Apparently there’s a popular trend amongst adults these days of booking holidays to re-live their childhood memories and boost their wellbeing. It’s known as the Peter Pan effect. We all wear rose tinted spectacles when it comes to remembering past family trips. We forget the soggy sandwiches filled with gritty sand and just remember glorious days of sun and fun. Getting sunburnt on a pedalo, and unlimited chips and ice cream from the hotel buffet.
Luckily for us, the husband and I had really similar holiday experiences during our Yorkshire childhoods – caravanning in Wales, Sol hotels in Spain. It’s a bit uncanny. So when we want a bit of the Peter Pan magic dust there are no conflicting requirements. Today we’re going back to Malta for the first time since we both spent sun-soaked family holidays there in the 70s and 80s. Let’s see if it makes us feel rejuvenated…it might depend on how much wine we drink!
We decide that a week in Valletta, the island’s capital, would be good. My Mum immediately suggests the Phoenicia Hotel. She’s always wanted to stay there, but every time they visit my Dad can think of reasons to stay somewhere cheaper. It looks amazing so I book, hoping I’m not sowing the seeds of parental discord.
When we arrive the hotel has just re-opened after a major refurbishment. It’s beautiful, but not quite finished. To compensate for some ongoing works and noise, drinks in the gorgeous pool area are free all week. We’re jubilant. My Dad is very envious. Well, he should have taken Mum!
Sitting in the pool area actually provides us with a lot of entertainment throughout the week. Firstly, because the wait staff are new and totally clueless (albeit very nice) so we’re never quite sure what drink we will get and what kind of glass it will be served in. Secondly, there’s a rather large and loud American lady staying who has no filter whatsoever. She talks a lot about how she loves getting “the wind up my ass”. It’s comedy gold!
Valletta itself is amazing. Surrounded by golden walls and jutting out into the sea, as a spectacle it takes some beating. The city was founded in 1566 and many of the buildings date back to the 16th century, causing the whole city to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s the smallest capital city in the EU which makes it perfect for exploring on foot.
Valletta owes its existence and impressive fortifications to the Knights of the Order of St John, who based themselves on the island after being ejected first from Jerusalem and then from Rhodes. Valletta’s natural attributes made it perfect for establishing a fortress city and safe haven for members of the Order.
Inside the walls is a warren of steep streets, many of them actually more like staircases, with the traditional wooden balconies jutting out overhead. The city is compact, yes, but exploring Valletta will get you fit!
The food here is great, and you know how vital that is for a glutton like me. It can make or break a trip, and in Valletta I’m very happy with lovely, fresh Mediterranean flavours. Explore the backstreets and take your pick. We enjoyed Sotto, Trabuxu and La Cantina. The vibe is friendly and casual, with one restaurant owner taking me down into the cellar to choose my wine. I’m slightly nervous – during a childhood trip I was ‘beheaded’ by a Maltese during Medieval Night celebrations! Luckily on this occasion I come back in one piece.
But it’s the nightlife that takes us by surprise and really bowls us over. By day, you could be forgiven for thinking the only life is in the busy squares, but in the evenings chairs and cushions appear on stairs and bridges as the locals come out to play, and quiet backstreets buzz with chatter and live music. It’s a revelation!
If you want to get out of the city and explore, get the public lift down from the Upper Barakka Gardens and jump in a water taxi at the bottom. Across the water to the south east of Valletta are the Three Cities – Birgu, Isla and Bormla. If you like endless water views and streets unchanged for centuries, with zero tourists, you could spend a whole day wandering around here before whizzing back across the Grand Harbour.
Take a ferry north-west across the harbour and you reach bustling Sliema. A walk along the seafront rewards you with amazing views back to the capital. It doesn’t look far away, but don’t be fooled into walking back like we were. A host of bays and inlets mean the distance is tripled and we’re tired and very, very hot by the time we arrive back in Valletta. The husband isn’t happy, but free drinks by the pool will sort that out.
The ‘silent city’ of Mdina sits at the centre of the island. Another walled fortress, it was the ancient capital of Malta, founded in the 8th century BC. There are no cars here, hance the silence, but there is atmosphere galore.
A bus ride around the coast is a less successful experience. The husband and I are shocked at the amount of tourist infrastructure blighting what was once a beautiful coastline. I know people have to make a living, and economically things are much better now for the Maltese people, but it makes me feel sad nonetheless. St George’s Bay, where I used to stay, had two hotels and one very underwhelming ‘nightclub’ where my sister and I saw the group Imagination play live in the early 80s. Yep, it was kicking back then!
Nowadays, it’s full to bursting with hotels and at night it’s clubbing central. As we pass through, we literally cannot see the beach for oiled bodies. We don’t get off the bus to have a closer look or take photos – I might cry. Let’s get back to Valletta as quickly as possible.
We’ve had an amazing week, but I’m not sure it was down to Peter Pan or his magic dust. If anything, seeing the impact of rampant development on places that were idyllic when I was young is a bit upsetting. The things I love about Malta as an adult would have gone over my head as a kid – the beauty of the historic buildings, the informal nightlife and the fantastic food. I’ll keep the memories, but I don’t need buffet meals or pedalos anymore!
Steph's Travels 
Great post 😁
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