Malta

February 2010

Malta was one of those countries I had always put off. It didn’t have much to attract me as a priority place to see and I thought I’d get around to it one day. I had to take some annual leave and post school half term, there were lots of cheapy holidays. A return flight with Easy Jet and a self catering apartment for a week cost less than £300 for two people, so I went with Wendy who needed a break.

Leaving on Saturday February 20th at 7.15am, I was subjected to the new Gatwick security procedures that had everyone removing belts, boots, clothing etc. I walked right through the barrier without a buzz and they almost said “That can’t be right. Everyone gets a buzz and we get to hassle you further”.

The flight left on time and we were at Valletta Airport by midday. It was a quiet airport with quick passport control (no visa since it is in the EU) and baggage pickup and out to the pre-booked transfer company (Resort Hopper) who were waiting in arrivals. At 6 Euros each way, it was the cheapest option except catching a couple of local buses. Malta had also converted to the Euro so money was easily available from any ATM.

The Canifor Hotel apartment was in Qawra, the major tourist conurbation in northern Malta. It was 4 floors up, separate from the Canifor Hotel with the slowest lift in history. There was a narrow kitchen/lounge with oven/grill/cooker, fridge, sink, a double bedroom with twin beds and a small bathroom with the shower from hell. It was very powerful but would not stay fixed to the er, shower fitting so water went everywhere despite the shower curtain. But at least it was hot.

While out having our first amble around the neighbourhood, a woman pulled up in a car and tried to get us to attend a timeshare presentation up the coast. Of course, she didn’t call it timeshare, but I guessed and she seemed genuinely shocked we weren’t going. “But I get 50 Euros if you go” she said. I heard other tourists later in the week moaning that they had gone and had been stuck there for hours with no free gift etc. They must just trawl the streets every Saturday afternoon looking for fresh tourists just off the plane. This was the only hassle we had all week.

Malta had lots of small food stores, but none of the major supermarkets we are used to. At the bar across the road that served beer for &163;1 a pint of lager (from a can), a drunk German lady told us the biggest supermarket was Smart Supermarket near Mosta. “But you’ll find the local supermarkets are actually cheaper”. This wasn’t necessarily true and when we caught a bus down there for a look, it (we discovered later) had the best range of food stuffs on the island and the cheapest. I wanted a local to ask me about my shopping so I could say I came here “Mosta the time”.

All food is imported onto Malta and only the drop in the value of the Euro brought down the prices to UK equivalents (without the choice). Vegetables were very cheap at markets. I was quite happy cooking Bob Food all week rather than sit in restaurants full of elderly English tourists all tucking into their egg and chips etc. Wine was very affordable but the local Maltese stuff was a bit rough for the first couple of glasses. Local CISK beer was ok.

The Maltese islands are 93km south of Sicily, and 300km north of Libya. The archipelago is made up of the island of Malta, Gozo and Comino, making up a mere 316sq km. Malta, the largest of them, is only 27km at its longest point and 14.km at its widest point.

The Thomas Cook guide to Malta and Gozo introduces it as “Tiny though it is, Malta has an extraordinary rich historical and cultural heritage. Set at the crossroads of numerous Mediterranean sea routes, it has been coveted and colonised by many different maritime powers. The most glorious phase in its history was the 268 year reign of the Order of St John, whose legacy can still be seen in the fine buildings that survive.”

The island of Malta consists of a gently undulating limestone plateau. There are no rivers, mountains or lakes. The land was relatively green when we were there, but it tends to look rocky and barren in the summer. There are few trees and the slopes are cultivated for vegetables and vines. Livestock was also not visible on the island. These are kept inside. The abundant local limestone has been used to construct all buildings and has been mellowed by the sun, blending in with the colour of the surroundings including the endless dry stone walls that flank fields, terraces and gardens. The coastline is predominantly rocky with a few sandy bays.

With a population of around 350,000, Malta is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe, though the majority live around Valletta. Tourism is Malta’s prime industry pulling in one million plus tourists a year and despite the thin, dry soil, agriculture is still another major sector, especially potatoes, onions and grapes.

Historically, it was a mish mash of invaders and owners until 1530 when the Emperor of Spain granted the Maltese islands to the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. Despite the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, they managed to hold off the Ottoman (Turkish) invaders and finally whipped them good in 1571. Over the next two hundred years, the power and wealth went to their heads (though they built some pretty good stuff) until Napolean turned up and kicked their arses in 1798 and they were forced to leave. The British then kicked out the French in 1800 and it became part of the British Empire. Since 1974, Malta has been a republic within the British Commonwealth.

Our first three days were spent touring the island using a three day bus pass for less than 10 Euros on the rickety but charming local ex-English buses. The bus drivers seemed to talk non stop on mobile phones while they drove on the left hand side and at any major stops they would stand outside the front door and smoke.

Malta was obviously suffering from the recession. There were a lot of properties up for sale and some hotel areas looked so deserted you could have filmed ‘Survivors’ there. I have merged a couple of visits to Valletta to make it flow better.

On our first proper day (Sunday), we caught a bus down to Marsaxlokk. En route, I saw a sign on a garage that offered Japanese Spare Car parts. It was called “Nipparts.”

Marsaxlokk is a small fishing village of 3000 that retains a slice of traditional Maltese life. Every Sunday, there is a fish market offering the latest locally caught fish as well as the usual tourist-tat. Old low rise houses ring the town’s waterfront nearby. It is the boats however, that stand out. These are brightly coloured fishing boats (luzzu) painted in blue, red and yellow. The bows have pairs of eyes painted (the eyes of Osiris). Local men were painting them in the sunshine. It was one of the best images of Malta we saw. The local vegetables were particularly cheap.

We then headed for Valletta – the Knights City. As we approached the Old City, we passed Freedom Square with the flattened area of the former Opera House that was destroyed in World War Two. The bottoms of all its massive pillars were still visible on the ground. On a Sunday afternoon the island’s small collection of transvestites seemed to hang out at the crowded Valletta bus station. I did a double take when I saw what appeared to be rather dowdy women with five o’clock shadows on their faces and then realise they weren’t female, well at least not completely through the process.

After the Knights had seen off the Ottoman invaders, the Grand Master la Valette decided to build a new capital - one that was more defensive and chose the largest hill in the harbour area which in 1566 only had Fort St Elmo on it. It was a city built by gentleman for gentlemen and uniquely for Europe, it was a planned city with a compact grid line streets, squares and alleys. Surrounding the city was an impressive set of defensive fortifications – an array of endless thick walls built at different levels. The new city was named Valletta. To some extent, it retains a lot of its aristocratic elegance today, so much so that UNESCO have declared it a World Heritage Site and ‘one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world’. It is one bestowed with churches, palaces and residential streets with overflowing balconies hanging overhead.

Outside the City Gate, we passed over the old moat which was 17m deep and 9m wide. It extends for 875m between the two harbours. Inside the City entrance, Republic Street bisected the city all the way from City Gate to Fort St Elmo. On a lazy sunny Sunday afternoon, the streets were virtually deserted but still atmospheric. What follows are some of the major highlights to see:

The Order of St John was divided into eight nationalities (langues), each one having its own Inn or Auberge. The Auberge de Castille and Lyons, now the Prime Minister’s Office is one of the most graceful buildings in Valetta. Remodelled in 1744, it was based on Baroque Italian architecture and is five minutes walk off to the right once inside the city.

St John’s Cathedral (completed 1581) has a plain façade but is very ornate inside, if you want to pay 8 Euros to see it. I pretended to use the main door ignorant of the fact that this was actually the exit for paying tourists, and had a glimpse before a man suggested I enter the proper way. The Cathedral was the Knight’s main place of worship and they spent enormous sums of money to build lavish chapels of their langues. Inside, virtually every surface was either painted or gilded, except for the carved woodwork.

Further down Republic Street on Republic Square stands Biblioteca, the national library (1786) with a white statue of Queen Victoria in front of it. It was surrounded by the largest and busiest outdoor café in Valetta.

Manoel Theatre (1732) is said to be the third oldest theatre in Europe, though it was completely restored in 1969. We went for a tour with another English couple. It had a chequered history from theatre to doss house to dance hall to cinema and back to theatre. During its restoration, the glorious ceiling with its gilded 22- carat gold and the small rural scenes that decorate the side boxes were brought back to their original splendour. Looking up from the stage, this intimate theatre glittered under spotlights and was a real gem in Valletta. Recommended.

In Palace Square, the impressive long grey stone exterior of the Palace of the Grand Masters is covered with plaques commemorating historical events, including the citation King George VI wrote when he awarded the island the George Cross in 1942. The Grand Masters used the palace as their headquarters until they left Malta in 1798. Since 1974, it has served as the office of the President. Again, we passed on the 10 Euro fee to walk through the State Rooms.

Archbishop Street lays to the side of the Palace and here I found ‘The Pub’. This was where Oliver Reed had his last drink before keeling over and dying in May 1999. Not a lot of people know this. He was in Malta to film ‘The Gladiator’. Legend has it that he died arm-wrestling locals after drinking a couple of bottles of rum. It was a tiny pub, with a handful of English customers.

At the end of Republic lay Fort St Elmo which is famous for its role in the epic siege of 1565 as well as its role in World War Two. Having seen many superb war museums, the War Museum, within the Fort was a little small, but did chronicle the island’s role in WWII and has the George Cross awarded to it. The photos were interesting and were almost a micro episode of the war which I knew nothing about. The blanket bombardment by Italian and German planes during 1942 rivalled the bombing of London, but they managed to hold on until British and American boats broke the U-boat siege and got supplies to the local population that had clung on for months.

The Mediterranean Conference Centre was the former Sacra Infermeria (Holy Infirmary) of the Order of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. The Order was obliged to take in the sick, destitute and insane, regardless of their religion. Started in 1574, the main room was extended to 153m long (500ft!) within a century and it became the longest hospital ward in the world. Nursing care here was the most advanced in the world at the time. Some of it was destroyed during WWII but it was fully restored in 1978. It is a unique room, the longest I have ever seen. Beneath it was an exhibition about how the hospital worked and you could explore some of the carved tunnels that riddle this entire area of the island. Recommended.

To give you another perspective of Valetta, it is worth walking around the city wall fortifications at road level. You can look down at the crashing sea on one side, stare up at the stately architecture on the other and along the forbidding grey walls themselves.

The harbour tours by boat looked very inviting, but we never found time. Instead we caught the 10 min long ferry from Valletta to Silema to get some idea of sailing in the harbour. To reach the ferry, Wendy persuaded me to take my first horse and carriage ride there. The things we do to humour women. Silema is the largest tourist resort on the island and a bus took us along the coastal road back to Qawra.

For my 50th birthday, we went to Gozo. To get there, we caught a bus from Qawra bus station (from where it seemed you could directly reach anywhere on Malta) up to Mgarr where the car ferry leaves every 30 minutes for Gozo. It only took 25 minutes and cost 2 Euros each way. En route, we passed the virtually deserted island of Comino. At the Mgarr terminal we discovered that our bus passes were not valid on Gozo.

The tourist literature raves about this small island which is 14km long and 6km wide with 25,000 people living on it. Thomas Cook’s guide said “Lying just 6km off the coast of northern Malta, Gozo looks like a smaller version of its sister island. In some ways it is. The fields sheltered by stone walls, the flat-roofed houses, and the blue waters surrounding the island are all reminiscent of Malta. At the same time, it is noticeably more peaceful and rural, the pace of life is slower, the land is greener, the streets are cleaner and the coast is quieter.” Maybe so, but it is developing fast and urban sprawl is beginning to spread across the island.

Farming (and fishing) has always been the main activity of the islanders. The villages were always built on the hills both for defensive reasons (Gozo was the victim of marauding pirates for centuries) and to leave the slopes and valleys for intensive vegetable and fruit cultivation. I think I can safely say that now tourism is the major money-spinner.

Flat topped hills and Baroque domes dominated the skyline. A rickety bus took us from the port to the small capital, Victoria (or Rabat as the Maltese know it). All roads on the island radiate from Victoria, whose centre is dominated by its handsome citadel built on a hill. The great bastions shelter a cathedral and several museums within its walls. At one time, the entire population of Gozo was able to gather, protected within its walls (from the Turks or pirates). Today it is UNESCO protected and undergoing restoration.

There were fine views from the ramparts across the island is every direction. The green slopes were peppered with millions of small yellow knapweed flowers and it was strange not to see a cow anywhere. The Cathedral (1711) replaced the original destroyed by the 1693 earthquake. There was another stunning Baroque interior. The strange thing was that inside, when you looked up at the dome, it was actually an illusion. They ran out of funds for a dome, so someone painted a false one inside.

Beneath the Citadel lay the narrow alleys of the old town and St George’s church (1678). This was just as impressive as the cathedral with another outstanding Baroque interior. Whoever was producing Baroque interiors in Malta in the 17th Century must have been coining it. Many of the houses in the alleys had St George & the dragon wooden carvings on their walls. It was nice to just poke around and look at the fine detail.

But after a beer in the Piazza Independeriza (main square) with a tiny market, I lost interest in Gozo. We could have caught local buses to visit a rebuilt prehistoric settlement (Ggantija), a rebuilt traditional windmill (Ta’kola windmill), the eroded sea cliffs, a centre of pilgrimage at Ta’Pinu, another magnificent Baroque church at Xaghra. But I just couldn’t be arsed. I had seen them all before in other countries and probably better. Maybe we should have just caught a round-Gozo bus tour and be done with it, but once I had visited Victoria, I didn’t need to see anything else. It was all just stuff for tourists to pass the time with.

Back in Qawra, I decided to visit Mosta Church of the Assumption. We had passed this church on buses every day and never stopped. Yet it was, I think the best church on Malta. One thing made it stand out – its massive dome. By the time of its completion in 1863, the dome was the 4th largest unsupported dome in Europe almost rivalling St Peter’s in Rome. No internal supports were used in its construction which was done using donkeys and pulleys.

The 37m (122ft) dome is visible from almost every vantage point in Malta. Inside, looking up, it was stupendous with a geometric diamond pattern (see photo). Remarkably, it had been bombed in WWII. One bomb crashed through and failed to explode. Another two bounced off the dome. How cool is that? The church can hold 10,000 people, but today there were probably 100 attending the service. This was a worthwhile sight on my 50th birthday.

Malta’s central section is a region of gentle hills, terraced fields, farmsteads, villages and towns. It also contains Mdina ‘The Silent City’ which lies 7 miles inland from Valletta. This is Malta’s jewel in the crown. As you approach it, from any direction, you can see the dramatic cathedral dome and great walls of Malta’s former capital looming in the distance. The town was actually flattened by an earthquake in 1693, destroying most of the medieval and Sicilian-Norman buildings, but it has been painstakingly restored to its former glory. Only 400 people live here.

“The town is essentially one of peaceful alleys, handsome palazzo, old mansions and interesting museums” (Thomas Cook). What makes it different is that the Knights of St John did not rebuild this town after the earthquake which had always been the home of noble families and dignitaries. When Valletta was built, it lost its status and was called the Old City. The restoration took place much later. The streets are narrow and winding, flanked by the mellow golden facades of Baroque and restored medieval mansions. Many of them have fine stone or wrought iron balconies and elaborate brass knockers on the wooden doors. The whole place blends into a harmonious collection of wonderful stone architecture.

Most of the finest mansions are based on the narrow Villegaignon St which is the major thoroughfare to the fortified northern edge of the city. From here, you have fine views over the plains to Valetta and on rare days, supposedly all the way to Sicily.

Arriving here by bus at 9am, we had the entire place to ourselves for a couple of hours until the tour groups started to roll in. We could explore the deserted alleyways and peek in windows and look for the finer details. The Baroque Cathedral was rebuilt 10 years after the earthquake and had the usual grandeur of Maltese churches. I rated Mdina as the best thing I saw in Malta.

Rabat is really a suburb of Mdina and where most people live, but also has some historical importance. In AD60, a ship that was taking St Paul to Rome (where he was to stand trial), ran aground near Malta and according to local legend, he holed up in St Paul’s Grotto – a small cave. It must have been coincidence that the cave had the same name as him! The grotto is underneath St Paul’s church which was rebuilt in1693 after the earthquake. There isn’t much to see apart from a marble statue of St Paul and some catacombs carved into the walls of the small cave. Pope John Paul II visited Rabat in 1990 to come and say a prayer. The current pope is due to show up later in 2010, though I’m not sure how they’ll get his bubble car down the steps.

Down the road, St Agatha Caves are the famous catacombs beneath a small church. St Agatha was a young Sicilian saint who crossed to Malta to escape persecution from the Romans for her religious beliefs. We were able to get the last tour of the day, just the two of us and a young archaeologist who showed us around the maze of carved tunnels. There are pagan, Punic and Jewish burial chambers within the vast catacomb complex, but only the Christian section is open to the public. The dark narrow passageways are flanked by tombs of small groups or families, often with a circular stone table, where ritualised funeral feasts took place to celebrate the anniversary of the death of relatives or friends. Remnants of ancient frescos are just about visible on the tomb walls. What I didn’t realise was that bodies were removed from the catacombs so that new bodies could be buried. Our guide said that they were just part of the ‘process of death’.

Malta is famous (at least within Europe) for its diving, especially the shipwrecks dotted around the islands. I wanted to use this trip to dip my feet in the water so to speak and booked a couple of days with Subway Scuba. Since it was off season, there were few divers. I was lucky to just be diving with a recently qualified Air Baltic pilot, Steve and our Russian guide Sergie. The problem for me was the fact that the water was only 15’c and I had to wear two thick wetsuits, weighed down with double my normal weightbelt (12kg) and a large tank on my back. On top of this, we did shore dives, so had to walk down and back up flights of stairs to the water. By the end of day two, my knees were aching badly.

On Day 1, we drove to the southwest corner of Malta, Zurrieq, near Dingli. Just off shore, we could see an oil rig which was not drilling oil but exploring beneath the seabed. Behind it lay Filfla, a small, barren uninhabited islet 5 km south of Malta. Until 1971 the Royal Navy and Air Force used the island for target practice. Gearing up, we staggered down to the sea and descended in very cold water. The first dive was out to the ‘Um-El-Faroud’ wreck, which lay around 34m underwater on the seabed. We dived around it enjoying good visibility. The second dive (Blue Grotto) was in a different direction to the wreck and there was little to see – more like ‘spot the fish’ I did see ‘fire worms’ a form of large underwater millipede. Not good to touch apparently.

On Day 2, we drove up to the northern coast looking across to Gozo, to attempt to dive the P29 Patrol boat, but the sea was too rough, and we headed to the sheltered harbour area, diving off Manoel Island, containing a derelict and overgrown Fort Manoel (1726). It was strange to be diving with the massive dome of the Carmelite Church as a backdrop across the bay. On the first dive, we floated above debris tossed into the harbour after the war – toilets, baths. The Carolita Barge (X127) was a small upended wreck at 18m, but the bow was at 5m. I’m surprised they left a wreck so close to the surface. The second dive was pretty much non-descript. You can see some of these dive sites at Subway Scuba

On the final day, I decided to check out the ‘Three Cities’ (or rather two – I didn’t bother with Cospicua). When the Knights of St John acquired Malta, they decided to live in on a slim 1 km long peninsula called Birgu. After the epic siege of 1565, it was renamed Vittoriosa (Victorious). Running parallel on another thin peninsula is Senglea separated by Dockyard Creek.

I caught a bus down from Qawra and en route, attempted to visit the Hypogeum, a subterranean burial place outside Valetta. UNESCO owned, there were two problems. Firstly, it was fully booked for the next week (only 80 people are guided down there a day) and secondly, even if I could get in, it would have cost 20 Euros. Well, excuse me UNESCO but I think that’s a trifle high for another burial site. St Agatha’s catacombs cost 4 Euros. What’s the difference? Can you get real?

The best thing about Senglea is the view from the waterfront and the best view of the waterfront is from the Vedette (look out tower) with its symbolic, sculptured eye and ear which still watches over the harbour. The great natural harbour, with its sheltered anchorages has been coveted by many foreign fleets. Fort St Elmo and Ricasoli Fort have guarded both sides of the harbour entrance for centuries.

Vittoriosa is the least altered of the three cities and it has some decent sites to see including Fort St Angelo, the Church of St Lawrence and the Inquisitors’ Palace. To be honest, I was just as happy to wander around the streets in the lovely sunshine taking in the harbour views. I didn’t need to pay admission charges to see more of the same. The ambience on both peninsulas was of quiet sleepy neighbourhoods

As a holiday destination, Malta is a cheap and convenient trip from anywhere in Europe. It is laid back, the locals are friendly and the weather is excellent (it was sunny everyday in February, though the nights sometimes had strong winds). Ascetically, you have the relatively dull holiday resorts and sporadic urban development juxta-positioned with historical gems like Mdina and Valletta. Gozo seems to be developing quickly and is no longer the isolated jewel it was. I think I found Malta a bit too small and lacking any challenge. I also found the diving so-so. But if I was retired and wanted a civilised way to spend a few winter weeks in a warmer climate, it would be a good choice. I’m sure I’ll be back to try the diving again.