Around Malta Part II - Visiting Malta

How and where to start?

Malta... its pedigree is shown instantly because of its people's language, with Semitic origins, closer today to northern western African Arabic and Hebrew with layer over layer of several other languages  their strongly Mediterranean culture, as a kaleidoscope of several others, and their historical landscape. From Phoenicians traces, Roman houses and a intense period of gothic architecture that revamped all the rest and it will make you wonder where the Renaissance and the enlightenment periods were.

And then reaching the 19th and 20th centuries under heavily English influence.

To finally do a turn and you reach the temples.

Aaaah! Ohhh! Wow!

Those temples are literally jaw dropping! When you read that the predated the Egyptian pyramids by thousands of years, it is literally mind-blowing.

Think about this: these are Stonehenge type of structures, but far far more complex, not as big as the Egyptian earliest pyramids, though big enough for a civilization 5000 years old that was pretty much alive and doing well in those 3 small rocks. To build complex and big structures you need a state type of organization, pull resources from everywhere, conquest other nearby peoples and commerce with others farther away. Well there is nothing of that in any record. Whoever built them they were gone long before the Phoenicians arrived, and they left no written records.

So, where you can start your tour of the Maltese islands? Traveling back 6000 years back, or jumping into today frenzy of modern discos, or going to medieval times, to the gothic, or just relaxing in the labyrinthine cities, sipping a good capuccino with a traditional ftira, tasting Maltese wine, or being happy with the traditional Maltese pastizzi!

I will try to split by areas of interest. First...

Malta or Gozo?

It nails downs to flipping the coin: or Malta or Gozo island. Do you want to have access to all, but very important to some sandy beaches and nightlife? Malta is the choice. Sandy beaches, but very quiet small towns: Gozo. Take in consideration that Luqa airport is situated in Malta, and to go to Gozo you have to drive up North to Cirkewa and take the ferry and then keep driving wherever is your final destination in nappy Gozo. It will take 2 hours minimum, maybe 2 and a half. Is this your first time in the island and driving with no guide? Plan for 3 hours and getting lost.

How can it be that long if I tell you that these islands are so small? That’s the particular topology of Malta and a topic for another post…

Malta island - where to stay?

• If you want to enjoy some night life close to your place, your better options are cities like St Julians, Sliema and Pembroke (in the limit with St Julians). You can choose from 5 star hotels (Intercontinental in Pembroke, Meridien in St Julians, also you can find the Hyatt and Hilton). Also you can find holiday apartments, check www.holidaylettings.co.uk for offers and options. Then you have a range of bed and breakfast everywhere.
• Another "beach” and “night life” option is to stay in the area of St Paul/Bugiba/Qawra, half way north and in the east of the island. Hotels, holiday apartments and bed & breakfasts. This area is cheaper than St Julians/Sliema/Pembroke.

Both these areas beaches are rocky but clear crystal waters. A nice attraction in Qawra is the Aquarium of Malta.

If night life is not your plan and yes for sandy beaches better head to Mellieħa Bay beach or Golden Bay beach or Għajn Tuffieha Beach . You can stay in the cities nearby, or you have the options for hotels next to the beach.

For Mellieħa Bay, you just can stay at the Mellieħa Holiday Centre , or search for a guest house or hotel in the city nearby : Mellieħa

Golden Bay and and Għajn Tuffieha beaches are located in the west side of the island. Both are just walking distance. And a little farther to the south you can find the little sandy beach of Gnejna Bay. You can walk from Gnejna to Golden Bay next to the sea climbing the cliffs a little bit: one of the many hiking tracks of Malta! If you go out of peak season (June-August), you can think that the world is far far away, and you are walking in an isolated place.

You can chose the stay at one of the hotels near Golden Bay (the Radisson for example) or in a guest house in Mgarr, where you can find the typical traditional maltese house of character, or a farm place.

A more cultural or adult perspective is Valletta or the city next to it: Floriana depending on your budget for accommodation. In Valleta you can find 5 star hotels: Phoenician and Exelsior.

Valletta will give you access by walking to several museums and views to the Grand Bay from the Upper Barraka Gardens and the Lower ones.

Valletta is an example of occidental modern city. A big difference between new world towns against old world ones is the square layout of the new, versus the circular, diagonal, labyrinthine layout of old world cities. Valletta built after the Grand Siege of 1565, was designed from the ground up, and using modern standards: square blocks, public spaces, buildings and sewers, and of course defensive walls. Following that defense walls and the history of that period, you can drive, cross the bay in boat, or walk south to the 3 cities, also heavily defended, and see the difference by yourself!

And if you would like to taste an immersion into Maltese culture try the 3 cities, south of Valletta: Il-Birgu or Vittoriosa , Bormla or Conspicua and Single or L-Isla (see more information here).

The 3 cities keep the slow life style and my recommendation is to enjoy them before they get too high end: they are the perfect berth and it is usual to find there the biggest private yachts in the Mediterranean and some time in the World. The marina in Birgu is growing and more high end restaurants and places to stay are becoming usual. Though the maltese pace is there to stay.

The 3 cities and Valletta are a combination of old style, history, museums and an immersion into the time that the knights arrived and a glimpse to the 2 sieges of Malta: the one in 1565 and the WWII bombardment of the island. Even if you decide not to stay there, you have to plan for a full day in Valletta, including a night strolling, and the 3 cities: take your time to walk and plan which museums you want to visit. Or plan to do both areas following an historical time line:

• Visiting them during the Knight's time
• Visiting them during the WWII siege

And make sure to take your time to look for the small details: a plaque there, a statue in another corner, a glimpse of daily life, and several events and festivities all year along.

Mosta Festivities

Rabat catacombs

Rabat

From historical re-enactments, carnival, the Malta International Fireworks Festival, to many cultural events happening in Valletta: Notte Bianca, International Arts Festival, and also a Fashion Week and many more. A good reason to chose Valletta as the European Capital of Culture for 2018.

Around Malta Part I

Why visiting Malta? So small, 2 days will be enough... is it worth flying there?

Carved by un-countable waves...

A few rocks surface in the middle of the Mediterranean between the Levant and Gibraltar, and between Sicily and North Africa. Sea currents and winds whirling around, few safe coves and harbors, a recipe for historic crossroads.

A small archipelago of 3 main islands have been the center of Mediterranean human traffic since prehistoric times. Only 3 rocks barely above the surface (highest point around 253 meters) are big enough to hold human presence. Comino, the smallest, maybe is today round the year populated thanks to technology (people goes there for work, or as tourists, no one really *living* there). Malta island is the biggest and most populated and the economic centre, but do not forget Gozo, the farm and barn of Malta: greener and with little best soil and pastures than the main island. In total 316Km2 for 394K inhabitants, making the country one of the most densely populated in the world [see here for a paper on the Geography of Malta].

If it is difficult to make sense of more than 10Km2, put this in perspective: in the main island, Malta, the longest direct path you can make, if you were a bird, it's just 27.3Km NW to SE, and 14.5Km W to E. Yet no clear idea? Buenos Aires city has a surface of 203Km2, New York has 784Km2! Heathrow airport has 12.14Km2!

Yes, we are comparing a full country against cities, and an airport!

In that sense you can think why Malta is a touristic spot?

Blue Lagoon - Comino

Regardless it is small surface as a country it is located in the middle of the Mediterranean. Does it make sense to travel there? A way to figure out why is reading The Great Sea by David Abulafia. Just as an starter.

Have you finished the book yet? If not here my summary explanation - why you should visit Malta!

Several civilizations raised and felt around the shores of the Mediterranean: Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Phoenicians just to name a few of the old best known. To Venetians, Genoese, French, English and Ottomans to name another well known few, more modern.

The flow of sea currents across the Mediterranean, had made Malta a relevant place in the geography, culture and history of the Great Sea. With ample and protected bays for anyone that can control the land.

Around 7000 years ago neolithic farmers jumped from today Sicily to Malta. Followed by almost one thousand years of no big civilizations, suddenly the Temple Era started: around 4100 B.C. They lasted for several thousands years until in 2500 B.C. they disappeared. Until the 700 B.C. when the Phoenicians re-discovered Malta, used it as a stop over. In the 480 B.C. came the Carthaginians to pass the control to the Romans in 216 B.C.

Nothing last long, so after the implosion of the Roman Empire in the West started the Byzantium period from 400 A.D. to around the 870 A.D. The arabs then got into the picture until the christian european kings got back into the picture. The Normans conquered the inland in 1091 A.D. The semitic root started by the Phoenicians, continued by the arabs, was revamped as full christianization around 1249. Under the rule of the Kingdom of Sicily until 1530 and they were passed to the Order of Knights of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in perpetual lease. The Maltese Order.

In the 1500's Malta had to witness the struggle between incipient european states and the Ottoman Empire. Thanks to the early success of the Knights against the Ottoman Empire in 1565, rewarded lavishly by the occidental European powers and the Vatican gave to Malta the typical view that it is conserved today in many places. So much that in the last 400 to 600 years the architecture, art and churches do not show any influence from the Renaissance.

Entangled in every intrigue of the changes of power in occidental Europe after the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, Knights surrender Malta to Napoleon in 1798, to surrender it again to the Navy of Admiral Nelson just 2 years later. And part of the Pax Brittanica they became.

Until the WWI and the WWII it had key geopolitical and military importance. With ships using coal and the Suez being like the aorta for the British Empire. Ships needed stop to refill water and coal in the pre-oil era and Malta port was key for the economic flow from the Far East to London. After WWI and the switch to diesel, no more stops and strategic importance diminished.

However with the start of WWII, its key geographic position strangled the logistic lines of Rommel in North Africa, and brought in the full rage of the Axis. With Italians and Germans participating in the longest siege of Malta from 1940 to 1943. Malta was the unsinkable carrier for the Brits, as Churchill liked to say (however the quote can be traced back to Sir Hasting Ismay in his memoirs:  "The British Isles had already proved a gigantic - and unsinkable aircraft-carrier. They now had to fulfil the additional role of a gigantic ordnance depot") (Also see Churchill and his special relationship with Malta).

With the end of WWII started another era for the Maltese: now of independence that finally came in September 21st 1964. And joined the European Union in 2004.

Those more than five thousands year of history are layered and interwoven in a delicate mosaic in those tiny islands, giving Malta (the whole archipelago) a strange topological feature: after a year living there, and two return trips for summer vacations, we still can find spots that we didn’t know before. We do not get tired of going back to the same places. And moving from point a to b, is like Alice down the Rabbit Hole, or the History tunnel: every meter you travel is like scalping layer after layer of history: visiting Malta is in itself a living museum of the past 6K years of human history around the Mediterranean.

Not convinced yet? It has great places to expend from April to November, escaping from the northern and awful European weather, and the best hostesses you can find: the Maltese people!

if approach that not convince you lets go in a future post for the more traditional approach of a touristic guide.

Ciao ciao Malta

Últimos recorridos y caminatas por lugares "comunes" en Malta. Después de un año la rotunda de Mosta, sus cafés y negocios a la sombra del imponente y majestuoso domo nos dicen Adiós...



After a year wandering and driving around our place in Malta. The magnificent duomo says Bye to us in the rotunda at Mosta, shadowing colourful cafes and shops...

Ciao Ciao Malta - we will miss it - la vamos a extrañar

Y se fué otro año - Actualización

La banda de Mosta, Mosta Band como es conocida para los locales, tiene un nivel envidiable. Sus integrantes practican. Y además hay que reconocer que estamos en Europa. Qué tiene que ver? Bueno, en  Europa hay una cultura musical de larga data, no? [N.d.E: seguramente no tiene nada que ver]

Lo cierto es que se llaman la Santa Marija Philarmonic Society of Mosta. Una historia colorida que se remontan a 1905, con registros oficiales comenzando en 1935.

En cada Assunta tocan incansablemente todas las noches: caminan tocando Mosta de arriba para abajo entre el recorrido laberíntico medieval que caracteriza todas las ciudades de Malta. Todo el pueblo, turistas y algunos perdidos expat acompañamos a la banda en su recorrido.

Y además tienen su noche de gala, donde tocan selectas piezas en frente del domo. El año pasado fue Don't cry for me Argentina!




Este año fué, fué... algo que reconozco pero no puedo ubicar el nombre del tema!

Y se fue otro año

Hoy comienzan las fiestas de Santa Marija Assunta, o Ascensión de Santa Maria en Mosta. El Domo de Mosta se engalana, los que vivimos en Mosta también. Y hasta los turistas buscando una noche diferente a las de Paceville(aspirante a Ibiza) se acercan a la Rotunda.

Es la primera noche antes de la gran fiesta el 15 de Agosto, que es el día. Decidimos guardar fuerzas dado que estas noches se alargan hasta pasada la media noche. Y la última corresponde a la procesión, banda y fuegos artificiales.

Hoy también fuegos artificiales, que nos transportan a todos al pasado...

Un año atrás

Apenas llegados a Mosta, Albertina ya veterana de Libia (se alcanza el estatus de veterano rápidamente), y tratando de acomodarnos luego de unas vacaciones en Italia. Haciendo la lista de cosas que faltan hacer para establecerse:

• ya está listo el permiso de residencia?
• tenemos platos, cuchillos y cubiertos?
• las nenas necesitan ver al pediatra y al dentista!
• auto? compramos o leasing?
• está bien la casa o buscamos otra?
• y una larga lista de "cómo aterrizamos en Malta"

Y Mosta nos recibe con su Santa Marija Assunta!

Un año más tarde la situación es similar pero simétrica. Mudanza, pero yéndose, una cierta nostalgia por dejar Malta pronto, pero no el hueco anticipado de Albertina volando a Libia al siguiente día, una lista larga de to do's, donde el único item similar es "cuándo tenemos la visa para Francia?". El resto es similar a un Junio del '12 cuando dejamos Timor-Leste: qué llevamos, qué dejamos? Una gran diferencia sin embargo: esta vez el proceso se transita los cuatro juntos!

Otra Assunta, otro Agosto - Verano del 1942

Por tradición religiosa Santa Marija Assunta tiene su propio peso en la vida social de Malta. Una gran cantidad de iglesias están dedicadas a la Virgen María. Y no solo Mosta se engalana para festejar el evento. Pero en 1942 la fecha cobró otradimensiónn. Una dimensión histórica que traspasó las fronteras de Malta. Durante 1941-1942 Malta estuvo bajo constante ataque de las fuerzas del eje, combinadas de los italianos y alemanes. Bombardeos diarios que hacen palidecer a los bombardeos de Londres. En el verano de 1942 la isla esta llegando a sus últimos limites. En Abril el gobernador britanico escribe a Churchill que si no es posible aprovisionar a la isla de los elementos mas necesarios (comida, combustible y armas, todos por igual), no va a tener mas opcion que rendirla. Y las fuerzas aliadas perderían una posición clave en la guerra del Norte de Africa perdiendo al porta-aviones que no se puede hundir. Churchill consciente de lo que esta en juego asigna alta prioridad a reabastacer Malta.
Convoys que son rechazados o hundidos durante Mayo y Junio empujan a Malta al borde de la hambruna, y casi sin combustible sin capacidad para organizar una defensa de la isla bajo continuos bombardeos.
En Julio de 1942 se comienza la planificación de la Operación Pedestal. Y Churchill mismo pide a Roosvelt uno de los barcos petroleros que solo los norte-americanos poseian. La clave: desarrollar mas de 20 nudos, quizás hasta 25, clave para eludir bombardeos y U-Boats. El Ohio es reasignado a la Royal Navy y se incorpora a un convoy de otros 13 mercantes con mercaderias criticas para Malta. Pero siendo el único petrolero es el mas buscado por los alemanes e italianos. El combustible no tiene que llegar a la isla. La escolta se completa con 2 acorazados, 3 porta-aviones, 7 cruceros y 32 destructores.
El ataque es feroz y a pesar de la escolta llegan a Malta solo 4 cargueros el 14 de Agosto. El Ohio es abandonado unos días antes durante la noche, luego de que impactos de bombas lo dejan inutilizado y haciendo agua. Al otro dia el petrolero sigue a flote... milagrosamente. Lo abordan nuevamente, los marineros se desparraman en diferentes tareas: achique, ingeniería y defensa. Y los destructores comienzan a arrastrarlo a Malta ya a la vista a escasos 5 nudos con suerte.
A pesar de una velocidad que lo hace un blanco de práctica, los destructores lo logran arrastrar hasta el Grand Harbour, y el Ohio es el cuarto carguero que logra atravesar el cerco! (el 5to carguero es otra historia fantástica: dado por hundido varios dias atras, torpedeado y perseguido por U-Boats se acerca a la costa de Tunisia, y luego de esquivar U-Boats y las autoridades francesa cruza a Malta!).
El Ohio entra a Valleta el 15 de Agosto de 1942 festejado y vitoreado por Malteses que desafían el riesgo de los bombardeos. El combustible que carga es la clave para la defensa de la isla. El sitio esta quebrado, Malta no se rinde y el resto es historia. Milagrosamente no se pierde una sola gota del preciado combustible que transporta.
Cual es la probabilidad de que el Ohio cruce ese mismo día la entrada del Grand Harbour? Claramente nadie estaba pensando en un stunt mediático.
Solamente que si pensamos que hay un santo para cada dia, queda claro que cualquier día hubiese sido un milagro. Pero Assunta Santa Marija es muy importante en Malta, y no me pienso perder ningun editorial del Times of Malta recordando el inicio del fin del sitio de Malta!