Valletta - streets and balconies

We found that Valletta was a fascinating place with many small streets, many of which were on steep slopes or with many steps!!  There are some flat areas, but you generally have to climb a hill or steps to get to them!! 

There are also loads of fascinating balconies, so don't forget to look up!!  If you like that sort of thing, some of the buildings are very interesting!!

Valletta FC

We were lucky enough to be in Valletta while the local people were celebrating their local football team, Valletta FC, having won the League Cup.  We had noticed that streets and houses were decorated on our arrival in Valletta but, as the weekend approached, many more started appearing and it all seemed to be culminating in concerts and celebrations, which all looked like good fun.  We had discovered that Valletta is a very busy place during the day, especially when there are cruise ships berthed, but that when evening arrived, not that many people were walking about the streets.  However, our first weekend there was to be very different, with many people milling about enjoying themselves, and some of them dressed in their team colours.  What did strike me was that fact that these people were having such a good time, the children were also there in force, and there seemed to be no trouble whatsoever from the fans - quite unlike what we'd probably see in the UK or in other places around the world!!

During the holiday and over this celebratory weekend, I took a few photos that I'd like to share with you here.  The reason I'm doing a separate blog page is for the same reason that I done a separate one about cats!!  Some people don't like football, so they can skip this page if they don't want to see the photos!!

Was chuffed to get this one - the team with the cup!!

Maltese Cats

We noticed lots of cats that ran about in the Upper Barrakka Gardens, but they looked well cared for, didn't beg for food, and seemed to live quite happily with the pigeons!!  They did, of course, accept any scraps you were willing to give them, as did the pigeons and, although they did seem to take great delight in scattering the pigeons on occasions, it seemed more like a game to them rather than a serious attempt to catch one.

The workers in the gardens seem to give them food at the end of the working day, and they all quite happily feed together with no fighting between them.

Many restaurants also seemed to have a 'resident cat' but again these cats seemed to be well looked after and didn't come in to beg for food.

I have created a separate page for some photos of the cats as I know lots of people don't like cats so, if anyone out there is reading my blog, if they don't like cats then they can skip this page!!

Here are some photos that I took - mostly at the gardens:

Raiding the rubbish bins

Feeding time

Feeding time - and no fighting

Contentment!!

This little one had a harness and lead and was quite happily tied up outside a shop that it was 'looking after'. The owner looked quite mystified, but happy, at me making a fuss of it and taking its photo!!

This is one well fed cat!!

Monday 21st May

After breakfast we trudged up those 88 steps again - you'd have thought we would have been fitter and more used to them by now, but we weren't!!

We walked up to where we had seen the The Great Siege of Malta exhibition, and popped in to  have a look at that.  It was really very interesting and is another place that uses handsets programmed for whatever language you wish, and you just press the appropriate button at the various stations throughout the exhibition.

Walking over the glass floor is pretty cool!!

We then done a spot of last-minute shopping and had lunch and an ice cream!!  This was a three scoop carton, which was overflowing - great value for money compared to what we experienced in Sliema.

It was then time to get back to the hotel to pack!  I hate packing!!  I got done what I could then we went for a beer at the hotel pool bar!!  It had turned very windy again and would have been impossible to sunbathe, so I think having a well earned beer was the best option!!

At night we went out for dinner then came back to the hotel for a last cocktail and finished off the packing then the best bit, we also finished off the duty free on the balcony!!

We had a fantastic time in Malta - so much to see and do, and I think we possibly only touched on some of it!!  We did try to pack in as much as we could though and think we managed to do that pretty well!!