Today, another tour. After breakfast, I make my way to my car and set off towards Mdina. My guided tour doesn’t start until 11:00, so I have time to find one or two geocaches.
Google Maps has a funny way of choosing routes—it feels like I only get narrow shortcuts. Some caches are impossible to reach because there’s nowhere to stop. But in the end, I manage to find three using the Maltese wild parking method. It works!
Time to head to Mdina, and I calculate that parking might be a challenge. And boy, was I right. Everyone wants to be here. There is no parking anywhere. I circle like a hawk, but nothing. Driving through all of Rabat, I still find no spots.
After several rounds through the narrow streets, I change tactics. I find a parking spot outside of Mdina and Rabat at a bus stop, which, according to Google, connects to Mdina’s city gate. The bus arrives in 12 minutes, and for 2 Euros, I get dropped off right where I need to be.
While waiting, I grab something to drink and a fig pastry. The tour starts on time (minus a few minutes for people stuck in traffic). The group consists of 11 people, and we get mobile headsets, which are very helpful.
Starting with some interesting history about the city and Malta, we enter Mdina, which only has 98 inhabitants. Most of the houses and streets have been restored, making it an old but cozy place. However, there’s a mass migration of tour groups, making the small streets difficult to navigate. I can only imagine how crowded it gets in summer with cruise ship tourists.
It’s a great tour with a knowledgeable guide—though you have to take everything as fact! After walking most of the city, we take a short break and head through Rabat to the Basilica, where the tour ends. I follow the guide’s recommendation to visit St. John’s tombs, but unfortunately, they’re closed on Tuesdays.
Back to the car and off to the Dingli Cliffs. Malta has one big problem—there are a lot of tourists, and they want people to visit, but the infrastructure is lacking. Parking at recommended spots is nearly impossible, and bus connections are scarce, making things more complicated than they should be.
The cliffs aren’t that spectacular. They’re a bit far away, and there are no paths to get closer—mostly private property. Still, the view of the water is nice, and I manage to find a geocache.
Next stop: the Ħaġar Qim temple, an archaeological site. And guess what? Closed on Tuesdays. Good thing distances here aren’t too big. So, back to Dingli to find a store selling local food that I saw on TV. Not cheap, but I pick up some honey and jam, transported home like treasures in a safe. 😀
Another geocache, then back to the hotel. I take a break before heading out for dinner—a kebab this time, which is good and doesn’t break the bank.
Packing for tomorrow, ordering a Bolt, and hitting the pillow early since I have to leave at 5 in the morning.