The next place I would like to share with you is Valetta. The Capital City. Normally, in our case, we avoid Capital Cities like the plague, but Valetta is something pretty special. It would never make the lyrics of the 80's hit song 'Pop muzic,' by M, (gosh my head is full of so much useless trivia) and rightly so, the city it is far too unique. Can't not dance to that song when I hear it though, despite it apparently being an experiment by M, AKA Robin Scott, to prove he could get anything in the charts...I digress. Valetta ? - yes. It is an imposing city, a walled fortress, sat on the rock peninsula of Mount Sceberras, flanked either side by the deep harbours of Marsamxett and Grand Harbour.

Valetta took 15 years to build, by hand! Construction began in 1556, but sadly it's name sake and founder Jean Parisot de la Valette didn't live long enough to see it completed. Jean was actually one of the Knights of the Order of St John, a Grand Master to be precise, so to be fair I guess he was quite old when he thought of the grand idea. He did get to lay the foundation stone on 28th March of that year, Ricky's birthday, so I shan't forget that date. As the city is one of the smallest Capital Cities in Europe, the first ever to be planned in Europe incidentally, it delivers quite a punch in regards the concentration of magnificent buildings. Its architecture is hinted at from the harbours below and from a bird eye view the bastions, that stick out from the great city walls give it a geometric look, as if constructed with giant lego blocks. It is not possible to walk more than a few steps before stumbling on a Baroque Palace, Magnificent Gardens, Churches, the Cathedral of St Johns, Art Galleries, Museums, Theatres, Forts, War Rooms and of course a variety of restaurants and cafes.

Just outside the City Gate is the fairly modern (completed the year I was born, so obviously not that old), Tritons Fountain. The artists were Vincent Apap and Victor Anastasi, who chose to use bronze for the three Tritons (half men, half fish) and concrete and tiles for the rest. It is pretty wonderful, sitting in the middle of a huge plaza. According to Wikipedia, it is considered to be the most important modernist landmark in Malta. It is certainly well loved as it has undergone extensive repair over the years. Regardless, it is considered by many the kind of fountain one simply has to sit and pose on!- obviously I agreed.

We still have more visits planned of this wonderful city. It has been awarded many modern day titles including a 'European Art City' and 'World Heritage City,' but even without these rather grand titles, it is grand enough and with cheap Ryan Air Flights flying from many of England's Airports (including Bournemouth, it is well worth a visit.