Malta & Switzerland Itinerary - Summer 2021

When I did a study abroad program in Rome in 2006, the professor stood before a palazzo and asked what was the smallest sovereign nation in the world. Being in Rome, the obvious answer would be Vatican City. But the surprise correct answer was the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM). The palace we stood in front of was Palazzo Malta, the headquarters and extraterritorial of the order. It is a country without territory and is a Permanent Observer in the United Nations. Since then, I have been fascinated by Malta… both the military order and the country. Even though I did not go on to research Malta extensively, it is a place that I thought about often from time to time.

Amid an ongoing global pandemic, searching for a safe destination was no easy task. So when I read that Malta has the highest vaccination rate in Europe, it seemed like a no-brainer that it was finally time to strike a destination off my bucket list. The Malta government also did a great job updating its latest COVID-related travel restrictions. The country was also among the first in Europe to ban all unvaccinated foreign nationals. For once, it did not let cheap airfare guide our travel. Flights to Malta from the United States are notoriously expensive.

Day 1 - New York - Zurich - Luqa - Valletta

As we were boarding our flight at the Zurich Airport, I noticed that the weather in Malta was listed as in a “heavy storm.” Having monitored the weather in Valletta for the past few months, seeing weeks and weeks of sun, that came as a shock to me. As our flight descended just past the coast of Sicily, the overcast sky appeared beneath us; that was not the introduction to Malta that I had been expecting. Immediately after getting off the plane, we were greeted with the heat and humidity. I could only hope this is not the norm for the coming week.

To our surprise, Malta border control is surprisingly stringent as far as checking COVID-related documents is concerned. While thorough, the process was also incredibly efficient. After taking some euros out and getting our Maltese SIM cards, we went to Valletta! The 16-minute cab ride was scenic, but we did get a taste of the somewhat erratic Maltese driving.

Beautiful view from our apartment in Valletta.

Valletta Hastings Apartments will be our home for the next five days. It is a beautifully appointed serviced apartment near the Hastings Garden. Our host, Chou, was extremely helpful in giving us her insights on Valletta and Malta. Luckily, her recommendations tracked closely to my research, and I had reservations for many of the restaurants she recommended. The apartment offers a beautiful view of the city’s rampart and characteristic Maltese townhouses. After a short rest, we ventured out to explore Valletta. As the smallest capital city in the European Union, Valletta is small but is not short of fascinating sights. Within a ten-minute walk from the apartment were many of the city’s best sights: Republic Street, the Parliament Building, and Castille Palace, the office of the Maltese Prime Minister. But our favorite is the Upper Barrakka Gardens, with a viewing platform that overlooks the historical towns of Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua, collectively known as the “Three Cities".

Parliament Building of Malta by Italian architect Renzo Piano.

Undoubtedly, the day's highlight was the dinner at Legligin, a popular eatery serving up some of Valletta's most delicious Maltese home cooking. The six-course tasting dinner is a culinary journey through Malta. From zucchini mushroom soup to lasagna with pistachio, pancetta, and cream sauce, it highlights various rulers' diverse cultural influences on Maltese culture. At €35 per person, it is one of the best-value meals we had in recent years. In addition to delicious food, we were fortunate to discover the splendid Maltese wine. Melqart wine from Meridiana Wine Estate is our go-to wine for the rest of the trip.

Day 2 - Valletta - Birżebbuġa - Zurrieq - Valletta

Luckily, the heat and humidity subsided slightly this morning, albeit a lot worse than I wished for September. But at least we were greeted with the crisp blue sky that Malta is known for. After a terrible breakfast at Cafe Teatro, we walked down Republic Street toward Fort Saint Elmo at the very tip of the peninsula. Now home to Malta’s National War Museum, this impressive fortress was constructed by the Knights of St. John and played a pivotal role in the Ottoman siege in 1565. The fortress is now under the guardianship of Heritage Malta, which also manages the numerous heritage sites across the country. Their €30 multi-site pass covered all the sights (except Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum), which is a good value. For lunch, we had a noon reservation at Nenu The Artisan Baker, which is said to serve perhaps the best ftajjar, a Maltese open sandwich/pizza, in Valletta.

After lunch, I headed to the airport to pick up the rental car. And just like our trip to Yucatán last year, I was greeted with a nasty surprise… “Sorry, we ran out of the cars you need despite your reservation.” Specifically, the rental company (Avis/Budget) ran out of automatic cars as they claim that all automatic cars are being recalled for the next week. Well, I think that was such a bullshit excuse. Again, what was the point of the reservation if they were not planning on honoring it? Eventually, they managed to sell us a manual car, which I do not know how to operate. So, I had to ask Brian to come to the airport to designate him as an additional driver. It did not take long to determine how stressful this decision was. While he knows how to drive a stick shift, having to switch with his left hand and Malta’s narrow roads made it difficult. I was adjusting the trip itinerary in my head.

Instead of returning to Valletta, we drove to the less busy part of Malta. Our first stop is Għar Ħasan Cave along the island's southwestern coast. Despite being in an industrial zone, the beauty of the coastline and the Mediterranean is just wonderful. Afterward, we drive ten minutes south to the town of Birżebbuġa. This workaday town has a beautiful sand beach, swimming spots, and ocean-side cafes. While busy, the atmosphere was decidedly local and relaxed. Unfortunately, we did not have the swimwear with us; otherwise, it was so tempting to take a dip in the warm Mediterranean water.

The Matrix Parish Church of St Catherine of Alexandria in Zurrieq.

The ultimate destination for the afternoon was the village of Zurrieq, which is fifteen minutes away by car. In Malta, each local Catholic parish is known for its elaborate feast dedicated to its patron saint (Festa). They are typically a week-long affair that culminates with a large firework display. Luckily, our visit to the country coincides with the last day of Zurrieq’s Feast of Saint Catherine. While the whole village is decked out with festive banners and religious icons, the whole event was relatively subdued due to COVID-related restrictions. But the highlight was the invitation by Ġuż, a Zurrieq, to the rooftop of the local band club to watch the fireworks displays.

Day 3 - Valletta - Marsaxlokk - Lija - Valletta

On returning to Valletta last night, Brian decided he could no longer handle the manual car in Malta. We would either proceed with public transportation for the rest of the trip or somehow find an automatic car from another rental agency. I woke up early to research renting an automatic car. After calling several rental agencies, I got verbal confirmation from Priceless Car Rental that they have automatic cars available, and then proceeded to book a car via Expedia. When I showed up at their rental car counter a few hours later, I was shocked to learn that they had not yet received the reservation from Expedia. I had to head back to Valletta for a few hours to wait for the reservation to show up in their computer system. We could snake in a delicious lunch at La Pira Maltese Kitchen.

We finally got the right car at around four after a few more hiccups at the rental counter. I was eager to get the full tour of Malta started. Our first stop was the seaside town of Marsaxlokk, known for its Sunday fish market and colorful fishing boats. Just fifteen minutes away is Saint Peter’s Pool, a natural rocky inlet that is also one of the prime swimming spots on the island of Malta. This was the first time we swam in the Mediterranean for both of us. Despite the crowd, it was a wonderful experience. The low afternoon sun creates a uniquely relaxed ambiance.

This evening’s dinner was arguably the funniest to date. I made a reservation for Bahia in the small village of Lija. It is one of the three Michelin-star restaurants in Malta. This being our first Michelin star experience, we had very high expectations. It ended up being a disappointment both in terms of food and service. It certainly could not hold the candle to our experience at Legligin a few nights ago.

Day 4 - Valletta - Paola - Mdina - Valletta

This was arguably the most exciting day of the trip. Partly due to the pandemic, I was lucky enough to reserve two tickets for a 9 am visit to Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum on relatively short notice. Dating more than 5,000 years old, this underground burial site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most enigmatic site in Malta. The 45-minute guided tour took us to an underground network of chambers. Though void of historical artifacts or human remains, mysticism radiated from every corner of this underground world. It was definitely unlike any place we have ever visited. Less than a ten-minute walk from the Hypogeum is Tarxien Temples, a major megalithic temple within a busy residential neighborhood. This is just the first of the three temples we will visit today.

Our second stop for the day is the famous Blue Grotto. This little stretch of coast along the island's southwestern side is known for its numerous limestone sea caves and crystal-clear water. Like its famous cousin along Italy’s Almafi Coast, the Blue Grotto has a well-developed tourism infrastructure. The 15-minute boat tour ran around the clock and was incredibly efficient. The boat slip there also appears to be a beautiful spot for a swim. A few minutes down the roads are another two megalithic temples of Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim, listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. With a large museum and interpretative center, it is perhaps one of the best museums dedicated to these prehistoric structures.

After a quick lunch at Ta' Rita Lapsi View Restaurant in Siggiewi, we headed inland to another of Malta’s major touristic draws: Mdina. This was the medieval capital of Malta and is often considered a historic crown jewel. But before we got to Mdina, we stopped at Is-Serkin - Crystal Palace, which serves up the best pastizzi in the country. Just across the road is Domvs Romana, a museum built over the remnant of a Roman villa. From there, it was a leisurely stroll to Mdina's main gate. It did not take long to appreciate the beauty and tranquility of this medieval city. The city is so well-maintained that it looks slightly like a movie set. The absolute highlight would be just the magnificent views from the ramparts.

Tonight’s dinner brought us to Birgu, one of the historic “Three Cities” that predated Valletta. It was a pleasant ten-minute ride on the public ferry from Valletta. As the ferry entered the marina, we overheard a fellow passenger telling her friends that the yacht we passed by was the vessel for the newest season of Bravo’s reality show Below Deck, which was filming in Malta. Brian was such a show fan of the show and could barely contain the excitement. We purposefully walked along the harborfront on the way to the restaurant if we could get a closer look at Captain Sandy and the crew. The dinner at Tal-Petut was great; their homestyle no-menu meal was a great end to our busy sightseeing day.

Day 5 - Valletta - Birgu - St. Paul’s Bay - Rabat - Valletta

I woke up early today to do a laundry run. As is often the case, the coin machine was out of service, and I headed out looking for changes in the early hours. Today was Victory Day, a major public holiday in Malta. The day commemorates three different sieges in Maltese history. Unfortunately, much of the festivities this year are canceled due to the pandemic. However, we got to catch the commemoration ceremony at the Great Siege Square and got close to George Vella, the President of Malta. Just like our experience at Laulupidu, getting so close to the head of state of an EU country was exciting.

St. Publius' Square (The Granaries) in Floriana.

This being our last full day in Valletta, we decided to head back to Birgu to explore more of this historical area. But secretly, I just wanted to allow Brian to have a chance to see more of the Below Deck action. Luck just had it that we watched the pivotal moment when the guests arrived for their charter. We witnessed some behind-the-scene action and saw how reality TV filming works. After stalking them for two hours, we proceeded to tour Fort St. Angelo, the knights' headquarters, during the great siege by the Ottomans. It is also a great place to watch the Below Deck yacht sail out of the Grand Harbor.

I decided last night to book a five-hour boat trip on a catamaran to the famous Blue Lagoon on the island of Comino. Per the recommendation of our apartment host, I booked the excursion with Sea Adventure. As we raced toward the city of Saint Paul’s Bay to catch our 5 pm. sailing, we were distressed to see that our boat was nowhere at the dock. There was a technical malfunction. Even though they did send a cancellation e-mail a few hours ago, it went to the junk folder. We were not the only guests who showed up without being aware of the cancellation. Though the company offered an alternate sailing time on a different vessel, we decided to take the refund due to the crowded condition of that boat.

Since the boat trip was a bust, we decided to take the rest of the day slow. While we could still go to one of the local sandy beaches, we decided to go to the Malta National Aquarium, the admission of which was covered by our Heritage Malta pass. We couldn’t say it was the best aquarium ever, but it was good to have a laid-back afternoon. After refreshing up in Valletta, we headed to Rabat for dinner at The Fork and Cork, whose food we enjoyed much more than Bahia’s. Given its proximity to Mdina, we could take a short stroll after dinner to enjoy the great ambiance of this “Silent City.”

Day 6 - Valletta - Mosta - Xlendi

This was our last morning in Valletta. Before we left town, we still had to visit one must-see sight in the city: Saint John's Co-Cathedral. This outwardly austere church is sometimes called the “Sistine Chapel of the North” for its over-the-top interior decorations. The cathedral was constructed as the mother church of the Knights of St. John and is covered head to toe with funerary monuments, frescos, gold leaf, and tombstones. The cathedral also did a great job telling the fascinating tales of mad genius Caravaggio. On our way out of town, we stopped at the National Museum of Archaeology to see some famous artifacts from the hypogeum and other megalithic temples. The Sleeping Lady statue was particularly endearing.

I am embarrassed to say that we had lunch at the local Burger King because we were short on time. Well, I tried their local special “Big Italian” Whopper. Our first stop was the town of Mosta, a town known for its massive parish church. Mosta Rotunda was modeled after Rome’s Pantheon and has the third-largest unsupported dome in the world. We returned to Rabat to visit Saint Paul’s Catacomb; its dense network of catacombs could have taken an hour or two to explore them all. With the need to catch the car ferry to Gozo, we only got to explore half a dozen tombs. However, we did manage to stop by Mdina Glass to pick up a few souvenirs.

Luckily, the car ferry to Gozo requires no reservation and is easy. The ferry took us pretty close to the island of Comino and the famous Blue Lagoon. Though we may not have the luck to swim there, at least we saw it from afar. Gozo was low-key compared to Malta. At this point of the vacation, we were a little trip-worn. So we were looking forward to checking in at Viewpoint Boutique Living, our home, for the next two nights. The owner, Doreen, and her team were among the most hardworking hosts we had ever met. This 8-room hotel took hospitality and service to a whole other level. Honestly, even five-star resorts like Anantara could not hold the candle to Doreen. We wished we could spend a few more days here.

We had a reservation for dinner at Rendez-Vous Restaurant in Xewkija. The restaurant overlooks the town’s impressive parish church and serves some of our best food on this trip. The service was impeccable, and the portion was enormous, even by American standards. It was just such a wonderful introduction to Gozo. So far, we love everything Gozo has to offer, and we can see why this island is Malta's open secret.

Day 7 - Xlendi - Marsalforn - Ta’ Pinu - Xlendi

Although the room was very comfortable, Brian had a rough night of sleep. So, we ended up having a relatively late start for the day. We did not leave the hotel until 11 am, which surprised me even. I have decided to make today our beach day and hit up some of Gozo’s best swimming spots. Our first stop was Wied il-Għasri on the north coast of the island. This spot “beach” was set along a winding inlet of the sea, reminding us of swimming in the wadis of Oman. Even though the weather was not the best, we enjoyed our time. A few minutes down the road, we came across the salt pans, which are particularly famous in Gozo. It was quite surprising to see that many of these ancient pans are still in active use. Many local families sell their salt from shacks carved out of the nearby soft limestone.

Wied il-Għasri is a wonderful swimming spot.

Right next to the salt pans is the unassuming Xwejni Bay Beach, a perfect swimming spot. It seems like Gozo has a beautiful beach every few kilometers and is perfect for beach hopping. A few kilometers down the road is the town of Marsalforn. A popular resort town, Marsalforn has no shortage of restaurants and bars. We had a lovely seafood lunch at Il-Kartell Restaurant and a nice treat at a local gelateria. The next stop is Ramla Beach, Gozo's most popular sandy beach. With a wide swath of soft sand and well-developed infrastructure, Ramala’s popularity is hardly surprising and is packed even on an overcast day.

Our final stop of the day was the Inland Sea on the island's west coast. A narrow natural arch connects The small lagoon to the open sea. Like Blue Lagoon in Malta, the local fisherman co-op offers frequent boat trips to the surrounding sea cave. At €4 a person, it is among the best-value trips I could think of in Malta. Unfortunately, the most famous local landmark, the Azure Window, made famous by Games of Thrones, collapsed four years ago after a storm. I could only imagine its economic loss for the local community. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta Pinu, the Maltese equivalent of Fatima.

We managed to squeeze in half an hour at the pool back at the hotel before our dinner reservation at Maldonado Bistro Gozo in Rabat. It was one of the restaurants recommended by Doreen and located on a quiet residential street in Rabat. While the food was great, the most memorable part of the evening was a table for British retirees next to us. Sometimes, it was good to be reminded that we Americans are not the only obnoxious tourists in a foreign country.

Day 8 - Xlendi - Rabat - Mellieha - Luqa - Valletta

Today was our last full day in Malta. But it was not a relaxing day. Not only did we have to visit many cultural sights on Gozo, but we also had to return the rental car and get tested for COVID for our return flight to the United States. After another beautiful breakfast, we bid goodbye to Doreen and began the abbreviated tour of Gozo. The first stop was the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta Pinu, which we did a quick photo stop yesterday. Though the story may not be as dramatic as Fatima's, it was nevertheless a curious tale. My favorite part is the room off the nave full of ex-voto, the religious offering after the fulfillment of miracles.

The most celebrated cultural sight on Gozo is Cittadella, a fortress that once offered shelter to every inhabitant. This modest-size fortress is like a miniature of Mdina that has been meticulously restored in the past few years. Aside from the impressive cathedral, there were about half a dozen minor museums within the Cittadella; most are covered under our Heritage Malta pass. The next stop is Ġgantija, the temple of the giants. It is among the most spectacular Maltese megalithic temples we visited on this trip. A block from the temple was Ta’ Kola Windmill, a historical windmill converted into a historical museum.

While the ferry back to Malta requires no reservation, we felt safer returning to Malta early on. After a surprisingly good lunch at Sicilia Bella in Mgarr, we bid farewell to Gozo. With a few more hours to spare before our COVID test appointment, we did a quick tour of northern Malta, including quick stops at the Popey Village and the picturesque town of Mellieha. People often suggest a week is long enough for Malta, but our eight days here were barely sufficient to taste this amazing country. After dropping off our car at the airport and getting our COVID test, we took a taxi back to Valletta. For our final night in Malta, we stayed at Casa Reale Boutique Hotel at the heart of Valletta.

Our day was organized around a concert back in Valletta. Entitled Agħti Widen, this concert by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra is said to embody the melody and sound of Malta. But the venue of the concert shocked me: Pjazza Teatru Rjal. Set within the ruin of the former Royal Opera House, the theater's revival is the work of architect Renzo Piano and symbolizes this historic city's renaissance. The multimedia concert incorporated various sounds from daily Maltese life and included narration. Ironically, the most memorable part of the evening was all the interruptions to the concert. From the loudspeakers from a nearby cafe to the anti-vaccine protest outside of the parliament building, this concert will be remembered for quite a long time.

Day 9 - Valletta - Luqa - Zürich - Newark

To catch our 9:40 am. flight to Zürich, we got up around six to get plenty of time to deal with any potential delay due to the COVID-19 document check. In these early hours, Valletta was so peaceful and serene, and we really felt like this was a city we wanted to return to. Our flight took off on time, and we were in Zürich in about two hours. With a five-and-a-half-hour layover, I was keen to enter the city center. However, Brian was not as keen on the idea given all the pandemic-related uncertainties regarding interesting and exiting a country. Eventually, I persuaded him that the Swiss border country should take issue with our quick trip into the city, given that Malta and Switzerland are part of the Schengen Area.

This being our third layover in Zürich in the past few years, navigating the train and finding the luggage storage was a breeze. The city was unusually quiet because it was a Sunday, and almost every business was closed. We spent a few hours walking around central Zürich and enjoyed the scenery. I could think of a more Swiss experience than watching local families feeding the swans.

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