I went to Malta for the first time for two weeks in the summer 1990th After that I had a holiday in Malta for 2 weeks each summer and twice 2 weeks at Christmas and New Year to my last vacation in 1996 - 8 times in all. This is the kind of places it is said that neither love or hate - obviously I liked it
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Although it's been a while since I was in Malta, a friend who has just returned from vacation is not convinced me that little has changed. Also, my kind of vacation is not the normal tourist thing. Do not go on many guided tours or have much interest in old ruins. He says he picked up a pretty extensive knowledge about the brave history of Malta.
What I like about most people. I've never known such kindness and friendship, even though I live in a friendly Yorkshire. Cynics say it's because you're spending money. I do not think so, although a lot of Maltese people are on low wages and work two jobs to survive I've found that many of them were happy to buy drinks, take you for meals, spend money on gasoline to drive around the island without asking for any back, but friendship. We are always on the left side of the call to stay home next time, but we prefer to be independent and use the hotels.
There is love for the British people and all things British. We had strong connections with Malta, which is part of our empire for 160 years until the Malta became independent within the Commonwealth in 1964 and became a republic in 1974. Valletta is the largest port on the Mediterranean. During the Second World War and the fuel of our ships were repaired in dry dock there.
Malta suffered a tremendous barrage of bombing for months. People never gave in even though many of them had their homes destroyed and were living in the catacombs and caves. For their bravery they were awarded a George Cross, which is now often known as the Maltese Cross. Maltese are rightly proud of his George Cross and I always wear one on a chain as a reminder of some fantastic times.
Malta is a rocky archipelago - only 15 miles from one end to another and has a population of about 500,000. It is 288kms north of Africa and I once read that before many centuries have joined the Coast has made about the erosion of separation. First residents were escaping wars and terror in Africa and the Maltese language told me he was originally Semetic. English is the second main language, but Italian is also very widely spoken there.
Malta is near the foot of Italy, just 93kms from Sicily, and there are many Italian residents. I noticed that a lot of TV and radio channels were Italian and that there is an abundance of Italian restaurants. Although English is widely spoken I've met some of the small villages that speak nothing but the Maltese. During my visits, I often come across the Maltese who also spoke French, German and Libyan. It is a place to rest, but they put many of us Brits to shame the multi lingual stake.
The British influence is very strong, despite the fact that more than 40 years since our forces garrisons were closed. Most of the Maltese that I met the anglicised names like Peter, David, Susan, Brian, Janet and Ben, although I met a few Marios and Marias. They are crazy to drive on the left side of the road are often full of holes and I found that the best way to get cars to stop the smile broadly. Then I hear it is not uncommon almighty screech of brakes and be able to cross safely.
a lot of people I met there were 2 cars, an old banger for night driving and later one on one day. Sylvio friend had a brand new BMW for the day and night for an old mini. On one memorable time, returning from the Popeye Village, bits of his old mini fell into the road every now and then. A police officer stopped him and went with my tail between your legs when Sylvio shouted at him - it will not happen here
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If you're into classic cars you will be gobsmacked at the amount of cars from the 60s and 70-ies that are around. I remember seeing a Ford Capri, which is identical to that which is owned by a friend in 1970. Malta did not have any drink driving laws to the last time I visited the accident and the young people, unfortunately, are remembered by the small shrines on the road to mark where they died in a collision and as a reminder to drive carefully. Saying that I have noticed that very few Maltese people drank alcohol, even when they visited the bars usually drank soft drinks or do not drink at all.
The buildings are mostly sandstone with a time worn look of crumbling. I have not seen many houses in Malta, mainly apartments. I visited several apartments of friends and they were usually placed in the same way, with rooms in one file and several windows. There will be one or two living rooms leading off from the entrance, then a kitchen or bedroom, more bedrooms if they are large suites and bathroom are often at the end means to walk through several rooms to get there. Walls and floors are marble and the furniture is usually a mixture of 50-s to modern day. Perhaps the dry air in Malta, but some of the furniture and equipment are perfectly preserved.
I went to a party in an apartment that is definitely a throwback to the early 70-ies. Psychedelic murals and black ceiling dotted with stars and moons. hammock hanging from the living room ceiling, 70-furniture and table in the middle designed to put the wacky baccy smoke together. most incongruous item in all dwelling was knitted doll toilet roll holder just like the ones that are all the rage in the 70s.
As Malta is a holiday I should mention the time. I went into the last week of June and the first of July and found it hot, varies 20-37 degrees and it can get hotter during August. Rain is rare during the summer and can get very dry and dusty with little but cacti successful.
Mosquitoes gathered outside waiting for me to get on a plane every summer and my reaction to the bite becomes increasingly difficult. I tried everything I could to avoid them, but little blighters always got me in a moment. Last bite on my feet for them to swell up so much that I could get my shoes or sandals, and I had to call a doctor to visit me at the hotel. I was charged about £ 20 for a visit and some antibiotics, but in a previous occasion I took my bite swollen elbow to the doctor's surgery and pay nothing. Malta has a reciprocal agreement with Britain regarding free medical care, but that it must exclude doctors are called out. contract for free healthcare for one month, so it should not take insurance.
We visited a friend of Brian in the hospital in the capital Valletta a few times and found that the old, awesome looks like a prison place. We are fortunate to have bright modern hospitals around here, although in Pinderfields Wakefield looks almost as awesome. Despite the old building of 18 years Brian assured us that doctors and nurses were good at their job and that it heals and nothing too much trouble. Brian broke his back a few years earlier from a high cliff diving in the port of Valletta and was a regular there.
My Christmas visits were smack bang in the middle of winter and I found most of the day a bit warmer than our British summer, but with much less rain and no mosquitoes. I was walking along the main street of Valletta a new year, when it began to rain. Man celebrates rare rainfall that runs in the middle of the street waving your hands in the air shouting 'shitt' Maltese word for rain. Although it is quite dry, there are more plant life is visible during the winter. I particularly remember how beautiful tree-lined road that leads to Valletta is when the flower.
looks like the fall and spring can bring hot dry winds called Xlokk in Malta, otherwise known as Siroccos. I remember hearing that the snow fell a few years ago, very unusual on this sunny island.
Since most Catholic country, the Maltese celebrate Christmas, but in a much quieter way of our religion. Even so they go to town on the decorations. Wherever you're going to see a hand painted window in the range of religious nature such as the Disney cartoons. Much more attractive than anything I've seen here. Valletta is chocca block with enough lights to rival Blackpool illuminations. As there is a one hour time difference in the UK it was fun to celebrate New Year twice, but watch out for balloon attached to a ceiling bar filled with water.
Every time I visited I stayed at the St Georges Apartments (now the Bay Street Hotel complex) in the Paceville area of St Julians, 5 or 6 miles away from Valletta. Apartments are always pretty clean and neatly arranged with the basics, including TVs. Nothing fancy, but I never really need much, except the bed, fridge, toilet, shower and rest. On one visit the apartment was invaded by ants and the only way to solve the problem is to put a small pile of sugar in the corners to attract them.
complex had a couple of saloons, billiard hall, gym, 2 shops, dining and indoor and outdoor pool. I used the pool and the shops are often small, but not bad for a fast-food purchases. I used a well-equipped gym almost every day it is open. Mainly to keep fit, but partly because I developed a look, but do not touch each other flirtation / friendship with one of the owners - ha disappointed !!
I've never eaten in the dining room, preferring to sandwiches at home or eat the most gorgeous pizzas in Italian restaurants. We asked where the best restaurants on our first visit and were told to go where the Maltese eat. Usually in Italian restaurants, but some of the Maltese-owned restaurants are pretty good. I've never tried Maltese favorite octopus and rabbit, but the addition of a boiled egg that pizza was different, but good. Although I can remember near the best restaurants I can not remember the name. It is pointless anyway, as the bars and names have changed almost every time we went.
In addition to Sliema, St Julians is the busiest night life with many bars with seats outside and a few nightclubs. We always timed our flights arrive in Manchester on Saturday night around 8:00. short bus trip from Luqa airport, which was modernized in the early 90-ies, only takes about 20 minutes. We would check in, get washed and changed and have our first drink in one of the nearby bars within 30 minutes. St Julians is a one-way traffic system, and it was fun sitting outside one of the bars on the road watching the Bangers arrive in Malta for outings. Or on foot, Maltese are generally very attractive race, and thanks to plenty of gyms there are plenty of well-toned body to look like strut around in shorts and skimpy tops. Mostly people at night, women do not go out much due to their religion. Sunday is family day and night will see the family milling around the bar area, but drinking very little, except for the atmosphere. Some visitors complained about noise at night, but St Julians and Sliema are not places to go if you want a peaceful holiday. Just about everywhere else is quiet at night though.
Just down the hill from St Georges apartment is one of the islands best Dragonara Hotel, which hosts the only casino on the island. I went at once and it looked good, but the better view was my yacht anchored in the bay on the right side of the hotel. On the other side of the St. Georges Bay, where we hired pedal boats and speedboats. Often we would rent a party where our friends and we would no longer bind together in the middle of the bay and eat, drink, swim and listen to loud music. We had to be careful and plaster with a high factor sun tan lotion, but in the middle of the bay is just about the coolest place to be during the day.
Swimming has been great, but there are stinging jellyfish to avoid. Malta is a rocky island with a predominantly sandy beach, one in St Georges Bay is higher than my yard with just a bit dull looking sand. Since there is not much sand, the sea is very clear and I was able to look over the pedal, or boat and enjoy watching the fish swimming about quite a few feet below me.
If you are in Malta leads to a good place to go. There are many different kinds of water sports and we have seen windsurfing, diving clubs and speedboat racing. Unfortunately, a boat exploded during a race, we put off for a little while speedboats. I watched the match on the sand the water once in Msida, which is about a kilometer away from Valletta. Msida is a small fishing port, which I visited several times with a friend who owned a gym there. The sea is very picturesque with lots of small old-fashioned brightly painted fishing boats.
and other big sport on Malta's football. They are crazy about soccer and many of them support Manchester United, probably because the team went there every year in the second week of July. My visit coincided with the penultimate World Cup and Italy got through to the final. Every time Italy won the Island went berserk and St Julian's in one direction, the system is jammed with cars packed with enthusiastic fans, it was quite a sight.
If you like the sandy beaches can be found in Malta, but they are few and far between and quite small. one that I remember visiting Golden Sands. I think one of the greatest, but it was only a few hundred meters in diameter. For a beach holiday you really need to check carefully if you do not want to be disappointed. Topless sunbathing is banned in Malta, but I visit a nudist beach there.
There is a swimming pool and splash park with some pools and water slides, a café and small exhibitions. I went there in 1990 on a trip to the hotel. I thought I was smart to find a large umbrella to keep me out of the sun, but the sun is not moving and umbrellas. By noon I was fully exposed to hot sun and no hope of finding any shadows on the busy place. By the end of the afternoon I had a little bubble blisters on my hands and back which scared some of our friends in the Maltese think that I'd caught something. Problem with the sun, which I previously had a smaller scale in the UK and my doctor advised me that after a few sunbed sessions before going back in the summer. It worked, but I always come back brighter than when I went and sparking off rumors because I have a tendency to stay from the sun, if I can.
prices were very low, we were able to buy a bottle of local lager beer Cisk (very nice), a maximum of 25 cents. There is 100 cents on a Maltese lira as 1GBP is equivalent to about 60 cents will be working at about 41p per bottle. In Valletta, and the smaller villages you can get a bottle for 15 cents, plus almost every time we ordered a round plate of free food will be planted on the table. Usually small slices of bread spread with a spicy tomato sauce or a crunchy snack type things. Very tasty food too.
If we look beyond the tourist shops you can find some good prices on gold, especially the 22 carot. Hand-woven in small villages there Arran jumpers in abundance and very cheap too.
did not find anything except some other types of clothing over expensive and only one place tried to rip us off. It is a bar in St Julians, which we collected more than double the usual amount of drinking. Some Maltese friends joined us and when we told them they complained and we got our money back. In some places it is more a nightclub entrance fee for tourists, but they told us to look for lower prices on the Maltese door we received no problem.
clothes were cheap and nasty or expensive and almost as embarrassing. Maltese that we met did not generally buy clothes in Malta. They were caught once a week ferry from Sliema to Sicily and bought clothes and leather goods there on the fantastic low prices. friend used to get a good Italian leather shoes for less than 10 pounds, probably far more expensive here. It would be worth taking an empty suitcase and filling it with low.
Sliema is almost halfway between St Julians and Valletta. As I said earlier that a good place for night life, but it also has the most up to date shopping center, where you'll find some of the known major chain stores with imported goods, many hotels and some water sports clubs. To get there, we walked normally in winter or caught a bus in the summer. buses are an experience in itself. Old and worn throwbacks from the 50-ies, with often bad tempered driver who drove fast through the hole road and left the door open to help create more hair raising ride. This is a good deal like a rough ride, but unfortunately they were replacing old buses with new last time I was there. friend hired a car and found the price was good, and you can also get around Valletta in horse drawn carriages.
Sometimes we caught the bus from St Julians and Valletta. bus station was open plan to the extent that it almost does not realize that you have a bus station when you arrive. There is an archway at the entrance of water in Valletta, but watch out for pigeons wanted to bomb you when you walk under it. On the left you will find a public toilet in what seemed like a dark cellar. There are gnarled old woman wearing widow weed selling toilet roll at the entrance. No matter how much money he gave me was handed over a list and glared in defiance of us to complain. The same happened in some clubs, but not all. I made sure I had a lot of tissues in my bag and they waved at her as I passed. On the way out I would advise her and glare will soften a bit. On my first visit to the loos are a lot of disgusting dirty and smelly. They have to blame the lack of water, but within a few years there have been major improvements in this area.
Every Sunday in the open market at the entrance. Some say it's really good for bargains, but I have never seen anything worth buying. On the right side of the archway is the remains of the opera house that was bombed during the last world war and is now used as parking. stark reminder of the bad times, and how brave Maltese in defiance.
This is the beginning of the main streets of the capital, Republican Street. It is quite narrow and usually lined shop. About halfway to any jeweler and watch repair shop we visited many times. Ben King elderly owner became good friends and we would be normally closed his shop and take us to the cafe or bar when we visited him. Sometimes the gifts are waiting bottle of vodka and he always offered us a free or very cut the price of jewelry or watches that we turned down. His handsome son owned a bar in Valletta, and we were not allowed to pay for drinks if we went there in the evening. loss of revenue, while he closed the shop, and complete generosity with no strings attached, a typical example of what we found in a lot of Maltese people. Sadly Ben passed away just before our last visit.
Further up the street there are republican government buildings and police stations. police station was bombed just after having gone one day, it seems we were lucky. On the left side there are narrow lanes with high crumbling apartment buildings related to the port. It is quite steep with lots of old sandstone steps, even when I was at the peak of fitness I found it hard going and not a good idea to back up from the airport when it is really hot.
Sometimes we traveled by ferry from Sliema to Valletta. One of our friends Sylvio ran a burger bar on the ferry stop and we would sit on one of the tables and play a practical joke of bonding money in the country. Brian, a friend who we visited in the hospital we will be welcomed and we would push his wheelchair up the slopes in Valletta. He could not manage to get up there for him if I did not realize he would wait on street corners for volunteers to push him, he never had to wait long. He lived in a loft apartment with his family. No stair lift, only a narrow, steep flights that his family had picked it up. I was told that the Maltese have worked to improve wheelchair access facilities, but it would be wise to check before booking. Despite the poor facilities of persons treated as if Brian was a special -. with respect, kindness, and not as it was thick
We Festa attended an evening at the ferry stop with fireworks and lots to eat and drink. That was one time that we felt was being unfriendly, maybe because we were just outsiders in their festival. It was the little boy came and sat with us and chattered away in Maltese. We would say yes or no, and the torrent of Malta will spew forth as us and their parents at the next table laugh. There festas just about every week in Malta, is usually celebrated religious occasions, but even the police have the Festa. We found that when my friend had some jewelry stolen from her hotel room and she went to report it to police. She came back upset because the police wore skirts. Their costume, and we later found out that some police were locked in cells overnight after the celebrations too.
in Valletta is one of the many attractions of the Maltese experience. A series of slide show detailing the history of the Maltese Knights of St. John in Valetta turns baroque castle to the war. a lot of old battlements are still there and reminded me to walk the battlements of York. There are a few old cannons around which deafened us some festas.
Popeye was filmed in Malta, and there remains a strange looking wooden village purpose-built rock cliff to the side for tourists to visit. We went there but found the bar next to Popeye village more attractive proposition than the tour.
Blue Lagoon is one of the most popular tourist attractions. You can pay for the boatman to take you around and through a few caves that jut out from the water. The sea is a beautiful blue color, but the sea around Malta is beautiful anyway. I have never seen the attraction myself, it's more out there that the real boat trip and the best bit was one of my friends trying to chat up shipping and the boat almost capsized when they tried to get to snog him.
Mdina was built by monks and is called the silent city of the monks who have a vow of silence. It is a walled medieval city and capital Maltas. streets are narrower than any I've seen before, and some of the wealthy Maltese living there at the palace.
Gozo is one of 2 small islands of Malta and tipped to be there you can get a ferry from Sliema. There is more greenery there than on the main island, and it is quieter and more relaxed. A good place to dive.
Bugiba a holiday complex and probably more a place to go if you want a peaceful holiday. We were very disappointed to find that the nightlife is zero, after 10:00, and the city is almost in darkness.
All the other places that I visited are dim memories, but I hope I have given you a good general idea of Malta. There are actually plenty to do whatever your taste in holidays. Besides the fact that I mentioned there are museums, art galleries, street shows, concerts and cruises.
Finally, a few practical things:
We do not need a visa to visit Malta, but if you live outside the UK it would be something to check in advance.
We have discovered that it is best that only a small amount of Maltese currency, the exchange rate was still better in Malta. There are plenty of banks, but do not try to rob them were very conscious of security with armed guards to unlock the door every time someone goes in or out. Most major credit cards can be used, but you can also spend sterling in Malta. Many of the Maltese like to come here to visit and want to currency.
holiday rep told us that the water is safe, but Malta has told us otherwise. They told us to only drink bottled or boiled water and be careful about eating salads in cafes and restaurants. They built a water treatment plant, but as you pointed out to us, some of the restaurants and hotels have water tanks on the roofs, which are open to insects and muck getting in. We have been careful and never jippy tummys.
I have paid between £ 300 and £ 350 for my two weeks holidays, which are flights and accommodation but no meals. Having recently looked at the travel brochures of the same deals are still available for around £ 400, depending on how the shared apartment, and if you get a last minute booking.
I hope you enjoyed this long, but what is a small part of my experience of Malta. We always come home laughing at the amount of fun we had. I would like to be more holiday in Malta , but it would be sad if it's different.
