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“Best day eveeeeer,” my friend Jess shouted from the crystal clear waters of Malta’s Blue Grotto cave. Wearing a pair of John Lennon-style sunnies and a baseball cap, she treaded water next to a golden retriever named Miriam, who had decided to cannonball into the waves alongside her. It was the first time in years I’d seen her so joyful. There were embers of an old spark reigniting and I crossed my fingers that it caught.
Jess and I first met at Reading University in 2012 when I, an inveterate PE dodger, signed up to the ski society during freshers’ week. My first – and last – attempt at getting down a dry slope was a flop, but with my bum and ego already bruised, I had little left to lose when I asked Jess for her phone number. We went on to spend amaretto-fuelled nights dancing to Taylor Swift and I felt I’d lucked out in the friendship lottery. Then she met a boy.
A few years later they had completed the Nicholas Sparks playbook: eloping to the US, adopting a scruffy terrier with a name befitting of an octogenarian and settling into a leafy London suburb. The picket fence life served them – until it didn’t.
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Jess soaking up the sun in Malta during the girls’ trip (Jessica Phillips)
Read more: Best hotels in Valletta for a stylish stay in Malta’s capital
During the last few months of their marriage, I hardly recognised my previously carefree friend. When she told me she was filing for divorce, I felt relief, followed by an overwhelming need to help build her back up. I hoped she could regain the confidence she’d had when we met 13 years ago.
This summer, after she had broken the news to me, we regressed to our teenage selves, walking through a McDonald’s drive-through in the early hours and scream-singing to Kesha’s “Your Love Is My Drug”. My old digital camera even made a comeback. The 2010s had us in such a chokehold there was a real risk of my sweeping fringe making a comeback. The grand finale? A four-night girls’ trip to Malta.
I wanted us to have time to acknowledge what Jess was going through while also celebrating her. I saw it as a way to reject the stigma often associated with the end of a marriage. Most of all, I wanted to romance her. Platonically, that is.
As the perennially-single friend, I’m comfortable taking the DIY approach to romance. I enjoy solo theatre trips on Valentine’s Day and having the honeymoon suite to myself. Really, my friendships are my greatest love stories. And in Malta, Jess would become the main character.
When we arrived at Cugó Gran Macina, a five-star boutique hotel in Sanglea, a sleepy region on the outskirts of Valletta, our first port of call was the rooftop pool, where we ordered a bottle of champagne. We took it in turns making up clink-worthy catchphrases.
“You only get divorced once,” I announced. Jess followed up with: “Divorce is just a breakup with more paperwork.” It went downhill from there.
The hotel itself is worthy of a fairytale. A limestone fortress built by the Knights of Saint John in 1553, it now boasts 21 suites, an on-site restaurant and the all-important rooftop pool overlooking the Grand Harbour.
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Jess and Jessica take a selfie on their girls’ trip in Malta (Jessica Phillips)
Read more: Best hotels in Malta
During our stay, we opted for an in-room couple’s massage with physiotherapist Marina. She appeared at our door carrying a selection of fruit in her motorbike helmet and told us about the cast of Gladiator II who had stayed at the property.
The romcom experience continued as Jess and I admired colourful gallariji (decorative wooden balconies) and eclectic door knockers in the Silent City. After a sunset ferry ride into Valletta, we enjoyed dinner soundtracked by a live orchestra, who were rehearsing for the Notte Bianca, Malta’s largest arts and culture festival.
The real highlights, however, were the bursts of uninhibited silliness from Jess – star-fishing like an exhausted toddler on the sofa, or dancing to country songs while straightening her hair.
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The Grand Harbour Suite at Cugó Gran Macina (César Guerrero Fotografía)
Read more: 11 of the best things to do in Valletta, Malta
On a bus to Marsaxlokk, one of Malta’s most famous fishing villages, she suggested we find a spot for beers. Heartfelt chats ensued. Over strong lageritas at Cafe Society Bar on St Lucy Street, one of the city’s famous side streets, I opened up about my deep-rooted fear of being left behind by my friends in relationships.
I explained how, for the most part, I enjoy being single; sleeping alone isn’t something I’ll give up easily. But sometimes I fear the weekends when my loved-up friends are busy with their partners and I’m at home, swiping.
Jess told me that her marriage breakdown had made her realise the value of female friendships: specifically mine.
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Cugó Gran Macina hotel has views of the Grand Harbour in Valletta (César Guerrero Fotografía)
At the end of the trip, I surprised her with a video I’d made over the course of the holiday, featuring her best bits. It’s 40 seconds showcasing her personality in technicolour: laughing over a spilled drink, pulling goofy faces at the camera, petting local dogs. In it, she’s glowing.
A few days later she forwarded me a screenshot from the family group chat where she had shared the video. A single tear rolled down my face as I read her mum’s reply: “Our old Jess is back”. My mission is complete.
Jessica was a guest of Cugó Gran Macina
How to do it
London Gatwick operates up to three direct flights to Malta International airport per day. One-way fares start from £15 with Ryanair and from £35 with British Airways. The flight time is around three hours.
Where to stay
Suites at Cugó Gran Macina start from £150 a night. Most rooms overlook the Grand Harbour and come with a kitchenette. The hotel is an eight-minute ferry ride from Valletta.
