Left Madrid on Saturday and flew into Malta where we'll be staying until the 14/11. Our flight from Madrid was an early one (6.30am) so we arrived at our hotel hours before check-in. As luck would have it, our room was ready when we arrived so they checked us in early - bonus! We are staying in Sliema, across the harbour from Valletta, Malta's capital.

First impressions of Malta? The area we are staying in seems to be in a state of flux. Lots of building going on. Lots of abandoned building projects also. Looks quite rundown in places - pavements are cracked, roads are potholed. The skyline is full of cranes. High rise is the order of the day. It is apparent that Sliema is tooling up to take advantage of the huge tourist trade in Malta (lots of English and German accents can be discerned). That's not to say that it is not without it's charm. The bars, the restaurants, the people work together to provide an atmosphere that is fun, exciting and welcoming.

We spent Saturday wandering the streets and marveling at the setting, which would have to be one of the more spectacular of any city we have been in. The harbour provides the perfect backdrop to Valletta and Sliema.

Found a nice cafe to have a bit of lunch - bruschetta followed by chicken wraps and a couple of glasses of wine - perfect introduction to Malta.

Sunday, late rise, down to the Strand (the Maltese name is Triq Ix-Xatt) for some breakfast before deciding what to do for the day. Looking out across the harbour from our breakfast spot we could see Valletta beckoning us. The ferry station wasn't too far from where we were so Valletta for the day it was.

The ferry ride across the harbour gave us new views of Valletta and Sliema. Two cities of contrast. The closer we got to Valletta revealed this historical city in all its glory, and the further we got from Sliema highlighted this brash upstart with its eye on the future. As we got off the ferry both Julie and I looked upwards at the steep hills we would have to negotiate to get up into the city itself. Nearby were a number of hop on/hop off electric buses/trains for a modest cost of 5€ - problem solved. .

Valletta is a marvel. A photo opportunity at every turn. The place oozes history from its very stones. It's little wonder that the city is a UNESCO site. People everywhere. Restaurants and cafes everywhere (is wining and dining the national pastime here?) We even came across what appeared to be some sort of political rally in the main square of the city. A quick bite to eat in one of the quiet back streets and we were ready to start heading back down to the harbour to catch the ferry back to Sliema. A most satisfying day of sight seeing.