Malta: Full of Contradictions

Mdina, Malta

My niece and I toured Malta on our Roman Empire cruise on the Holland America Noordam. We did a tour of the old capital of Mdina. The guide who took us around explained that the same six families have owned the old city for hundreds of years, and no amount of money is enough to buy in to Mdina. 


Malta is full of contradictions. It was founded by the Order of St. John, a Roman Catholic order of the Knights Hospitaller (crusaders.) More info can be found about the founding of Malta here

Malta is so impressive from the water as we entered the port area. The old buildings all made of stone with the backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a beautiful site. 

There is the old capital city of Mdina and the newer capital of Valleta. Valleta is the most crowded spot in all of Europe. It is evident in all the buses we saw, with crowds of people everywhere we went. I preferred the solitude of Mdina. More information on Mdina can be found here


But the crown jewel of Malta is found on its waterways. We took a private boat tour in the afternoon that was magnificent.

My niece Sarah on the beautiful wooden boat

Malta seen from the water

Malta takes on a whole different feel from the water, laid back and peaceful. If you would like more information on tourism in Malta, click here