Malta was on my list of those interesting places I always wanted to visit in Europe. This tiny island, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, has a fascinating history, having been a crossroad between Africa and Europe.

The Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Sicilians, French and British were involved in the island at a certain point, and this created a unique and distinctive place, but the legacy of the Order of Saint John, who ruled the place as a vassal state of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1530 to 1798, is clearly present in the architecture and culture of the country.

In June of 2016, I had the opportunity to visit the island, and I stayed mainly in the capital Valetta, a beautiful harbour city that preserves much of its 16th-century architectural heritage.