Marsaxlokk

Marsaxlokk was an unexpected highlight of Malta. This tongue-twisting fishing village sits on the south-east corner of the main island on the edge of a sheltered bay. On our second day in Malta Garry and I caught a local bus to explore the village's popular Sunday market. After a bone-shaking journey we arrived in a picturesque bay filled with colourful fishing boats.

While we'd heard about these boats, nothing could prepare us for the sight of these delightful vessels dotting an azure-blue harbour. Each boat is painted blue and lined with bright stripes of yellow, red and white. The bow of each boat has an eye painted on each side. This tradition, inherited from the Phoenicians, is designed to wards off harm each time local fishermen venture from the harbour.


We stopped for lunch at Ron's Fish Cafe, enjoying fresh fish and an uninterrupted view of the colourful bay before venturing back to Sliema. Later that evening we wandered down to TGI Friday's for dinner. However, this was no ordinary TDI Friday's. The restaurant sits inside a 19th Century stone fort built on the Sliema coast.


Our final day in Malta, Garry's birthday, was largely spent on a bus tour, traversing much of the island's Eastern extremities. Garry and I sat on the top deck of an open-air double-decker bus watching some of Malta's most fascinating sights pass by. The Three Cities waterfront was a definite highlight, as was the desolate coastline surrounding the Blue Grotto. Time and time again we were reminded of how much history has shaped, and reshaped this tiny island in the Mediterranean Sea.