November 2018
The Romans, Moors, Knights of Saint John, French and British all came and went, then, one day, we arrived: not to conquer and rule, but to explore and enjoy for a day.
We walked off the cruise ship around 9 AM, hopped on the lift(1 Euro r/t) up to Upper Barracca Gardens, took the pictures of the bay, and sat on a bench to use the free WiFi to send out the pictures.
Right outside the city gate on the western end of the city wall is the huge bus depot with well organized stalls. We went to the stall number A6(they called it “Bay A6”) to get onto our bus(#85 or #81) to the quaint fishing village, Marsaxlokk.
We paid to the bus driver 3 Euros for two tickets (good for 2 hours) and settled in. The 40 minute ride gave us a glimpse into local life. When we got to Marsaxlokk, there were several different stops with the name of Marsaxlokk this and that. We got off the bus when it turned away from the water. Turned out, it did not matter much where you got off since the town was small enough. The last stop and the departure point for the return trip was on the street behind the cathedral which ran parallel to the ocean side road.
Marsaxlokk was a pretty little village with colorful fishing boats bobbing in the bay. Sea food restaurants dotted along the seaside road often displaying a collection of fresh fish. We ate at Roots, and, oh, boy! You get the freshest fish with vegetables and potatoes for very reasonable prices. 8 friends from the same cruise ship found us in Marsaxlokk & joined us, and we ordered many different things on the menu including the seafood soup(light broth, rice, tons of various sea foods), fried calamari, grilled octopus etc. The best bargain was the daily fish: there were 5-6 different fish to choose from, 12 to 15 Euros each or by weight for bigger fish. You could choose how it’s cooked and whether you want it filleted or the whole. Very generous portions of side dishes came with each order.
Their bread was great, and the tomato spread was just so tasty. They served the best vanilla ice cream I ever had! Pat and I paid 40 Euros for our feast including a bottle each of beer, ginger ale, and water.
The little outdoor market along the water front was pretty low key and reasonably priced. The cathedral was worth a look.
If we had more time, we would have sat at a cafe with the water view and just hang out for a while enjoying the balmy weather and the eye pleasing scenery. Too bad we had to worry about getting back to the ship on time.
Small Wide World 