Malta 2012

At the beginning of the month I went to Malta once again. Readers will know I've been a couple of times before though they were both winter visits. The weather there is still way more favourable than English weather that time of year.

Malta is still a mystery to me really. Why? Well because I never really feel I've gotten my head around the place and the people, though both are lovely. This visit I vowed to delve deeper into the island, see more and do more whilst fitting some relaxing and fact finding in, as my father was pondering moving out there now he's retired.

It had been almost a year and a half since my last sojourn to this little island of mystery and much has changed in the resort we usually stay at. For starters there European recession had firmly arrived, some bars had closed whilst other tacky ones had sprang up. Noticeably, English package tourists seemed more evident though sadly the sort that just want to get drunk and sing karaoke in bars selling cheap canned lager. The irony was that they seemed older tourists, 50+ at least though acting much younger, sometimes it took the term 'growing old disgracefully' to a new low level. Traditionally Malta has attracted older package British tourists eager for a warm quiet break, as well as diving enthusiasts or people with a general interest in the island and it's rich history. Now it seems the 'Benidorm' crowd as I would term it are creeping in, its a case of fun pubs over bars with charm and atmosphere.

The Maltese deserve a medal just for tolerating these types of good time package tourism and unsavoury Brits yet like any small island economy need them just the same. It often feels like the Maltese wear a painted smile and do their own socialising separate in many cases. 

To the uninitiated Maltese people seem stand offish and aloof but once you strike a friendship with them their cultural differences are more understandable. I started up a conversation with a young Maltese guy one day and after some subtle word work on my part he confessed that many Maltese though respectful of Brits are getting tired of drunken younger Brits which did seem more in abundance on this visit.

Moving on, the weather was amazing for the whole duration of the holiday. The hotel we stayed at was really nice though a little corporate. The facilities were great and we had a lovely balcony view overlooking the sea, it was a joy to wake up to. The food was lovely though breakfast wasn't that good to be fair, continentals don't always appreciate a good English breakfast, the continental option was fine though. Most holiday review sites seem to say whatever hotel you stay at in Malta then general reduce it by one star and having stayed there a few times now I do think that's fair, though that said, I am sure there's plenty of amazing hotels, don't let that put you off because my experiences have all been good thus far.

During the stay we explored the historic capital Valletta more but there is still much more to discover, it really is a lovely place. The Labour club in Valletta on Republic street is definitely worth a visit. We had spaghetti in rabbit sauce whilst drinking a beer and looking out over the balcony onto the bustling street below.

We also indulged in a day cruise to the northern islands of Comino and Gozo, taking in such sights as the fabled Blue Lagoon, James Bond cave and many others before doing a tour via mini bus of Gozo with Joe the tour guide (a real legend) before sailing back, it was a fantastic day and cost about €23, the boat departing from St Paul's bay at around 11am, returning around 6pm.

On another day we travelled to the south of the island to visit the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. To be honest there isn't that much there, though I hear on Sundays it has a good market. Its worth a visit to see the many boats in the harbour, have some food and maybe get a gift, I got a great fitting hat from a market stall so felt content with it all. You'd be hard pushed to spend more than a couple of hours there really. The area of Paolo south of Valletta that you pass through though seemed especially nice with some really interesting lamps adorning picture postcard streets festooned with celebration garlands. I really wanted to get off the Bus to explore.

This brings me to Maltese buses that have been replaced with new modern 'bendy' style buses now run by the Arriva company. An all day travel ticket in Malta is very cheap, I can't recall the exact price, around €2.70 I think, give or take a little which is very reasonable. That said, Malta can get very congested traffic wise (the Maltese love their cars) and buses don't always run on times though they try to. Don't ever tarry near the exit doors when getting off buses as the drivers don't wait for long at all before rapidly moving on. So, buses are a very hit and miss affair, cheap but a journey could be short if the traffic is favourable or painstakingly long otherwise. Taxi's are quite expensive so I'd avoid them if you can

One day towards the end of the holiday I was walking down a palm tree lined road when a football suddenly sprang out before me. I was slightly dazzled by the sun and when I looked down a small Maltese girl appeared in front of me chasing her ball. She stopped and regarded me with her cute face and fair hair in pig tails. "Sowwy" (Sorry) she said to me with her childlike voice and smiled. I'm not a child orientated person having never wanted to have kids but my heart melted and I reached out involuntary to pat her hair and say "It's ok, don't worry" before she sped off enjoying her fun. Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age.

On my last night I sat on the balcony reflecting about my holiday and life, the sun hung heavy over the west, it's orange glow fading slowly when suddenly my phone buzzed, it was a text from my friend Dom to say he was a father, baby 'Erin' had been born. I breathed the fresh air in as the sun began to vanish below the blue horizon. Smiling to myself at my friends good news I took in the lovely view before readying myself for a few beers on behalf of their excellent news and having had a good holiday.

So Malta still remains an enigma to me really. I heard an old guy at Valletta bus station say 'Take away the churches, flaky and unfinished buildings and there's not that much here.' but that is a very narrow minded and unfair view of Malta because it really is a beautiful place. I think next time I shall try and spend more time in the cosmopolitan area of Sliema or perhaps stay nearer to Valletta. Culturally I'd love to know more about the island and even more so it's people, I still say Maltese women rank as some of the worlds most beautiful and I've travelled a fair bit. I'm not sure when I'll return to Malta but I do know this, I will return.