Malta abounds in natural beauty, and how better to see it than from a colourful Maltese fishing boat or the back of a horse?
When we first booked our tickets and started thinking about Malta, the two things the kids said they wanted to do were horseback riding and kayaking. Unfortunately, kayaking seems to be a summer activity in Malta, and we couldn’t find anyone who would take us during what to Maltese people is the dead of winter (yesterday it was a sunny 15 degrees outside, and we were listening to the radio weather person commiserating with her fellow Maltese about the bitterly cold temperatures, and exhorting them to bravery). So we settled for the next best thing: a boat tour to the Blue Grotto. The tours departed in these cute little boats from this tiny cove.
Axa and Raj were basically feuding the entire time over who got to sit on the outside of the boat. I think in this photo Tony threatened revocation of pad time to get some semblance of happy faces.
Lyra came along, and seemed to enjoy the trip.
The tour encompassed seven caverns, one of which was the famed Blue Grotto. In the summer, there’s apparently a dramatic glowing blue effect from the sun filtering in to the water, but in winter it was a bit dark and spooky. But the cliffs were spectacularly beautiful, towering over a blue sea, and it was nice to see them from a different angle than from above, worrying that my children would fall down them. Instead, I just had to worry about the boat capsizing and drowning us all.
This was New Year’s Eve, and the very same day, we had booked a sunset horse ride along the cliffs by Golden Bay. This is the place. I love the signage. We saw a similar sign on a similar-looking shed advertising wine tasting, and it cracked me up because it was so incongruous for a winery.
Axa was in her element, although she was a bit furious that our guide insisted on having her on a lead for the first ten minutes or so.
Raji did a great job too, and it was so adorable to see him up on a horse again.
Malta is exceedingly rocky, but they do manage to farm here, and the fields are quite picturesque with the red clay soil.
The view out over the sea was beautiful too.
This is my horse, Guinness. We totally bonded.
And here’s our entry for awkward family photo:
Happy New Year from the Familias!
Y’all are so cute! I’ve enjoyed your posts about your time in Malta. Lovely pictures!
Happy New Year!