Our home for the week (B&B only) is a ‘typical’ restored Valletta 17th Century (1622, actually) mini-palazzo Guest House, covering 4 floors and with part of an adjacent building incorporated once in the distant past. It’s down there, on the right by that white car.



The inner courtyard/reception area.



The Lounge and the Dining area … the property is rammed solid with antiques, very much in the Maltese style. And it’s not often you find somewhere where your coffee is served in a solid silver coffee pot!







Our Suite had it’s own, private, terrace, with views of Grand Harbour and the rooftops of the old City … our 2 sun-loungers just out of shot on the left:





And what of The City of Valletta? It seems to be resisting the march of time remarkably well. Efforts are being made everywhere to restore some of the derelict buildings, and it is yet untainted by ‘modern development’ as befits its World Heritage Site status. Would you like a wander round? Wear comfy shoes, and be prepared for some steep streets/steps!

Inland view from our terrace.



Our street.



Victoria Gate.



One of the many small Guest Houses in Valletta.



More waterfront. We were near that centre crane in the background.



In the centre of the City. Queen Victoria statues everywhere, including outside the National Library!



Classic shop-front with later addition!



We ventured once to the more ‘touristy’ area of Sliema, taking the Ferry across the Harbour (€0.90 r/t for Seniors!). That is not Valetta, or indeed Malta … it could almost be anywhere! However, I do give credit for building the new Shopping Mall (The Point) within the walls/colonnades of the former Tigne Barracks





Malta is a popular Cruise Ship destination, and they came and went with military precision. We had a great view from our roof-top terrace. “It’s Tuesday, this must be Malta” … but be quick, because we sail again at 1800





As a bit of scenic change, the Irish Navy’s LÉ William Butler Yeats >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LÉ_Wil...ler_Yeats_(P63) << was doing a port visit … although sadly moored over the far side of the harbour. What a change from the days when Grand Harbour was filled with the Royal Navy’s ships!



A few events also took place during our stay, including the Malta International Air Show. Our terrace gave us an excellent view on both days … sadly my pocket camera, despite a 12x zoom, is not best equipped to do posh pictures, but I tried. Display Teams were provided by Switzerland, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. I won’t say which on I though was best, as they were all very good … and it made a change from watching the Red Arrows (sorry, jamier45



There was also a Port Visit by the Oman Royal Navy’s training ship, Shahab Oman II … we met some of the crew and trainees in the City, where they were dancing for the crowds, and got invitations to their ‘Open Day’ on-board. Sadly, that morning the Heavens opened with thunderstorms and heavy rain, so we never made the 1-mile walk to do that.






Food. I guess I should mention food. And indeed drink.

We are both broad-minded omnivores. And we like to eat ‘local’. If I want steak, or a burger, I’ll go to the USA. This is Malta.

Our breakfast offerings at our little Guest House were lovely, and they changed every day.





And we discovered, just 50 yards up the street, a tiny (just 4 tables) hole-in-the-wall Cafe/Bistro/Wine Bar called Dimitri >> https://www.facebook.com/DimitriValletta/ <<
We ate there every day, either late lunch or dinner [closed Sunday]. The owner is a star [and a former chef at Gleneagles!] and the food is simple and yet excellent and extremely fresh! When you see fish being delivered just in time for dinner from the day’s catch, you know it’s going to be good. I do seriously recommend it, unless you need pretentious surroundings to enjoy perfectly-cooked fresh produce!



Small Prawns



Swordfish steaks … perfectly cooked, of course!



Overflow area outside!



A busy evening! A very International clientele - we met Australian, Canadian, French, Polish, Scottish and English fellow-diners.



On the Sunday, we re-visited >> Palazzo Preca Restaurant ? 54 Strait Street, Valletta, Malta | << which is also lovely, more up-market and yet still sensibly priced. Good atmosphere, and delightful food and staff.



So we spent a week wandering, and eating and drinking [excellent local wine] and getting far more exercise than usual (especially with the steep streets) and enjoyed perfect weather … apart from that one morning. And then it was time to go home