A Short Break in Malta

Malta - So Much Packed In To Such A Tiny Space

I'm Australian right! And what do all good self-respecting Australians do at some stage of their lives? They travel. The more intrepid don backpacks and take off on a round-the-world ticket and between departing and returning to Australian shores they follow their whims. Or the dodgy advice of some other backpacker they've just met in some grungy hostel. The really lucky ones find work to keep funding their travels. And that's where this story becomes personal. We were actually a bit older than your average backpacker. Too old in fact for many youth hostels. But what we did have was one German passport between us, my husband's. This is the difference between working illegally for two pounds per hour in some seedy London pub and getting a real job. The real job I landed would lead us to Malta.

This poster showing the amazing colours of Maltese Fishing Boats is available from Allposters

Why Malta?

Let’s continue my story. The job I landed was in a sales role with one of those large photocopier and fax companies. And they had great incentive trips! On this occasion it was our whole sales team which won the trip to spend four days in Malta. The incentive had been run over a two month period and we had no idea what the destination was going to be. We had been fed little clues along the way and managed to figure out that we were headed to an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It wasn’t until we were checking in at London’s Heathrow Airport that the destination was revealed to us. Our group consisted of our sales team – six men and me, our partners, our sales manager, a member of our marketing department as our host and a tour operator. None of us really knew very much about Malta.

Where Is Malta?

Malta is an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s nearest neighbour is the Italian island of Sicily to the North. To the South and West Malta is surrounded by the North African nations of Tunisia and Libya.

So the facts for those who like that kind of thing:-

Malta lies roughly in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea approximately 90 kilometres off Sicily and 290 kilometres north of the African coast. Malta consits of three main islands; Malta, Gozo and Comino and has a population of 400,00 people most of whom live in the area known as the Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) which is really just a grouping of smaller villages which have become joined through urbanisation. Most of the remainder of Malta’s population lives on Gozo with Comino largely uninhabited. Malta is the main island and is the commercial and administrative centre of this small nation. Due to its location it has seen many invasions and cultural changes over several millenia. Malta in days gone by has literally lain at the heart of many significant events in history including The Crusades, the wars between Rome and Carthage, the rise of Islam, the wars between Christians and Moslems, the rise and fall of Napoleon, the rise and fall of the British Empire to name but a few. These have all left their mark on this tiny nation which really offers little of value in terms of agricultural or mineral wealth.

Our First Impressions Of Malta

I clearly remember thinking that Malta must be built on a rock. Our first impressions were of dry stone walls encircling impoverished fields sprouting cacti and scrub, the landscape similar to that which we had encountered in other coastal Mediterranean areas such as Greece and what at the time was known as Yugoslavia. It was impossible to imagine that anything much could grow here. The structures we saw were mainly built of stone and the larger monuments were all stone. We had arrived in a very harsh and unyielding place.

Xlendi, Gozo, Malta, Mediterranean, Europe Photographic Print
Robert Harding
Buy at AllPosters.com

But Malta is a diamond in the rough and you have to dig a little to find her treasures.

How To Spend Four Days In Malta

If I were taking this trip on my own and organising my time myself I would probably have done things a little differently but the fact remains – we did have only a short time. So what should a visitor to Malta see and do while there? Malta has the advantage of being compact so you can pack lots in if time is limited.

In my opinion these are top of the list of must-do experiences in Malta

Stroll the streets of Valletta
Visit The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum
Explore one (or more) of the ancient Megalithic Temples of Malta
Marvel at the Mosta Church
Soak up history in the walled city of Mdina
Take a boat to the Blue Lagoon

Malta's History

Understanding a little of Malta’s history will help to guide you and give you some direction for your explorations.

Malta has variously been occupied by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Fatimids, Sicilians, Knights of St John, French and the British ruled the islands. In 1964 Malta wrested itself free from the United Kingdom and became a republic in 1974. It’s two main languages are Maltese (Malti) and English.

Remnants of her occupiers remain across the country and it is often interesting to find examples of her pre-christian past alongside a bright red British telephone box.

Artifacts have been uncovered by archeologists dating as far back as 5000BC.

Egyptian Campaign to Assure His Supply Lines Napoleon Takes Malta from the Governing Order Giclee Print
Gudin
Buy at AllPosters.com

Valletta - World Heritage Listed City

According to Lonely Planet, “When Unesco granted World Heritage listing to Valletta, it called Malta’s wee capital ‘one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world’, and the city is certainly renowned for its massive fortifications and architectural excellence.” From her beautiful harbour to her winding lanes and cobbled streets, Valletta combines ancient monument with modern cafe culture. Spend some time just wandering through the streets with no particular destination in mind and soak up the atmosphere. You can literally breathe history here.

The Vedette at Senglea Overlooking the Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta Photographic Print
Michael Gebicki
Buy at AllPosters.com

Find out more about The City of Valletta

Visit Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

The Hypogeum is a huge underground Necropolis which was discovered by a stone mason who was laying foundations for some houses in 1902. It has been dated back to 2500BC and is the only known example of a sub-terranean structure of the Bronze Age. The Hal Salfieni Hypogeum is a classified UNESCO World Heritage site.

This image from Wikimedia Commons is in the public domain as its copyright has expired.

Embroidery on Green Velvet, Decorated with Arabesques around a Maltese Cross. Giclee Print
Buy at AllPosters.com

The Megalithic Temples of Malta

Malta is home to seven Megalithic Temples across the islands of Malta and Gozo. They are classified by UNESCO as World Heritage sites and have been described as ‘the oldest free-standing monuments in the world’ all dating to between 3000 and 2200BC.

Hgar Quim Temple, Near Zurrieq, Malta, Mediterranean Sea, Europe Photographic Print
Merten, Hans..
Buy at AllPosters.com

Rotunda (Church of St. Mary), Mosta

This 19th century church is one of the more modern structures in Malta. Built between 1830 and 1870, it is remarkable not only for its magnificent dome, claimed to be the third largest in Europe behind the significantly better known St Peters Basilica in Rome and Hagia Sofia in Instanbul, but also for its story of survival. In 1942 a German bomber dropped a 200kg bomb directly onto the church. It penetrated the dome during a service attended by more than 300 people and miraculously failed to explode. A replica of the bomb is on display in the sacristy.

Church of St. Mary, Mosta, Malta, Europe Photographic Print
Adrain Neville
Buy at AllPosters.com

The Walled City of Mdina

High on a hill overlooking the surrounding countryside sits the walled city and ancient administrative centre of Malta: Mdina. Dubbed the silent city because no cars enter here transport is either on foot or by horse-drawn carriage. Mdina’s cathedral is beautiful and is richly decorated with panel paintings and painted barrel vaults. The structure has evolved from the original Norman church dating back 3000 years

This picture features the hilltop walled city in the background with the common sight of drystone wall and prickly pear in the foreground.

Sail to the Blue Lagoon

Tucked away on the island of Comino, a boat trip from Malta or Gozo is the stunningly beautiful Blue Lagoon. This idyllic bay has been used as the backdrop for a number of cinematic projects including Madonna’s Swept Away and the Mini series Helen of Troy.

Aerial View of the Blue Lagoon, Comino Island, Malta, Mediterranean, Europe Photographic Print
Buy at AllPosters.com

 

On Leaving Malta

Our party comprised a mixture of backgrounds. Among us there was one Australian, one New Zealander (both temporary residents of the UK) one Irishman, one Welshman and three Englishmen. Our partners largely mirrored our own backgrounds and nationalities. It’s probably fair to say that the Brits were after beaches, pool and partytime whereas the rest of us were excited about visiting a country we had never been to before and may never get to visit again. Despite our different expectations we all left having thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Did I happen to mention the date of our stay? We arrived November 26 and departed November 29, 1989. While these dates probably mean little to most, students of American and USSR relations may recognise the date that Mikhail Gorbachev awaited on board the Soviet cruise ship Maxim Gorky to meet George Bush’s arrival by cruiser. This meeting has been referred to as the conclusion of the cold war. We watched the arrivals as we waited to depart.

The records of this meeting have only recently been released and have been reported at Bush and Gorbachev at Malta

This image of Bush & Gorbachev at the Malta summit is in the Public Domain as it was taken by a US Government employee. Source Wikimedia Commons

Credits

Apart from my own recollections I called upon knowledge from the following sources to create this lens:-

Lonely Planet
Wikipedia
Sacred Destinations
GuideToMalta.net

Lonely Planet Malta & Gozo (Travel Guide)

Malta and Gozo (Bradt Travel Guides)

Have you been to Malta?

Share your experience here.

Skiing The Sella Ronda

A Guided Tour of The Sella Ronda Ski Circuit

The Sella Ronda is a circuit of trails in The Dolomites region of South Tyrol which forms part of the border between Austria and Italy. Originally, not much more than muddy tracks which the locals used to travel between four valleys, it is now a well-known circuit of ski trails linked by lifts which ambitious skiers attempt to complete in a single day.

This is the picture postcard village of Colfosco in the Dolomites with the Sella massif as its backdrop. This beautiful image can be purchased as a poster from Allposters

Diary Extract

Day 1

“Sunday February 7, 1988. Venice.

We left reasonably early and hit the road to the Dolomiti. For much of the way it was raining and misty but even so as we got closer to the mountains the scenery became more and more spectacular. We stopped for lunch inside the car due to the rain and then continued on. As we travelled further north the villages became more and more Austrian in appearance with wide rooves and painted house fronts. We found the road that travels alongside the autobahn okay and travelled along it via Bolzen to the turn-off for Ortisei or St Ulrich. In this area not only are all the town names and shop signs in two languages but the street names as well. After the turn-off we had 13 kilometres of steep winding road until St Ulrich and the amount of snow on the ground was increasing but it still didn’t look promising. We arrived in St Ulrich and had just asked our way in a petrol station when a big Merc pulled in and blocked our way. We had found our relatives.”

The Sella Ronda Area

Val Gardena and the Sella Ronda are located in the North of Italy near the Austrian border within the region of The Alps known as The Dolomites. Use the navigation buttons to zoom out and locate the region within Italy, or zoom in to get a closer look at individual villages.

Arriving in Val Gardena

Rifugio Franz Kostner – Südtirol, Italy
by AdventureTravelArt

See more Vintage Skiing Posters

We were fortunate enough to be invited to stay as guests in a pensione in St Ulrich, which is also known as Ortisei, by relatives who were there on a ski holiday from Germany. We were the only guests in a picture postcard setting and were immediately welcomed like a family member by the hostel owners. The guesthouse was warm and bright and situated only a short drive from our skiing. We returned at the end of each day to lovely hot showers, home-cooked meals and snug beds. This is where we first encountered Tiramisu!

Click Here to see a great selection of Dolomites Accomodation

Accommodation in The Dolomites

Everything on Offer is Like a Picture Postcard

This is just one of the delightful Dolomites Chalets available
as accommodation in the Dolomites area.

Diary Extract

Day 3

“Tuesday February 9, 1988. St Ulrich.

We awoke to blue sky and sun. The view from the pension is superb. Firstly we went in to town to buy a few things before heading for the snow. In town (and others that we went through later) there are snow sculptures and ice formations. Apparently this is an annual competition held in December and January. After judging the sculptures remain until the weather gets the better of them. We have never seen anything like them before. One was of figures on bicycles! We parked at the base of a gondola at a place called Wolkenstein. If yesterday’s scenery could in any way be improved on it was here today. At one point we traversed an area called Steinstadt (stone city) where the landscape was covered in weird mounds. In some places the tops of huge boulders showed through the snow. The enormous rocky peaks are always above and around as you ski. On some lifts as you ascend it seems impossible that there will be a way down, but on reaching the top all of a sudden there opens before you a beautiful run leading to another lift. For lunch we skiied down to a small hut perched on the edge of a saddle that dropped away into a beautiful valley with more spectacular sun-drenched mountains in the distance. We had “Spiegeleier and Speck mit Bratkartoffel” for lunch. The girls had hot Advokaat and milk to drink while the men downed Schnapps.”

Starting The Sella Ronda

Several Choices for Starting Points

Alta Badia Meadows by AdventureTravelArt
Find more small canvas prints at zazzle.com

You can join the Sella Ronda at one of the four villages in its path: Selva di Val Gardena, Corvara, Canazei, Arabba. You can choose to traverse it clockwise or counter-clockwise. The circuit is approximately 40 kilometres in total including lifts and trails and can be easily completed in a day provided the weather is fair, you are relatively fit and you ensure that you reach the last lift by 3:30pm.

We would be starting at Selva di Val Gardena, the closest village to our accommodation and had decided to take the anti-clockwise route for no particular reason. If time allowed, we could do the opposite run another day!

Essential Skiing Guide Books

Also Make a Great Keepsake Reminder

The Linde Werdelin Ski Guide Italy (Linde Werdelin Ski Guides)

Skiing Europe: Tread Your Own Path (Footprint Handbooks)

Along The Trail

Dolomiti mountains, the Alps by beautifulclicks
See other Dolomiti Posters

We awoke that morning to bright blue skies and warmer temperatures than the last few days. The air was still and crisp and we knew that today was the day we would ski the Sella Ronda.

We reached the first lift, Ciampinoi cable car, early and had only a short wait to get on. We had been told to start before 10:00am to give ourselves plenty of time to complete the circuit. It is estimated that the runs going counter-clockwise usually take around one and a half hours but we allowed ourselves longer. The lifts in total take around two hours.

We were unprepared for the simply breathtaking scenery we encountered while traversing the circuit. At times the feeling is literally of being on top of the world looking across a sea of white, broken by massive chunks of grey stone. As we descended the mountain this was replaced by alternating forest scenes and vistas above picturesque villages.

Useful Sites For More Information

Click Here to see the Val Gardena Ski Tracks map.

Click Here to see the complete Sella Ronda Diagram

Click Here to see more information on the two circuit options.

A Camera Is A Must For The Sella Ronda

The panoramas experienced on the Sella Ronda will take your breath away and the photo opportunities abound. You'll want to capture every detail.

Nikon COOLPIX L24 14 MP Digital Camera

Sony W800/B 20 MP Digital Camera (Black)

Sustenance and Refreshments

Scattered across the mountain there is an abundance of bars, restaurants and cafes collectively known as “Rifugi” These range from simple rustic inns to top-notch restaurants but they all have one thing in common: good food. They are also a welcome break from the rigourous challenge of the circuit.

Check out the amazing Baite Saslonch Hütte overlooking the Ciampinoi alpine pasture.

Another interesting experience was encountering, out in the middle of the piste, a man selling shots of Williams, a pear schnapps, from a wooden fruit crate.

Protect Your Eyes From Extreme Conditions

From Blinding Glare Reflection to Bitter Cold Winds

It might be fine, clear and sunny down in the valley when you start out but conditions can change rapidly. Having a good pair of ski goggles with you will be the difference between endurance and misery if the weather turns ugly.

Oakley Ambush Snow Goggles

Giro Station Goggle

 

Where Is Your Favourite Winter Destination?

What is your most memorable winter vacation?

I would dearly love to return one day. Sadly, as I get older and my body starts to complain more it is looking less and less likely but the memory of this is experience is certainly one I will treasure.