Chapter 1: Popeye, The Sailor Man!

DAY 1


Let’s Start!

This is the second photo we took on this trip.We had barely pick up the bikes from the bike rental TheCyclist Malta when we found the first secondary road of the trip.We were really happy, we were in Malta, survived the bus that kidnapped us (we just asked for info to the driver and then we found us staggering in a bus launched at crazy speed.To start a trip is always a moment of pure Joy, you just can’t wait to reach the first place you putted on the map when you planned it! 🙂 


First city reached: Bugibba!

The first place we reached was Bugibba, just look at the colour of the sea and the perfect weather. Very beautiful, isn’t it? No, i’m not talking about Bruno, he’s ugly and crazy as hell 😛 Bugibba, with Qawra e Xemxija forms St. Paul’s Bay (San Pawl il-Baħar). This place owes its name to the legend of the shipwreck of St Paul on the small island in front of this cove.At the beginning it was a little fisherman’s bay, now one of the renowed touristic place of the island.


Leave Us There!

On our way to Mellieha we shooted this photo while resting a bit after we have discovered to have taken the wrong road.And sometimes wrong road doesn’t mean it’s all wrong, we just get lost and discovered this little corner of peace with a good view :)What about details? Look at the blue door: doesn’t that make you want to rest on it?


The World is YOURS!

To travel is to discover,is to discover new places, old places, to discover yourself. We shoot these photos at the arrival in Mellieha: Bruno entering a gate of the Santuary of our Lady, the sanctuary, a beautiful window on the sea and Bruno fronting his fear for heights.


Hello Popeye!

The Popeye village is one of the most beautiful attractions of the island. Located a few kilometers from Mellieha rises in Anchor’s bay, a beautiful bay with crystal water. This village was built in 1980 specifically for a musical film produced by Paramount and Disney in which starred a young Robin Williams.Today is a touristic attraction for families with their children or just for people who never feel to old for beautiful things :)In the last photo you can see an Arthur facing deth after a killer climb!
THIS IS A PLACE THAT YOU CAN’T MISS WHEN YOU VISIT MALTA!
Of course we will remember Malta for its climb and crazy descents!
It was a though day, we got up early, took bus, pick up the bikes and started the trip. We have decided that our mental healt is perfectly describable with this video in which Bruno tests the widht of the shower.Buut, what is madness? 😛 

Thank you for reading, see you in the next post!

Keep pedal,
Arthur and Bruno – BikesPhilosophy


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The Malta Tour


Hello dears!
In this post we will talk about our little long weekend in Malta by bike!
Malta is a little island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, only 80 kms from Sicily and it is the smallest but most populated states in the world.
The capital of Malta is La Valletta, a fortified city that is UNESCO word heritage: a must see!


Why We Choose Malta:

Basically we choose Malta for 2 reasons: the weather and the the possibility to visit many place in few days.The island is small and the short distance between the points of interest allows you to visit it in a short time.For what concern temperature it is perfect 365 days a year, in fact it hardly ever drops below 10 degrees.


To Cycle In Malta:

What to say? We think that the very best way to explore Malta by bike is with a mountain bike. It is the best way because there are a lot of climb and possibility to follow offroad path and enjoy the wilderness of this place. If you are not trained, another possibility, is to rent an E-bike. We had the possibility to test one for the first time at the rental shop and we really liked it.It is a good way to approach the world of bike tourism and to respect the environnement. For what concern the roads you must know that Malta was an English colony and they drive on the left. It could be a little bit tricky at first but after a day it becomes normal.
Car drivers and bus driver are crazy, they go very fast but at least they respect cyclists 🙂


The Cyclist Malta

For this trip we really would like to thanks THE CYCLIST MALTA who decided to sponsor us lending us two bikes to explore Malta.The shop is located in San Jullian and is easily reachble from La Valletta by taxi or bus. They are really prepared and willing to help for any problem or necessity. 
Take a look at the shop: www.thecyclistmalta.com

Many thanks!! 🙂


HOW WE PLANNED OUR TRIP:

DAY 1 – From St.Julians to Zebbugi (Via Bugibba, Mellieha and The Popeye Village);
DAY 2 – From Zebbugi to Kalkara (Via Blue Grotto, Marsca Scala and Marsa Scirocco);
DAY 3 – From Kalkara to Paceville (Via Vittoriosa, Senglea, Cospicua, La Valletta, Sliema and St. Julians).

Have a nice bike day!
Arthur & Bruno – BikesPhilosophy