Wednesday morning, I once again awoke without any plan in mind. Originally I had thought that I would be able to do all of Malta in several days, but I had underestimated the size of the island. Although it is small, due to the crap bus service, it takes a while to get around. Therefore, I decided early on that I was going to explore at a slower pace, and just take things as they come.
Therefore, when I was pondering what I wished to do, primarily mulling over visiting Mdina, and the Dingli Cliffs, I accepted the offer of company from one of my roommates, a German woman named Jasmine, that I had briefly interacted with the previous day. We quickly became friends, as we spent many an hour on a bus together over the next few days.
The day was spent in the area of Rabat and Mdina, the Silent City and old capital of Malta. It was the sight that Game of Thrones used for King's Landing for the first season before they switched to a city in Croatia. Cars are not allowed within its walls and it's very Mediterranean, and overlooks much of the surrounding island. Located outside its walls is Rabat, another village whose name means suburb in Arabic. There, Jasmine and I explored the Roman house, the only one of its kind on the island, and the catacombs of St. Paul. The catacombs were larger than I expected, fascinating but creepy. They were dimly lit and a maze, and I kept picturing what it would have been like to be in them when they were full. Once we emerged from the darkness, we grabbed a lunch of snacks from a local bakery and munched on them in a local square, soaking up the sun and chatting amicably. The town itself is very Mediterranean, as it felt quite sleepy and quiet, with an occasional bustle of tourists wandering through.
We then took a bus to the Dingli Cliffs, which are 253 meters (830 feet) and are the highest spot in Malta. The view from them overlooking the Mediterranean was truly stunning. The sea stretched for miles around the island with no other land in sight, with the sun shining brightly through thin clouds, shimmering off the waves. Jasmine and I took all of this in, sitting against a stone wall running around the radar dome of the airport, which was located along the cliffs. With the local beer, Cisk, in hand, we relaxed and enjoyed the stunning view until the next bumbling bus arrived, and we began the long bouncy journey home.
That evening, we grabbed food at a local supermarket and had pasta for dinner, where I also sampled the local soda, Kinnie. We shared it with a French young woman, one of our roommates, and one of the Italian men in the hostel. He spoke barely any English, but was always incredibly nice, offering to share food, smiling at everyone and always saying hello. He spoke through the French woman who translated for us, and it was an enjoyable meal, since we all came from incredibly different backgrounds but could bond over food. Definitely a moment to remember. After some tea and a book with Cat Stevens on my lap, I called it a night, remembering with a slight shock that the next day was my last full day in Malta.
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