05/10/2022: On to Xlendi

We had breakfast in our nice hotel and then packed up. Check out time was 11:00 a.m. and our Airbnb check in time was 3:00 p.m. so we had some time to use. I did ask for an early check in and our host said we could drop off our luggage any time after noon even if the apartment wasn’t cleaned yet. That was very accommodating.

We really enjoyed our stay at The Duke. It’s a very upscale hotel and all of the staff are very welcoming and cordial. It’s central location was perfect and for Christine, the neighboring garden was the icing on the cake. After we checked out, we stowed our luggage and we set off to try and locate a certain kind of cream Christine uses. We thought the Holland and Barrett store would have it, but they didn’t. We’ll look more when we get to Sliema this weekend.

We wandered around the garden for awhile and sat and enjoyed our surroundings. I said to Christine that the place felt like a happy place and she agreed.

Shortly after noon we picked up our luggage at the hotel. We’re getting smarter about moving with luggage and had the hotel call us a taxi. We could have taken the bus but the thought of dealing with our suitcases and backpacks, and a grocery bag, getting in and out of the bus, was unappealing. The taxi driver whisked us off to Xlendi and we were there in less than 15 minutes and it only cost €6,20. We chatted with our driver about the skill drivers need to navigate the traffic and the very narrow streets. I’m glad I’m not driving!

Because of our reconnaissance yesterday, we knew exactly where to be let off. To get into the Airbnb, we had to put a code into a lock box to get the keys. I could not figure out how to get the darn thing open. We were standing on the street (no sidewalks) with all our luggage working on this thing. The street is narrow and the cars zoom up and down the street. We kept having to press ourselves up against the door. It was frustrating. I sent our host a message asking for help, but before he could answer the thing popped open and there were the keys. I felt kind of stupid for not being able to open the lock box and for bothering our host. But we were in the building.

At first, I thought we’d have to carry our luggage up 4 flights of stairs, but we found a lift one flight up. At least 3 flights via lift was good, and I was very thankful. The Airbnb isn’t quite as cute as our Corniglia or Marina Grande places, but it is large and well equipped. The draw for the place is the balcony overlooking Xlendi Bay. We see this from our balcony.

From Google maps, this is what Xlendi looks like.

The bay is quite narrow and looking directly across the bay from our apartment is rock. At first it looks bleak, but when you look closely, we can see all kinds of activity with the birds flying here and there. I’m sure there are lots of nests in the nooks and crannies. There is also another very small fjord-type of arm off the bay. It is really tiny, but the color of the water is amazing. There is also a watch tower on the peninsular past the little fjord. There’s a very nice walkway that goes all along the entire bay and to the end of the fjord. It’s a wonderful place to walk and enjoy the beautiful colors of the water.

The sea temperature is about 62 degrees, and people are actually swimming. The bay is also a dive area and we see divers under the water along the shoreline exploring the rocks and caves. There is a picture above of a woman and her dog in the water. That dog was an incredible swimmer. It kept swimming all over the bay. It would come back to its owner, get out, shake off, and then jump back in the water for more swimming. There was another tiny little dog who didn’t dare go in the water, but would run up and down the walkway barking at the dog in the water. As I said earlier, I’m the neighborhood watch and from our balcony, I can keep an eye on everything going on around the bay.

I had mentioned the over-development of the area. It really is a shame to see so much building. Xlendi was a lovely little fishing village that is being ruined by over-development. It’s sad to see all the lovely old, 2-story Maltese sandstone houses being torn down and replaced with multi-story hotels and condos.

So we’re settled into our Xlendi Airbnb and we’ll be here until Saturday. We’ll have some time for relaxing and enjoying our surroundings. We don’t really have anything planned, which is nice. We’re feeling like we’re getting to the end of our big adventure and traveling is certainly tiring. We’ll be happy to kick back and relax for the next few days and watch some sunsets.

2 thoughts on “05/10/2022: On to Xlendi”

  1. Loving your blog allowing us to follow your amazing travel adventures. Especially love seeing more pictures of each of you… maybe a bystander can take some shots of y’all together. I’ve added Malta to my bucket list of travel due to your influence. Be safe out there.

  2. Your being relaxed and staying put for a few days makes me more relaxed too.
    We miss you!!! So glad you are having a good vacation, but we re ready for you to come home. Going to your place in Malta must feel like a bit of a home coming for you.

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