We took a bus to Rabat where we stopped for lunch. Rabat is a walled town - very much influenced by Arab culture. In the evening we again took a bus and rode along for a while to the outskirts of Valetta until we saw an interesting restaurant and had dinner. Returned by bus again to Valetta.

The next day we bussed to Comino to the beach and for a walk. We were there in warm weather. Comino is where the Maltese relax. There are small eating places and one beautiful hotel where we had lunch. The bus will drop you off at the harbour and you will take a very short boat ride to the island.

Gozo is the fishing island and it too can be reached by bus and boat. Everything is relatively close to Valetta. Don't forget to take the time to walk around Valetta and visit the sites. You won't need a guide in town - the local tourist office has maps and other useful information.

One thing to remember, the Maltese practice the time-honoured art of the siesta so everything closes for a few hours in mid-day.

Lucy in Toronto