Malta {Part 1 of 2}

Two weekends ago we took a whirlwind trip to Malta with Eden, Elliott’s older sister.  We flew out of Catania, Sicily, on Friday afternoon and returned on Sunday night.  Although Malta is a teeny tiny little island country (about the size of Martha’s Vineyard), there is more to see there than you can see in two days with a baby.  If I get the chance, I want to go back… if only to have more time to sunbathe on those gorgeous beaches!

Here’s a selection of photos from our Saturday in Malta.  With a pair of sunglasses from her Aunt Eden, Lena was ready to hit the sunny promenades and sparkling sands of Malta.

Eden enjoys a ginger ale and the beautiful view on a balcony of our hotel in Paceville, Malta.  

We took a long walk through Paceville and St Julian’s.

Eventually we boarded a little boat that crossed the bay from modern St. Julian’s to ancient, lovely Valletta.  Lena made friends on the 5-minute boat ride.

Approaching beautiful Valletta, where we spent the rest of that day.

We stopped for lunch at an old cafe in one of Valletta’s main piazze.

To our relief and delight, Lena was a happy, sweet little traveler.  Our trick is providing one nap at the hotel during the day and sacrificing our adventuring (meaning either getting a late start or taking a siesta in the middle of the day).  Oh, and it always helps to provide plenty of breaks for good snacks and exploring/crawling!

Our final stop was a beautiful cliff-side garden originally built for monks to enjoy.  From there we looked back at St. Julian’s and watched a boat race.  A peaceful end to a long day on our feet!