The Blue Grotto is one of tourist attractions on Malta Island.
It’s mostly popular for boat trips to visit the caves, snorkeling or scuba diving, and even rock climbing.
I saw the Blue Grotto from the top. It’s nice, but other nearby rock formations are also very nice, especially on sunny day. So today, I’m not showing you the Blue Grotto, but a very nearby place. π
Valletta is the capital city of Malta.
It’s named after its founder – Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette.
Valletta is a UNESCO World Heritage site and definitely you should visit the city while being in Malta. Take a walk in the center, visit St. John’s Co Cathedral, explore the city walls and Maltaβs Grand Harbor. And simply, take your time, don’t hurry. π
Since 2004, Malta is a member of the European Union.
In 2008, Malta joined the eurozone.
Search for 1 euro and 2 euro coins, you’ll see there the Maltese Cross. π
While being in Malta, you may often see the so-called Maltese Cross (visible in today’s photo).
The eight-pointed Maltese Cross was given to Malta by the Knights.
“The Maltese Cross was officially adopted by the Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John in 1126. Its eight points denote the eight obligations of the knights, namely “to live in truth, have faith, repent one’s sins, give proof of humility, love justice, be merciful, be sincere and whole-hearted, and to endure persecution”.” – This information was taken from Visit Malta.
The Maltese Cross is not the same as the George Cross, that’s presented on the Maltese flag.
When you’re visiting Malta, you may still feel there was a British influence.
First, English is one of the official languages (after Maltese language).
Second, Malta is the country with left-hand traffic.
And from time to time, you can find these cute red telephone booths (as seen in today’s picture). π
Malta has a long history, with “complicated relations” with different nations (e.g., Italy, Spain, France), but the most known is the “British period”.
For 150 years, Malta was a British Colony, until it became and independent country in 1964.
What’s interesting, Malta is still a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations.
(Wikipedia: The Commonwealth of Nations is an intergovernmental organization of 52 member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire.)
I think, spring or fall are the best periods to visit Malta.
Summer may be too hot and too crowded, however, it still can be very pleasant.
I was in Malta in winter, in February. A few Maltese people said that it’s usually colder in February, so I guess, I was lucky with the weather. However, there were some cloudy moments. In general, there is much more rain in winter, but during my trip, it wasn’t raining at all.
Malta is a popular tourist destination, I think, it’s even getting more and more popular.
But is Malta worth visiting?
-Absolutely, it is!
What’s so special about Malta?
-Megalithic temples are the most interesting sites of Malta! They are considered as one of the oldest free-standing structures in the world.
Malta is a nice place for holidays, especially during the shoulder or low season, then you can enjoy everything without crowds.
I think, all islands have kind of unique cuisine. In Malta, you’ll find lots of fish and sea food. You can go to the local fresh market or simply to a restaurant and enjoy what you like. π
It’s always nice to meet cute creatures on your way, especially while traveling. Then, the given place stays in our minds as e.g., “a place of hummingbirds”, etc. In Malta, I met some nice cats, one of them is shown in today’s picture. π
Comino Island (Kemmuna, Ephaestia) is the smallest from the three Malta’s inhabited islands. It’s called as an inhabited island, however there are only a few people living there! What’s interesting, there is even a hotel in Comino Island, so you can stay overnight.
I haven’t been to Comino Island during my trip to Malta, maybe one dayβ¦
Have you been there?
Gozo Island (GΔ§awdex, Gaulos) is one of the three Malta’s inhabited islands.
It’s about 4 times smaller than Malta Islands. It’s also calmer, less touristic and less developed than Malta Island; well, it’s just different!
Many people go to Gozo Island by their own boat, or by boat from Malta Island.
Malta Island is the largest of Malta’s three islands.
It’s the most populous. The capital of Malta is located here, as well the international airport.
So, it’s more touristic than other Maltese islands, but definitely it’s worth visiting!
The Republic of Malta is an archipelago; actually, it’s one of the smallest archipelagos in the world.
Only the three largest Maltese islands are inhabited, i.e., Malta Island, Gozo Island and Comino Island.
Malta (officially, the Republic of Malta) is an island country, located in the Southern Europe (quite close to Italy), surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea.
Welcome to Malta!
Let’s “spend” September in a nice, warm, small, European island. π
Have you been to Malta?
Recently, I often hear that someone is going to spend holidays on Malta. I scheduled Malta for September 2017, already some time ago – I guess it was a good coincidence. π
Today, we finish the series about Mongolia on my blog.
If you like my photo-impressions – I’m very happy. π
If you started to think about visiting Mongolia – I’m even more happy. π
I think, Mongolia is still one of these “unspoiled” countries, where tourists/travelers can enjoy the emptiness. So, it’s better to visit Mongolia earlier than later, before it’ll become a more popular destination.
I’d like to visit Mongolia once more, because there are many interesting places what I had to skip during my first trip. And maybe, I’ll change my opinion, that the Gobi desert is the most beautiful part of Mongolia. π
After one day on the Gobi desert, it came to my mind, that it would be so easy to make an album called “The skies of Mongolia”. I was really impressed by the Gobi desert, i.e., how many different places belong to it (sand dunes, mountains), or the variety of animals and plants I saw them. All stunning landscapes together with blue skies, gentle clouds, rainbows etc. made me fall in love with Gobi! π
Today, I’m showing you a cute animal that I met in the Eagle Valley (see post from 23.08).
This small mammal, with big rounded ears, is called pika. Sometimes, people call it as “whistling hare”, because it looks a bit like a rabbit or a hare (well, a bit… maybe… π ), and it makes an extra funny noise – kind of whistling or calling “peee, peee”.
If you are curios, what does the call sound like – check e.g., on YouTube (I smile each time while hearing it).
There are Bactrian camels (with two humps) living in Mongolia.
Camels are important animals for nomads. They are used mostly as the means of transportation, what’s very convenient on the desert.
I was simply enjoying seeing camels or horses on the desert – nice animals and lovely scenery – that’s more than enough for me. π