Malta travel blog
After a very enjoyable couple of weeks, the time has come to be leaving Malta. I have to admit I didn’t know a great deal about the place before I arrived, but have found the tiny nation fascinating. The Maltese are very proud of their history, and considering their turbulent past, it’s amazing they have survived at all. From here we are headed to Siracusa in Sicily, a 143 nautical mile hop. I’ll see you there. Until then, remember this…
Malta’s first human inhabitants didn’t only leave the Subterranean Hypogeum as evidence of their existence on the Tiny Isles (see Ancient Malta, Part 1). Other ancient temples have also survived to the present day, which is miraculous considering the turbulent times Malta has endured (see Valetta – Siege City). The Hagar Qim Archaeological Park is located on the south coast of Malta, and can easily be reached by bus from Valetta. This is assuming that you can find the correct…
Despite seldom having the space to shift out of third gear, the Maltese do like their cars. In addition to the usual stock of small, mass produced modern hatchbacks, there are some classic cruisers and high performance cars to be seen out on the streets. Despite most Maltese seldom having the space to park even a single car, one bloke decided to create the Malta Classic Car Museum. I thought I’d have a look. I rode the bus to the…
Malta I hadn’t been in Malta long before I started to notice the odd Eucalypt here and there. Soon after I realised they are possibly the most common tree on the island. Don’t get me wrong – it was nice and comforting and homely to see them, but I did wonder why so many had been planted. Apparently, when the Knights of St John turned up in Malta in the 1500s, they started cutting down the native pines to build…
Maltese history traces way back beyond the impressive fortresses which have barricaded Valetta from hordes of invaders over the centuries. Apparently the first humans turned up in Malta around 5000 years ago, and they left behind some built evidence of their time on the Tiny Isles. I’m a bit partial to visiting historic sites, so I headed out to have a look. First on the list was the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum. I had read about the site – an underground,…
Valletta Signs The Maltese capital city of Valletta has an amazing streetscape. The roadways are narrow and the buildings tall, which gives the place a feeling of bustle and action. There are some fantastic shopfront signs, from the old… …to some great sixties examples… …and some classic ‘garagenalia’. I’ve also found some other interesting signs during my walks around town. If you liked this post, you may also enjoy Ancient Malta Part II, Valetta – Siege City Know someone who…
Malta lies in an historically significant strategic position in the Mediterranean. Squeezed between Sicily and Africa, control of Malta was critical for trouble-free trading, plundering, and warring. Consequently, Malta could probably lay claim to be the most besieged, invaded, bombed and occupied island on earth. Throughout history many peoples and nations have attacked and/or controlled the island, including the Arabs, Normans, Romans, Ottomans, French, British, Italians and Germans. To address the inconvenience of being set upon incessantly, Malta, and in…
Leaving our last Greek Island anchorage, we had ahead of us a 400 nautical mile (740km) passage to Malta. The Skipper figured it would take about three days. Before leaving we worked out a schedule of shifts to cover the helm so we could sail non-stop: eight hours on, four hours off, eight hours on, six hours off. At least two crew would be on deck at all times. Being the earliest riser I chose the 0600 to 1400 and…