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Mysterious island

30 July 2017 • Travel time: with 08 March 2017 on 12 March 2017
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Well, here I am growing up in Malta. I will not say that it was a dream of a lifetime, but to get to this mysterious country for me was the desire of the last few years. The only restraint was the lack of a direct flight out of season, and the cost of flights with connections. There were, of course, summer charters (approximately from July to October), but their cost (-450 Euro RT) was inadequate, in addition to spend in Malta, his main 2-week vacation - obviously long, and add other destinations to the route is not cheap, given that completely cheap tickets (up to 50 euros RT) from more or less large European hub airports (such as Budapest or Vienna) have not been seen. In general, in January 2017 it was ripe for the trip in March (8-12). Since the previous and next days (7 and 13) I had full-time workers, I did not consider any extremes such as departure from Kyiv at 06:25 in the morning and return at 01:20 at night. I focused on the following version of a single ticket:


Kyiv (13:20) - Vienna (14:25) - Austrian Airlines

Vienna (17:55) - Malta (20:10) - Air Malta

Malta (13:10) - Frankfurt (15:55) - Lufthansa

Frankfurt (17:10) - Kyiv (20:35) - Lufthansa

Bought at www. kayak. it , redirected to www. gotogate. it , luggage (up to 23 kg) is included in the price in all segments, food as well. Such a single ticket cost 357 euros. Immediately after the meal - free food included water / tea / coffee / wine and snacks (Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa - chocolate and sandwich with salami, respectively) and strictly water and snacks in the form of a sandwich with tuna (you're a sea country flying, so I don't know if I had started looking earlier, it might have been cheaper, but 55 days before departure the price was the same. less than 30 days before departure, this option went in the range of 400+ euros.

In the morning of March 8 in Boryspil it was sparsely populated, on my flight to Vienna there were mostly German-speaking passengers at the gate.

The sports delegation of 10 girls in T-shirts with the inscription Basketball Team KOZAKS and 3 coaches attracted attention. The basketball players wore game numbers and names on their T-shirts behind them. But no Ukrainian or Slavic at all ...However, one of the athletes with a purely Cossack surname McKenzie spoke Russian and argued about something with a check-in at the gate ...The whole delegation had American passports ...Arrived in Vienna during . The three-and-a-half-hour dock in Vienna did not involve going out of the city and was spent on aimless rocking in duty-free, charging phones in the gate and using free Wi-Fi. sockets for all passengers of all gates). No comments.

At the AirMalta stand, an unusual device attracted attention - a hybrid frame for the size of hand luggage and weight, but no one from our flight was asked to try on / weigh.


Maltese Airbus (forgot to add that Airbus was on all 4 segments of the trip) surprised with the following things: 1) very dense arrangement of seats; 2) the presence of sliding screens and ports in the armrests of the chairs to connect headsets; 3) very old crew - 2 stewardesses obviously 50+ years and a steward 35-40. Almost immediately after the flight, the screens (except for the standard route and flight parameters) began to show the approximate time of arrival in Malta - 19:47, although according to the ticket it was declared 20:10. Well, there was a chance to catch the X2 bus to my hotel at 20:00, otherwise it would have to wait an hour. They sat down in a fairly strong wind.

I flew only with hand luggage, so immediately after landing, immediately hurried to the exit, which contributed to my very close place in the cabin - 7C (appointed, by the way, automatically during the check-in in Borispol for the first segment of the flight ).

Noticing that between the ladder and the bus (the airport in Malta is not small, so from the plane to the passenger building is transported), stood a sign with the name of a passenger. The name on the plate was clearly Greek - in principle, not surprising, even when looking for tickets, he noted that there are no flights to Malta via Greece, although the distance is not great, so flying from Greece with a dock in Vienna is quite natural. As soon as everyone got on the bus, he noticed that the wanted passenger got into the car, which immediately turned on the "flasher" at cruising speed and ran off the runway, and a police jeep was attached to it in front. Apparently, it was some kind of VIP client.

Pass through the Maltese airport quickly, of course, no customs and borders!

Immediately at the exit, a strong wind began to blow, I managed to reach the X2 stop (50 meters to the right), there were 5-7 passengers besides me.

The hotel in Sliema (stop Sliema Ghadir) was 45 minutes away, although the bus had a long stop (probably in the area of ​ ​ Mdina, to change the driver). In Sliema on the waterfront, strong winds and storms just knock you off your feet, on the street - not a soul, even if only half past eight in the evening. 10 minutes to the hotel. Payment immediately upon check-in. Give a room on the second floor, virtually no window (there is a window, but it overlooks the courtyard-well, so that natural light does not enter the room).

I immediately get acquainted with English locks (open in the wrong direction), English wiring (the same lamp / lamp can be turned on with different switches in different parts of the room).


The size is normal (there were no single rooms, took a "double", the price of 80 euros for 4 nights is adequate, given that there is no central heating in the building in principle)

In the morning after breakfast (add.

fee 8 euros, but worth the money - a lot of fruit, pastries, hot dogs and omelets), go for a walk around the island. It is sunny on the waterfront, despite the strong wind (but not as terrible as yesterday). On the left - a view of the St. Julian's district with modern buildings - hotels, apartments, but the dominant role is played by a red and blue skyscraper, clearly office-looking. To the right - a view of Sliema - also mostly modern buildings made of glass and concrete, in some places still unfinished, between which huddle both the old quarters and modern 6-8-storey buildings, but decorated under. antiquity.

The plan was as follows: to go slowly to the Gzira area (where along the waterfront, and where you go deeper into the neighborhoods), on the way - as far as possible to visit the Point hypermarket.

Then on the waterfront in one of the tourist kiosks to get a bus ticket for 12 trips (16 euros, valid for 2 hours, the number of transfers is not limited, valid on all bus routes in Malta). In principle, we managed to do everything planned, but we got to the kiosk with travel in 2 hours (it turned out to be not a tourist information center - but bus control routes). Something reminds - here in Kyiv 10-15 years ago it was also possible to buy tickets for a month at the control rooms at the final stops of public transport. But for the last 2-3 years the control rooms have been liquidated as class L).

Buying a ticket is absolutely justified - for 3-4 days, 12 trips per person will be enough, in my opinion, even one left. .

About Point shopping center.


Basically, nothing special, mostly youth brands, grocery on the ground floor expensive (Tower 10 minutes from my hotel in Sliema is sick of the range and democratic in price, in addition, works in the morning on Sunday, which is a rarity for Malta ). Malta is not the best place for shopping, but if you still really want to - there are boutiques in Valletta (on Merchant street), you can find good discounts, including British-made things. But Malta, of course, is not followed.

People go to Malta for antiquity, for color, for a mixture of layers of epochs, for the unusual culture and language (alphabet and pronunciation in Maltose - it's quite something! ), for ancient natural and man-made monuments (one of which, on unfortunately, it collapsed just a few hours before my arrival). Well, the minority - on the beaches and raising the level of English J.

Thus, the most complete concentration of Maltese flavor is the capital Valletta.

You can get from Gzyra in three ways: on foot (2 hours), across the bay by boat (15 minutes - did not specify the price), one of the many bus routes. I lean towards the third option, walk every 15 minutes. Meanwhile, I stand on the bay promenade in a very touristy place, surrounded by tourists and local tour vendors, enjoying views of the exquisite spiers and domes of Valletta, classic old glazed balconies Slim and Gzyra, as well as no less classic colorful fishing "meadows".

Finally, one of the buses I need is suitable, passengers enter only through the first door (as you know, in Malta, left-hand traffic, so the buses here are completely asymmetric to our J). You need to attach a ticket to the validator near the driver's seat, and then move to the salon.

Buses are almost always full, but we managed to see that some of the seats of all buses are red (at the beginning of the cabin), and the rest are blue, closer to the end. The first ones are "for the disabled, the elderly and passengers with children. " The rules of the position are strictly followed by both locals and tourists. Buses in Malta run at very decent speeds, despite heavy traffic, frequent stops. Valletta Gate (there is a large bus station, at least 30 routes to all parts of the island) is 15 minutes away.


The capital of Malta is pedestrian. Opposite the entrance is the Eternal Flame, in memory of those killed in World War II. The first building at the entrance to the city is a modern Parliament building, on the contrary, cafes and souvenirs begin. And down the slope is the central street Republic Street (Triq Ir-Reppublica), which houses many cafes, a bank, the National Library, the old House of Parliament (which houses the Armory), etc.

The first left turn is South Street (Triq Nofs-In-Nhar), which is a very rare post office in Malta (only two in Valletta and never seen in Sliema), almost at the intersection with Triq L-Ifran , a traditional letter home (postcard, envelope, stamp) cost 1.70 euros, received 14 days later. I return to the street of the Republic.

Despite the fact that it is not yet the season, there are many tourists. I reach a large square of the Republic (Misrah Ir-Reppublica), a cafe, many shops, as well as 2 artifacts (probably installed here specifically for tourists), left over from the British rule of Malta - a classic red phone booth and mailbox. There are also a large number of young people who are also in some way the hallmark of Malta - students of English (language) schools in strict English uniforms.

During his stay, he met such students in different parts of the island of Malta, but never saw them in Gozo.

Here on the square in one of the cafes I try the famous Maltese pies (pasticci) (40 cents, 3-4 is enough to get enough) and local ice cream (2 euros per glass).

Immediately after the square, the tourist attractions end, the usual old houses with rare shops and cafes begin. What is remarkable about Malta - in the names of stores there is always the name of the owner - Azzopardi, Camillieri, Busuttil, Borg, Brincat, Muscat and more. Signs are clearly more than a decade old, so obviously the family business is passed down from generation to generation. Republic Street ends at St. Elmo Square, home to the Military Museum, as well as the entrance to Fort St. Elmo.

On the same square there is a large parking lot for single horse-drawn carriages (I can't call them carriages or crews), the style is very unusual, it suggests Arabic motifs. I refuse intrusive offers to ride for 20 euros, I move to the right on Mediterranian street. At the bottom, under.


Then I decided to visit, and I decided that it is in the Military Museum in the town of Borgo (on the opposite bank of the Grand Harbor - Great Harbor), which I reached by bus №2 (numbers of other buses I used I almost did not remember , but can be easily found if desired, because maps of bus routes can be obtained at information centers and hotels).

When I got to Borgo, the museum was also closed, but tourists walking around managed to find out the correct location of the attraction of interest to me. It was a pity that time was lost ...On the third day, Eato managed to visit the battery at noon during a ceremonial shot. In Borgo, on the other hand, he saw the berth of the most elite yachts of the latest models, mostly under British flags.

It was already getting dark (about 7 pm), and Malta has an interesting tradition (I don't know what it's about) - in the evening the facades of many temples (but not all) are illuminated by illumination. It looks very nice.

In the evening at the hotel from the Internet (WiFi only in the lobby) learned about the collapse of the Blue Window on the island of Gozo and generally thought about whether to visit it. But still decided. In the morning of the next day I take bus 41 to the port of Chirkeva, from where I take a ferry to the island of Gozo.

The bus arrived 15 minutes late, I still managed to take a free seat, although after a couple of stops it was literally jammed, and the driver even stopped taking new passengers. We drove 1 hour and 10 minutes, although according to the schedule it should be only 45.

Settlements along the way - mostly beach resorts, many modern hotels and apartments, there were also agricultural areas.

Of the sights that can be seen from the bus window - remembered only the "Pink Tower" (somewhere between Mellieha and Chirkeva). The bus was 3 minutes late for the ferry schedule, but the couple waited for the bus, although everyone who wanted to have time ran very fast, because no one wanted to wait for the next 45 minutes. Payment, as you know, is taken on the way back (4.65 euros during the day, 4.00 at night - after 20:00).


Plates for about 15-20 minutes, on the ferry hall with no seats as such, there is space either in two closed bars or on the open deck. I, of course, chose the second option. It was sunny and very windy. Along the way we managed to admire the desert island of Cominotto and the "Blue Lagoon" - a small bay of the appropriate color of water, which is provided by a certain color of the bottom.

Arrive on the island of Gozo, the port of Mgarr (Mgarr). Right next to the terminal meet taxi drivers in "Mercedes" to Victoria (Rabat), the island's capital promises to deliver for only 5 euros.

But this is not necessary, because there is a bus stop, the cost of the trip 1.5 euros and a ticket purchased in Sliema on the first day is valid in Gozo.

Bus number, drive to the capital about 20 minutes, on the way passed the village of Shevkia (Xewqija), famous for the beautiful Cathedral, which is the highest temple on Gozo, some passengers went to Shevkia, but I did not stop. The bus is at the bus station in the city center. My plans for Gozo were: the megalithic complex in Gdantija, the Basilica of Ta 'Pinu and the Blue Window. More precisely, what is left of him. Given that all bus routes to Gozo are radial, centered at the bus station in Rabat, and the intervals are 60 minutes (except for buses to the port - there are 20 minutes), this is the maximum that I managed to see in daylight, it was dark in Malta. at that time of year about 18:00.

It was still 40 minutes to my bus to the Rims, so I took a short walk around the city (I didn't go to the Citadel, it would be worth 2-3 hours, which you could afford without compromising other attractions, if you come to Gozo more than 1 day).

I saw the building of the city theater, a small church, a souvenir market in the central square. The main goods are napkins embroidered in local technology and various local culinary specialties (olive oil, liqueurs, jams, etc. ). But tourists are much less authentic than in Valletta and the surrounding area. Although there are modern neighborhoods, including the campus of the local technical institute. In Rims the bus is practically empty, except for me 4 more passengers, all local. To go 15 minutes, we go through the fields where wheat is already sprouting everywhere. The road goes uphill, the bus windows offer beautiful views of almost the entire island.


I get off at the right stop, from there to the complex about 200 m there are signs. In addition to the megalith, this town is also a 200-year-old windmill museum. But I was distracted. Entrance to the complex is paid - 9 euros, accept payment cards (which is rare in Malta - souvenirs in Valletta accept only cash, in my hotel in Sliema - the card could only pay for goods / services from 10 euros, no problem accepting the card only in Scotts supermarket near the hotel). Entrance to the complex through a modern building, where in addition to the box office is also a museum of the complex (information on the stands in Maltese and English).

Then I go down the bituminous path with benches through the garden to the megalith. Behind the fence, private lands with fruit plantations begin. Amazingly. It took no more than an hour for the megalith and the museum, despite the fact that I am not a fan of such objects, there are simply not many buildings left on our planet that are more than 3.000 years old.

On the way back - went 2 stops earlier - near the big store "LidL". LidL as Lidl, nothing special, as in many other European countries: perishable local products, German chocolate, Spanish wines , except for the local university campus not noticed. The capital Gozo is mostly 2-3 floors, the houses are maintained in worse condition than in the cities on the island of Malta. Modern commercial real estate is not detected at all.

Then I take another bus from the bus station to the Basilica of Ta ’Pina. It takes no more than 15 minutes to drive, but the bus runs insidiously once an hour.

In principle, 45 minutes to see this monument was enough for me, although the place itself is very beautiful - the temple stands in the open, almost in the field, far from town, and in the distance behind it you can already see the beach.

By bus we go to the "Blue Window" (Azure Window), the bus is almost full, drive 20 minutes. The road is suddenly serpentine, both up and down. The place here is already quite touristy, there are restaurants, public toilets and showers, local souvenir dealers, as well as a photographer with a smalt falcon. . And the photographer also had an "accomplice" who wandered incognito nearby and closely monitors that no one photographed the falcon secretly…

As for the "Blue Window" (an arched rock that collapsed due to a strong storm on the night of March 7-8), in its place is now only a shapeless accumulation of rock fragments: - ((.


But tourists continue to go to this place. It is impossible to approach close to the rocky edge of the shore - although there are no fences - but the police are on duty and drive away from the edges of the cliffs of particular interest.

The road there, by the way, is very inconvenient - the last 50 meters you have to walk on a very sharp stone, so it is better not to wear very good shoes. A little further on is another, slightly less popular must-see - a bay that can be reached by boat through a tunnel in the rock, it is also called the "inland sea". Those interested can sail on a fishing boat in the stormy open sea (3 E per person).

Photo shoot against the backdrop of raging around the basalt rocks, waves, interrupted by a beautiful sunset. It is getting dark early and fast in Malta at this time, so we take the next bus back to Rabat.

Another 20-minute dock and 15-minute drive, and in Mjarra we are already in complete darkness, although on the street only 18:45, a familiar ferry (although there are 2, the same design), another 15 minutes and already Chirkevva. The wind is quite cold, and at the bus stop I am waiting for my bus in Sliema, surrounded by a large group of young students and party-goers.

Third full day in Malta.

Finally, the sea is sunny and stormy. After breakfast by bus again bus to Valletta. Morning. There are still few tourists. Saturday. On Saturdays, it turns out, there is a flea market in Valletta. Things are mostly Turkish. Quality and prices are quite consistent. After wandering around a bit, I walk towards the Upper Gardens of Barak. The park is very nice, there are benches, but there are too many tourists. The place is known primarily for its view of the Great Harbor and a battery of ancient cannons that fired nuclei.

And a little earlier, at the entrance to Valletta from the bus window saw a group of small warships under the flag of Greece. It's getting close to noon, so it's good to get some food. There are less than 24 hours left before leaving Malta, and I have not tried the business card of Maltese cuisine - rabbit!

I decide to correct this shortcoming by delving into Merchant street.


I read a lot about this ancient city. It is located behind the fortress wall, on the hills, it offers magnificent views. In good weather, if you look closely, you can see it from Valletta. It is famous for its ancient medieval monumental houses, which have virtually no inhabitants, as well as St. Paul's Cathedral (which is the main temple of the entire Republic of Malta).

The streets are not wide, there are almost no locals, but several times there were police cars (completely uncharacteristic of Malta, before that I almost never saw the police). Almost immediately to the right is a luxury (4-star) hotel with an outdoor terrace, apparently in an authentic building. There are absolutely no newcomers in Mdina. All old buildings are maintained in very good condition, although, according to information on the Internet, most of them do not live.

There are many restaurants, souvenir shops, including workshops. After making a few turns, I go to the Cathedral, located in the central square - St. Paul (Misrah San Pawl).

In front of the Cathedral I suddenly notice an old white cabriolet, and at the entrance to the Temple - a large crowd of smartly dressed people. It is clear that a certain celebration is taking place in the Cathedral, most likely a wedding.

I was right - the wedding took place in the Cathedral, and the entrance was blocked by a tape of meters after 5. But the mood of the solemnity of the event immediately rose! There were a dozen and a half tourists in front of the ribbon, and there was no information about the cost of visiting the Cathedral. There were many young people (20-30 years old) among the guests, although various sources reported that Mdina was inhabited mainly by the elderly. The celebration was held in Maltese and ended 15 minutes later.

The newlyweds and their guests went to the square, where they were sprinkled with grain according to (Catholic) tradition. After the ceremony was over, we managed to see the Cathedral a little, the ministers did not object, the tourists calmly stepped over the fence.

Inside the Cathedral is very beautiful, the walls and columns are made of red stone, a lot of gilding, on the floor are the coats of arms of ancient Maltese families.


The most common was English - "Please respect the resident" and the image of a face with a finger raised to his lips. I think this means asking for silence in the city, in particular, so that tourists do not knock on the door with massive medieval handles.

I decide not to go deep into the desert perpendicular streets. Finally, at dusk I go out to the gates of Mdina, at the entrance I notice a car, in the front seat next to the driver we go cook and carries a huge level cake.

It is noteworthy that part of the service was conducted by a woman (I heard that female priests are allowed only by Protestants), so I can not determine to which denomination this Temple belongs. By the way, it is possible to take photos, but without a flash, as the warning posters say. I return to Valletta by bus №41, also stopping at the huge supermarket "RAMA" (nothing interesting, the size and prices are standard for Malta), opposite which just near the bus stop (more precisely, occupying the entire distance between the two stops) is "Technopark Malta" - Complex research centers. Well, in addition to education (language schools), Malta also promotes applied science.

I get to Sliema again with a change in Valletta, although for those wishing to take the bus №223 from Rabat to Sliema, but without arrival at the Valletta Bridge.

In the evening at the hotel I pass an online quest for online check-in for a Lufthansa flight (docking in my opinion is short - 70 minutes, so I try to choose seats closer to the exit), not the first time, the system assigns inconvenient seats and does not change. Still, I beat the system and with the help of a Ukrainian-speaking receptionist (a native of Transcarpathia, but lived most of my life in the Czech Republic), I print the landing.

Last morning in Malta. I decide in the morning to walk north to the district (or even the city) of St. Julian's. It is famous for its lack of ancient architecture and the presence of a huge amount of commercial real estate, the dominant role of which is played by the elegant and high-rise Radisson Hotel (20+ floors), which hosts state events, including international government meetings.


I would have known that the landing would be delayed for another 20 minutes, so I wouldn't be in such a hurry. Most of the passengers on the flight were German-speaking. We took off only at 17:30. They didn't catch up on the way and landed in Boryspil as expected at 8:55 p. m. Customs and luggage took a minimum of time and at 21:30 I left for SkyBus towards my hometown, leaving the mysterious and completely unknown island of Malta only in my memories

Translated automatically from Ukrainian. View original
To add or remove photos in a story, go to album of this story
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