Maltese Morning

Having been in America only a short thirty-six hours beforehand, I woke up on my first morning in Malta a little earlier than normal.  I stumbled over to the heavy curtains and drew them open just in time to be greeted by this:

"Oh come on," I said out loud.  "This is just unnecessary."

Malta is just that, in two words: gratuitously beautiful.  The residents demurely apologized for the "chilly" weather as I pulled out my sunglasses for the first time in months and practically lobbed my fleece off the top level of an open-air bus.  Day one found me wandering around the medieval towns of Valletta, Mdina, and Vittoriosa admiring the gorgeous architecture and even more breaktaking scenery.

From Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta

St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta

From Lower Barrakka Gardens, Valletta

From the waterfront, Vittoriosa

Sunset from Vittoriosa

Day two found me traveling to the neighboring island of Gozo for more natural beauty.

The Blue Lagoon, Comino Island, from the Gozo Island Ferry

View of the Mediterranean from Calypso's Cave, Gozo

Azure Window, Gozo

Fungus Rock, Gozo

The most telling feature of the trip, however, came slightly beforehand.  Being acquainted with a Maltese family now living in America and whom I used to both work for and go to school with, I got back in touch to ask their advice on my journey.  What I got in return was a long, thought-out, bullet-pointed list of things to do, restaurants to try, and family connections I should visit on the way.  Their advice led me to some of the best food I've ever eaten, and a ream of photos just as beautiful as the ones above. Afterwards, my classmate saw my photos on Facebook and discovered I had been standing under the balcony of yet another family member.  I was promptly scolded for not stopping by for a meal.

It was well above and beyond what I would have expected.  But, just like the rest of Malta, it was a most welcome surprise.