Peter's apartment is a treasure - it's the entire first floor of a beautiful sandstone palazzo, with one of those authentic wooden Maltese balconies (gallerija) that you will see in all the streets and towns. Staying here you can sit and have your breakfast coffee inside one of those very balconies. But even though you are right in the heart of one of the beautiful '3 cities' - Bormla (or Cospicua in Italian) - you are also very far from the madding crowd. We slept with the windows open and there was no sound from the street. The apartment has been so thoughtfully and beautifully renovated, preserving the authentic feel, without neglecting modern comforts: the main bathroom is gorgeous, with a big shower head, the kitchen is sleek and well equipped, the TV screen is perfect for Netflix and the beds have heavenly mattresses and delicious smooth linen. Our favourite place to sit after a long day out was on the beautiful sofa in front of the French doors, to watch the special yellow tones of sunlight catch the sandstone church in the piazza. We came on direct flights from Trieste and stayed 3 nights - the location was just what we hoped for - a 10 minute walk down the hill in the morning to have coffee at the harbour or catch the ferry to Valletta (10 minutes crossing), and from Valletta another ferry to Gozo (30 mins) if you choose. We recommend: Arrival day walking from the apartment around the 3 fortified cities of Cospicua (Bormla), Isla (Senglea) and Vittoriosa (Birgu), beautiful ancient towns, fingers sticking out in to the sea directly opposite the Grand Harbour of Valletta. The harbour fronts of Senglea and Vittoriosa are picturesque with churches and domes and palaces looming yellow and red up on the hills behind them and the beautifully restored facade of what is now the American University is the perfect entrée to the restaurants and cafes along the harbour. The backstreets are filled with gorgeous stonehouses, brightly coloured balconies and cobbled streets. Day 2: we took the ferry from Seneglea harbour direct to Valletta. Great to see the new parliament building rising like a honeycomb among the ancient buildings and the spectacular St Johns Cathedral which takes your breath away the moment you step inside. Day 3 we took the ferry again to Valletta and then went on to Gozo (fast ferry). We hired a scooter on the island and could not believe the prehistoric sites of the Citadella (near the ancient capital Rabat/ Victoria) and the Ggantija Temples. Unbelievable - not to be missed and beautifully presented with wooden walkways. There are superb sandy beaches of course (we went to Ramla Bay) for cooling off in between. One thing we learnt was not to expect too much from the food (we live in Italy and are spoilt ;) but we really enjoyed dinner back in our 'home' zone. Peter and Nic recommended Tal Petut in neighbouring Birgu and it was perfect. Maltese cuisine served under cosey brick vaulted ceilings. The host explained that the antipasto would soon arrive (it did: a platter for 2 including all kinds of dips, grilled vegetables, Maltese sausage and pate); then we could choose meat or fish main course (the very slow cooked pork in marmalade fell deliciously off the fork); and then if you have any room left there are 3 traditional Maltese desserts to taste, including a very memorable kind of ice cream semi freddo. That cost 36 Euros each; a bottle of wine at 22 Euros was extra. Perfect ending to a wonderful holiday.
Also to say that Peter is an exceptional host - he has lovingly published a book about the apartment and recommendations for guests - and you'll get the pdf before you arrive. He takes special care with everything and we found a bottle of Maltese wine, crackers and goats cheese waiting for us on arrival. We were among his first guests so this might not always be possible - but we certainly appreciated it! We are very much looking forward to coming back and bringing friends to stay in the other bedroom!