For some reason, Bermuda has always piqued my interest. Maybe it goes back to my childhood and watching Bermuda’s Olympians marching in during the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in their Bermuda shorts. Maybe it’s that an island isolated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of miles from any other land mass seems like such a different way to live.
Read MoreSPQR: A History of Ancient Rome is one of three books we picked up to provide an overview of Roman history in advance of our week-long trip to the city. As I write this, we should have just returned home from that trip; alas, we had to postpone it to an unknown future date as a result of the current pandemic.
Read MoreThe island nation of Malta is roughly 122 square miles, less than half the size of New York City, and is located in the Mediterranean Sea, about 100 miles south of Sicily. The three islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino are the largest and most often referenced in descriptions of the country; however, there are also dozens of tiny islands of varying sizes. While most of these islands are too small to be inhabited, a few others are. Cominotto is a popular tourist destination, and Manoel Island, located between Valletta and Sliema, has long been inhabited and currently features several modern day yacht clubs and also a large fort dating back to the 1700s. The formation and evolution of these islands dates to about 35 million years ago (relatively recently when you consider the dinosaurs went extinct about 60 million years ago) and are, much like the archaeological history of Malta, inexorably tied to the sea.
Read MoreWhen we booked our trip to Malta, we did so on a whim after just about an hour doing online research. Why did we book this trip on a whim? Because we found an amazing flight deal, which is as good a reason as any, right?! But in that hour of research, what sold us that Malta was worth visiting were the number of historically and archaeologically important sites scattered around the island and the role the island itself had played in important events of history.
Read MoreWe fell in love with the little island of Gozo (it’s about 25 square miles). Gozo is the smaller of Malta’s two inhabitable islands (the third island can be visited but is not really inhabited) and is a great side trip to pair with a visit to the mainland. If you’re looking to do just that, check out our recommended 3-5 day Malta itinerary as well! In this blog we’ll cover some general information on Gozo, information on how to get there, and our recommendations for spots to visit to fill 2 (or more) days.
Read MoreLet me start by saying that Malta is a fascinating country with enough spots to visit, restaurants to try, hikes to take, and so much more that a visitor could easily spent a week or more touring Malta’s main island. We spent a week ourselves with the majority on Malta and a couple of days on Gozo and had a wonderful time. If you only have 3-5 days to spend, here is the Valletta-based itinerary we would recommend. The best part of this is that you can stay in one place the entire time with all the spots walkable by foot or accessible via ferry or a short cab ride.
Read MoreIn this blog, we’ll provide an overview of what to expect when dining in Malta on both the main island of Malta and the smaller island of Gozo, information on the grocery shopping scene, tips based on our experience, and recommendations for the places where we had enjoyable meals and experiences.
With Sicily and Italy to the north, the northern Africa nations of Libya and Tunisia to the south, and a long history of varied peoples and cultures swirling across the Mediterranean, Maltese dining is varied and diverse. There are a substantial number of Italians who live on or visit the island, meaning there are plenty of Italian eateries to fill all your needs for pizza and pasta.
Read MoreAfter a full week spent in Malta on both the mainland island of Malta plus a couple of days on the smaller island of Gozo, here are some of the tips we hope will help make your planning easier and your trip as wonderful as ours!
Read MoreWhen we booked our week-long trip to Malta, we did so on a whim (cheap flight!) and knew nothing about the country beyond the results of an hour’s long Google search that sold us on booking the flights. In the months leading up to the trip, we read some books about Malta that not only got us excited about going to see many of the sites tied to the books but also helped us to enjoy the trip so much more, garnering a greater understanding of the country’s history as we toured. Since returning, we have read more books about the country and hope to make it back some day to visit the places we didn’t get to on the first trip.
Read MoreWhen the weather in Southwestern Virginia hits the mid-60s in late December, you don’t ask any questions, you just head outside and get some hiking in while you can!
Below we’ll provide some information about Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve and its location, information on the 4 trails contained within, and some information on what to expect when you visit.
Read MoreWhat is it about relatively small islands or countries that require more coordination to get around?! Malta is comprised of three islands, two of which are inhabited (mainland Malta and the smaller Gozo) plus Comino, which is a common day trip destination to swim in its Blue Lagoon. We visited Malta and Gozo, and in this blog, we’ll cover information and tips on how to get around these islands without a car . . . and why we wouldn’t recommend renting one.
Read MoreThe country of Malta is made up of three islands, two of which are inhabited: mainland Malta and the smaller island of Gozo. We visited both during our week in the country, and based on our experiences and research, here’s what we would recommend for your trip.
Read MoreThere is a beautiful, haunting sadness that permeates this novel beginning with the early introduction to National Suicide Day, a solution dreamed up by Shadrack, a World War I veteran returning to town with visible and non-visible scars. Without giving away too much of the plot, there are a series of unfortunate accidents - slight slips of hand or errant strands of hair - that create life-altering and life-hardening ripples in the lives of the characters living in the area of town known as The Bottom.
Read MoreThe Battleship North Carolina is anchored on Cape Fear River, a short distance away and visible from Wilmington’s Riverwalk. For anyone who loves ships, military history, or has never had a chance to explore a military ship, this is an activity you may enjoy.
Read MoreFor the second year in a row, we rented a beach house with a couple of family members for a Christmas/winter getaway. Our goal in picking a destination was to find somewhere warmer than Virginia but within a reasonable driving distance. The destination we picked fit the bill perfectly!
Read MoreThis novel is a tale of Uganda, written by an expat and with a primarily Ugandan audience in mind. This novel pushes the narrative of Uganda’s colonizers aside and focuses on the history, culture, and society of the Kingdom of Buganda as modern people seek to understand their own valuable story.
Read MoreOur final day of our week-long trip to Malta and Gozo took us almost as far as was possible across the country as we traveled from Victoria, Gozo, all the way to the far end of Malta, where we ended the day dining at the water’s edge of Marsaxlokk Harbor, an important spot in history and home to the unique and beautiful Maltese fishing boats!
Read MoreOn our second day on the island of Gozo, we returned to the walled city of Cittadella to finish exploring the parts we hadn’t gotten to the prior day and were particularly surprised by the contents of the Shipwreck Museum. Then, wanting to spend some time along the coast, we had a wonderful harbor-side meal and 3-mile hike starting out from Xlendi Bay with exquisite views!
Read MoreWe started the day returning to our new favorite breakfast spot in Valletta and ended it by finding our new favorite dinner spot on Gozo. Sandwiched between those meals (pun definitely intended), we explored a final spot in Valletta - the mesmerizing St. John’s Co-Cathedral - took a cross-country car ride to the Malta to Gozo ferry, and explored the walled Cittadella, perched in the middle of Malta’s smaller island of Gozo. With two days in Gozo, we made sure to quickly get our bearings to enjoy this portion of our trip.
Read MoreOur fourth day would be our last in the Valletta area before heading to the island of Gozo. We had a relatively quiet morning in Valletta before heading over to the walled medieval city of Mdina, which we fell in love with. Other than the draw of tourism, I would love to live there! Mdina is also known as the Silent City - more info below on how it got that name - and has been a filming spot for you Game of Thrones fans out there. Read below for more on our explorations of Mdina, and some great dining recommendations for both lunch and dinner.
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