We got on the right side of the road to catch the right number bus this time to Valletta! Walked the main drag of Valletta to Republik Street and went to visit Casa Rocca Piccola. This is a palazzo still owned by the same family for 400 years in Malta. Got a guided tour that was included in the entrance fee .

Asked the guide what’s the reason for the covered balconies which is not seen in Sicily .The official version is that it is to bring light into the room and ventilation .Guide says its probably so that you can be nosy and see what your neighbours are doing hahaha.

The family who owns this house still lives here in this palace but upstairs. They open the palace ( its not a house ) in 1990 . De Piro family is one of the old aristocratic families in Malta. Many aristocractic families became wealthy because of rents from land that they owned but also from trade and shipping . This family came from the Knights of St.John . The Knights of St.John are not originally from Malta but they came from Rhodes because they lost Rhodes to the Ottoman in 1530. The Knights of St.John ruled Malta from 1530-1598 .The Knights of St.John are from aristocratic families of France, Spain, Italy and other European territories.

Valletta is very hilly and it is fortified due their history . They have their own language . Got another bus at Valletta bus terminus to go to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk . That was another enjoyable bus ride because the last bus stop was the fishing village .

Took a boat ride around the bay for 1 hour . It was a lovely day and relaxing .

Took the bus back through all the little villages along the way to the Valletta Bus Terminus. Had to take another bus to Pieta where the accomodation is . Getting the hang of taking buses in Malta. Malta is a small island 2/3’s of the size of Singapore ( to get a comparison)  with about 600,000 population .