Since classes ended almost 2 weeks ago, Jon has had more flexibility in his schedule. Which means we kicked into vacation mode and made a list of all the things we still wanted to do before leaving. We won’t get them all crossed off, but that just means we’ll have to come back. 🙂 We rented a car for three days last week to head out to some of these places, but we’ve also enjoyed walking and taking the bus, which are our normal modes of transportation. Here are a few highlights from our Bucket List.
San Anton Gardens and Palace, the official residence of Malta’s president. The public gardens were so beautiful. There were thousands of annual flowers, 2 ponds (one with black swans and one with ducks and turtles), and this maze in the hedges. That’s Sylvia’s tan hat peeking over the top!
The Kitchen Garden, also part of the President’s Palace. I could have stayed here all day! Huge swaths of rosemary and lavender lined the perimeter. There were lots of great veggies throughout the garden as well, and so beautifully done.
Parks are always on the Bucket List! 🙂 We found this one at the Kitchen Gardens.
Buskett Gardens, Malta’s most extensive woodlands. It was established as a hunting grounds for the Knights of Malta some 300 years ago. Today, there are paths and picnic areas and no cars!
A cool respite on a warm day.
Looking for the Painted Frog, Malta’s only native amphibian. They are found only here and in Sicily. And guess what? We saw some! A pretty cool discovery.
Way up north on the Marfa Ridge. We drove out to the northeast edge of the island for fantastic views and lunch on the rocks.
Caper plants! They are so cool. The flower is pretty unique and it’s fun to see the buds that are picked and pickled to become capers. The plants seem to like the salty, windy, rocky ledges.
Walking along the cliffs with Jon on the outside. 🙂
More parks. 🙂 This one is by the yarn shop and Busy Bee Gelateria, so it’s never a problem to go there. Plus, it’s a fun place to play hide and seek tag.
Sylvia and I went horseback riding at Golden Bay Stables. We had a great ride with beautiful views of the sea. We rode in Il-Majjistral National Park in the northwest part of Malta, a place I would like to explore more. Next time. 🙂
SylLy Acres 