Cartoons and Illustrations by Steve Bonello
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A Last Ramble at Żonqor?

31/5/2015

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With a whopping 33% of the island already built up one would think that the cranes, earth movers and assorted construction behemoths would be yearning for a well-deserved rest – preferably a very long one. But it isn’t really looking like that, is it? 
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PictureSaint Nicholas Chapel
Żonqor is the latest stretch of open land to hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons so I traipse off early one Saturday morning to have a closer look, now fully aware it could be one of my last opportunities to do so. Even though it’s the middle of May and the land is starting to dry up I am not disappointed.

I set out from a lane off Triq il-Blajjet – itself an offshoot off the old Zabbar to Marsascala road and probably the best way to access the area. It’s a pretty winding lane and soon the chapel of Saint Nicholas comes into view – up till now a lone landmark in splendid isolation among fields, half of which appear to be actively cultivated.  The chapel dates back to the 16th century and like most wayside chapels it’s a straightforward box-like structure with a shallow dome and a simple, elegant façade.


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Soon I come across a farmer and my camera prompts his curiosity. He warily asks if I’m there to record how the area looks before the bulldozers move in. As county folk are apt to do we soon fall into conversation and Lonzu does not hide his worries.  He tells me he’s been cultivating fields on his government-leased land for a long time and he is also a proud exporter of the famous Maltese potatoes that are so sought after at this time of year in the Netherlands. Although Lonzu farms part-time he tells me that some of his neighbours in the area are full time growers and up to now no one is telling them much about their future. Though I feel his pain I can sadly only offer my sympathies.

I continue along the road and decide to have a closer look at Fort Saint Leonard – a low-slung late nineteenth century British fort. Abandoned since the late seventies and leased out as a cattle farm soon after, there is understandably not much to see but a path veering right from the fort is more promising. It is a lovely tree-lined way which slopes gently by the fort’s northern escarpment towards the sea. It’s the picture of serenity bar a half dozen gun shots which at one point rudely interrupt the silence. Clearly there are one or two hunters who have some issues with their calendar; although I am aware this is a well-known area for poaching abuses I’m still surprised to hear shots a full three weeks after this year’s controversial season was closed. But there’s an antidote to this bit of unpleasantry: as I go through some derelict fields I come upon a good clutch of pyramidal orchids – a bit of a rarity for the area and so late in the spring too.

I now reach a dirt track that runs parallel to the sea. The coast here is a rugged one with bare rocks and the occasional inlet. It’s mostly deserted too; there are just a couple of people fishing off the rocks and an elderly gentleman in sunhat picking capers.

There’s some more history here too. The Triq il-Wiesgħa tower – one of Grand Master De Redin’s series of coastal watch towers – has recently been restored by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna after falling into disrepair following damage after a World War II plane crashed close by and the inevitable years of neglect followed. There are traces of a coastal entrenchment – a project started during the reign of Grand Master Pinto but abandoned soon after his death, at a time when the Order and consequently its funding were in decline. Wartime artefacts are also common along this stretch of coast and there are a number of WWII gunposts which broadly served a similar purpose to the Knights’ towers.

Before the scorching sun begins to take its toll I start making my way back via one of a number of paths which run uphill from the coast. The one I choose is overgrown but mercifully it is fennel rather than thistles and the plants’ sweet smell is welcome.

Żonqor may lack the immediate draw of the more dramatic cliff landscapes elsewhere but it’s an enjoyable and still largely untouched open space on an island that may soon be causing serious problems for claustrophobics; it is a relatively serene oasis and an outpost of rural charm of the overdeveloped south.  Dare I hope it will remain that way?


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Near Fort Saint Leonard

The above article first appeared in Sunday Circle magazine on 31st May 2015.

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A Maltese Fascination with Size

30/11/2014

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PictureOne large Lady....
There appears to be a certain fascination with size in Malta, a fascination which too often inherently implies that big is beautiful. It seems almost an implant in our collective genes and I suspect it goes back a very long way too…

Clearly Malta’s first settlers must have thought big was beautiful. How else to explain their munificent representations of the mother goddess in so many of their statues?  The various portrayals that have come down to us all show the female form in, let’s say, quite generous proportions: large pendulous breasts, enormous hips, and what can only be kindly described as ample thighs. Decidedly if big wasn’t beautiful it was certainly a representation or longing for bounty and plenty but the suspicion remains that the Maltese Neolithic man loved his women big…

Women aside, Neolithic man loved big stones as well. The largest of the monoliths at Hagar Qim is a full seven metres long and weighs more than 60 tons - how these people handled such huge weights remains very much a mystery.


Picture100 Ton Gun at Rinella
Some millennia later the Knights continued to fuel this predilection for the huge and colossal. They encircled the main cities with miles and miles of bastions. More than seven kilometres of walls girdle Valletta and Floriana, while the Cottonera Lines stretch to some four kilometres, completely encircling the three cities of Birgu, Isla and Bormla from the landward side.

The British also seem to have humoured this Maltese love of all things big and wondrous. They regaled us with what remains to this day (bar perhaps Saddam Hussein’s never realized super gun) the largest gun in the world. The Armstrong Whitworth Company produced just twelve of its huge 100 ton guns and only two survive to this day: one is in Gibraltar while the other is the centrepiece at the meticulously restored Fort Rinella.

The gigantism fetish later manifested itself in large buildings – particularly church domes. Mosta started this trend with a gigantic one that is still the third largest unsupported dome in the world. The dome was completed in 1871 and has an impressive diameter of over 36 metres – that’s five metres more than St. Paul’s in London.  A century later the village of Xewkija decided to go for something similar – not quite as large as Mosta’s, but at 28 metres diameter and financed by the parishioners of a village with less than 4,000 people it’s still a feat – a huge one excusing the sorry pun.


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The era of large church building now seems past. In its place is a curious pique among towns and villages to get their names in the Guinness Book of World Records. Obviously the Maltese will never go for the smallest this or that of course. It has to be B.I.G.

In 2011 the Lily Fireworks Factory of Mqabba built the largest Catherine wheel in the world measuring 32 metres in diameter – almost as much as the Mosta Dome! The villagers made sure a rep from Guinness was there when it was set alight and the record was announced to wild cheering. Qormi entered the record books a year later with the largest wine glass in the world measuring 12feet 8 inches in height and 6 feet 8 inches at its widest point. It is unlikely that anyone actually lifted it for a sip. Probably that would have made for yet another record. And just last year Zabbar took up the whole length of Sanctuary Street to set up the world’s largest dining table measuring 360 metres and hosting 800 diners. There were no reported complaints of the food arriving cold at the furthest parts of the table, but if there were they would probably be justified ones…

Talking of food, it is unfortunate that the Maltese consistently top the list of the most obese people in Europe. The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world but unfortunately the inroads made by fast foods have affected the way in which we eat to a high degree. Certainly one record not to be too proud of.



An abridged version of the above article was originally published in the December 2014 newsletter of Chevron UK - Malta travel specialists since 1982. You may subscribe to Chevron's newsletter here
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The Red Tower and the lovely road to nowhere

2/11/2014

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The view from the road stretches to Gozo's Ta Cenc cliffs
In the far north of Malta and just off the main road to the Gozo ferry terminal, a minor road runs uphill to meet one of the most ‘colourful’ of the Knight’s fortified towers. St. Agatha’s Tower was built in 1647-8 to guard the short stretch of sea to Gozo, aided by St. Mary’s Tower on Comino. At some point in its life it was given a red coat of paint – no one seems to know exactly when or why – but this has inadvertently lent it its more familiar name – the Red Tower.  The tower is a square, robust one and when in use in centuries gone by it was normally manned by four soldiers, though it could accommodate a garrison of up to fifty in times of trouble. Last used during World War II as a glorified machine gun post, the tower had fallen into a sad state of disrepair by the end of the twentieth century. Luckily the NGO Din l-Art Helwa, the National Trust, took over its massive restoration and finally opened it to the public.

The Red Tower stands on high ground on the Marfa Ridge and probably its biggest draw is the open views from its rooftop. But once inside there is also a wealth of information on the structure itself, its history and its eventual restoration. Other information boards concentrate on the area itself, its topography, fauna and flora. The small tower shop stocks thyme honey from the area.

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St. Agatha's Tower - more familiarly known as the Red Tower
Beyond the Red Tower, the narrow road continues to the edge of the Qammieh peninsula. It’s basically a dead end road but one which is a pleasure to walk and it’s not a longish one either – just over a mile in length. This short stretch of road is one of the most scenic on the island, bordered as it is by a rich garigue flora during the winter and spring months. There is an abundance of thyme and other aromatic herbs and in spring this area is one of the best for orchids, of which Malta has around a dozen species. There are understandably few trees on this windswept plateau but there are small copses of carob and pine in the more sheltered areas.

This road to nowhere opens up some spectacular views on the way. Starting from the Red Tower there are good sweeping views over Ghadira Bay and the nature reserve run by Birdlife Malta which backs the bay. Further on the views become more rugged – to the south there are wide vistas over the cliffs of the Majjistral Park while to the north the scene stretches to Comino and further beyond to Gozo and the magnificent white ‘wall’ of the Ta Cenc cliffs. The road ends somewhat ignominiously at a battered group of low buildings which once formed a radar station. Today most of the buildings are in ruin. 

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The view in spring
The view over the cliffs from this spot – practically Malta’s northern land’s end – is of a massive boulder scree which tumbles to the sea and is the result of the erosion of the seemingly mighty cliffs. Though the road stops here one can make his way along the cliff top to Paradise Bay, which can easily be reached in about a half hour.  Some 400 metres to the north of the ‘road to nowhere’ there is another tiny road which runs parallel to it and can deliver you back to the Red Tower via a different, and equally scenic, route. 

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Land's End

The above article was originally published in the November 2014 newsletter of Chevron UK - Malta travel specialists since 1982. You may subscribe to Chevron's newsletter here
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Photoblog - Marsaxlokk, Naturally Photogenic

3/10/2014

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There is no doubt Malta is a highly photogenic place, rendered more so by its plentiful sunlight, the profusion of limestone hues adorning most of its buildings plus a multitude of stunning locations. Little wonder then that Hollywood’s premier couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, commandeered the lovely inlet of Mgarr ix-Xini for a couple of months this summer, shooting what will presumably turn out to be a sensitive, low-key romantic movie.

While places like Mgarr ix-Xini have that immediate wow effect on visitors, I tend to think that other locations are equally, if not more so, authentically photogenic. I would place Marsaxlokk very high in this category.

Marsaxlokk is Malta’s primary fishing port and a no-nonsense fishing town at heart, characterised by a 500 metre waterfront where all the action seems to take place and where the town’s many facets are on show. Come here early in the morning on a weekday to get a taste of the authentic fishermen’s lives, the locals lovingly preparing their boats and mending their nets; the friendly banter of the old salts.

Marsaxlokk takes on a different mantle in the evenings, when the fishing related activity gives way to the dining scene, with a host of restaurants offering outdoor tables and – naturally - a wide selection of fish on their menus.

Marsaxlokk on Sundays is a different affair altogether – it’s the day its popular market sets up shop. The market takes up practically the entire waterfront with the fish stalls taking centre stage in the area in front of the town’s church while further out the offerings are more varied. Fresh fruit and other local produce, sweetmeats, clothing and household goods stalls; all do their best to jostle for attention and it’s difficult not to be tempted by some of the enticing aromas.

Ever present as a backdrop are the boats of course, the life and soul – and workhorses - of this village, and the one element that gives Marsaxlokk its unique ambience.  Most of them are lovingly hand-painted and the Eye of Osiris – a throwback possibly originating from Phoenician times – is present on all of them, traditionally a talisman to ward off danger at sea. Marsaxlokk does not try too hard to be beautiful – it hardly needs to. It’s a rough diamond - and this is probably what makes it so endearing. It’s also what makes it one of the top authentically photogenic places in Malta, a place where every level of photographer can get his wow shot with relative ease.

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Vibrant colours everywhere
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Fish market
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Fishing nets
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Old salt
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A lick of paint
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Reflections

The above article was originally published in the October 2014 newsletter of Chevron UK - Malta travel specialists since 1982. You may subscribe to Chevron's newsletter here
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A true taste of Malta

2/9/2014

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Man cannot live by bread alone and though bread is a staple of the local diet (ah those carbohydrates and the fact that Malta always scores high in the world obesity listings…) the Maltese have broadened their appetites and are mostly enthusiastic about trying new cuisines, as witnessed by a variety of restaurants serving anything from Chinese, Sushi, Italian, French, Middle Eastern and well…. a few offering traditional Maltese dishes as well.   

If you’re not too keen on trying out the Maltese cuisine (and most of it is quite good) you should certainly try out a few Maltese evergreens – whether in restaurants, snack bars, a pastizzeria or even the corner shop near your resort. Here’s a personal favourites list.

Twistees  - The original baked-not-fried snack-in-a-bag has been around for about 40 years and the taste is familiar to every local.  Hugely popular, it’s still produced from the original factory in Marsa with unchanged packaging and the same great taste  – all of 35,000 packets a day in fact, a third of which is exported to the Middle East and yes – the UK. Found literally in every corner shop in Malta. Well worth trying out and if you get addicted the company ships worldwide too, though shipping costs are quite steep.

Cisk – The Maltese Lager. The Maltese were originally a nation of wine drinkers but the British influence and the Farrugia family of entrepreneurs changed all that when Farsons Brewery opened in the 1920’s.  A strong seller in spite of heavy competition and again found virtually everywhere in the island – from the best restaurants to the smallest corner shop. Farsons’ other beers are good too – Blue Label Ale is another winner.

Kinnie – Another Maltese original and another Farsons product. First produced in 1952 as an alternative to cola drinks, it’s a soft drink with a bitter sweet flavour but quite unlike any other in the market. The recipe remains a secret but bitter oranges and a variety of aromatic herbs feature in its making. Kinnie is an acquired taste and a successful Maltese export – surprisingly it can also be purchased through Amazon!

Pastizzi – Everywhere you go in Malta you will see the inevitable shops known as Pastizzerija. There is no doubt these joints make a prime contribution for Malta’s obesity statistics. But a pastizz or two is a must. They are pea or ricotta filled pastries, served hot and dirt cheap. More popular in the cooler months.  But don’t call anyone a pastizz… it’s a derogative term and wimp is the kindest of translations...

Hobz biz-zejt – The snack of choice for the summer months. Literally translates into bread with olive oil but a lot more is thrown in, tuna chunks, marinated vegetables, local tomato paste, onions, capers... The bread is invariably local and delicious. Look out (or ask) for it at any beach kiosk or working men’s’ snack bar.

Wine – Now we get to the serious stuff. Malta has produced wine forever and then some. Most of the local production used to be forgettable plonk but with the importation of cheap wines from all over the world the local producers have had to up their product. Maltese premium wine isn’t cheap, but then these are boutique wineries really and the best stuff is divine. Try Marsovin’s Grand Maitre (limited edition each year and hard to find) or Antonin (white), Meridiana’s Isis (white) or Melqart (red).  I could sing these wines’ praises to high heaven and if I had a bottle handy I probably would too.


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Time for pastizzi

The above article was originally published in the September 2014 newsletter of Chevron UK - Malta travel specialists since 1982. You may subscribe to Chevron's newsletter here
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Hamrun’s mid-summer Madness

2/8/2014

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A visit to Hamrun is hardly on anyone’s bucket list but once a year the Hamrunizi let their hair down and it’s quite an experience...


Hamrun is a largish and mostly nondescript working men’s town just a mile or so outside Valletta. By Maltese standards it is a relatively “new” town, its lavishly decorated if stylistically confused church only being completed in 1875 and the town itself only becoming a parish in 1881. Hamrun has a wide and fine shop-filled main road which is unfortunately also the main trunk road from Valletta to Rabat and Mdina and therefore choked with traffic at most times of the day. But for one day a year all the traffic disappears and Saint Joseph’s High Road becomes the largest pedestrian area in Malta as Hamrun celebrates the feast of its patron – the somewhat obscure Saint Cajetan. 
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The feast of Saint Cajetan is celebrated on the Sunday following the 7th of August (this year on the 10th). What the feast lacks in the fireworks department (there are hardly any open spaces around the town which allow for sizeable displays) it however makes up with its band marches.

The evening marches are spread out over a whole week but it’s the traditional Sunday morning march that is the real peak of merriment and boisterousness. The town’s two band clubs of St. Joseph (nicknamed Tal-Miskina) and St.Cajetan (Tat-Tamal) participate in this march and both attract a sizeable crowd of followers, loyally dressed in the clubs colours – blue and red respectively. Due to the immense rivalry between the clubs the band marches take a different route and do not meet. Both marches are also obliged to start and end at the same time – start time is normally around 11am and the marathon marches continue until 3pm, usually in blazing sunlight and temperatures hovering around the 30c mark. The clubs also have a signed agreement not to let things get out of hand and this is religiously adhered to – not least because there are hefty financial penalties relating to any departure from acceptable behaviour. 

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If this is starting to sound somewhat intimidating rest assured it isn’t. The rivalry is mostly good-natured and the opposing fans mingle, embrace and drink (and then drink some more) together. Rowdy and mischievous it does get though – the bands just love stopping in front of the rival club’s premises and playing to their heart’s content while the followers indulge in some bawdy and not too Christian chanting. Some of the clubs’ fans also wear themed fancy costumes and face-paint which add to the colour and the general carnival mood. Just don’t come in your Sunday best…

It’s truly a mad feast of colour, sweaty good fun, beer aplenty and one which every Hamruniz will tell you is unique to the islands. Trust me, I’m one. 

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This article was first published in the August 2014 issue of Il-Bizzilla - the Air Malta inflight magazine

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The Night Mqabba takes centre stage

1/8/2014

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The traditional village feasts in Malta are spread out over the summer months with rarely a week going by without a celebration somewhere or other. August sees the majority of the festi and the peak is reached on the 15th, with no less than seven towns and villages celebrating the feast of Santa Maria – the Assumption of Our Lady.

An abundance of feasts and a possible dilemma for the visitor; with such a wealth of fireworks displays to choose from one is quite spoilt for choice. But really, and especially for the first time visitor or the fireworks enthusiast, there is only one place to be on the eve of Santa Maria.

The small village of Mqabba hardly features on the tourist trail at all. Most of its buildings are sadly modern and nondescript and its surroundings are quite scarred, consisting mostly of huge stone quarries where some of Malta’s best building stone is cut and dressed. The locals like to boast they built most of Malta itself – not entirely an inaccurate claim either.

At its centre Mqabba does have the redeeming features of a traditional village; the church, some picturesque alleys, a few lovely chapels …. and ahem… two rival band clubs with their associated fireworks factories, whose main focus of competition has evolved in the creation of some of the Island’s best fireworks displays. Over recent years the rivalry has resulted in some notable feats. The Lily Fireworks Factory holds the Guinness World Record for the largest Catherine Wheel ever made, while the St. Mary Fireworks Factory has fared equally impressively, going on to win the prestigious Caput Lucis international fireworks competition in Rome in 2007.

On the 14th of August it’s the turn of the St. Mary Fireworks Factory (associated with the King George V Band Club) to put on its unique pyrotechnic display. This takes place around a so-called tower of light at the edge of the village. The tower, a steel structure some 45 metres high is literally packed with over 1,400 petards and these are let off using a computerised system which synchronises the display to music.  

It is one awesome display with the tower and the surrounding fields being put to full use to create an hour-long spectacle of non-stop colour, lights and wonderful shapes forming in the sky. Each year the society excels in innovative creations… the shapes of dolphins, stars or even smiling faces are created in colour petards, Maltese crosses suddenly appear in the sky or the words Viva Santa Maria are formed in fire.

This is absolutely one of the greatest free shows in Malta this month. The people of Mqabba will tell you that nothing compares to this in pyrotechnic displays and enthusiasts from other villages will likely grudgingly admit to this too…


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The above article was originally published in the August 2014 newsletter of Chevron UK - Malta travel specialists since 1982. You may subscribe to Chevron's newsletter here

(Photos courtesy of Jonathan Mifsud) 

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188 Steps to Malta’s Loveliest Beach

1/6/2014

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Malta’s clear seas are undoubtedly one of its major draws in the summer, with both locals and visitors thronging to the beaches to escape the heat. Although the coastline of the island is nearly 200km long there are surprisingly few sandy beaches and these are mostly found in the north of the island. Though not much visited in the colder months they tend to fill up quickly in the summer.

Malta’s largest sandy beach Ghadira, just north of the town of Mellieha is by far the most popular. It is nearly a kilometre long, has warm, shallow water which seems to go on forever and is backed by white sand which makes the water incredibly inviting. A wealth of beachside facilities completes the recipe for a crowd-puller. All in all a highly recommended beach – more so if you are on holiday with young children.


But far more beautiful is the beach at Ghajn Tuffieha, next door to the popular Golden Sands Bay.  Ghajn Tuffieha is not a large beach with just 250 meter strip of sand, but what it lacks in size it certainly makes up with the outstanding setting. The reddish sands of Ghajn Tuffieha (literally the apple’s spring) are backed by a high clay slope planted with tamarisk and other trees; the trees in turn backed by a cliff further up.

That the waters of Ghajn Tuffieha are crystal clear goes without saying – but on a calm day in the early morning they are nothing less than divine with good opportunities for some snorkelling along the rocky arms of the bay. Amenities are limited, but the sole beachside bar can provide refreshments as well as umbrellas and sun beds.

The north arm of the bay has a Knights era watchtower precariously poised at the edge of the cliff - and the somewhat undignified ruin of one of Malta’s earliest hotels, foolishly constructed on the clay slope, and practically the only blot in this otherwise pristine landscape.  At the bay’s southern end there is a high flat-topped promontory jutting out into the water, dividing Ghajn Tuffieha from the next bay further south, Gnejna Bay. The easily defensible hilltop is the classic Bronze Age village site – this one, known locally as Il-Karraba, being probably the most dramatic of several such sites scattered around the islands. There is nothing to see in the way of visible remains but a sunset walk up the clay slopes below the hilltop gives one an idea of the site’s commanding position as well as spectacular views towards Gnejna and beyond.

Needless to say a slice of heaven like Ghajn Tuffieha comes with a price tag; in this case being that at the end of the visit one has to trudge up the long flight of stairs to reach the road…a total of some 188 steps which can take their toll after a day of sea and sun. Trust me – it’s a price worth paying.

Ghajn Tuffieha Bay is well served by public transport. Route no 44 gets you there from Valletta, route 225 from Sliema and routes 101 and 102 from Cirkewwa and Mellieha. There is also a direct service from Bugibba, route 223.

The bay is not recommended for swimming in strong westerly winds due to treacherous currents when a red flag is normally put up.


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Rugged cliff scenery - just a part of Ghajn Tuffieha's magic

The above article was originally published in the June 2014 newsletter of Chevron UK - Malta travel specialists since 1982. You may subscribe to Chevron's newsletter here
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Comino – Go early and beat the crowds

4/5/2014

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The small island of Comino sandwiched between the larger islands of Malta and Gozo starts getting a steady influx of visitors from June onwards, when the bathing season is in full swing and the locals start to flock there on day trips. Comino’s amenities are limited – there is just one hotel, practically no shops and no cars either. This is quite understandable as its permanent population consists of just three people.

So why go there at all one may ask. Well as far as the Maltese Islands are concerned it is definitely the ultimate get-away-from-it-all destination and a day spent there is like no other. In May its two main beaches, Santa Maria Bay and the Blue Lagoon, are still almost empty of people and can be enjoyed ...erm… as they should be – peacefully!

The Blue Lagoon with its underlying bed of white sands is probably the most enticing stretch of sea in the entire Maltese archipelago – its translucent waters are an invitation to dive in even to the most determined landlubber. Santa Maria Bay is not to be sniffed at either, not least because of its line of tamarisk trees bordering the sea which offers priceless shade. The latter bay can be almost deserted in late spring and the water is crystal clear here as well.

What of the determined landlubber who will still resist the call of the sea? Well there is still enough to see to easily fill a day. On Comino’s highest ground stands the Santa Maria Tower – an imposing fortress built by the Knights at a time when Comino was frequently a convenient hideout for corsairs with dubious intents. In more recent times the tower has often featured in films – most notably in The Count of Monte Cristo where it doubled for the notorious fortress-prison of the Château d'If. As a rule of thumb, if the flag is flying from the tower that means it’s also open to visitors.  

Next to the tower is a ramshackle building, originally an army barracks and now largely deserted except for a few rooms which make up the home of the remaining inhabitants. It’s a cool atmospheric place with a couple of delightful leafy lanes…and you might even get a glimpse of one of the three lone islanders – true modern day castaways surviving on what is essentially a bare rock.

Over on the south side of the island there is a small Knights’ Battery and close to Santa Maria Bay there is a lovely chapel still used by the islanders for Sunday mass – with a priest dutifully making the crossing from Gozo every week.

But really the landlubber’s Comino is a place to get lost in for the day and savour its remoteness; the arid landscape punctuated by the low thyme bushes which at this time of year take on their purple hue, the cliff scenery and the open water vistas across the channels separating it from its larger neighbours …and the blissful quiet.

There are daily ferry crossings to Comino from both Cirkewwa in Malta as well as Mgarr Harbour in Gozo.  Although there are no shops on Comino the hotel bar and restaurant are open to non-residents and there are usually a couple of fast food kiosks at the Blue Lagoon.


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Comino's rugged eastern cliffs

The above article was originally published in the May 2014 newsletter of Chevron UK - Malta travel specialists since 1982. You may subscribe to Chevron's newsletter here
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Valletta, Maundy Thursday

17/4/2014

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The week leading up to Easter is a good time to be in Malta. Whether you are a believer or not is of little significance as the religious celebrations at this time of year can be enjoyed on so many different levels whatever your other-worldly persuasions.  Many locals still flock to the activities out of a genuine sense of faith, even though the grip of the Catholic Church is very much diminished in a society becoming increasingly secular as time goes by. 
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Saint John's - Maundy Thursday
Perhaps the best known celebrations are the Good Friday processions held in a number of towns and villages in both Malta and Gozo. These processions attempt to tell the tale of human salvation as seen through Catholic eyes, with characters representing personalities from the Old and New Testaments, and a number of life-size statues depicting episodes from Christ’s passion. People who take part in such processions normally hail from the village organizing the pageant and do this with great pride, sometimes even doing so as a means of showing gratitude for perceived holy interventions. Notable and popular processions take place in Valletta, Qormi, Zebbug, Mosta and all three of the Cottonera towns. The popularity of the processions with tourists has somewhat dented the sombre air these manifestations were once associated with. 

Not meant to be sombre at all are the Easter Sunday processions, which take place amid fireworks and the mad ringing of bells and where the statue of the Risen Christ is frequently made to “run” by its bearers and cheered on by the crowd – admittedly something quite spectacular to watch. 

Personally I love Maundy Thursday and its air of expectancy, when at dusk the locals traditionally visit seven different churches to pray at the Altar of Repose in each church.  Regrettably this tradition has also become quite commercialized with food stands making their appearance for a quick profit in a number of towns. 


One place that has escaped the marketplace feel and remains a personal favorite on this day is oddly enough Valletta. Whether you are a believer or not you will enjoy the sombre mood in the streets of the capital as worshippers in small groups make their silent way from one church to the next. An added bonus is that practically all the churches remain open till late – most of them dimly lit to reflect the commemoration of the Last Supper and the events which were to follow. A number of churches are must-sees on this evening starting with St.   John’s Cathedral – certainly the city’s premier church. Other churches are Ta Giezu in St.John’s Street where the statues for the morrow’s procession are on display, the parish church of St.Paul and the Jesuit Church in Merchants Street. 

Non-Catholic denominations also commemorate this evening in their way, and there are Scripture readings at the Anglican Cathedral, The Scots Church in South Street as well as the small Greek Orthodox Church in Archbishop Street.  A number of band and social clubs also put on Holy week exhibitions, and though admittedly these are of varying quality, they nonetheless add to the atmosphere of this particular night in Valletta.

All in all Maundy Thursday remains quite a unique experience in the capital, and one I seriously recommend.


The above article was originally published in the April 2014 newsletter of Chevron UK - Malta travel specialists since 1982. You may subscribe to Chevron's newsletter here.
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