The Three Cities

A visit to the Three Cities

As part of my last few days here in Malta, my boss decided to take me out to a visit to the Three Cities. A place I had always intended on visiting during my time here, however, it is quite difficult to get to if you do not have a car.

I had heard lots of great things about this place and how steeped in history it was. So, I was undoubtedly very excited to travel here.

The Three Cities are located opposite Valletta, which gives one some great view points when visiting this place as there is something that can always be looked at and admired.

Above: Water front at the Three Cities 

The Three Cities, though beautiful, remain largely unvisited. I am not too certain as to why, as the place itself is brimming with heritage, culture and beauty. However, I was told by my boss that the reputation of the area itself has been somewhat turbulent.

The Three Cities offers it visitors some incredible insight into the history of the island itself and how it has manifested and developed over the years. The Three Cities has a great historical presence that I feel everyone visiting Malta should go and see.

The Three Cities can rightly claim to be the cradle of Maltese history, as Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua have provided a home and fortress to almost every people who settled on the Islands.

Their harbour inlets have been in use since Phoenician times: and have always provided a means of living for the local people, due to the popularity of the fishing port.

 As the first home to the Knights of St John, the Three Cities' palaces, churches, forts and bastions are far older than that of Valletta’s, making it one of the oldest cities in Malta.

The local communities here celebrate holy days and festas (feasts) as nowhere else on the Islands. The most spectacular events during the Easter period when statues of the "Risen Christ" are carried through crowded streets.

The Three Cities comprises of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua. These cities all have something a little bit different on offer for its visitors, but it harbours a collective beauty that I feel visitors must see.

One thing that I noticed was just how untouched some of these areas were, with a very rife localised community feel within the area, it was nice to witness some typical Maltese life.

My boss and I walked through the winding, quaint streets of Vittoriosa, where we saw some of the most quintessentially Maltese buildings, that were rustic and classic in style. The vines growing on the outside of some of these houses simply added to their mystery and aesthetic, as this was something I very rarely witness back in my own home town.

There were even some buildings open to the public, that allowed one to explore some of the history associated with the buildings.

We went inside a remodel of a traditional Maltese home, that had typical rough stone walls and traditional cooking equipment, reminiscent of the 16thCentury. It was wonderful to see how the local people lived in such times, and how the houses remain in some way, similar to the previous eras.

There is also a big art front within the Three Cities, as there were some exhibition spaces and residencies that we walked past during our stroll around Vittoriosa. Vittoriosa was the first home of the Knights when they arrived in 1530. The Knights `auberges' (inns of residence), palaces and churches here are older than of those which are found in Valletta.

We then strolled round Fort St Angelo, which at night, looks absolutely glorious. From the quaint little villages situated in this city, to walking down to the grand harbour front, one really gets a taste of how magnificent these untouched cities actually are.  The area of Birgu in Vittoriosa is one that is probably the most prominent and well maintained. It has been previously compared to Valletta, however, it is not as commercially inclined as the capital.

After being told some wonderful stories about the Grand Master and the areas surrounding his domain, we headed for some more spectacular architecture. We found the Church of St Lawrence, which again at night, looks magnificent. The Maltese really know how to utilise lighting in order to make a building’s grandeur even more prevalent. The building itself seemed to tower incredibly high, with its elegant stonework continuing high into the night sky.

Above: The church of St Lawrence

A place I would also highly recommend for people to visit is the Inquisitor’s Palace, it has a beautiful stone architecture that is incredibly well maintained considering its age. It showcases some of the more rustic aesthetics of the surrounding area of Vittoriosa.

It was now time to head for some food. I had been given a lot of history and heritage to take away with me, but that meant that the long strolls and tour called for some great food.

Every restaurant that we seemed to pass was completely full. Probably due to it being a public holiday this week, along with the summer holidays. As well, it was a Monday evening so not many of the restaurants and bars stay open ‘til late on a Monday evening. However, we managed to find a wonderful restaurant situated on the water front, that looked to be right up our street in terms of food.

There was still a wait for an available table as the place was completely full upon our arrival. So, we decided to order some drinks at the bar and wait for an available table. I didn’t mind this as there was a lovely view of the harbour to admire whilst waiting for a vacant table.

I opted for a glass of red wine, which only cost €3. This price undoubtedly could not be snuffed at, and I have been pleasantly surprised as to just how cheap the wine is here. However, I was not as pleased to find some small remnants of the cork floating at the bottom of the glass, and its taste was incredibly dry, which probably meant that I had received the last few dregs of the bottle. However, for €3, I could make do with the drink.

We sat and watched the waters sway to and fro as ferries glided over the calm waters. There is a local ferry service that takes one over to Valletta. Apparently, this is a very popular route and service for commuters to use on a morning, as it helps to alleviate road congestion, as the route around to the capital is often very busy during the morning rush hour.

After a 20-minute wait, we were shown to our table. We were all suitably hungry as the time was nearing 9:30pm, so we hastily flicked through the menu to find something that took our fancy.

Of course, the menu typically comprised of locally sourced seafood and some beautiful pasta dishes. However, the weather was incredibly humid and sticky, which made it somewhat unappealing to think of eating hot pasta and spaghetti in such sticky and warm weather.

So, I opted for a Chicken Caesar Salad, which received some light-handed mockery over my Maltese counterparts who described my choice as typically British. Very true to some extent, however, when explaining my reasoning, they fully understood why I had taken the food route that I did.

After what seemed a very long wait for the waiter to come and take our order, we then eagerly awaited our food. The place in terms of food production did not seem too busy, as most parties had already eaten, evidenced by the empty plates and bill books that were seated at the tables. However, we waited approximately 40 minutes for our food to turn up. Which for two pasta and one salad dish, should normally have taken 15 or 20. Especially since the pasta was fresh.

My Caesar salad was a little on the small side, which was a little disappointing due to the cost of such meal in this establishment. However, the dressing was beautifully made and had a light lemony tang that accompanied the sweet tomatoes in the dish.

I wish that the establishment had had some olive oil that I could have used to make the salad a little less dry, as the quantity of parmesan and croutons made the dish somewhat overbearing. However, the salad itself was very nice and suitably filled me up.

Again, after a long wait for the waiter to come and see to us (after receiving no check back on our food), we asked for the bill. My boss had actually ordered a bottle of sparkling water which had never arrived, but we were still charged for. The service here was a little disjointed and not much customer service was involved.

Having worked in a restaurant for five years, I am fully aware of what makes up and collates to good customer services. In this instance, we were not provided such experience, which is a shame, as the restaurant would have great potential otherwise.

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