FAMILY HOLIDAY IN MALTA INCLUDING DAY TRIP TO SICILY
July 2000
Malta was one island I had always wanted to visit. My father had served in the navy during the Second World War and has ship had docked in Malta. Also seen many photos of the old British buses serving the island.
MALTA
July 2000 we took our family in Malta. Staying in Paceville St Julian
We stayed at the La Vallette Resort Hotel Paceville is very much a resort area, consisting mainly of holiday accommodation and has the biggest concentration of bars and clubs in Malta. Vibrant and teeming with locals, European and Scandinavian youthful souls, it sets the nightscene in Malta. Facilities range from state of the art clubs, live music bars, ethnic restaurtants and bars. Most places stay open quite late and fast food outlets provide fuel to those on a bar/club crawl.
Below is a photo of Yvonne when she became a Knight of St John
The Maltese Islands are situated in the Mediterranean Sea, about 100 km from Sicily and 290 km from North Africa. They consist of Malta (390 sq km) Gozo (65 sq km) and Comino (2.5 sq km). They are one of the oldest civilisations in the Mediterranean dating back to circa 5000 years B.C. The population is around 350,000 and is homogeneous with its own identity and language. The official languages are Maltese and English with most of the people also fluent in Italian.
In Malta, you'll explore 7000 years of history yet live passionately in the present. You'll span the millennia with an astonishing array of things to discover. And wherever you go, the Islands' scenery and architecture provide a spectacular backdrop. The colours are striking. Honey-coloured stone against the deepest of Mediterranean blues.
The Maltese Islands have been described as one big open-air museum. What makes them unique is that so much of their past is visible today. Delve into the Islands' mysterious prehistory, retrace the footsteps of St Paul or see where the Knights of St John defended Christendom.
Valletta
One of the highlights is using the Crazy Buses into Valletta.
The public bus service on Malta and Gozo is a good way to get around as buses serve the major tourist areas, go practically everywhere and are cheap and efficient. The cost of a bus route ranges from €0.35 to €0.58 and the longest bus journey takes about fifty minutes; the average ride is between twenty and thirty minutes.
Photograph of St Julians sea front at Spinola Bay,Most of the terraces and many of the balconies are restaurants .
The road leads up the hill to the Paceville area of St Julian's where we stayed.
A regular ferry service operates between Sliema, near the meeting of The Strand and Tower Road, and Valletta across Marsamxett harbour
HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP WAS MEETING THE SHEILDS FAMILY FROM EAST KILBRIDE
12 July 2000
Had an enjoyable evening at the Champions league game.
Birkirkara v Reykjavik at the National Stadium Ta`Qali