The Grain and Grape

Malta is a small island nation, situated in the Mediterranean Sea with Sicily to the north and Tunisia to the south. Due to its location, it has historically been critical to trading in the region, as well as a place of military importance. The culture, architecture, and foods are a unique blended influence of a variety of past rulers, which include the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Sicilians, the Knights of St John, the French, and the British.

Malta is a popular tourist destination, staying busy all year due to lots of sun, fabulous sights, and secluded beaches. With a population of over 1/2 million people, and about 1/10^th the size of the state of Rhode Island, it is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Carnival was in full swing for the first time in three years during our weekend visit, so the narrow streets in the old walled city of Valletta were especially crowded, loud, and fun.

In our home base of Valletta, we stayed at The Barrister Hotel. Not only a lovely hotel with a good continental breakfast, but also a perfect location. It is a 5 minute stroll to the main square, but also quiet at night. A local landmark, The Pub, is where Oliver Reed, the actor who played Maximo in Gladiator, had his last drink before he died. We stopped in for a pre-dinner cocktail, and were in a great place to watch the parade floats go by. 

Touring Malta

There is so much to see and do in Malta. The capital, Valletta, is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It sits on a hilly peninsula, with views on 3 sides through narrow streets down to a blue Mediterranean Sea. Looking over the massive city walls, you get the feeling that you have stepped back in time. These stone walls make for a great backdrop for local shops and restaurants. As they are literally “hole-in-the-walls,” cafés have the feel of a medieval tavern with modernized amenities.

We booked a driving tour to visit top sights, as well as to get out to the countryside to see all the fabulous scenery which comes from being on a Mediterranean island. The old capital of Mdina is fascinating, with a labyrinth of narrow stone streets. We could have strolled through this old town for hours. Mosta Basilica, with its huge dome, is well worth the visit. For €5 apiece, we climbed stairs to the inner balcony of the dome, toured the Basilica, and then also toured the World War II shelter under the church, a rocky, damp, claustrophobic experience.

Another highlight is the small seaside village of Marsaxlokk, with picturesque boats, seafood restaurants, and a big market. We ate a lunch of fresh fish here, with a ‘choose your own fish’ menu. While touring around Malta, we saw secluded beaches, ancient temple ruins, hiking trails, olive groves, citrus orchards, and vineyards.

We also found an excellent Pub, Fat Harry’s at St. Paul’s Bay.

We ran out of time to explore the north part of Malta, or to visit the island of Gozo. We’ll save these as things to do on our return visit, as we would love to go back.

Foods of Malta

Offbeat Malta Food Trails is a great way to try Maltese foods in a few of the non-touristy cafés in Valletta with a local guide. The tour led us from small cafés with low ceilings and stone walls, to a rooftop setting with views over Valletta, with interesting sights pointed out along the way. Each of the foods we tried can be traced to influences of one of the many cultures that have left their imprint on this island.

We started with a breakfast of tea with milk and pastizzi, a savory pastry stuffed with either ricotta or curried peas. Ricotta, an influence from Sicily, and the curried peas from the Middle East. Our next small meal was a tunafish, tomato paste, and olive oil sandwich on sourdough bread. A local beer, Cisk, light and refreshing, went perfectly with the sandwich.

Rabbits were introduced to Malta as a sustainable food source, and rabbit stew is the national dish of Malta. A tasting of the rabbit stew, falling off the bones, was served in a unique sauce. The sauce included nutmeg, cloves, and other spices, and was delicious, pairing nicely with a Maltese red wine. Our tour wrapped up with a crispy, fried date pastry with vanilla ice-cream, a perfect blend of textures and flavors.

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We highly recommend Malta for fun, sun, lots of sights, and fabulous food and drinks. We can’t wait to go back for another visit.

Saħħa!

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