Malta was the last country in all of Europe left for me to visit. Surprisingly there were a number of tourists on the main island….they came by ship, by plane and with multiple tour companies. More Americans are exploring there now that Carnival Cruise Lines have added this shore excursion.
My hotel was filled with a large group from Finland who had a plan that included both breakfast and dinner. Consequently the food served was buffet style and pretty much tasteless. Their wines were decent however!
This small country is known to have more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any nation and a great deal of religious and military architecture still intact from ancient periods. I did a bus tour of the southern part of the island that included Valletta, the capital. Unfortunately the audio system with historical details about the various sites was not coordinated with the route. I saw many interesting places but had trouble understanding which was which and who did what etc. Plus it was pretty windy and cold on the upper deck!
Returning from the tour I took a city bus from Valletta to St. Paul’s Bay and unintentionally got off about 5 miles away from my hotel. As I don’t have phone service outside the USA I was in a bit of trouble. Luckily English is the second language everyone speaks (Arabic is the first) and I was able to interact with many different locals in my attempt to find my hotel and had a great workout to boot!
Aging Adventurer 
Love your photos! One small correction though – Maltese is the official language here 🙂 but you’re right, it does sound a bit like Arabic!
Thank you….I had only asked someone, did not validate!
Arabic isn’t the first, second or any language in Malta! The first language is Maltese, which is mainly a mixture of Arabic, English and Italian. It also uses an alphabet and not scripture.
Thank you…someone else educated me on this, I apologize for not checking it out before. Again, I appreciate your correction!