BACKGROUNDER Malta and Gozo

The Great Siege of Malta - and how it affects your vacation.
For those not interested in history, this might not seem very interesting - but bear with us and read on.

In 1530, Charles V of Spain gave the Maltese islands to the "Knights of Malta", as they became known. They were a military religious order and had been driven out of Rhodes by the Turks in 1522.
Now we come to the year 1565. The Turks, at the time the greatest naval power in the Mediterranean, landed on Malta and determined to take the island for themselves. The Knights rallied the Maltese people and battled for months. As both sides fought to a standstill, the Turks heard a rumour that huge reinforcements were coming from Sicily, and quickly boarded their boats. The rumour was false - spread by the weary Knights. By the time the Turks realized that they had been fooled, it was too late. The Knights had rallied and had prepared fresh defences.
If the Turks had held out for one more day, Malta would probably by now have been a Muslim island!
How would that have affected your holiday?  

THE BEST CLIMATE? In January 2007, International Living chose Malta as the country with the best climate in the world. Lowest temperature ever recorded was in January 1905, at +1.1C, and the highest temperature was +43.8C recorded in August 1999. Snow is virtually unheard of, with very few and brief snowflurries recorded in February 1895, January 1905 and March 1949. It is a windy island, and the wind can be deceptive - making it seem cooler than it really is.

SEAPLANE. Here's something different! Ever been in a small seaplane before? With this one, you can board and take off in Malta's Grand Harbour, often busy with visiting cruise ships. Fly to Gozo, or take a scenic half-hour aerial tour of the islands, from just 1500 feet. What a camera opportunity. And one fortunate passenger gets to sit with the pilot! A holiday experience you will simply never forget. (www.harbourairmalta.com)

VOLCANOES! Day trips to Sicily. The magical island of Sicily is just ninety minutes away by ultra-fast catamaran. It is the location of Mount Etna - Europe's largest and most active volcano! Enjoy the rolling Sicilian countryside, ancient cities and stunning coastline on a fully guided whole day excursion, which includes a trip up Mount Etna (volcano permitting, of course!). You will be taken by high speed ferry from Malta to Sicily in only 90 minutes, and met in Sicily by fully air-conditioned luxury coaches and guides, for a really memorable vacation day.  (www.virtuferries.com)

GO-KARTING. The local raceway, run by Badger Karting, has a fleet of 30 electric karts and 15 petrol karts. These can reach speeds of up to 80km/h, which when combined with the twists and turns of the 17 different track layouts, deliver a perfect blend of thrill and adrenaline.
Customers can also relax and enjoy the racing atmosphere. A clubhouse is available with a bar, including snacks, and on the roof of the clubhouse there is a viewing gallery. (www.badger.com.mt)

 

FORTINA SPA RESORT.
Go home more relaxed, more healthy and more beautiful than you came! The Spa Mediterranee specializes in treatments using the rejuvenating properties of concentrated sea water which is three times stronger in salts and mineral elements than normal water.
The Spa Mediterranee offers various thalassotherapie and hydrotherapie treatments.
The centre is also backed by physiotherapists offering physical rehabilitation. It is ideal for those wishing to get away from it all, and pamper themselves in the relaxing environment. Thalassotherapie is a combination of treatments incorporating highly concentrated seawater, seaweed and the latest revolutionary state-of-the-art equipment. It offers major benefits to a variety of health conditions.
Programmes are designed and created to suit the needs of each individual, and they range from anti-cellulite, anti-stress, anti-rheumatic pain, get fit and firm, heavy legs, anti/post natal, and pool classes. There is an ideal combination of massages in the Anti-stress and the Relaxation specialized programmes which will definitely give you a feeling of total well-being & relaxation. (www.hotelfortina.com)

SCUBA DIVING.
The three main islands that make up the Maltese Archipelago are Malta, Gozo and tiny Comino. Right in the centre of the Mediterranean, they offer unrivalled opportunities for beginners and experienced divers, both for diving and snorkelling. There are many natural harbours, sheltered bays & creeks, caves, reefs and wrecks, waiting to be explored. In the Spring months, with sea temperatures averaging over 20ºC (even around 15ºC in the Winter months) divers can enjoy these amazing facilities all year round. Dramatic underwater scenery, breathtaking drop offs, numerous caves and tunnels - abundant marine life, and visibility often in excess of 40 metres, awaits you.

SNORKELLING.
Because many of Malta’s beaches are rocky, it is also wonderful for snorkelling, which anyone can enjoy – no special equipment needed. No need to go far out – even close to the shore there are amazing varieties of fish and even octopus, which change colour as they move from one habitat to another. See the moray eels, black with bright yellow spots. Snorkel in a cave, and photograph the beautiful pink, mauve and orange corals, looking like flowers, along with bright orange starfish.

WATER PARK & DOLPHINS: The Splash & Fun Park at White Rocks has the largest wave-pool in Europe, right alongside the sea! Another pool is equipped with chutes and slides as well as a dinosaur park to keep the children happy. With amusing features including the peacock, umbrella and arching jets, pipe falls, water guns, tunnel slide and crawl net, children of all ages can have a safe and fun time together in a enjoyable environment.
Spend the day there, at the Splash and Fun Park. A snack bar and ample parking space are available. Swim with the dolphins. This special programme is available for adults and children over 8 years old. Take turns to interact with two bottle nosed dolphins under the supervision of professional trainers. Photographs are taken during this time by a member of staff, for you to take home as souvenirs.

HISTORY: TEMPLES, HYPOGEUM, CATACOMBS.
Ggantija Temples in Xaghra, Gozo, are one of the most important archaeological sites in Malta. The origins of Ggantija date back to 3600 – 3200 B.C. The gigantic dimensions of the megaliths have always struck a chord with popular imagination. In centuries past, some locals even believed that the Islands’ temples, in particular those of Ggantija, were the work of giants. This particular temple site in Gozo bears witness to this ancient legend: its name, Ggantija, is Maltese for giant.

Mnajdra lies tucked in a hollow in the cliffs on Malta’s southern coast. The site is probably the most atmospheric of all Malta’s temples. It lies in an isolated position on a rugged stretch of coast overlooking the isle of Fifla and just 500m from another principle temple site, Hagar Qim.
Mnajdra is a complex site consisting of three temples overlooking an oval forecourt. The first and oldest temple is a simple three-apsed building and dates to the Ggantija phase (3600-3200 BC). The small rubble walls are a modern reconstruction but the small uprights, with their pitted decoration, are original.

The Hypogeum, or underground cavity, is a unique monument and a splendid example of architecture in the negative. It was discovered accidentally in 1902 by a stone mason who was laying the foundations of some houses. The Hypogeum consists of halls, chambers and passages hewn out of the living rock and covering some 500m². The rock-cut chambers are of a diverse shapes and sizes and finished to different standards of workmanship. The complex is grouped in three levels – the upper level (3600-3300 BC), the middle level (3300-3000 BC), and the lower level (3150 -2500 BC). The deepest room in the lower level is 10.6 metres under road surface.

St Paul’s Catacombs. The Maltese Islands are rich in Late Roman and Byzantine burial sites. St Paul’s Catacombs are a typical complex of interconnected, underground Roman cemeteries that were in use up to the 4th century AD. They are located on the outskirts of the old Roman capital Melite (today’s Mdina), since Roman law prohibited burials within the city.

FESTAS.
The Maltese are extremely extrovert and love to do things in a showy kind of way. If one understands this basic trait of the Maltese character one immediately grasps why village festas in Malta and Gozo are so spectacular. Bells drown every imaginable noise on the feast day. The area around the church is packed with mobile kiosks selling fast food. Bands give the merrymaking outlook to the usual quiet and calm villages. People fill up the streets in order to watch the traditional passing by of the main statue. Confetti is thrown to the delight of the organisers of the procession who always declare that this year their festa was simply the best on the island! Fireworks carry the festive mood!

MUSIC & THEATRE.
Malta is a venue for both rock and classical concerts. Jose Carreras provided a treat to an audience of 3,000 who packed St George's Square, Valletta on Friday 8th June 2007.
With the President's Palace providing the backdrop to the event, the concert kicked off the summer calender of cultural events in Valletta to be held in the various piazzas and gardens, including the ruins of the former Royal Opera House. Bryan Adams performed in Malta on the 28th June 2007. The concert was held at Luxol (ex-parade ground) in Pembroke. Other concerts at the Luxol Grounds have included Pink Floyd and Sting.

Manoel Theatre. In a narrow street to the west of the Baroque city of Valletta stands one of the oldest theatres in Europe. Teatru Manoel was built in 1731, in just one calendar year, by the Portuguese Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. De Vilhena was so personally involved in its conception and construction that it was paid for out of his own pocket.
The theatre is no longer a place for the adults only, but an experience to be enjoyed by all ages! Through the Children’s Theatre Programme Teatru Manoel is developing its future audiences and introducing children to the magic of the arts and theatre.
Maltese opera singers participate and collaborate with foreign performers in the Opera Festival held every March at the Manoel. World-famous international ballet companies have held workshops to local dance schools. Local artists are commissioned to create productions to be performed at the theatre. 
Two water reservoirs beneath the floor create an acoustic environment that is so precise, that the hushed page-turnings of an orchestra conductor can be heard clearly throughout the auditorium.

Mediterranean Conference Centre: The Mediterranean Conference Centre is undoubtedly firmly established as one of the most impressive conference centres in all of Europe. For over two centuries, the building that now houses the Mediterranean Conference Centre was the ‘Sacra Infermeria’ or Holy Infirmary of the Order of St. John.
The impressive and imposing Republic Hall has been constructed in place of what once was the Main Courtyard of the ‘Sacra Infermeria’.
This includes visits of such prestigious companies as the Teatro alla Scala of Milan, the Teatro San Carlo of Naples, the Ballet Nacional de Espagna, the Belgian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Georgia State Theatre for Opera and Ballet, the Bratislava Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Athens State Orchestra and many other companies which graced the Stage of the MCC, entertaining thousands of people.