After one failed and costly attempt to visit the island of Malta, we finally did last February 2023.  We were in Frankfurt last July for our annual summer vacation and a day before our actual departure for the island via Lufthansa, we checked in online.  We were all packed and ready to go.  The day of travel arrived and one of us got COVID.  Needless to say, that airfare went up in smoke as we moved to an apartment like hotel room in an upscale hotel for a week to rest and recover.

Fast forward to February 2023, I had a week long break from work and we decided it was time to make the trip.  This time, we made it and we had a blast!

Although the flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt lasted only nine hours, our five hour layover in Frankfurt International was long and tiring.  By the time we flew on our connecting flight from Germany to Malta, we were fast asleep in our seats on board the German carrier, sometimes with our mouth wide open as we were sleeping.  Two hours later after takeoff, we arrived!

From the airport we boarded the bus which took us to the city center.  Little did we know that Carnival in Valletta was about to start and the walled city was packed with revelers.  Saddled with suitcases, we couldn't get past the entrance to the city center since police blocked it to let the floats pass.

Luckily, people were allowed to go to the city specifically, Merchant Street, once the floats had passed.  Mind you, the walk was not easy since we were sandwiched by hundreds of locals eager to enter and partake in the revelry along the city's most popular shopping street.

Anyway, we managed to find the hotel and we checked in.  It was late and all restaurants were packed with people.  We ended up buying a pizza to go from Pizza Hut a few yards from where we were staying. We were famished and exhausted.  We had dinner in our hotel room and we slept.