A week is a too short time to have anything very profound to say, but I will try and make a short summary anyway.
It has taken some time, mainly because I wanted to include some pictures in the post, but also because some impressions get clearer and ripen as time goes.
The Ricasoli fort as viewed over the Grand Harbour from the Siege Bell Memorial.
General tips
A good start is to get the complete bus timetable. It is just a leaflet. Pity that the Public Transport Association do not have a pdf variant available on their otherwise very helpful site, but the information booths at the Valletta bus terminus, or the Tourist Information Centre surely have them. Always make sure you get your ticket and keep it. It is satisfying to see the frequent controls, so rare now in the Stockholm public transport system. A bus pass for several days is surely practical.
The more limited the time, the more important it is to have a good guide book, as I have pointed out in a previous post.
With this I managed to visit southern Malta (Tarxien, Birzebbuga & Ghar Dalam, and Marsaxlokk), the middle (Mdina and Rabat), Gozo and Comino, The Malta International Air Show, and of course Valletta. All in one week.
Religion
I made some observations before about the religious decorations that are frequently seen.
It strikes me that coming from a mainly secular country, it takes some time to realize how religion is such a completely integrated and natural part of life in a country as Malta. Need something to read on the bus? What could be better than the Bible? Bumper sticker on the car? How about some nice latin saying from the Bible?
I may generalize too much, but my impression is that to be Swedish and religious is a statement, to be Maltese and religious is a tautology.
Everywhere there are churches, and everywhere there are statues of saints as part of the corners of many buildings. And as you can see from the picture below, why change a successful design?
Tourist things
Anyone who buys a souvenir anywhere has agreed to get ripped off. This is not an observation about Malta. It is an observation about the tourist industry.
Malta is as far as I could see not in the bad grip of the tourist industry, despite the hordes of people streaming through the country every day. Transportation, accomodation, sightseeing, and dining were all chiefly good experiences. There was only one instance of a really bad restaurant which served cold food, inferior (not local) wine, and whose owner could not take constructive criticism. A change of venue saved the evening.
I did buy a few souvenirs…
Wining & Dining
Dinner is always an important part of my vacations. Let’s face it. Malta is not one of the gastronomical centres of the earth.
That said, discovering the mostly robust rabbit dishes and the delicious servings of fresh fish, was most agreeable. The wines were a pleasant surprise discovery, and there were some real gems, particularly white ones, but also good Merlot and Cab. S. wines. Not so wide variety of local beer; Hopleaf was my favourite.
The air show
Mainly to get a chance to show my pictures of the beautiful Merlin planes…
… and of the impressive B1-B bomber:
The US B1-B bomber.
Conclusion
It has been a history lesson. Right from the megalithic remains, through the phoenician influence, the arrival of the Knights of St. John and their defeat of the Turkish forces, the French interlude succeeded by British rule, to the horror, devastations, and courage of WWII. I will for sure continue to read up on this important, but in this country too often forgotten, part of European history.
Even though culture and not landscape is the main lasting impression, there are some stunning views not to be missed.
I conclude with a view from Comino’s azure coves towards Gozo.
Comino with Gozo in the far