Five fabulous beach hangouts

I returned from Malta earlier in the week and have been busy back at work and seeing friends. I have decided to make a list of my favourite five beaches and swimming spots to hangout by whilst sizzling in the sun! This list is not in any order, though.

ONE - WIED IL-GHASRI

Okay, this first one is in Gozo, but this idyllic hidden cove is one of the most magical spots on the island. Surrounded by rock, no seaweed has ever appeared when I'm here and certainly no current. It's crystal clear waters and picturesque view makes it all that more beautiful to visit. To get here ideally, you would need a car as it is north of the island and not very accessible by bus. You also need to be quite fit to get up and down the stairs to the alcove!

Photo taken from this link.

TWO - BLUE LAGOON

This stunning gem is situated in Comino. It's crystal clear waters make this area so enticing for swimmers, and the colour of the rocks the water makes when it glistens in the sun just seems to seal the deal for day-trippers who venture out to this lagoon. The best way to get here is by boat. These run daily from Valletta or Bugibba and can be arranged with a tour guide. The price to visit is usually around €20. 

The beautiful blue sea.

:)

Absolute paradise!

THREE - PARADISE BAY

Now, I'm not kidding when I say there are a few steps down to this dazzling beach, but there really is about one hundred steps (maybe more, eek). Paradise Bay remains firmly as one of my favourites for numerous reasons. Unlike the other two I've mentioned above, they can be susceptible to lots of jellyfish in the summer. Paradise Bay rarely sees many jelly's. The alcove can speaks for itself with its name as it looks out to Comino and Gozo, in the distance. It is surrounded by rugged landscape that keeps the wind at bay. With those one hundred steps, the last thing to think of is carrying an ice box down to the sand. Paradise Bay boasts its own shop, and, to make this beach more beautiful, it has its own BBQ shack where you can buy burgers and hotdogs for lunch!!

link

link

FOUR - PRETTY BAY

This is so close by to me that I'm forever returning to this beach. It has some lovely places to eat at lunch cheaply and the sand and sea is clean which makes me enjoy it a lot more. Pretty Bay really did used to pretty according to my parents and pictures didn't do it justice. A port was built in the bay and so this became an eyesore. Despite this, it is a lovely little place to swim and not too far from me!

link

link

FIVE - Mellieha Bay

My penultimate choice has to be Mellieha for several reasons. Firstly, this beach stretches for miles, and is the longest beach in Malta, stretching out at over 800m. It really is very long and so there is no doubt that you won't get your pitch. Secondly, the water at mellieha is shallow and I like this is summer when you just want to relax in the water. It also makes the water very warm, which is nice if you go later in the year. In the height of  summer, there is a massive inflatable park, full of trampolines and climbing mountains, which I LOVE! Again, this beach is north of the island, like Paradise Bay.

link

This is only a part of the inflatable section at Mellieha. This is the link.

These are just a few of the beaches in Malta and Gozo, but some of my firm favourites.

What are your favourite beaches?

Kirsty

xx

The Silent City, Mdina

It's a lovely Saturday morning in Malta, and I've been here now a week with my mum. We had a friend come to visit and so we paraded around the island, showing her the sights and scenery of the best places in Malta. She was only here for three days and so my mum and I had to choose the most interesting places we think she would like.

We visited the Silent City, located in Mdina on the first day.

The gate to the front of the Silent City.

Historically, Mdina was established by the Romans. Melita (meaning Honey) was divided into two. The citadel was known as Mdina (the city) and the rest of the area was the village of Rabat (the suburbs). These two names are still used today. Mdina at one point in history was the most desirable place to live in Malta, not only because it was the capital, but because it was one of the highest places on the island. It's fertile land at its base provided food, and it was easy to defend for those who would try to attack.

The city wall, at the entrance of Mdina.

When the Order of the Knights arrived in Malta in 1530, they settled in Marsa, diminishing the importance of Mdina, as they were left undisturbed. When Valletta was built and became the new capital of Malta in 1571, Mdina became known as the 'Old City'. The term 'the Silent City' became prominent and the name is still kept today because no vehicles are allowed beyond the city walls, barring the residents, who are given chosen areas to park their cars. The narrow streets and alleyways make the city so picturesque and personally, I love to wander around the city for hours. It is so small and there is little here, consisting of only restaurants, churches, monasteries, tourist shops, and houses. All of this is protected by a dry moat and city wall that surrounds the area.

The beautiful alleyways, full of history.

The vicinity of this area is packed full of so much history, and the panoramic views are something to envy. All three of us loved it, and I took lots of photos!

A lot of these alleyways are only big enough for horse and carriage.

One of the beautiful churches inside Mdina.

St Agatha's Chapel dates back to 1410. This chapel was damaged in the earthquake of 1693.
Restoration of this chapel is ongoing as it is so old.

The panoramic view from the city walls.

We stopped by here for a drink, it was getting very hot!

The Cathedral is one of Mdina's Baroque cathedral, dedicated to St Paul and shares the title
of Co-Catherdral with St John's in Valletta. It was erected between 1697 and 1702 after the
earthquake destroyed the original.

I had the most lovely morning here. It is definitely a place to admire and muse upon. I will be returning there soon.

What cities have you visited that are very old and boast a lot of history?

Kirsty 

xxx

An update on Daisy

The weekend has arrived finally and I've jetted off to Malta with my mum for sun, sand and lots of rosé wine!

For those of you who read my last blog post on my beautiful dog Daisy, I have a few photos to cheer your Saturday afternoon up. She has improved dramatically and is becoming more like herself again. 

Despite her condition, and her inability to ever get better because of her heart condition, these are the photos that were sent to me earlier this afternoon.

And this one is my favourite:

DOESN'T SHE LOOK CUTE!

Happy Saturday bloggers!

From the sunny island of Malta,

Kirsty

xx

Baby Daisy

Happy Wednesday!

I hope your week has been pleasant thus far, despite the weather being poor (where has the heatwave that was predicted for June gone!?) it's not looking too dreary out. My plans over the last two days have been cancelled because of my poorly pooch, Daisy. :(

Yesterday morning I awoke to her, quietly sitting in the corner breathing heavily. I rang the vets and they told me to bring her down.

Daisy when she looks her lovely fine self, with her most favourite treat, Bonios!

When I brought her into the vets, a nurse took Daisy instantly from me and she was rushed into a consultant room, taking her temperature, which was at a mere 32 degrees. The normal temperature for a dog should have been 37.5 degrees. She was at the state of Hyperthermia, the doctor said. Furthermore, Daisy was also struggling to breathe, so they placed her on Oxygen Therapy too, whilst placing her under a bear hugger to bring her core temperature back up to a healthy level.

Both my parents were at work, and it was only my dad I could get ahold of. After trying for an hour, he finally picked up and came to the vets as soon as he could.

Daisy in the cage at the vets :( 

After being told Daisy would need an X-Ray of her abdomen and chest, she would also need a blood test further, to establish the problem with Daisy. With that, we decided to leave the vets and come back later that evening to see the test results and the outcome of Daisy's situation. 

On return, Daisy looked extremely worse. She was rather dazed and she seemed to be breathing more heavily. She was collapsing to try and sleep but needed oxygen and so she was having a constant internal battle between sleep and oxygen. This meant oxygen was always winning, but as a result, she was becoming more exhausted. 

Poor baby Daisy with her leg attached to a drip.

The surgeons at the vets were so knowledgable and Matt, the night doctor, told us all about what would be happening to Daisy over the evening. We left, feeling that Daisy was in capable hands, and would know what to do if Daisy took a turn for the worse.

Daisy this morning, after arriving at the vets.

This morning, we all returned, not knowing really what to expect. This is the first we saw of her through the window and she looked so adorable. We went in and Daisy came out of the cage to greet us with her tail wagging. She looked so much better and what a change over night and improvement that had been made. Our doctor that was dealing with Daisy made it clear we weren't at the finish line yet. 

We were told from the scans that Daisy had an enlarged heart (isn't it ironic, a small dog who loves us all so much, her heart has enlarged) and as a result, has caused her left lung to collapse. I couldn't help but look at her and think the pain she must be going through. To complicate things further, Daisy can easily become dehydrated because of the tablets she is taking. There is fluid in her lungs which is not a good thing. Whilst these tablets make her more dehydrated, she is constantly wanting to drink more. 

However, upon asking whether or not she could feel anything, Ellie replied, "no." Although, somewhat comforting, we also knew that she was now to be put on more medication. Despite this, it meant we were able to bring Daisy home and she is now resting here with us. My sister and I are taking lots of photos with Daisy and praising her for every milestone she makes, such as drinking, eating and going outside. 

Wrapped in a throw and cushioned so she doesn't get cold and so she can breathe.

I will keep you all updated with the situation of Daisy, but for now, she sits cosily in the armchair, watching the family walk by in our living room, and wagging her tail when we speak to her.

Have you got any pets in your family? 

Kirsty 

xxx