Robert and our driver met us at our cruise terminal, and while we drove to Mdina, Robert told us both historical and current information about Malta. His English is great and he shared both general knowledge and personal stories about his grandparents, parents, and his own family. After our walking tour of Mdina, we were transported to Valletta for a stroll through downtown streets and quiet neighborhoods to see the city’s many highlights, including the co-cathedral, the 7-story stock exchange, the Parliament House designed by Renzo Piano, and several headquarters of the eight langues of the knights of Malta. It was an up close and personal way to become acquainted with this historically and strategically important island in the heart of the Mediterranean.