the merciful job of additionally hurtling us across the island in mentioned wheels, Mike leads us to all the highest sights – the UNESCO-listed prehistoric Big Temples (really the oldest freestanding constructions on the earth no much less), quaint, cafe-laden Xaghra sq., the balconied-houses of capital Rabat, the town’s looming stone Cittadella and fianlly the gorgeous Tal-Mixta Cave lookout above red-sanded Ramala Bay – earlier than dropping, wind-blown and wild spherical the sides at Il-Kartell – the perfect spot to cease and savour the ocean for an hour alongside a moist mushroom risotto and stand out bottle of Maltese Chardonnay.
However time was nonetheless ticking on, so we crammed in assembly Josephine, the 5th technology proprietor of Xwejni salt pans, learnt the story behind the slightly sorry-named Fungus Rock and paid our respects on the web site of the well-known former Gozo icon Azure Window, which met its unhappy demise in a 2017 storm.
Quieter, calmer and fewer commercialised than Malta, with extra time, Gozo is actually the place to remain and savour longer; 2-3 days can be an exquisite retreat from the world, however alas time was not one thing we had a whole lot of in Malta!
So, because the ferry docked again on the primary island, we rapidly grabbed a Bolt and headed straight to the well-known sundown spot of Riveria Bay.
With the same old Instagram trappings of a scenic swing and shiny parasol bay under, we rapidly realised that the seaside and its loungers have been quickly emptying as sundown approached, leaving us to take pleasure in an area craft beer from close by restaurant Singhita in close to solitude on the sand – bliss!
We’d missed the three cities and the famend Blue Lagoon, however the very last thing we did handle to tick off our Malta checklist was M’dina – the island’s former capital, now fantastically restored in all its authentic Baroque glory.
Small, however picture-perfect, we spent an hour or 2 strolling the Medieval sandstone streets and vibrant stunning balconies right here, having fun with beers within the scenic squares and gelatos the melted into our arms as we peered over the traditional partitions to countless views throughout the Island.
Like so typically on the final day of a vacation, time had simply appeared to evaporate.
Regardless of the quantity we’d seen and the variety of steps we’d taken on this last-minute vacation, we had undoubtedly slowed down.
Was it Malta time rubbing off on us?
Or was it simply these vacation clocks?
Fast Journey Information to Malta & Gozo
When to Go to?
Shoulder season months of Could or September.
Tips on how to Get There?
Flights to Malta with Jet2 run from London Stansted twice every week.
How Lengthy to Keep?
7 days is an efficient period of time to discover Malta and Gozo.
Tips on how to Get Round?
Use the free native Tillanja app for bus timetables and journey planners.
Bolt journeys between cities common round 15€ for 20 minutes.
Ferry crossings to Gozo can be found by means of Gozo Excessive Pace or Gozo Channel.
Journey Insurance coverage
World Nomads gives easy and versatile journey insurance coverage. Purchase at residence or whereas travelling and declare on-line from wherever on the earth.
Alternatively, should you’re a long-term traveller, digital nomad or frequent distant employee searching for journey well being cowl, try Safetywing’s Nomad Insurance coverage insurance policies.
Journey Cash
Malta makes use of the euro.
I at all times journey Europe with my Sensible card, which makes spending overseas cheaper with actual trade charges and no sneaky transaction or ATM charges.
Sensible playing cards works identical to a debit card and it hyperlink simply with Google and Apple pay – seize yours right here.
eSIM for Malta
I like to recommend Holafly – Get 5% off with my unique low cost code: BIGWORLDSMALLPOCKETS.
PIN IT TO PINTEREST!
Components of my journey to Malta have been sponsored by Malta UK Tourism however, as at all times, all views are my very own.
This web page incorporates affiliate hyperlinks that means Huge World Small Pockets might obtain a small fee on any purchases at no further value to you.