Recently in Malta Category

Each day as I read the facebook status updates from both family and friends in Malta, brag about their glorious sun drenched days spent lazing at the beach, I grow more and more frustrated about our decision to not return to Gozo this year.

*Sigh* there is always next year!

I first introduced you to my dear friend Aldo and his elegant Valletta G-House that's safely ensconced within the walls of Valletta here. For the last 18 months or so Aldo has been painstakingly overseeing the restoration of his latest project, Indulgence Divine that is located in Vittoriosa in Malta.

As a child I suffered from passive smoking as my father was a chain smoker. Back then almost every  member of my extended family, including my closet smoking nanna smoked. 

Thankfully my father finally gave up smoking in his mid 30's, which was great for him and great for us. Hence, whenever I walk past King's in Sliema I can't help but laugh at the irony.

When I reflect upon growing up Maltese in Melbourne in the late 70 and early 80's I can distinctly recall certain food memories with great fondness. Then there are a whole host of food memories from my childhood associated with my father's harebrained schemes and experimentations, which I prefer to bury and repress.

If you happen to know the owner of this cute, red, vintage car can you let them know that 1. I *really* love their car and 2. I almost got hit by an oncoming bus whilst taking this photo?

Note to self: Best not to stand in the middle of a major intersection when next in Malta, no matter how cute the car is!

lf you walk from Marsalforn to Qbajjar all the way around to Xwieni Bay you'll eventually stumble across the famous salt pans. Turn around and look towards the cliff and there you'll find the green door.

In Melbourne we're really spoilt for choice when it comes to coffee as we have a plethora of café's that serve outstanding coffee, consequently I have very high caffeine standards. Hence when I'm abroad and in pursuit of my daily hit, I find that my frustration in trying to find a semi decent espresso is often interpreted by those around me as - 'whingeing princess'.

One year, out of sheer desperation I packed the Bialetti and 250g of ground Genovese coffee, so to ensure caffeine consistency whilst on holiday. This year I thought I'd throw caution to the wind so I left my Bialetti and the Genovese coffee at home.

Stupid move!

Within a couple of days of being in Malta I found myself desperately reaching out to the locals on twitter for some caffeine assistance. Thankfully Mona, Andrew and Andrea came to the rescue with the unanimous suggestion that I should pay a visit to Piadina Caffe in Valletta. Whilst being grateful for the 'local knowledge' it didn't solve my caffeine crisis whilst on the island of Gozo, although I did find momentary bliss here. Yet, what it did do was urge me to board the next ferry to Malta in search of this famous café in Santa Lucia Street in Valletta.

If I manage to drag myself out of bed early enough when on holiday in Gozo, I love to walk from Marsalforn to Qbajjar all the way around to Xwieni Bay. There's just something magical about being up just after dawn, before the hustle and bustle of daily life begins to intrude upon the previous nights silence.



I love watching the faithful fishermen set out to sea from Marsalforn Bay in their brightly painted fishing boats. Every Maltese luzzu, which is said to be of Sicilian origin, proudly bears the eye of Osiris on her bow, a symbol that dates back to the time of the Phoenicians. These unique and sturdy boats have been carrying men out to the ever-present Mediterranean Sea, which has 'throughout the ages, made men excellent mariners' as this 'ubiquitous sea has always attracted men to fish'.

Walking into Gesther restaurant in Xaghra is like walking into your favourite aunt's kitchen - it's familiar, welcoming and honest. Hence, if you're looking for an authentic local meal in Gozo then Gesther is the place to go. The two sisters who serve traditional Gozitan dishes such as bragioli, aljotta and fenek run this tiny, retro kitchenette.

I first experienced Gesther in the late 70's as a seven-year-old girl and I'm proud to say that nothing has changed. The food, atmosphere and service are just as I remembered, both warm and inviting. The décor is quite basic in a retro kind of way, but don't let that put you off as you will be missing out on some of the most authentic, home styled cooking the island of Gozo has to offer.

While I was quietly sipping my afternoon espresso at Il-Kartell, I suddenly spotted all these women appear, as it were from out of nowhere. They descended upon this particular street corner in Marsalforn dragging folding chairs behind them. From the depths of their calico shopping bags they pulled out their game boards and proceeded to play Bingo right there and then, oblivious to the world around them.