Post by Silly Yak on Feb 16, 2011 10:25:55 GMT
Self catering, Valletta, Malta.
Palmair (Bath Travel) provided good GF vegetarian meals from Bournemouth Airport to Malta & back (omelette, beans & mushrooms going & Thai green curry & rice return, Lifestyle rolls both times & also fruit).
My name & ‘Vegi GF’ was written on label stuck to cover of meals (so no possibility of confusion this time).
We stayed in the capital city, Valletta, (self catering) in traditional old unmodernised terrace house (several flights of many steep uneven stairs ). V is on a hill (as was house) so plenty of exercise.
Malta buses are of various ages and decorated in such a way that each seems unique - bus fares are cheap, get 1 week runabout ticket or have small change ready, 25c (about 25pence) seemed to be the most expensive fare.
If you take a taxi ask price of fare beforehand, usually not expensive.
The country is going to change to Euro (I think next year?) so some prices are in Euro as well as Maltese pound ( L) & some places accept Euros.
We had trips out to neighbour island Gozo (ferry then bus to G's capital Victoria) , Mdina (catacombs etc) by bus, foot passenger ferry to Sliema just for the short ride and otherwise climbed/ walked around Valletta to Co-Cathedrals , museums, gardens etc.
In Valletta there is a good indoor food market on Merchants Street, Mon-Sat mornings selling fresh fish (except on Mondays) also meat (sausages not recommended, even if you are not GF) , cheeses, veg, fruit, milk, etc . 'Good Earth' also in this market, upstairs (health-food type shop, a few GF items stocked).
The non-vegetarian had great BBQs (charcoal & matches from nearby paper/grocery shop) on flat roof cooking fish. The long haul up from basement kitchen with salad, plates, wine etc for lunch overlooking Grand Harbour was worth it.
According to a Malta magazine GF food is also available in Sliema at Casa Natura shop at 117 High Street (open 9am to 1.30pm and 4.30pm to 8 pm Monday to Saturday) but I did not go to it so don’t know what it is like.
The only supermarket as such was seen in Portomaso (shopping complex), it was called Arkadia, near Ronka & Hilton hotels.
Little shops in Valetta specialise- in eg religious pictures/post cards, hardware or newspapers & groceries, fruit & veg, wine & tobacco.
Most sell water (best to drink bottled water).
There is a Marks & Spencers in Valletta with small food section, cider available there in case you tire of wine, a few GF items stocked, including Fairtrade plain chocolate!
Ate out only once in V . I had cheese salad (Maltese goat’s cheese with herbs , haricot beans etc).
There did not seem to be any Maltese restaurant GF plain meat or fish meals (traditional food seemed to be eg rabbit stew, mixed fish stew) but food seems mostly cooked from scratch so I guess it should be possible to have GF meals out if you asked for that beforehand.
Weather was mostly sunny & warm but some cloud, wind & rain, the house we were in was designed for Malta's very hot summers so it was gloomy and damp on the odd dark day (in April).
This was Malta the hard way- we came back with strong calves & arm muscles, lost weight & had quite a few insect bites -but it was a very interesting experience.
People of Malta are friendly & helpful (except behind the wheel of a car on busy main roads) & everyone seemed to understand & speak English well.
Palmair (Bath Travel) provided good GF vegetarian meals from Bournemouth Airport to Malta & back (omelette, beans & mushrooms going & Thai green curry & rice return, Lifestyle rolls both times & also fruit).
My name & ‘Vegi GF’ was written on label stuck to cover of meals (so no possibility of confusion this time).
We stayed in the capital city, Valletta, (self catering) in traditional old unmodernised terrace house (several flights of many steep uneven stairs ). V is on a hill (as was house) so plenty of exercise.
Malta buses are of various ages and decorated in such a way that each seems unique - bus fares are cheap, get 1 week runabout ticket or have small change ready, 25c (about 25pence) seemed to be the most expensive fare.
If you take a taxi ask price of fare beforehand, usually not expensive.
The country is going to change to Euro (I think next year?) so some prices are in Euro as well as Maltese pound ( L) & some places accept Euros.
We had trips out to neighbour island Gozo (ferry then bus to G's capital Victoria) , Mdina (catacombs etc) by bus, foot passenger ferry to Sliema just for the short ride and otherwise climbed/ walked around Valletta to Co-Cathedrals , museums, gardens etc.
In Valletta there is a good indoor food market on Merchants Street, Mon-Sat mornings selling fresh fish (except on Mondays) also meat (sausages not recommended, even if you are not GF) , cheeses, veg, fruit, milk, etc . 'Good Earth' also in this market, upstairs (health-food type shop, a few GF items stocked).
The non-vegetarian had great BBQs (charcoal & matches from nearby paper/grocery shop) on flat roof cooking fish. The long haul up from basement kitchen with salad, plates, wine etc for lunch overlooking Grand Harbour was worth it.
According to a Malta magazine GF food is also available in Sliema at Casa Natura shop at 117 High Street (open 9am to 1.30pm and 4.30pm to 8 pm Monday to Saturday) but I did not go to it so don’t know what it is like.
The only supermarket as such was seen in Portomaso (shopping complex), it was called Arkadia, near Ronka & Hilton hotels.
Little shops in Valetta specialise- in eg religious pictures/post cards, hardware or newspapers & groceries, fruit & veg, wine & tobacco.
Most sell water (best to drink bottled water).
There is a Marks & Spencers in Valletta with small food section, cider available there in case you tire of wine, a few GF items stocked, including Fairtrade plain chocolate!
Ate out only once in V . I had cheese salad (Maltese goat’s cheese with herbs , haricot beans etc).
There did not seem to be any Maltese restaurant GF plain meat or fish meals (traditional food seemed to be eg rabbit stew, mixed fish stew) but food seems mostly cooked from scratch so I guess it should be possible to have GF meals out if you asked for that beforehand.
Weather was mostly sunny & warm but some cloud, wind & rain, the house we were in was designed for Malta's very hot summers so it was gloomy and damp on the odd dark day (in April).
This was Malta the hard way- we came back with strong calves & arm muscles, lost weight & had quite a few insect bites -but it was a very interesting experience.
People of Malta are friendly & helpful (except behind the wheel of a car on busy main roads) & everyone seemed to understand & speak English well.