ToM reports:

A 59-year-old man from Marsascala was today charged in court with raping a girl over a number of years and holding her against her will.

Marsascala, Malta

In the south region of Malta, Marsascala a relaxed peaceful getaway for holiday makers, with lots of cafes and resturants to choose from whilst over looking the sea front. To view Marsascala villas, apartments in Marasacala and more holiday lettings in Malta, visit our website at…

http://www.alphaholidaylettings.com/Malta_holiday_rentals/Island_of_Malta/Marsascala

We were lucky enough to stay with Vijay Uncle, Irfan’s close family friend, in his apartment in Marsascala, Malta. He really downplayed his place. We were expecting a small flat. That’s all, we had no expectations beyond that. Needless to say, our jaw dropped when we entered this huge gorgeous flat with a beautiful view of the sea. Someone pinch me, I get to live here for a whole week?! Hollaaaa

Vijay Uncle repeatedly insisted that we check out the restaurant just below his flat, Zonqor Point. We waited until our last night there to finally check it out and I wished we had discovered it sooner! The service was amazing and the food absolutely delectable.

Jemila and I had the red snapper which was caught the very same day! It was cooked to perfection with garlic and dill. The owner, Jason, made it a point to visit each of his customers personally to ensure that they were properly cared for. Make sure to check this place out if you are ever in Malta!

13th September 2011

Like Gozo, Malta is surrounded by a beautiful coast offering characteristic views and landscape of the mediterranean.  To the South East one could find peaceful bays and beaches which could easily be reached by walk.  Here is my suggestion how to spend a day to enjoy the area.

Marsascala Parish Church

Take bus number 91 from Valletta to Marsascala. 

Marsascala Harbour

As you arrive at the last stop in the terminus square in Marsascala, walk around the main harbour along the promenade towards St Thomas Tower until you reach l-Abjad iz-Zghir.

St Thomas Tower

L-Abjad iz-Zghir - Marsascala

San Tumas Bay - Marsascala

Xrobb l-Ghagin - Dellimara 1

Xrobb l-Ghagin - Dellimara 2

Xrobb l-Ghagin - Dellimara 3

From here proceed to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk and after approximately 3 to 4 hours of walking its time for lunch in one of the traditional restaurants of the village specialising in fresh fish.  After lunch you could take the bus from Marsaxlokk to Valletta or proceed by walk to Fort San Lucian and then towards Pretty Bay Birzebbugia from where you could also take the bus to Valletta.

Maltese Bajtar tax-Xewk (Prickly Pears)

Saturday saw us going swimming early evening (at 6:30pm) at Wied il-Ghajn (Marsascala), where we had been swimming previously. I like swimming here…especially as not too many people are generally there. There we were joined with Julian and Christine. These are two of our friends who are getting married in a year’s time. Julian was at uni with Bernard, and we know both through ZAK…we always plan to meet up, but sometimes not successfully unfortunately .

After swimming, we chatted a bit and started cooking…we had Maltese sausage on the BBQ as starter, followed by Caribbean chicken kebabs (prepared lovingly by Bernard) for me and Bee and Marinated chicken for Julian and Christine. However we shared out food so we got to taste everything Then for dessert mmmmmmmm…Marshmallows on BBQ weeeeee.

Apart from the eating, we really enjoy being in each other’s company…talking about everything and everyone and discussing things…we are now planning to go to Gozo for 2 days sometime in September (11-12 September supposedly )…looking forward to that!

Sunday afternoon we had another swim again at Marsascala but this time starting earlier, at around 4pm for me and Bernard, since the others were at the seaside since 10am. This was followed by a BBQ with some other friends from ZAK…Carina, Chris and Bernard (another Bernard hihi)…this was slightly unplanned so all we had were sausages and 1 burger between us both…and the remaining marshmallows from the day before…we were still stuffed We again enjoyed ourselves…how can you not…and made some plans hopefully for next weekend…but will tell you later if it happens! WEEEEE

PS: some bad news…Pixy the Pixx came swimming with us on both days. Sunday however she started dying…since she is slowly now losing air…however me and Bernard promise we will do our best to keep her alive…We love u Pixy!

Valletta - Capital of Malta

Hello everyone! When you walk outside and smell the brisk fresh air coming from the beach you think of how lovely it is to be in Santa Barbara. With its Mediterranean weather, it sunny beaches, breath taking views, and luxurious homes Santa Barbara is like an island getaway anyone would love to live in. Recently, I visited the island of Malta for a week and it was a true Mediterranean island getaway. Malta is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean, 58 miles south of Sicily, 179 miles east of Tunisia, and 250 miles north of Libya. Malta boasts beautiful rocky shores, fortress waterfront towns, numerous defense structures from medieval to modern times, and irresistible small town charm.

Although, the two official languages are English and Maltese the natives prefer to use Maltese, which is heard everywhere you go. I stayed in the waterfront town of Sliema where clean sea green waters hit the fortified walkway outlining the whole town. Mediterranean buildings designed to keep their inhabitants cool for the summer huddle around the hills that reach the sea which makes for an amazing view. The island of Malta has a small population of 414,000 but has the charm and pride of a major European capital city!

Historically, Charles I of Spain gave the island to the Knights Hospitaller after the Ottomans drove them out of Rhodes in 1530. Malta is heavily Catholic and is evident by its more than 360 churches scattered across the island. Valletta, with a small population of 6,000, is the capital city of Malta and is renown by European royal families as Superbissima ‘Most Proud.’ The city is situated on a heavily fortified peninsula that stood the test of many wars from the Middle Ages to World War II. Its harbors welcome cruises from all parts of the world. The popular pastizzi is sold in every food stand and fresh fish markets are found in every city on the island.

Traveling around the island is made easy by the bus system of Malta. There is one bus terminal where all the buses meet and leave for their destinations. The coolest part of these buses were that most of them were kept in vintage fashion, including old horsepower engines where every switch of the gear could be heard by a loud clank and jerk, and the seating dealt with a bumpy but adventurous ride! On the south and west of the island are 3 cities known for its fish markets and hidden sceneries: Marsascala, Marsaxlokk, and Birzebugga. Beyond the small town of Marsacala is a beautiful sea green bay with bluffs where locals and tourists catch some sun. The fishing market in Marsaxlokk brings hundreds of tourists and you can see fisherman actively bringing in the fish as it is being cooked for consumption. When I arrived at Marsaxlokk I decided to walk across the hills to neighboring Birzebugga where I found beach goers sunbathing and grills filled with fresh fish. The harbor of Birzebugga was beaming with native Maltese action, locals walking to the markets and children playing in the playgrounds.

The next day I traveled to the west end of the island where spectacular views of cliffs sides were found. I stopped at Blue Grotto where the bus left people onto a breathtaking vista off the cliff side. I walked down a roadway corridor down several hundreds of feet to the very small sleepy village of Blue Grotto to sit along the rocky shore where the sound of waves crashing against rocks inspired me to do some writing.

The last day I spent on the Northern island of Gozo famously known for the origin of Calypso, the Greek sea goddess that held captive Odysseus in Homer’s epic The Odyssey. Gozo was beautiful with rolling hills, secret beaches, and humble locals. Although Gozo is a tourist destination, it is littered with small guesthouses and travelers that yearn for adventure rather than staying at any resort. The city of Victoria, in the middle of the island, hosts a grand citadel that overlooks the island where you are able to see the Mediterranean Sea from all sides. My last trip was to the quite town of Xlendi where I met some travelers seeking to discover the nearby secret beaches and lagoons. I followed and saw beautiful beaches nestled between rocky bluffs where local children climbed and dived into the blue green waters.

Malta was definitely an amazing and affordable adventure for the student who likes to discover! Blue green clear waters, rocky landscapes and rolling hills, friendly locals and fresh fish; Malta is truly a Mediterranean beauty!

]]> http://alannaheames.wordpress.com/2010/04/28/short-term-vacation-rentals-in-malta/ Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:22:46 +0000 Alannah Eames http://alannaheames.wordpress.com/2010/04/28/short-term-vacation-rentals-in-malta/