Today has been overcast, cool with showers.
Correction: make that cold. It’s June 6th and we’ve got the heat on again.
There should be some law against requiring heat in the northern hemisphere after June 1st. I’m just saying.
Anyway, it got me thinking of sunnier climes. Soon my thoughts turned to Malta.
You may remember it from The Upside of Humor. The water taximan’s joke still cracks me up, even months later.
We spent a wonderful week in Malta after Christmas through New Year’s, and I would go back in a heartbeat. At the time it offered bright blue skies, brilliant sunshine and a relaxed feel.
Malta’s got it all: a storied history (think pre-Stonehenge ruins, Phoenicians, Arabs, Knights of the Order of Saint John’s, the French and the Brits, a critical role in World War II), a funky vibe, fresh grilled fish and interesting local wines, and a language that seems a cosmopolitan cocktail of Italian, Sicilian, Arabic and English,
All surrounded by glimmering sea, the very heart of the Mediterranean.
Oh, and let’s not forget the Maltese Falcon (both bird and classic film).
What’s not to love?
My software was being churlish so I put a few more exquisite pictures on a second post, More Malta. I promise it’s worth the click.
Fabulous! I have always wanted to go there – it is like a kind of cultural crossroads and I always find those kind of places interesting… Lovely photos. I will look at “more” now!
Thanks Emma, it really was interesting. Visually you thought you were in Italy/Sicily, but the language told you otherwise with its Arabic influence. (English is the other official language.)
These are lovely photos! I’ve always wanted to visit Malta, dating back to my post-college days I spent living in London. An intriguing elderly woman from Malta lived down the hall from me in the same hostel…
It was a very relaxing, leisurely visit which automatically makes for good vibes. The people were so friendly and gracious, perhaps because of the sun, sea, sky?? I’d be smiling if I lived there, too!