"A Broad Traveling" Broaden the mind, expand the heart, feed the soul. Travel. MALTA

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A Broad Traveling

Broaden the mind, expand the heart,

feed the soul. Travel.

Malta

Profile & photos by Caryn B. Davis

When I mentioned I was going to Malta, most people said, “Malta? Where’s that?” Sounds exotic, right? Well, it is. Malta is an archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean between Sicily and Tunisia. Gozo and the uninhabited Comino Island are part of Malta, but at 17 miles long and 14 miles wide, Malta is the largest.

A quick seven hour flight from Boston to Munich and then a two hour puddle jumper, easily gets you there.

Malta has been populated since approximately 5900 BC. Because of its deep, safe harbors, and strategic location it has been conquered by nearly every civilization. Each has left an indelible mark influencing Malta’s culture, cuisine, architecture, art, and languages, which are English and Maltese, the latter finding its roots in Semitic. Malta gained independence from its last ruler, the British, in 1964, formally becoming a republic ten years later and a member of the European Union in 2004.

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Malta has much to offer travelers. Expect warm turquoise waters perfectly suited for swimming, diving, and yachting; pristine beaches; megalithic temples constructed between 3600 BC and 700 BC thought to be the oldest free-standing structures on Earth, predating the pyramids; underground catacombs like the Hypogeum circa 4000 BC; friendly, hospitable people; and delectable dishes combining Italian, Arabic, and Mediterranean flavors.

My first stop was the small fishing village of Marsaxlokk, 8 kilometers from the airport. I rented a typical 19th century Maltese house (very narrow with three stories, spiral staircase, and rooftop garden) overlooking

Marsaxlokk Bay. I chose Marsaxlokk because I wanted to see the traditional fishing boats, called Luzzus, before they disappear. These colorful boats have been used since ancient times, the design dating back to when the Phoenicians occupied the island. On the bow is always a pair of painted eyes, thought to offer protection at sea. (Incidentally, when the Ottoman Turks attacked Malta during the Great Siege of 1565, and when Napoleon took over the island in 1798, both armies, landed in Marsaxlokk). I contemplated this history as I strolled the peaceful waterfront, watching fishermen repairing nets or bringing in the days catch to sell to the restaurants and at the outdoor market that descends upon the harbor thrice weekly.

Maltese markets have the most variety and volume of foodstuffs I have ever seen. You can find every kind of nut, dried fruit, fish, olive, herb, spice, fruit, vegetable, and cheese imaginable, and at a fraction of what

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we pay in the states. (Oh, and if you get sick, you can find a doctor with regular drop in hours at the pharmacy. A visit with medicine costs roughly twenty bucks. How civilized is that)?

From Marsaxlokk, I drove 15 minutes northeast to the medieval village of Vittoriosa, a yachting mecca located on the Grand Harbor. Vittoriosa was once Malta’s capitol and is part of the Three Cities that includes Senglea and Cospicua, all of which played an important role in Malta’s military and maritime history. A lot of the city was destroyed and rebuilt after during the Great Siege, but you can still find quiet, narrow cobblestone streets and buildings that are original. In this case, all roads do not

lead to Rome, but to one small square at the city’s center where most of the shops, restaurants and cafés are located. (The word “city” conjures up a large sprawling location, but in actuality, Vittoriosa is barely a mile long with a population of 2600).

Once again, I rented a traditional three-story Maltese house. Each floor contained a different room with the kitchen on the first level, the living room on the second, and the bedroom on the third. From the rooftop I had great views of the square and the Vittoriosa Yacht Marina.

Unlike other parts of the island where you can find high-end resorts with DJ dance parties into the wee hours, Vittoriosa is more about contemplating Malta’s

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home to the most breathtaking church I have ever seen, St. John’s Co- Cathedral. It’s utterly jaw dropping. Leaders worldwide donated artwork, money, and artists, and no expense was spared in creating this baroque masterpiece. To me, it stands as a testament to the high value we, as a culture, place on art.

Italian artist, Mattia Preti is credited with decorating the interior. He painted several altar pieces and designed the intricately carved limestone walls. The floor is a patchwork of inlaid marble tombstones with

long and complex history. Here you will find the Malta Maritime Museum, the Inquisitor’s Palace (1530), the Malta at War Museum, and Fort St. Angelo built between 1530 and 1560 by the Knights of St. John who were given the city in 1530 by the Spanish Emperor Charles V.

400 Knights and officers from the Order of St John buried beneath. There are murals adorning the vaulted ceiling and 29 hanging tapestries representing the largest complete set in the world by Flemish weaver, Judocus de Vos. And those are just in the main nave and sanctuary. There are also nine chapels and the Oratory which houses not one, but two, Caravaggio paintings - Beheading of St. John the Baptist and St Jerome Writing. I definitely recommend walking around with the free handheld audio guide to learn more about the art and the history of the church, which is still used for worship. But don’t hurry. It’s good to sit for a while and just look, as there is so much to take in. And that’s really how Malta is. It’s good to just sit and take it all in. Maybe it’s the ancientness of this place, or that every civilization since the beginning of time has been there. But somehow Malta gets into your DNA, and you just can’t stop thinking about it.

Across the harbor is the new capitol, the cosmopolitan city of Valletta. A short ride by water taxi, which can be had in a Luzzu, if you are so inclined, will take you there. What yachting is to Vittoriosa, is what shopping is to Valletta. Valletta was constructed in 1566 with money gifted by the Kings of Europe, who wanted to show their appreciation to the Knights for successfully defending the island from Turkish invasion. It is a medieval fortress city and