Christmas is something many of us in the Nordics associate with cold temperatures and hopefully some snowfall. That is not what you get when visiting Malta in December. It might be winter with occasional rainfall, but it is still something some of us associate with summer temperatures back home. Yes, it has been an unusually hot December this year in Malta, but enjoying pre-Christmas events in the sunshine? That is just different. This is how we enjoyed the sunshine in the Capital Valletta, a day trip we did from Marsaskala where we stayed for the week.
Read more about Malta, Sliema, and Valletta here:
Christmas Market in Valletta
We had two destinations in mind for our third day in Malta. The first was to explore the Christmas events happening in the capital Valletta and the second was to do some shopping in nearby Sliema. So once we were up, we headed out to catch a taxi from Marsaskala to Valletta. The distance is actually quite short, but it always takes some time to get from A to B in Malta.
We arrived in neighboring Floriana and it is at the border between Floriana and Valletta that the Christmas Market took place. The large square with its fountain had been decorated for Christmas and the market had just started to wake up when we arrived. Luckily, Little A was able to go for a ride on the merry-go-round before we continued towards the narrow streets of Valletta. We had, however, already decided to return to the market another day when it had had time to properly open.
Our walk along the streets of Valletta included both a stop for ice cream and another stop for lunch. It was actually Susann’s first proper visit to the Maltese capital and we were in no hurry as we just enjoyed the atmosphere and sunshine. This is, after all, a city that takes some time to get to know but where a walk is sometimes the best way to enjoy the sights. Remember, in Valletta the whole city is the main sight.
Our walk eventually lead down to the ferry that would take Susann and Little A across the bay to Sliema. For my part, this was the start of a new hike around the bay. There will, of course, be a separate post about the hike.
Shopping in Sliema
Susann and Little A had arrived in Sliema about an hour before I got there. They made their way to the Tigne Point Shopping Center where they looked around in the toy and book stores. The main objective had been to find a booster seat for a planned road trip the following day, but that turned out to be difficult in this particular shopping center.
When I arrived these two ladies were enjoying a break at one of the coffee shops. I joined them and we googled where to find a booster seat in Sliema. Susann eventually found a promising store along one of the streets and we headed in that direction. Luckily, we were able to purchase a seat and Little A was very happy with the pink color.
It was now getting a bit late in the afternoon and we decided to see if our friend who works in Sliema had time to meet up. It turned out to be the case and after some hard time finding her office, we were treated to an amazing view out over the bay and of Valletta while we waited for her to be ready to go. The talk now had moved to the road trip the next day. Where would we actually be heading?
Stay tuned to read more about our 2022 December Visit to Malta. Read more here >>
