In the Spotlight ...... A Place to Embrace Life, Shop and Lunch

If you're planning a week, or to be totally honest, a long weekend would be easy enough, then this is the place to be. 

A warm welcome is guaranteed - this place is perfect for a relaxing escape.

Just three hours' flight from UK and you can find yourself embracing life, shopping and lunching in this city.

A European Capital of Culture 2018

Where are we?  The buzzing city of Valetta, the Capital of Malta.

Weather, what weather?

Our last visit was at the end of November and it was slightly chilly, well for me anyway and on the day of our visit to Valetta, it rained!

  

But when you're on holiday and there's so much to see the weather somehow seems less of an irritant and there's always somewhere to shelter.  ie a local cafe or bar! 

For us on this occasion Cafe Castille was very handy and served up a delicious lunch to go with our Cisk and wine!

300 Sunny Days a Year

In accordance with what they tell you about Valletta boasting more sunshine than any other European City.........by the time we'd finished eating and drinking, the sun had made itself known to us once more.

Shopping is definitely a way of life here in Valetta

If you like shopping there's everything here and more.  We travel light

and therefore no room for any extras in our bags :(  that's the downside .... but the upside of course is you save your shopping money to go back!

As you can see at the end of November the Christmas lights are already in place.  We always retire to our Hotel, in order that we can have an early evening drink and relax before dining, we don't get to see them lit up.   They look beautiful in the daytime so I'm sure in the evening they are stunning.

Here at Christmas they really do create an impressive display everywhere.

I love it here.  It has so much history but it also has beautiful gardens too.

Upper Barrakka Gardens for panoramic views over the Grand Harbour.  You won't miss it as everyone is soaking up these views with selfies and such like!

Hot, Hot, Hot :)

And I don't mean the weather (not at this time of the year anyway)!  This chilli plant extravaganza caught my eye whilst everyone was looking elsewhere.  Incredible.

If you haven't been yet.....this year is the time to go ..... 400 events 

make up the 2018 cultural programme culminating with a closing spectacle on 13th December.  

Visit the The Cultural Programme for more info.

Where to stay?  For us there is no other place to stay than Corinthia Palace Hotel in the centre of the island, central to everything but quiet too.  

However, if you want to be nearer to the coast.....and a little livelier...

On my recommendation a colleague visited Malta and wanted a seaview so she opted for Corinthia St Georges Bay - she and her family absolutely loved it.

So, what are you waiting for?  Go, go, go .............

Hopefully we'll see you there. :)

Wherever You Go Becomes Part of You Somehow

Short and sweet today.

This quote 'Wherever you go becomes part of you somehow'

gave me plenty of 'food' for thought.

And oh so true ..... how easy it is to fall in love with wherever you are.

Calheta, Madeira

Raft Rocks, Milford on Sea

The Noisy Lobster, Avon Beach

Le Petit Cafe, Guernsey

Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa Malta

Marsaxlokk

Terrone, Marsaxlokk, Malta

Costa Smeralda Sardinia

Waters Edge, Gurnard

Corinthia Hotel & Spa, Attard, Malta

Exbury Gardens

Braxton Gardens Lymington

Antigua

And you can see why they say travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.

..... and a little heavier :)  

Ah yes...be rude not to sample the food and drink wouldn't it? 

Staycations or vacations wherever you go it will become a part of you for sure.

Can't wait to go on our next travels, coming soon.

Elections - Well You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

A bit of a throw back as I suddenly realised that we hadn't let you all in on the fun in Malta back there in June!

If you have been following us you will remember A Blooming Slice several blogs ago.

Elections here, elections there

On arrival at The Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa - by the way did we tell you this is one of our favourite Hotels in the whole wide world?  We haven't actually been all over the whole wide world, but to date this is a firm favourite and we'll be hard pushed to beat it.

Oops sorry I digress .... so on arrival the staff asked about our elections and we said we had managed to get our vote in before leaving home.  We were then told well be prepared because .....

You ain't seen nothing yet ....

Maltese elections are something to behold and probably best to stay off the road on Sunday as the post election celebrations can be a little hairy?  Really, we thought, surely it can't be that bad?

We had booked Terrone in Marsaxlokk for Sunday lunch, which is becoming the norm for us when we visit Malta, and nothing was going to stop me going for my favourite cheeseboard.

Well, to be honest, nothing will stop us eating and drinking when we're on holiday. 😎  After all it'd be rude not to taste and savour the food of another country and culture.

Sunday came and we were determined

After our normal amazing breakfast at Corinthia we ventured out on to the road.  This, to be honest, can be a little scary any day, which is why I leave Malcolm to the driving!

After a stroll around the market and a wander beside the fishing boats we settled at Terrone - nothing unusual here, with us or with the people of Malta for that matter.

Yep ... all looks familiar, drink, camera, view of busy Marsaxlokk just as we remember.

Hooting, tooting convoys

Our peaceful lunch was about to end .....

 and we were about to find out just what all the fuss was about!

And no-one can prepare you for this!  

We were sat with a couple who were on holiday from Belgium and were staying in a Hotel in St Pauls.  They had arrived by Taxi to see the Marsaxlokk fish market and for a bite of lunch.  

There is no exaggeration at all when you are told about the hooting, tooting road-blocking convoys.

As a car came bursting round the corner, flags flying, people hanging out, shouts of glee, hooting and tooting.  Suddenly the Belgian couple felt that a hasty retreat may be beneficial.  And we thought we may be well advised to do the same as we had to drive through it.

I will let the pictures tell the story .......all further pictures taken through the car window :)

Convoys of cars and trucks packed with Labour party (Partit Laburista) supporters.  Music pouring out of vehicles, plastic horns (vuvuzelas) being blown and colour bursts of bright red everywhere.

They sure know how to celebrate here and the police seem to turn a blind eye on this day too.

We didn't find it hairy or scary.  Actually we found it fun and refreshing to see people celebrating in such a 'throw caution to the wind' way.

We felt quite honoured to be in Malta on this day and to witness such loud and proud celebrations.

Thank you Malta for the fun day we had.

  

Visit Malta in Bloom at the Corinthia Palace Hotel and Spa in June

When we visited Malta in June, we were blown away by the colours of the flowers all over the island.

However, today we share with you the amazing gardens of 

The Corinthia Palace Hotel.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

A 'Blooming' Slice of Our Holiday in Malta at The Corinthia Palace Hotel and Spa

Here it was just as we remembered it .... except ...... it was hot, hot, hot.

Our trips to Malta have been amazing and we've have always been blessed with beautiful weather.  We knew visiting in June would be hotter, but don't think we were quite ready for how hot!

Whoopee

Not to worry, on this occasion the pool is open and I'm sure we'll find ways of cooling off - a dip and possible the odd cold beer or two.

More about the pool and celebrations on another day because nothing prepared us for this!

Blooming June

We had always been welcomed at Corinthia Palace Hotel and Spa with smiles and glasses of orange juice - really appreciated always feel a little jet lagged.   I know it's Malta, only an hour ahead of UK, and a short 3 hour flight, but we always seem to book an early morning flight and have to get up at 4am!  Not complaining, of course, as it means we get a long arrival day. 😊

Anyway I digress!

As we arrived, sun streaming through  .....

we drive in, once again in our 'little' hire car, but the staff are used to us now and take it off our hands to park it.  Think they worry Malcolm will get stuck in it one day and we may have to stay ... 

now there's an idea :)

Feels like we're coming home .... welcomed by all, and I mean all, some familiar faces and some new and we're handed the thirst quenching orange juice.  Cool and refreshing, goes down a treat.

  

Heaven begins here.

But now, we were in for a beautiful surprise.  

We had never seen the Corinthia Palace in 'blooming June'.  Stunning. 

After the 'hellos' and a quick chat with 'our friends', we were taken to our suite.  Well, we know where it is, of course, but everything is done properly here no matter how often you visit.

Our suite as we remembered it.  Huge bed, comfy cushions and soft towelling robes and the incredible balcony where we sit with our morning cuppa and in the evening sipping wine.

Talking of the balcony, on venturing out I was totally blown away by the view of the gardens and this beautiful 'Jacaranda' tree. 

A word of warning, if you want to see this in bloom, you need to visit at the beginning of June.

When the blossom falls, it looks a little like wedding confetti .... actually, talking of weddings, this is a fabulous wedding venue.

Bless the staff, though, they are probably very glad when all the blossom has fallen!  The clearing up is constant especially when they have an outdoor event!

So there you have it, now you know the meaning of a 'blooming' slice of our holiday in Malta. Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa in bloom and just a slice of our holiday.

And, trust me, you haven't seen it all .... there's more .... but that's for another day.

Watch this space.