Blogs from Malta, Europe - page 15

There is a Store Where The Creatures Meet. A line from a Doors song and a not so well known football fanzine of old ......... Saint Mirren, if you're interested. I am not sure whether fanzines ever took off in Malta, but Hibernians could have done worse than "There is a Bar Where the Flies Meet". It is not far from their ground. We'll come back to that later. The day had started in more select surroundings. The weather forecast must have been on the up and the hotel staff had laid the tables for breakfast on the terrace. Sliema harbour looked picture perfect. The swell of the previous day had subsided. It was flat calm. The boats bobbed gently on the mirror like water. Benefits Britain were once more in evidence and stocked up on ... read more

Religion has been the most significant influence throughout Malta’s history, and the most important contributing events were the attempted expansion of the Turkish empire, and the rise of the Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, who were prominent during the Crusades. They arrived in Malta by sea in 1530 after the Turks expelled them from Rhodes. They added greatly to Malta’s church legacy, so that today there are some 350 churches on the two islands of Malta and Gozo. Most are Roman Catholic, but there is no official state religion. In this tiny country you can marvel at five centuries in the evolution of church design and decor. The Capital City of Valletta: At least two of its many churches merit special attention. Most historically significant is St. John’s co-cathedral, built by the ... read more

Geo: 35.8997, 14.5147Boarding an old Arrive bus, not a bendy one though, they were short-lived here and have made their way to the bus graveyard, we made our way down to Sliema and then Valletta. I'd describe Sliema as the cosmopolitian side of Malta. Think new apartment complexes, a large shopping mall and general chain stores (M&S!). Here is also the main tourist ferry and bus departure zone. After struggling in the heat and Chris using his diplomatic skills to bargain a 1 1/2 hour trip around Valetta harbour, we set sail. This tour was one of the best attractions in Malta, being full of historical information and close ups of every tributary and both The Grand Harbour and Marsamext Harbour. Many ships from both Africa and Asia use(d) Valletta as an opportunity to rest, shelter ... read more

Malta 2012 A february trip to Malta, this was my first holiday with my new partner Pete ;) The weather wasn't great at this time of year (coldest feb in years apparently lol :p ) but we still had a great time. We stayed in Qawra and travelled by bus around the island. I would reccomend Marsaxlokk, it's a beautiful port town in the south east. We also travelled to Gozo, a small island just off of Malta, only a short ferry ride away and with lots of gorgeous scenery. A highlight of our trip was trying the traditional dish of Rabbit for the first time. Very delicious :) ... read more

Hello my fellow travellers! So, our time in Malta has come to an end and it's time to sum up this experience. First off I can say that I really like Malta, it has a lot of similarities with Cyprus which I also really enjoyed. Still, Malta has quite some nice things to offer which I haven't seen elsewhere, such as the impressive Megalithic Temples. Some of the oldest structures in the world can be found here and the whole island pulsates with history! The locals are friendly and easy to approach and English is, as expected, a prevalent language so communication is easy. We spoke to several locals during our trip and they were all very eager to help us out and talk about their culture and religion in a good and calm manner which ... read more