Malta, Market Day in The Three Cities, Day 15, June 4th

Every Tuesday, the largest market in Malta is held in The Three Fortified Cities of Cottonera across the Grand Harbour from Valletta.  We took the ferry after zooming down the elevator from the Upper Barrakka Gardens.  We strolled through the market and made some purchases, mushrooms, arugula (rocket) and a pair of sandals. Then we explored eastward to the sea where we saw remnants of the damage from the WWII bombings, including a dilapidated lookout.  We watched a fishing boat hauling a fish farm.  We saw workers cutting blocks of limestone to fit a wall they were building.  We stopped at Frankie's for lunch by the only sand beach in the area.  Since Frankie's was the only place to eat, we expected moderately high prices but were pleasantly surprised when our bill for two pints of Cisk (great Maltese beer) and one of the best pizzas we have ever eaten made on Ftira (Maltese bread) came to just 9.20 Euros.  The beers were 2 Euros each, the cheapest we have seen anywhere - so much for gouging tourists. On the way back to Valletta we saw a huge tanker being escorted out of the Grand harbour. 

                                                                         The elevator

                                                                   12-passenger ferry

                                                                         On the ferry

                                                            Traditional Maltese boat

                                                  Limestone block with years of erosion

                                                                        War damage

                                           The former hospital where my Dad spent some time

                                             Fort St. Elmo seen between the hospital buildings

                                                                  Former hospital

                                        A torpedo possibly from one of my Dad's torpedo boats

                                              Quarried limestone blocks ready for cutting

                                       The inner harbour sand beach with beautifully clear water

                                                             Ah, a cold beer at Frankie's

                                                             He rides on the scooter

                                                                           Our lunch

                                                           Ruins on the ocean side

                                                            Views from the lookout

                                                                      An old lookout

                                                               Hauling his fish farm

                                                                  On our way back

                                                              Ruins and a huge chain

                                                              Ruins and a stone wall

                                                                      More ruins

                                                                 Fabulous stone work

                                                                        An aged wall

                                                                         Vittoriosa

                                                                          Tanker

                                                                     Churning prop

                                                                  Crossing the wake

Malta, A Swim in the Harbour, Day 14, June 3rd

We were up early and Jill suggested we go to the Falconry Centre in Siggiewi (pronounced see-gee-wee).  The Maltese people are having lots of fun hearing us trying to pronounce their words.  They are quick to help always with a chuckle.  We walked across Valletta to the bus terminal where we got our one day bus pass at 9:30 and arrived at the Siggiewi town centre at 10:45.  A short 10 minute walk through this quaint little town only to find out that the Falconry Cenre is closed on Mondays.  We arrived back in Valletta by noon and decided to have lunch at home eating up our yummy leftovers with a nice glass of wine. Weather Malta says the ocean is cold at 18 degrees but we decided to get some sun on the harbour side of the fortification wall and possibly a swim.  There are ladders all around the harbour for this purpose. I fell fast asleep for an hour then decided it was time.  I dipped my toe in and immediately decided it was too cold. Jill and a German boy were egging me on.  He jumped in and came quickly out.  He did this a few times while I gathered up the will to dive in. Yes it was cold but not bad.  The water here is crystal clear with no fear of sharks.  I had a good swim.  Jill on the other hand just did a waist dip.    

                                                       This is directly below our window

Malta, Lazy Sunday, Day 13, June 2nd

It was a lazy Sunday morning, we walked into the heart of Valletta to St. John’s Co-Cathedral, a must see according to the travel guide.  A service was in progress so we stood at the back and took in the magnificent opulence. Then on to the Grand Harbour where we walked along the shore to the passenger terminal docks and people-watched those coming and going from the four cruise ships in port.  We made our way back up into Valletta passing through a park in the suburb of Floriana where the local council has set up an area where they feed and provide shelter for outdoor cats.  We decided on a leisurely al fresco lunch at D’Office Bistro on Archbishop Street, our third visit and our favourite in Valletta for taste, quality and portion size.  We always go home with a take-away box with enough for the two of us for a light lunch.  

                                                            Natural limestone walls, Valletta

                             The elevator to move people from the cruise ships to Valletta city centre

                                                   They take care of their outdoor cats

                                                               Cat feeding station

                                                                    Cat row-housing

                                                                          Cheers

                                                                            Yum

                                                               The best calamari so far

                                                Great building in the city centre of Valletta

                                     We watched a man scrape and sand this door for two days.  
                You have to turn sideways to enter as only one side opens unless you need to move something large.

                              Our apartment is 350 years old and the windows do not have a tight seal.  
                           If rain comes in, it channels down to the hole and goes back out.  Very cool. 

Malta, National Museum of Archaeology, and Observations and Facts, Day 12, June 1

The museum was very interesting since we had already visited several of the Neolithic sites on Malta and Gozo.  We saw the fat lady sculptures which were found at many of them.  They were part of the temple society from 3600BC that worshiped the Mother Goddesses.  These temple builders mysteriously disappeared around 2500BC and several decades later Malta was settled by Bronze Age people who were not peaceful like the temple builders.

                                            These were found without heads

                                   The most famous of the fat women, lying down and thought to
                                         represent death since she was found in the Hypogeum.

                                               A model of one of the temple sites we visited

                                                   Spiral carvings common for the period

                                                      Common form of rock decoration

                              Interestingly, the 5mm deep holes were all made on a 45 degree angle

Observations and Facts:     

• The Maltese are the nicest people we have experienced in Europe.  They are friendly yet reserved and very helpful. They are a very proud and resilient people. These are not just my observations but those from European travelers whenever we asked how they were enjoying Malta.
• According to the ‘World Database of Happiness’ conducted by Rotterdam’s Erasmus University, the Maltese are the happiest people on earth! This may have something to do with the intimate size and complex history of their islands, as well as their attractive landscapes, good cuisine and generally excellent year round climate.
• Getting around by bus is a dream and inexpensive with an all-day pass costing just 2.8 Euros.
• Restaurants are very reasonably priced.  Two can easily dine with a local bottle of wine for 35 Euros all in, and tipping is not expected nor part of a credit card transaction.  
• Restaurants do not try to get passersby into their establishments, unlike the constant harrassment we experienced in Greece.
• VAT (value added tax) is included in all pricing.  Makes purchasing so simple.
• Wine, beer, and alcohol is less than half of what we pay in Canada
• No street people or begging
• Almost non-existent police presence with a very low violent crime rate
• Friendly police.  We asked one who was writing on a pad if he was giving tickets to the cars in the no parking zone near parliament house. He said he was recording their license plates so that he could get their phone numbers to call the owners and give them a chance to move their cars because parliament was sitting that evening. 
• The unemployment rate is just over 6% and the 6^th lowest among EU members
• Traffic is controlled by roundabouts absolutely everywhere with a general courtesy letting drivers in to move cars along during high traffic times.  It may be viewed by outsiders like us as organized chaos.
• You rarely hear a car horn blow and we did not witness any road rage or car accidents
• In 2012, tourists from Britain represented 47%, Germany and France 15%, Italy 6%, Scandinavia 3.8%, and Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain ranging from 1.5 to 3% in this order.
• Last year Malta had 400 mm of rain down from its usual 600 mm which falls mostly in autumn and winter between October and March
• Tap water comes from three reverse osmosis desalinization plants around the island as there are no lakes or rivers.  There are a few natural springs.
• Electricity is generated by oil-powered plants and is very expensive.  We were told that if we used our air-conditioner, we could expect to pay 20 Euros a day. Electricity is an extra charge at the end of our stay. 
• The most common building material is limestone, both hard and soft, and is quarried on the island by cutting cinder size blocks with large saws. 
• Rabbit is a very common meat, roasted, stewed, or in a pasta sauce
• The Grand Harbour is one of the most spectacular ports in the world and can host up to four cruise ships with plans to expand facilities to accommodate up to ten.  It is one of the deepest natural harbours in the world.
• During WWII, Malta was the most bombed Allied country with 3,343 air raids from 1940-1942.  In contrast, London was bombed for 57 days in a row while Malta was bombed for 154 days in a row. 5,524 houses and 111 churches were destroyed and 1,300 cvilians killed.