Walled city of Valletta, Malta

As I might have mentioned a time or two, Malta was never really on our travel radar. I like to think of this stop on our Adriatic cruise as a bit of bonus...mostly because we had no clue what to expect from the country, but also because it gave us a good excuse to add another exciting destination to our ever-growing list of places we visited while living in Europe. When I started researching the port of Valletta and sights we "couldn't miss" prior to sailing, photos like this and this from Pinterest kept popping up in my search. What are those GORGEOUS balconies doing here and why is this city FULL of them?! Instantly the architecture of Valletta was fascinating. Not only is the city surrounded by stone walls and Mediterranean Sea, but the streets are narrow, hilly, and lined with these colorful balconies. I've never seen so many in my life! More on those in a bit...

As a UNESCO World Heritage site, Valletta has much to offer the history buff. With over 320 monuments and numerous well-preserved 16th century buildings related to the founding of the Renaissance, you'd be hard pressed to see and learn about it all in just one day. Sadly, we had just one afternoon to explore. Per the usual...all I wanted to do was wander around and snap photos. So, that's precisely what we did!

In the 17th century, Valletta became the epicenter of the Maltese balcony architectural trend. The increasing influence of the Baroque movement had much to do with these ornate, and in many cases, colorful, verandas popping up on buildings all over the city. In addition to balconies being a prominent architectural feature, they also held important socioeconomic roles in determining certain classes of individuals. Today, those roles are much less a factor for their existence, but remain an important part of Maltese history nevertheless. Keeping with tradition, the balconies also provide a canvas for showcasing religious and parochial favor during feast days. There are dozens of types of them adorning city buildings across Valletta, but the most common (and the most interesting to photograph, in my opinion) are the closed wooden balconies. They're reminiscent of the Victorian bay windows famous to San Francisco, but with a hint more charm and in much greater number per square foot of city street. I was the epitome of a tourist that day...with my camera and head turned to the sky down every alley we wandered. Hard not to be transfixed on such a eclectic place like Valletta. 

Valletta gave off such a cool vibe, even aside from its captivating architecture. I loved standing atop one of the city's many hilly streets and peering right out over the water. The shops, the restaurants, the streets...all bustling with locals and tourists alike. Even though the city was compact, it felt quite large, especially looking at the city from the bow of a cruise ship. City walls have a way of making any community feel commanding. Would I recommend a visit to Valletta? In a millisecond. This city (can Malta as a whole) was such a pleasant surprise to us. 

I've got one last post to share from our time in Malta. For one 10 hour day, we sure did cover a lot of ground! Coming soon...the caves of the Blue Grotto!

Marsaxlokk, Malta

After our sunrise sail into the gorgeous port of Valletta, we hopped off the ship and boarded a bus set for a few different sights around the island. First being the most colorful of them all...the sleepy fishing village of Marsaxlokk! I'm still not quite sure how to pronounce the name of this place (I'm the worst at remembering these details), but what I am sure of is its instant charm. As if the turquoise sea wasn't already colorful enough, the amount of boldly-painted fishing boats scattered about the harbor made this seascape just about as fun as they come.

Marsaxlokk means "Southeasterly Port" (which is much easier to say) and has been in almost constant operation for thousands of years. Primarily used as a fishing hub, this well-loved village just a short drive from Malta's Mdina is home to hundreds of fishing boats (known as luzzus to the Maltese) and some seriously scrumptious Mediterranean-caught seafood. The morning of our visit, we wandered around the harbor, gawking at the colorful vessels and enjoying the fragrant smells of fish dishes wafting from dozens of waterfront restaurants lining around its parameter. In case you were curious as to why the blue, yellow and red color-scheme is found on almost all the luzzus...well, that's a tradition handed down from fisherman to fisherman over many, many years. In addition, if you look closely at the luzzus, you can see other features that set them apart from less colorful boats in the harbor. The high, pointed tips found at each boat-end are just one characteristic. Another? Well, the Maltese can be very superstitious, so many luzzu carry the traditional eye symbol faceted to the outside of the boat to ward away the evil's of the sea. Who could blame them, what with having to battle choppy waters and thwarting sea creatures day in and day out.

We were lucky enough to witness a few luzzus getting fresh coats of paint from their owners as we wandered the seaside promenade. Each fisherman seemed to take great pride in his vessel, even if it was hard to decipher one luzzu from another. I also began to fall in love with the village itself. There was no shortage of al fresco dining and rustic doors in this Maltesian wonder. Our good fortune continued as we were introduced to local Maltese artisans selling their wares at a large outdoor market. I picked up a few lace souvenirs as well as some colorful jewelry from a man making his own pieces right along the water. Tourism was very much alive and well in Marsaxlokk!

Snacking on some fresh shrimp balls we found from a local fisherman's seafood shop, we continued our exploration deeper into the village. Just behind the market stood a beautiful stone cathedral and beyond that, quiet color splashed alleyways (my favorite!). Rustic seaside charm oozed its way from the sun-soaked streets straight into my heart. Yet another one of those too-cute-too-be-true places that make you truly appreciate the opportunity of travel.

If Malta makes it to your bucket list (and it should), add a stop in tradition-filled Marsaxlokk to your itinerary. You must see the luzzus for yourself!

Stay tuned for more seascapes around Malta!