Saturday, September 24, 2011

Photos of Malta...


The view from our first hotel in St. Julians. There is a marina and our room faced the Mediterranean. At night, you could sit on the patio and hear the waves hit the rocks! So nice!


Most individuals sunbathe on the rocks. I prefer reading a book sitting upright instead of trying to lay on them.



The streets of Malta are very tiny!! Oh yeah, and the casino sticks out like a sore thumb. The only plus is that you are never really lost as long as you can see the casino.


View of city as the sun sets.



Some of the colorful fishing boats that Malta is well known for. I even got to witness someone painting thier boat by hand! Pretty cool.



Some little shops and restaurants that sit near a boating area.




Close up of a very colorful fishing boat!



The people of Malta love cats. They are everywhere! You can easily see 20 a day. They hang out in the hotels and at the outside restaurants. I hate cats.



Many boats in this small area. I am not sure how you actually get to the boat though. Maybe you have to swim to them in order to get on them?



So many boats!



Yes, this does look extremely dangerous. But this is how you get in and out of the Mediterranean. Try to avoid the rocks as best as you can...haha



Sunbathing on concrete. No big deal here as there is actually very little sandy beach areas to lay out.



Very large church in Malta. I'll have to do some more reseach to determine which church this is!



Well, at least they are honest?! lol Only in Malta...



You can sit on the steps and read or go into the shallow water. A word of caution though, you might have some run ins with jellyfish if you aren't careful!



Some older looking buildings in Malta. The architecture is pretty awsome.



Does anyone think that these closely resemble "Lay's Potato Chips" bags?



The city is quite dense!



The Mediterranean and the city of St. Julians.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Hanging out in Malta...

Yesterday, Dave and I spent the day swimming in the Mediterranean and laying by the pool! Later on at night, we went to this cafe in downtown St. Julians. It reminded me a lot of Cheesecake Factory because the menu went on forever! After being in France, I had kind of became used to a limited selection of food to choose from!

After dinner, Dave got some of the awesome gelato I had the evening prior. We walked down to the area that had numerous bars and clubs. Everything was packed!! Oddly, the signs said you had to be 17 or older to enter the bar, but Dave and I were pretty sure that some of the individuals were 14 years old. haha.

It was Independence Day in Malta last night, which may have been why everyone was out at the bars celebrating. I was hoping to see some fireworks, but I guess they don't celebrate Independence Day here like we do in the states!

Today, after Dave left for his tournament, I walked throughout the city. Anyone who knows me knows that I HATE cats....like really hate. Well, there are lots of cats in Malta! I see easily 20 a day. It is quite odd though because there is really no dogs...just a ton of cats!

Malta is well known for its colorful fishing boats. I took many pictures of them today and will hopefully be able to post them soon!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Portomaso, Malta...

Dave and I arrived in Malta late last night. This afternoon, we got some lunch and wandered around the city of Portomaso a bit before Dave began his tournament. I spent the rest of the day walking around the city, taking a few pictures, and purchasing some postcards. I also had some awesome gelato tonight!

Again, I will post some pictures when I have the internet to do it!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Some photos from Nice...


The beach. Mighty cloudy on this day though :(


A "street performer." Dave thought it was a statue and didn't even realize as he walked by. The guy only moves after you put money in his change bucket!


View of the Croissette!


Dave...all smiles :)


View of the Croissette! The main area located near the beach.



Dave with his new yacht.


A view of some moutains in the distance.

Finally in Nice, France

After over 24 hours of hanging out in airports and flying on three different planes, I have finally arrived in Nice, France! Mind you, I was supposed to arrive at 12:00 noon, France time on Friday but instead finally got in around 1:00 am on Saturday morning. Oh well..I finally made it and I couldn't be happier!

Yesterday was my first full day in Nice. Dave and I went out to breakfast at a restaurant near our hotel in the morning. I was quite surprised when I ordered an omlette and it came with French fries and a salad for breakfast. A bit of culture shock on that one!

After breakfast, Dave and I headed toward the beach. The beach is located on the Mediterranean Sea, and the water was surprisingly warm. We also attempted to play paddle ball, which is almost a mix between ping pong and tennis.

Later on in the day, we took a walk on the Croissette, which is the boardwalk area located on the beach. We ate at a restaurant nearby and then tried some gelato. Overall, it was a very relaxing day, which was much needed after the chaos I had endured at all the airports!

Today is our last day in Nice until we return again in October. We leave tomorrow afternoon for the island of Malta (which means two more flights!...). I will definitely be taking some pictures throughout the day today (although it is pretty cloudy after storming all night last night). I will post these pictures this evening at some point!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Back at the gate, and still in the states...

The plane was finally boarded and ready to roll by 7:50! Just as everyone is settling in and we are heading down the runway, the pilot busts a U-y. The captain announces that we have yet again ran into another maintenance issue and will be returning to the gate. Long story short, I'm no where near Nice or Amsterdam. And no word on when I will be. Ugh...lol Until then, I'm going to sit on the plane and bitch about the problem on this blog....

At the airport...

I am currently at the Detroit Airport. My flight was scheduled to leave at 7:10pm. Of course, in the true Delta way, the flight has been delayed til at least 8:15 due to
"maintenance issues." Luckily, my mom packed me and entire bag full of snacks so at least I'm staying occupied! It's only going to be bad news bears if I miss my connecting flight in Amsterdam....

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Preparing to Leave Ohio...

I'm packed and ready to leave the states! My flight leaves in about 24 hours and I couldn't be more excited! First, I fly from Detroit to Amsterdam. After my one hour layover in Amsterdam, I'll be on the plane heading to Nice, France! I am scheduled to arrive in Nice around 6:00am, Ohio time!