Malta (June 2021)

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I have esophageal cancer. This means I'll be receiving daily radiation therapy for two months, plus weekly chemotherapy. Recently, a PICK catheter was inserted, running from the crease of my arm to my heart. Since the future seems rather uncertain, we decide to get away for a week, while we still can. Malta, in the heart of the Mediterranean, is our destination, a place steeped in history that I've visited many times before, but where my wife has never been.

At the airport, I chatted briefly with Ruben van Gucht, who was also leaving at that moment for the FIFA World Cup in the UAE. Upon arrival, I rented a car, which, in hindsight, turned out to be a poor decision. We only used the car to drive to the Hilton and back. A shame, because the local public transport is excellent, convenient, and actually quite enjoyable.

Although we're still in the coronavirus period, the situation has eased somewhat. In Malta, however, the situation remains serious, and most people are still stubbornly wearing face masks. Only during the midday heat do you see them slowly slipping under people's noses, or even disappearing altogether, because it's incredibly hot.

Our first excursion is the ferry from St. Julian's to Valletta . It's 41.5°C, and we're on an open ferry, a short distance from others – they're still wearing their masks. Once we arrive, we board a small bus, as the elevated city center is quite a climb. We visit several palaces and squares (many UNESCO gems), enjoying the typical green balconies, the horse-drawn carriages, and the still-visible Old British influences. Unfortunately, it's a bank holiday, so we can't visit the Grand Master's Palace and St. John's Cathedral . A real shame, as I would have loved to admire Caravaggio 's "The Beheading of John the Baptist ." So, a Cisk beer (pretty good), as the ubiquitous Carlsberg costs €7 here.

What strikes me is the sheer number of vacant houses. Many homeowners aren't selling their properties because of the soaring real estate prices. Some are converting their properties into boutique hotels or B&Bs, but living in Valletta has become almost unaffordable. We're panting, because the heat is unbearable and the streets are steep. Nella's heart is pounding, and we're dying of thirst and exhaustion from the climb. Nevertheless, we make it to the Barakka Gardens, where we have a fantastic view of the harbor and the Three Cities: three walled cities (Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua), each on a small peninsula facing the Grand Harbour. I've always thought Malta was a wonderful cruise port to sail into, and now two Viking Line ships are moored there without passengers (coronavirus), for a technical stop to resupply the minimal crew. After that, they'll head back out to sea, which is cheaper than staying moored. We return by taxi from the Sleina ferry. On the way I noticed the enormous amount of fast speedelecs, which weave their way through the busy traffic everywhere.

We're taking a day to relax by the pool. Keeping my catheter needle and bandage dry is a challenge for me. As a result, I'm constantly standing chest-high in the water with my arm in the air, because swimming is, of course, impossible. At some point, everything does come loose, but luckily the hotel doctor is able to fix it. The rest of the day is for lazing around. It's handy that each table has a service button, a clear table number, and a QR code with all the information. This way, the sweating waiters can quickly deliver every order. We have lunch with a typical Ftira , a local variation on a kind of pizza roll.

In the evening we go to the small marina Portomaso , below our hotel (see aerial photo)

for delicious, freshly grilled fish. Another time we'll have a typical Maltese stew there, and we'll also try the Blue Elephant, a large Asian restaurant in the hotel. The restaurant is decorated like a Far Eastern paradise with koi in streams, bridges, full of artificial waterfalls and rocks, and plenty of faux jungle vegetation. But the atmosphere is good, and the menu is delicious. On the night of the Italy-Belgium World Cup match, always exciting with my Italian wife, we watch the match together, full of emotion, much to the delight of the other neutral guests. We meet a couple: he's English, she's Italian, and we end the evening with a cozy night out on the balcony, overlooking the harbor.

We'll spend two days exploring the island. The easiest way is the hop-on-hop-off bus. On the first day, we'll follow the Southern Route (three hours without stopping). This route takes us past the fortifications of Valletta, all the way around the harbor to the Three Cities , with stunning views of the capital. We'll pass the Vittoriosa Waterfront and arrive in Marsaxlokk , a charming fishing port with colorful boats and waterfront terraces. Then we'll drive past the Blue Grotto , famous for the blue hues reflected by the sunlight on the white rocks, and a megalithic temple complex, before returning to the touristy part of the island and our hotel.

The next day, we take the Northern Route (three and a half hours), which takes us past the War Museum and San Anton Gardens, among other places, to the center of the island. Arriving in Rabat, we visit the adjacent "Silent City" of Mdina , a beautifully preserved walled town with only 400 inhabitants. It charms us with its quiet, pedestrian streets, churches, houses, and squares in medieval and baroque style, including the impressive St. Paul's Cathedral . The shipwreck of the apostle Paul is commemorated here and is considered the beacon of Christianity in Malta. I also notice the unique door knockers everywhere, for sale as replica souvenirs.

Another highlight is the Mosta Basilica , visible from afar, with the third-largest self-supporting dome in the world (56.2 meters in diameter). During a bombing raid in 1942, a bomb fell through the dome, but it didn't explode and caused no damage. A replica of the bomb can be seen in the sacristy. When I was here in the 1980s on an excursion with a group of Americans, a guide told this story. Suddenly, a German shouted out loud that he had been one of the pilots who flew over the island during that raid. The silence that followed was oppressive. Because that bomb could...

We drive along Qawra Seafront and the beautiful, yellow Golden Bay at the northwestern tip. Nearby is Popeye Village , the setting for the film Popeye the Sailor Man (Robert Altman, 1980, with Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall), now a tourist attraction. Finally, we descend back into the hotel areas around St. Julian's.

It was only a week, but Malta is absolutely worth it, and we had a wonderful time. My radiotherapy and chemotherapy will begin soon. A new phase. A different story altogether...