Walking. Gossip. Travel.

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  • Malta (South Eastern Region) – Valletta – Nativity Scene

    This nativity scene was the first thing that I saw in Valletta after getting off the bus, and I’m rather used to the Christmas period being cold and wet, so the sunny weather initially made it feel just a little out of place to me. However, it’s a wonderful Maltese tradition and in the scene there is a traditional fishing boat, the Luzzu, representing the country’s fishing history. There are 17 figures in Maltese national dress and also a Girna to the left, which is an early farmer’s dwelling.

    The whole thing is made of fibreglass to prevent it weathering and it was displayed at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican in 2016, where Pope Francis prayed in front of it on 31 December 2016. It’s designed by Manwel Grech, a Maltese artist, and this was the first foreign made crib to have be exhibited at St. Peter’s Square.

  • Malta (South Eastern Region) – Valletta – Paul Boffa Statue

    Paul Boffa has a nice spot for his statue, next to the first building which was constructed in Valletta. Born in 1890, Boffa served as the Prime Minister between 1947 and 1950, and achieved social reforms and the improvement in old age pensions. The statue was designed by the Maltese sculptor Vincent Apap and was erected here in 1976, fourteen years after Boffa died.

  • Malta (South Eastern Region) – Valletta – Museum Cafe

    Named after the nearby museum, which is now called MUZA, this is a little cafe, bar and restaurant in central Valletta. The interior is small, there are around eight tables which are quite tightly packed in, so I was fortunate to get a table. It was quite busy when I went, so I didn’t want to take a photo of a load of diners, as it would be hard to take a photo without everyone noticing.

    Some of the hot food at the counter.

    A display case near to the front door.

    The food options were mostly burgers, but there were also salads and some pasta dishes. The burger was simple in its presentation, it had a depth of taste, but personally I’d have liked a little more seasoning on the meat. The salad was fine, well, it was a salad, and the chips were cooked well and had a firm exterior and fluffy interior. All very serviceable and everything was at the appropriate hot temperature.

    The accompanying latte, which was excellent, but we are very close to Italy here, so that’s not a great surprise. And I got a biscuit, I very much like getting a biscuit with coffee…..

    The service was warm and personable, I ordered at the counter and the staff member was helpful and keen to offer assistance. I suspect that he was the owner, as he seemed in control of the service and everything was organised and efficient. The prices were also fair, just under €8 for the burger, chips and latte, which js competitive for the country’s capital.

  • Malta (South Eastern Region) – Valletta – It’s the Eye That Eats First

    Another in the temporary art installation series in Valletta, this is one of my favourites of the collection so far. The text of this one reads:

    “It’s the eye that eats first – people tend to judge things by first impressions so outward appearances count, just as food must be presented attractively.”

  • Malta (South Eastern Region) – Valletta – Those Who Insert Themselves

    Another from the temporary art installation in the city….

    This one in perhaps a little less subtle than the others, the text reads:

    “Those who insert themselves between the onion and its skin will be marked by its odour – those who poke their noses in other people’s affairs are asking for trouble.”

  • Malta (South Eastern Region) – Valletta – In From One Ear….

    There are numerous of these temporary art installations around Valletta and they are each based around proverbs of various kinds. This one is:

    “In from one ear and out of the other – That is said of people who choose to ignore whatever others try to tell them.”

  • Malta (South Eastern Region) – Valletta – Cats

    There seem to be a lot of feral cats around Malta, or at least, a lot of domestic cats that are going round in mini herds. And I don’t think domestic cats tend to do that, I think it’s just a lot of feral cats.

  • Malta (Northern Region) – Roman Apiary (Xemxija)

    I confess to not being an expert in Roman history, but I’m never heard of a Roman apiary being a thing to look out for. I never really gave much thought to whether the Roman kept bees, but it appears that they did and they kept them here. This is also, so I’ve read in numerous places, the best example of a Roman apiary in the world (although there’s at least one other in Malta, so it’s not unique), so at least I’ve been introduced to the subject matter in style.

    The bees were kept in the holes and there was access behind the holes for people to, well, tend the bees or whatever it is they do. I decided not to investigate in these tunnels as they weren’t that high and more importantly, it looked too scary.

  • Malta (Northern Region) – Cave of the Galley (Xemxija)

    This is a troglodyte dwelling which was used until relatively recently as living accommodation. It was though originally a prehistoric tomb which was repurposed over the centuries, and it’s tall enough to stand up easily in.

    There’s quite a substantial stone entrance which has been added at some time. Always good to give a positive first impression to any visitors.

    The name ‘cave of the galley’ is because of this carving into the stone on the door jamb, but a date can’t accurately be given. I like the thought that it has something to do with the country’s Great Siege, but it could have been pirates, shipwrecks or any other number of other things.

    Inside the cave.

    I noticed this crack in the wall so I thought that I’d end my cave exploration. I’d have been bloody irritated though if the cave had collapsed when I was in it after it had been there for over 3,000 years.

  • Malta (Northern Region) – A Little Walk

    I was pleased with myself on arriving into Malta, getting on the right bus and realising the bus stop was right by my hotel. Then I realised that I was two hours before the check-in time, so I stayed on the bus and thought I’d walk back. A bit of exploration is good for the soul.

    Anyway, whilst walking back down the side of a busy road with no pavement I started to regret this stupidity. But, things got better quickly, and I arrived back on the road that was marked on Google Maps. The road seemed to be quite a sizeable path and it ended up at the back of my hotel, so I went for that plan.

    After about 100 metres the lovely road turned into some rough and shoddy path. Although, intriguingly, it was unlike any path I’ve followed as some of it was built into the rock. And parts of it were very smooth, something that could only be achieved by centuries of people walking over it. At this stage, I wasn’t aware that I was walking along what was a Roman road and pilgrim’s route.

    And then the history started to unfold, the ruts along the Roman road, an ancient village, dry stone walls, standing stones, a Neolithic temple, a Punic tomb, a troglodyte cave, a Roman apiary, a pill-box, a medieval farmhouse and numerous other ancient structures. Which means that for a simple walk I have an enormous number of photos which are out of all proportion to the three miles I walked.

    There’s an episode of Time Team which was filmed at Llygadwy, which transpired to be a salted site. There was so much history within such a small space that it didn’t make sense, and Time Team uncovered an archaeological fraud. But here, the history is all authentic and it combined to be one of the most history packed walks that I’ve ever gone on.

    Below are photos of the walk before the history began (or, more accurately, before I realised it began), as I’ll post separately about those highlights….