Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: St. Paul’s Bay

  • Malta – Northern Region – St. Paul’s Bay – Xemxija Café Lounge

    Malta – Northern Region – St. Paul’s Bay – Xemxija Café Lounge

    Despite staying for three weeks last year around the corner from this cafe, I never made it inside. So, since we were looking for breakfast, it was a chance to finally see inside.

    The cake selection in the cafe, a little more expensive than other similar locations that we’ve been to, but it was all well presented.

    The breakfast options weren’t entirely clear as the menus on the tables really only mentioned waffles. It was all clean and tidy inside, but there wasn’t anything tempting for breakfast unfortunately. There were though some motivational messages on the wall for anyone who fancied some morning inspiration. There’s also a seating area outside and this has views over St. Paul’s Bay, albeit with a road between the cafe and the water.

    The coffee was reasonably priced, rich in taste and most importantly of all, it came with a little biscuit. What more could anyone want for breakfast? The service was friendly and helpful, so I imagine that this is a good option for lunch or an evening meal. We were the only customers in the cafe during the time that we were there, but the environment was clean and comfortable.

    The reviews for this cafe are nearly all positive, although I did note someone didn’t like the place a couple of years ago, but added:

    “As I said, at the time I did not complain as I did not want to ruin the eve for my friend, however that is what sites like Tripadvisor are for.”

    It isn’t really, sites like TripAdvisor are becoming pointless as restaurants don’t get a chance to deal with problems at the time, or at least in private after the event if they’re alerted to an issue. Anyway, a relaxing start to the day and I’d visit here again if in the area.

  • Malta (Northern Region) – St. Paul’s Bay – Steps

    Of very little importance, but I just quite liked this photo of some steps which go from the harbour area up to the main road. I’m fairly sure that these were wider, but a new frontage has been added to the old harbour walls which are centuries old, with the steps now being much narrower….

  • Malta (Northern Region) – St. Paul’s Bay – McDonald’s

    It’s important for me to visit a McDonald’s in a country that I haven’t been to before just in case Dylan and Leon ask me about it. It’s definitely essential to be able to answer any critical questions about the various features of non-UK McDonald’s…..

    A Big Mac meal, which I’m delighted to say tastes exactly the same as the ones throughout the rest of Europe. Isn’t globalisation marvellous…..

    Of note though in this McDonald’s is the charming view over the local bay and I can’t recall visiting a better terrace in any other restaurant in this chain.

    And another photo from the terrace, although it was unfortunately raining at the time. There’s not much else to say about McDonald’s, the service was efficient, the restaurant was clean, there was working wi-fi, power points for customers and the food tasted as it should. A meal worked out at around £5.50, so marginally more expensive than in the UK.

  • Malta (Northern Region) – St. Paul’s Bay – Bathing Pools

    These stone constructions are bathing pools which are around 1.5 to 2 metres tall. They’re also an archaeological mystery, as no-one knows how old they are. The sign near to them states that they might date to the Roman period, others suggest that they were owned by wealthy families in a later period of history. They don’t give a time estimate for this latter option, but I assume that they mean in the sixteenth to eighteenth century time period as it’s also mentioned that locals believe they’re been there for “time immemorial”.

  • Malta (Northern Region) – St. Paul’s Bay – Milestone

    Although milestones dated back to the Roman period, it was the British who installed a large number of them around the Maltese islands. A hard wearing rock was used, but many have inevitably worn away over the years and many of them were defaced over time. This one is in Paul’s Bay and I can’t unfortunately read what it used to say.

  • Malta (Northern Region) – St. Paul’s Bay – Malta National Aquarium

    For reasons I don’t entirely understand, but won’t complain about, the National Aquarium is on the list of locations that I can visit free of charge with my Malta Heritage Pass. But, aquariums are exciting (not as exciting as zoos though), so given that it was free to go in, I went.

    Jellyfish!

    This very much discriminated against tall people, as children and short adults could walk through this mini-tunnel. This reminds me, this is another place that Dylan and Leon would like. Not because they’re short, which they obviously are because they’re young, but because they’re children.

    Urgh.

    Horrible.

    A walk through tunnel, this one was suitable for people of all heights and ages.

    A happy little octopus. I admit that I don’t know if he was happy, but he didn’t look unhappy, and I like to think that he was having a lovely time.

    A frog thing.

    A chameleon.

     

      

    And lots more fish and other associated items.

    It’s quite an expensive aquarium to get in, and irritatingly for some visitors, they might go to the on-site cafe afterwards and then be given a discount voucher. Not a great deal of use at that point…. I got in free with my heritage card, but I’m not sure that I would have paid the full price.

    There was also one of those photographers standing by the entrance, who I had to rush by whilst not looking rude, with some exorbitant price charged at the end for those who wanted to keep their photo. I thought that attractions were doing away with this now, or letting visitors have the photo for free. It doesn’t give a great welcome in my view, for what that’s worth…

    It’s not that big an attraction either, I think I was in there for under an hour, although I was distracted reading something in the Guardian for some of that time. It was busier than I thought it’d be, although by no means packed, but it is perhaps rather more busy during the summer months.

  • Malta (Northern Region) – St. Paul’s Bay

    Just a random photo from my balcony at the hotel, some interesting colours in the evening light…..