Nights of Malta (and Days Too!)

All it took was a couple of short flights and I've swapped the Alps for the Mediterranean. Malta is a lovely and fascinating place, for reasons I will now ramble about.

Lovely?

Well, for starters, there is the Mediterranean climate, which means that I'm back to bare legs and sandals, and adding to the tan which has been accumulating sporadically.

What I find most charming about Malta is the buildings. They are, in vast majority, build out of the local stone. It's a soft, warm sandstone which I can't help but compare (despite the cringe it will elicit) to the crisp heart of a Malteser. Houses, government buildings, defensive walls and churches in all styles are build of the same stone, blending in seamlessly with the rocky ground on which they are built. From a distance, across the water, they glow in unity under the sun - but up close they are all different, with brightly coloured shutters and large window boxes.

Fascinating?

Because I am a history freak (I can't really say I'm a history geek, because it's more of a recreational pursuit for me) and this small group of islands is crammed full of history, and history of all different kinds.

Linguistically, it was here that a 'Rosetta stone' style monument was found in the 16th century with Etruscan and Greek, which allowed for the beginning of being able to understand Etruscan script.

Militaristically, it was the sight of the defeat of Suleiman the Great, which was the beginning of the tide turning against the Muslim attacks on Europe in the 16th century.

Artistically, Caravaggio came here after he killed a guy in Rome (as you do), joined a monastic order (as you do) and painted some of his amazing High Baroque masterpieces for them (as you do) which are now on display for all to see (as I did).

Nationally, they have only been independent from England for about 40 years, so English is a national language (along with Maltese), they drive on the left side of the road, and they have lovely red mail boxes everywhere.

It has also been amusing because we have caught up with some cousins, who moved here from Malta, and have a beautiful 10mth old baby who has kept us all entertained. Next stop; Poland - but first a 24 hour stop over in Barcelona! (for those of you who know what Europe looks like, I know that it appears I have gone mental and have let a drunk plan my itinerary, but then maybe I've just had a few too many wines in the last few weeks...)