Malta

• Lori Palminteri
• Uncategorized
• June 4, 2025

The journey continued from Sicily to Malta via ferry. Because of my cane and fractured foot, I was escorted through security and they didn’t scan any of my bags. Gee, I guess if you want to smuggle drugs to Malta, just be handicapped. The ferry from Sicily to Malta is under two hours and is a massive ship with a little cafe to order some food and drink from. Since I was the first to board, I got a great seat in the front and ordered a salad and beer for sail.

It was nighttime when I got to Malta. The hotel I booked happened to be on a fourth floor walk up which was positively dreadful given my injury. Actually. Walking up stairs is easier than down. But not so easy with luggage. I’d later have the apartment agency switch me to a nearby room that was way better and had a lift (elevator). Luckily when I transferred there was a housekeeper there to help me with my suitcase which I considered throwing down the stairs (haha).

America really skips over Malta as a country in the school system. But its history is insane. With ruins up to 7000 years old, this tiny country has seen the rise and fall and rebuild, rinse and repeat of wars and conquerors. From mysterious ancient civilizations to take overs by the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Knights of St. John, and eventually becoming an independent country, Malta is Disney World for history lovers.

Valletta is the main hub where I stayed, considered one of the “three cities” of the harbor. It is stunning. Like all European cities, very hilly and I didn’t get to walk around as much as I would have liked, but I didn’t let my foot stop me from seeing the city and hitting various history and archeological sites. Ubers, thank goodness, are cheaper than New York and readily available. I opted for doing a lot of “old man things” like this trackless train tour…

Malta is also where they shot the live action “Popeye” movie with Robin Williams. Hollywood literally built an entire village in a cove and then left it to the Maltese who turned it into an attraction. Unfortunately, it was under construction while I was there, but on my Uber ride to the boat cruise, my driver was kind enough to stop so I could snap some pictures. Fun fact! The Popeye set was legendary for being one of the most coked up film sets of all time. If you didn’t know already, Robin Williams loved cocaine. So, I guess, Popeye didn’t get his strength from greens but white powders instead.

The boat tour was probably my favorite part of my short stay. At this point, I’m actually more mobile in the sea than on land. Officially, I’m a mermaid. The water is so clear. At the blue lagoon I found underwater caves. It was crazy to me how many people didn’t show up with snorkel gear. My snorkel was as important to me as my passport and money.

The War museum at For Elmo was super impressive and informative. As was “The Malta Experience,” this documentary in this movie theater. At the War Museum, they had these holograms projected on the old stone walls of real life to give you a glimpse into history, including a war scene was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in a museum.

As a half Sicilian, it pains me to say this almost as much as it pains me to say as a New Yorker that New Jersey has the best surf on the east coast of America, Malta’s food was outstanding and better than Sicilian food. I had some of the best food I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve really become a food snob in New York, which also has some of the best food in the world (though you’ll pay top dollar for it).

Yes. The only thing more broken than my foot right now is my bank account. The thing that shocked me a little was that Malta was pretty crowded. I don’t know why I thought it wouldn’t be. I guess because I don’t know many Americans who have been there but it is a hot tourist spot for Europeans, for sure. I wouldn’t let this deter you from visiting this magical little country. For sure it’s not handicapped friendly (haha). I think they treat handicapped people like horses and just shoot them because it is very hard to get around. Still, despite all this, I would recommend 10/10.

Alien obsessed people, like my brother, are often fixated with Malta because of ancient caves filled with mysterious architecture and symbols like this…

These caves and strange swirls frequently found in these 7000 year old ruins leaves much to speculation, and some to the imagination. Are these a window to our ancestors, or something beyond?

The Maltese have a number of proverbs that align with how I feel about life, including…

“Illum jien u għada int”

Today it’s me, tomorrow it’s you

“Bil-flus ħadd ma jixtri il-ġenna”

You can’t buy heaven with money

“Fejn tħobb il-qalb jimxu r-riġlejn”

The legs go where the heart is

“Gawdi għax mid-dinja m’għandna xejn”

Enjoy it because we have nothing from this world

“L-ilsien bla għadam imma jxoqq l-għadam”

The tongue has no bones but shakes you to the bone