Day 1

 My first full day in Malta, I decided to tag along with some of my roommates. We'd started chatting and getting along, and with their limited time they had a much more concrete idea of things to do in Malta. We chose to visit Mosta, as well as Attard.

Unfortunately our bus decided to improvise its route, skipping the entire city of Mosta completely. This left is stranded on the outskirts of Attard, neither here nor there. We did a bit of looking through the stores in Ta Qali Crafts Village, which showcase ceramics, jewelry and goods made from stone and wood. Clearly off-season however, the place didn't hold our interest very long. So we decided to walk the way to Mosta, since we had little faith in the bus routes at this point. 

The weather was cold, windy and rainy, but not enough for me to regret not bringing an umbrella. And with the only noteworthy thing to pass on our way to Mosta being the American Embassy, we were glad to finally arrive at the city for some food and shelter. We indulged in some Pastizzi, before heading into the Mosta Rotunda -- a large catholic dome known for being hit by bombs that didn't explode, back in WWII. It's a beautiful building, though the curated path we had to take, combined with the informational video clips and voice-overs, made it clear that it now functions primarily as a tourist attraction.

After enjoying the Rotunda, we decided on trying our luck in Attard once more. We explored the small streets of Mosta while waiting for the bus to hopefully come by, then eventually accepted the futility of that endeavor. Instead we opted for a less ideal bus route, and were soon on our way. In Attard we intended to visit San Anton gardens, which lie opposite of the bus stop we arrived at. So we enjoyed our walk through the lovely city, and discovered that the gardens close early in off-season months. Having walked a decent amount this day, we found a nearby bus stop and a connection that would lead us back home. 

We exited the bus early to do some shopping -- I got some essentials I couldn't bring, such as a wireless mouse, a proper backpack and some plastic sandals -- and finally stopped by the local LIDL to stock up on groceries. But while we did get those home, we still chose to head out for one last time and pick up some food from a reasonably upscale takeout store that specializes in seafood. So we ended our day with salmon burgers, hanging out in the hostel kitchen.