Life During Wartime

Malta
Malta seems to be enjoying a lot of attention at the moment with several  recent TV productions extolling this jewel of the Mediterranean. A lot of friends also seem to be paying a visit this year and when I press them further it's often the case that it's a place they return to again and again. So on our first visit I was looking forward to exploring the alluring attraction and getting a good understanding of Malta's residual appeal. 

Fort St. Angelo, Birgu, Malta

Unfortunately, my first thoughts after the three hour flight are how miserable the weather is in late February. It's cold and raining as we collect the hire car from the airport carpark and embark on the short, soggy drive to our apartment near the capital, Valletta. 

The Grand Harbour of Valletta, Malta

In you are considering hiring a car I should point out that the Maltese population cannot drive, and the road infrastructure has been designed by a someone who was clearly out to amuse themselves. The Maltese driver doesn't indicate, obey traffic signals or road markings. To add to the confusion (or it could be an explanation for the poor driving skills) the roads and signage are not conducive to calm, logical navigation, leaving even google maps flummoxed. Initially we found it difficult to traverse the complicated motorway slip road options around the built-up Valletta area and needed sat nav combined with good old-school sign reading for it to make some sort of sense. But only once (or maybe twice) did we end up down a farmer's dirt track road near the airport, although we did endure some irate honking as we learned on the job.

Dgħajsa boat on the Grand Harbour of Valletta, Malta

All this sounds like we got off on the wrong foot with Malta, but rest assured we mastered the art of driving here (on the left by the way), visited some wonderful places and the weather vastly improved as the week went on. 

Steps of Senglea, Malta

The Cottonera is the group of three adjacent cities across from the Grand Harbour of Valletta, the beautiful capital of Malta, and they are collectively known as the Three Cities. We were staying in Senglea, which is also known as L-Isla. And to avoid any confusion the other city of Cospicua is also known as Bormla and on the same peninsula Vittoriosa is also known as Birgu. We were staying in a typical Maltese apartment which meant stairs and even steeper stairs to the roof terrace, but the views were superb. Our quiet location was only a short ten-minute ferry ride away from the busy streets of Valletta so an excellent base for a week of exploring the island.

The Saluting Battery, Valletta, Malta

On Malta it is difficult to escape the fact that this island has been shaped by war, quite literally. The strategic importance of this reactively small island slap bang in the middle of the Mediterranean has meant it has been fought over for many centuries. Everyone from the Romans to Napoleon to the British Empire has at some point ruled this seventeen-mile-long piece of land. The history of these struggles is evident everywhere, from fortifications, underground shelters, a plethora of museums dedicated to war, and churches with quite miraculous survival stories to tell. The rulers making the biggest impression and possibly improving the attractiveness of the island to future suitors by building huge fortifications were the knights of St. John who arrived in the sixteenth century having been ousted from their base in Rhodes by the Ottoman Turks. Their influence is enduring and everywhere.

The traditional Maltese balconies of Valletta, Malta

But let's start with Valletta. We arrived in Valletta on the 'Three Cities' ferry from Cospicua and the fastest way up to the city from the harbourside level is to take the impressive Barrakka lift (price included in your ferry ticket) to the Upper Barrakka Gardens.

 The Barrakka Lift, Valletta, Malta

At noon each day it's just below these gardens on the Saluting Battery that the army cannons are fired allowing the Maltese to set their watches and clocks. It a site that obviously draws a large number of tourists but the area is beautiful at any other time of the day and the views of The Grand Harbour and the Three Cities are probably the best from this vantage point.

The Triton Fountain, Valletta, Malta

Just outside the city walls is the impressive Triton Fountain set in a large square and nearby is the very useful tourist information, the bus station and a several pop-up eateries. From here you walk through the modern gates to bring you immediately to the Parliament Building and the main thoroughfare of Republic Street. After that you don't need a map. Valletta is small and surrounded by water on three sides so it's impossible to get lost. My advice is to roam, and you'll quickly find yourself immersed in the charm of this intimate city. It's a great walking city although you'll need to be ok with steps as it's on several levels. 

The golden nave of St. John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta

St John's Co-Cathedral is the centre piece of the Knight's reign, and they built a church worthy of the then new fortress of Valletta in the centre of the city. From the outside the building itself is quite unassuming but once you enter the main nave the frescos, carved stone walls decorated with gold leaf and ornate marble floors all make for a sensory overload. The highlight of the visit to the Co-Cathedral, and in fact any trip to Malta is the chance to view 'The Beheading of St John the Baptist' by fifteenth century artist Caravaggio. The huge painting hangs above the altar in the darkened Oratory and is a stunning depiction of starkly lit realism, humanity, and the brutality that man is capable of. It's complemented in the same darkened room by his portrait 'Saint Jerome Writing', again emphasising the verisimilitude of his work. They will take your breath away.

'The Beheading of St John the Baptist' by Caravaggio

We also signed up for the new bell tower tour of the Cathedral which starts on the hour as you would expect (but it does have limited numbers) and first stop was the balcony within the cathedral which offers a fabulous perspective on the golden church. We got to see the complex mechanism behind the clockwork bell and even managed to get up to the bell tower and out in the open for a close up look at the great bells. They do like a bell and a clock tower in Malta!

The bell tower of St. John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta

The Grandmaster Palace is just a short walk away and this is a wonderful display of opulence from another era in time. The lavish court rooms reflect the prosperity of the Knights and subsequent rulers of the island, but the standout room is the huge armoury. I was astonished at the sheer amount of weaponry on show from across the ages. This is an island built on war.

The Armoury of the Grandmaster Palace, Valletta, Malta

The Fort St Elmo is the last defence structure before the Mediterranean and is home to the National War Museum. We opted against the museum but instead headed down to the St. Elmo Breakwater to get a close-up view of the iconic green and red lighthouses at the Grand Harbour Entrance. Not far away are the Lower Barrakka Gardens which have views of the waterfront that almost equal their neighbouring Upper Gardens.

Ricasoli Lighthouse (Grand Harbour East Breakwater), Valletta, Malta

Across the Grand Harbour the Three Cities are much quieter than Valletta but still form an essential part of the deep history of the island. There you'll find restaurants and bars frequented more by locals than tourist (at least in February) and as such are good value for money. Close to our apartment in Senglea was the fortification of La Guardiola, the Safe Haven Gardens and this park has great views of the Grand Harbour. The fabulous waterfront of Senglea has some great bars and eateries and encompasses the beautiful Vittoriosa Marina that has the lovely medieval backdrop of Birgu. 

Vittoriosa Marina, Malta

Crossing the marina from Senglea and heading to Birgu you'll find the water taxi station which serves the Three Cities at Cospicua. From here there's a regular ferry taking passengers to Valletta every 30 minutes although out of season this finishes in early evening. 

The charming backstreets of Birgu, Malta

The fortified city of Birgu is a maze of quiet winding streets and steep stairways which are a tranquil pleasure to wander through and you'll feel transported back in time. Hidden in these cosy back streets is the Inquisitors Palace which is now a museum, but you are spoilt for choice when it comes to museums and in Birgu we chose to visit the Malta at War Museum. The exhibition does a fabulous job of conveying the story and the significance of Malta in the Second World War. We also joined the air raid shelter tour which took us deep underground in a labyrinth of limestone caves and tunnels that sheltered the Maltese during the German and Italian bombardment in World War Two.

Good advice. Underground shelter rules, Malta at War Museum

The dramatic Fort St. Angelo of Birgu overlooks the Grand Harbour and whilst you can explore inside we discovered that it's possible to walk around the base of the fort and get incredible sea front views.  You could spend all day here perched under the beguiling medieval fortress watching the harbour traffic and daily life pass by. The traditional local water taxis Dgħajsa buzz in between the yachts, major ferries and cruise ships against the spectacular backdrop of the ancient cityscape of Valletta.
We thoroughly enjoyed a thirty-minute tour of the harbour in a Dgħajsa boat (ten euros per person) in the beautiful sunshine and it was a real highlight of our holiday.

La Guardiola, the Safe Haven Gardens, Senglea, Malta

And that was pretty much our exploration of Valletta and the Three Cities, but before we leave Valletta a few honourable mentions: We spent a lot of time in the superb 67 Kapitali Bar in the centre of the city. Great craft beers, great staff and a cheese board that has to be seen to be believed. The nearby Papannis Restaurant was also a great experience, a great Maltese menu and lovely atmosphere.

The Three Cities, Malta

Next time we discover more of the island of Malta.

Storm clouds over Birgu, Malta