Malta, a whirlwind tour: Gautam Banerji

 

Where do I begin? It was just some random thoughts - of Madhu and I - that ignited this flame for yet another adventure. We found our two-months summer vacation far too long to stagger out in one place. And yet we had to be home in the UK to catch up with our two daughters and our three grandchildren on what has now become our annual pilgrimage from Armenia. Madhu loves 'adventure' and she does a great job with 'deals' as well. The four-star-plus package she worked out for the two of us, with a budget airline flight included, couldn't have been better.

I shared the news in our weekly Google Meet of the XUNICEF editors and we concluded that a mini-reunion with Margherita Amodeo in Malta would be an added bonus. I last met her in person at the Armenia Reunion and much earlier when we were both assigned to UNICEF Baghdad under a complex emergency in the immediate aftermath of the first Gulf War.  We had also exchanged a few emails when I joined Madhu on her assignment in Kampala. Margherita had a friend there with the UN that she put me through to. We had little or no communication since then and that was well over ten years ago.

Margherita was the first person I called on arrival in Malta. She was delighted to know that I was there. With her busy weekly schedule, we decided that we would meet over dinner on the weekend, the night before our departure. Her generous suggestions about what we should see and experience through our week there were invaluable. Added to it, she suggested that we do a proper XUNICEF Reunion post-Toronto, in Malta. It couldn't be more central and more 'neutral' for us in Europe with a lot to experience and cherish. I promised to convey her generous offer to host the event on behalf of XUNICEF.

Our mini reunion with Margherita which finally happened before our departure

And now begins my hard task of selling Malta to the rest of the world, for that's the spread now of our XUNICEF network I am told, which reaches over a hundred and twenty countries. Both Tom and Detlef enjoy every bit of analysing the Google statistics of our readership across the globe. And we are delighted to know them each week.

If you see the map of the region I have culled out from Google, Malta is a tiny dot of three islands at the tail of Sicily and yet not far from Tunisia. Its strategic importance through WWII as a base for allied troops is known to many. It was heavily bombed by the axis powers, and by the end of the war, Malta was in ruins. The wartime bravery of the Maltese people is well known and well documented.

Malta continues to enjoy its strategic importance in the comity of nations under the European Union and also as a bridge between Europe and North Africa. Maltese society has been moulded by centuries of foreign rule by various powers, including the Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Sicilians, Swabians, Aragonese, Hospitallers, French, and British. The interplay between Europe and the older heritage derived from Africa and the Arab world is still reflected in its ethnic and cultural mix. 

Valetta: At the Central Square

                  

Street Scene in Valletta

At the Rotunda: Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady

Madhu in the interior of the restored old chapel, Rotunda of Mosta

At the Rotunda of Mosta, interiors

A breathtaking view of the interiors

WWII air raid shelter: Rotunda of Mosta

WWII air raid shelter at the Rotunda of Mosta

Preparing for the weekly pageant dedicated to saints

Streets of Mosta bedecked for the weekly festivity: It's a city of festivals

St. Paul's Catacombs, Rabat, Malta

The interiors of the Catacombs

The Catacombs: Another view

Catacombs: the labyrinths in the interiors

Ancient burial tombs at the Catacombs

Hagar Qim: a view outwards from the ancient temple dedicated to the 'mother goddess'

Hagar Qim: one of the exhibits at the on-site museum

Hagar Qim: excavation exhibits of fertility cult dating back to the Megalithic era

Hagar Qim: another exhibit

On arrival at the old city of Mdina

Outside the ramparts of Mdina, awestruck by what lies ahead

Entrance gate to the old city of Mdina

These are high-end real estate properties now in Mdina

A door-knob at the entrance to a house: Mdina

Mdina, approaching the Carmelite Church Bell Tower

A walk through the streets of Mdina

Approaching the Basilica of St Paul, Rabat 

Basilica of St Paul, Rabat: another view

Streets of Rabat with traditional balconies

Closeup view of a balcony: Rabat

The Blue Lagoon in Camino

In a pensive mood at the Blue Lagoon

 

On a boat ride through the lagoon

Another view on the boat ride

Another breathtaking view

 

Fishing village of Marsaxlokk: a panoramic view captured on video

At Marsaxlokk, a busy tourist destination

A view beyond the Bay into the Open Sea

A view of Valetta and its seafront

A busy dockyard with Valetta as a backdrop

A view of Victoria from the Citadel, Gozzo

Gozzo wearing a festive mood on the eve of our departure

Cactus flower

At dinner with Madhu

A seven-course dinner in traditional Maltese style

More traditional Maltese cuisine

As the sun sets on our memorable visit with much to cherish