Maltese traditional food and drink

Maltese traditional food and drink  is delicious :) Maltese cuisine is a result of a long relationship between Islanders and the many civilisations who occupied the Island through centuries (Italian, British, Arabian).  Although that I am vegetarian, I have to try everything (excluding meat). 

Beer CISK  - I am not beer lover, But CISK LEMON is really good. Women you must try this beer :P You have option to try 6 different Cisk beers..

PASTIZZI - I love it! Flaky pastry filled with ricotta or mushy peas.. It is really cheap - 0,30€/piece!

BEER HOPLEAF - also local bear

KINNIE - bitter sweet soft drink with orange flavouring and aromatic herbs. I did not like it.

Example of Maltese menu: traditional menu consists of Brusketta or Ftira or Gbejna :)

SWEETS - often include fresh ricotta, dried fruit or nuts. If you will be in Marsaxlokk fish market on Sunday, the locals will give you a lot of sweets to try! #yummy

QASSATAT - similar to pastizzi, filled with ricotta cheese or tun and tomato.

QUBBAJT - Traditional nougats , BAJTRA LIQUER - traditional from fresh cactus fruits, CISK EXCEL

FTIRA - snack: bread with tomato, tuna, onions, olives. We also get chips and salad with capers, corn and olives.. Quick snack heaven :)

Liquors - many options to get drunk.. There is a lot of mini stores, where you can buy drink and food! We tried honey liquor and traditional liquor called Bajtra. It is made from cactus.. 

We went in a really nice restaurant in Bugibba called Ta Pawla restaurant on Tourist street. Every day we  walked past and each night was crowded with people. We said: We have to go here to try  Maltese traditional food! For starter we ordered GBEJNA - local cheese with salad. So delicious!!!

FENEK is a rabbit, simmered country - style in wine, baked or in a stew

IMQARET - dare slices with aniseed with cream and ice cream, simply the best :)

Yeah, the Maltese food is really something special. There is a lot of nice restaurants and some pastizeries :) I found also a vegan ice cream :):)  When you travel, try new things and eat local food ;)

BON APPETIT! 

Popeye Village

Popeye Village was built as a film set for the production of the 1980 musical feature film Popeye. Today is an open - air museum. It is a place ideal for families with children. There is many beautiful colourful houses in Anchor Bay. Sometimes it can be really windy here like in our case, so do not forget for some more clothes.

Anchor Bay - You can take a trip with a boat

There is also restaurant where you can refresh. When you buy entrance fee, you can watch the main characters, play different games, have fun and enjoy :)

VILLAGE MELLIEHA

Mellieha is maybe more known for its beach. When we went to Pop eye Village we stopped here because we must cross the bus. Here is a big church called Mellieha Paris Church and also a World War II shelters. During the war Malta became one of the most bombed places on the earth.The largest of 46 shelters reach the length of over 500 meters. Entrance fee for adults is 2,40€, for children 0,90€.

Front of the church

Street art :)

Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk

On Sunday we went in  South Eastern part of Malta. We visited Blue Grotto and small traditional fishing village Marsaxlokk. I read on Tourist Guide that Sunday is the best day to visit it. Local people placed a fish and souvenir market. It is really nice view. Old low coloured houses ring the waterfront and a brightly coloured luzzu dance in the harbour. Luzzu is a name of traditional fishing boat.

Filfla Island: The locals told me that Filfla Island was part of Malta Island in the past. Now is small, rocky and uninhabited island.

Abandoned oil rig near Blue Grotto

Blue Grotto: Southern coast is pitted with sea caves, the Blue Grotto is the most spectacular. We took a 25- minute boat trip. In every guide it is said that is the best time to enjoy caves in the morning. Shafts of bright sunlight reflect inside the cave turn the water several shades of vivid blue.

Blue water: just amazing!

Boat trip cost 8€. It is worth it!

Marsaxlokk market: fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, Maltese traditional sweets, ...

Luzzu: colourful fish boats are something special..

We wanted also to visit St. Peter´s pool. We asked locals for a path to this natural pool :) We found it. St. Peter´s pool is one of the most beautiful natural swimming pools in Malta, near Marsaxlokk. The sea is clear and a lot of people jump into it. It is very popular with the locals. To pool lead very bad road, but it is worth it. You can go also with car and park on the top of the cliff, but road is bad.

Trip to Gozo - Malta´s sister Island

Gozo is more rural and smaller than Malta. Steeped in myth, Gozo is thought to be a legendary Calypso´s isle of Homer´s Odyssey - a peaceful mystical backwater. Gozo like as Malta, has a lot of historical sites and natural beauties, spectacular coastline. It is great place for swimming and diving. In all three islands diving is very popular.
From Bugibba to Cirkewwa is 40 - 45 minutes by bus. There is a lot of people going to Gozo. I do not know how this is going in summer. Air condition works full !!! Buses are automatic and go very slowly up to hill.

We take a ferry from Cirkewwa to Gozo. The return ticket is cheap - 4,5 €! It takes around 20 minutes. And then we started a journey around Gozo. First, we went to Victoria/Rabat, then to Dwejra and at the end to Rambla Bay.

.. Ferry to Gozo..

.. Mgar in Gozo, where all ferries arrive..

British telephone booth - It was in 1880 that Malta voluntary become part of British Empire. The British took over Malta and transformed the island into a Naval base.After 100 years of British rule, in 1974 Malta became a Republic. Now there is so many things around that bear traces of their influence on country.

Pastizzi - Malta´s national snack. Delicious! Flaky pastry which encloses different fillings, the most common being peas and ricotta chesse. Njaaaam njaaam :) You can get it in every pastizzeri :)

Qassatat - pastry filled with ricotta cheese or spinach, tuna and tomato.

Citadella - is on a UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Cathedral of the Assumption

Maltese landscape is full of fields.

Azzure Window - natural beauty. Formation, which was created after two limestone sea cave collapsed in 2012, is popular with scuba divers. It is one of the most popular tourist destination in Malta.

.. Diving in Blue Hole.. Natural formation with average 20 meters in depth..

.. Salt in Dwejra..

.. Fungus Rock and cliffs in Dwejra ..

Fungus Rock - 65 meters high rock. On rock is rare plant known as Malta Fungus. Because of the importance of this plant, the Knights blocked access to the rock by smoothing the cliff sides and placed a guarded it against intruders.

Having fun in Rambla Bay :) :) The real sandy beach in Gozo.

On the top you can see Calypso Cave. This site is thought to be the same cave Homer mentioned in The Odyssey where Calypso (the beautiful nymph) kept Odysseus as a prisoner of love for seven years.

First day: Around Bugibba

Bugibba is a zone within St. Paul´s Bay. It has a lot of hotels, restaurants, pubs and casino. In Bugibba is also a Malta National Aquarium. The town´s main highlight in the main square which is located along the promenade. The square is very popular with locals and tourists alike as its right facing the waterfront and overlooks the sea. Lots of people meet here or just sit on the benches and relax in the sun.

Near is also Kennedy Groove. It is nice area that surrounds a monument to J.F.Kennedy.

We had hotel in Bugibba. From airport to Bugibba goes bus X3. A ticket for bus for one week costs 21€ (Tickets - Malta Public Transport). First day we just hung around. We went along the coast past National Aquarium to Qawra. It is located near Bugibba and it has salt pans and bird park.

The main square with palm tress.

.. On the coast..

We went to national aquarium. It is not so big and it is nice for children. The ticket is 13€, but you can get a discount if you go to cruise on Gozo. 

Groove festival took place on the cape. Near is Qawra Tower..

.. Salt pans in the Qawra.,

.. Church in Bugibba..

At the end of the day we tried Maltese local beer called CISK. On the left is Cisk lemon.