|
Malta is made up of a small group of islands, the largest being
Malta, followed by Gozo and then Comino. As can be expected of a
mediterranean island, the climate is warm and sunny most of the
year. You can spend your days at the variety of sandy or rocky beaches.
Or take an afternoon stroll along the beautiful tree-lined promenade
that starts at Sliema and winds around several bays till finally
ending at the charming Spinola Bay. Take a ferry to the greener
isle of Gozo, or a boat to Comino island and enjoy a swim in the
exquisite clear waters of the Blue Lagoon. Summer nights give you
some spectacular fireworks displays as every village and town celebrates
its own saint's day.
The
Sights
Malta
can proudly claim to have one of the most enchanting capital cities
in Europe. It stands today in all its glory much as it did when
it was built under the rule of La Valette, one of the Grand Masters
of the Knights of St. John in the 16th.century.
We
will take you to the gardens on the ramparts of the monumental walls
of Valletta overlooking the Grand Harbour. From there you can look
across to the forts of St. Elmo and St.Angelo on the other side
of the harbour. We will also go to Manuel Island off Sliema which
faces the other side of Valletta. Especially during the late afternoon,
this view provides for some stunning painting opportunities.
Mdina,
another perfectly preserved medieval fortress city, is located in
the middle of the island. The citadel, known as the Silent City
(because only residents' vehicles are permitted to enter), commands
some wonderful panoramic views of the island. Walk through the labyrinth
of shaded cobblestone winding alleyways and step back in time. Stand
on the bridgeway leading into Mdina and look down into the encircling
moat where scenes from "The Gladiator" were filmed.The
central cathedral has a small piazza in front of it and this will
serve as another painting spot for us.
Although
Malta has plenty of sandy beaches on its eastern side, its the southern
and western shores of the island that have some spectacular bays
and grottos. We will take you to some of these bays where you can,
for example, paint the rows of tiny boathouses cut into the craggy
sandstone cliff-face of the shoreline or the brightly coloured boats
anchored in the bays. We will also take you to Marsaxlokk, a fishing
harbour on the southern coast. The harbour is crowded with Malta's
gayly painted fishing boats and every Sunday a street market is
held here, selling everything from beautiful linen tablecloths to
buckets of homegrown olives. It adds a colourful hustle and bustle
to the town's already charming picturesque appearance.
Getting
Around
Malta
has a very efficient and inexpensive bus system that covers almost
every corner of the island, except when heading for the westerly
beaches when one really does need their own car. However, when you've
seen how Malta's talented busdrivers take you on a ride through
the narrowest of village streets, you'll appreciate the lack of
bus service to the rocky western bays which are accessed by roads
that are, to put it mildly, steep!
Taxis
are readily available from Malta's main towns and with a bit of
necessary haggling a reasonable fare can be negotiated.
Tourist
Information
Here
are some websites you can access to read up on tourist information.
Click on the links:
Malta
Tourist Board Website
www.searchmalta.com/
Malta
Car Hire -competitive rates -can
be booked online and delivered to Malta Airport upon your arrival
Flight
Information
Here
are some links to sites for booking flights:
www.maltabargains.com
www.maltadirect.com
Air
Malta Website
|