Fortress Malta: A Study in Survival

My first glimpse of Malta reminded me of an especially violent seacoast: Huge sandstone boulders hurled against the shore and thrown high up the sides of the coastal hills. Our descent revealed that they were actually sand-colored HOUSES; instead of being strewn willy-nilly, they were carefully laid out in terraced rows. A typical Maltese coastal village.

As we glided lower, we crossed a deep valley spanned by stone arch bridges and, near it, a city dominated by a huge pink dome. This, I learned, was Mosta --- site of what many consider to be a genuine wartime miracle and one of Malta’s most popular tourist destinations. I’d been over the island for just a few minutes, and had already seen enough for days of ground-based sightseeing.

It was a perfect introduction to this remarkable country, with 350,000 people occupying three islands that total just 320 square kilometers.

First visit the walled fortress/city of Valletta, Malta’s capitol since the late 1500’s. It has fascinating architecture, superb views of massive harbor fortifications and many museums recounting the Malta experience (Including, in the original underground bunker, a re-creation of the Royal Air Force’s wartime control center.) Then, hop a bus and explore!

Quick Tips:

Valletta can be reached easily from almost anywhere on Malta. Most of the island’s bus routes begin and end in front of its main gate, and the most tourist-appealing communities are strung along a series of bays extending generally northward from Valletta’s main gate and bus terminal. If your hotel is in any of these waterfront communities, a #62, 64, 66, or 68 bus will take you to Valletta for 15 Maltese cents --- about US .38.

(Malta’s currency unit is the LIRA, but, because of the island’s British heritage, most locals call it a "Pound". One Pound is roughly US .50.)

Sliema is Malta’s equivalent of the Riviera, with a long, wide harborfront promenade, upscale shops and restaurants and quality hotels. Express buses to Mosta, Mdina and many of the beach communities leave from the Strand terminal in Sliema, as do most harbor cruises.

St. Julian’s, one bay north of Sliema, is the island’s center for nightlife and fine dining. Continuing north, Paceville (PASS-uh-vill) has discos, sports bars and game parlors catering to the younger crowd.

Best Way To Get Around:

The four- and five-star hotels are mostly between Sliema and St. George’s Bay or further north in the planned resort community of Bugibba. However, there’s a posh Meridien overlooking the harbor just outside the main gate of Valletta. The island’s principal casino is on Dragonara Point, a spit of land jutting into the sea just below Paceville.

The ship carrying St. Paul to his trial, and ultimate death, in Italy was wrecked off Malta in 60 AD and he’s said to have spent three months in a church grotto in Rabat, outside Mdina. Some of the old grottos and burial catacombs are open to the public. Most of the buses to Mdina and Rabat will also pass by the cathedral dome at Mosta, said to be the world’s largest. For details, click on links to "Activities" entries. Though there are highly scenic coastal vistas, there are no good swimming beaches in the Three Cities/Valletta/St. Julian’s metroplex. The best sand beaches are on the north and west sides of the island, with Golden Bay being the most popular. Buses run there at least once every half-hour. In fact, buses run just about anywhere you’d want to go on Malta.

Kids have their own supervised play center, while adults can play at the casino just down the seawall from the hotel. In season, there’s a diving school on the premises.

My ability to write a wholly impartial review is compromised by three factors:
- I had a medical emergency during my stay, and the hotel staff made extraordinary efforts to help rearrange my travel plans and see to my well-being during five days in the hospital.
- My stay was in the off-season, in one of the coldest Februaries on record for Malta, and none of the outdoor facilities were usable. Also, one of the hotel’s best restaurants was closed during most of my stay.
- I was paying a promotional rate considerably lower than one would normally pay in a Westin.

My first night was in a standard room, more than large enough, with a balcony overlooking the pool deck and ocean beyond. The only problem was a pesky light that was on an automatic timer and couldn’t be shut off. When I complained, the front desk sent a maintenance man up to remove the bulb.

After the medical problem was resolved, I found myself upgraded to a room with one of the Westin’s heavily advertised "Heavenly Beds." It WAS comfortable: high-quality mattress, feather comforter, and more pillows than anyone could have used. You could probably have slept a family of four in that bed.

Service at the Lobby Bar and the restaurants was generally superb, although the continental breakfast buffet in the lobby required having the bartender fetch items that should have been available for self-service--like coffee and orange juice.

The person on duty at the front desk would invariably smile and greet me by name as I passed by, although the concierge wasn’t always available for tour advice.

My principal disappointment was that none of the full-service restaurants opened for dinner until 6:30pm, considerably later than this American prefers. The propery’s prestige restaurant, the Compass Rose, had a very appealing menu but didn’t open until 7:30pm. The hotel’s Terrace Restaurant, which finally opened for dinner on my last night at the Dragonara, served a superb buffet with several à la carte menu selections as well.

There’s public bus service once every half hour, plus service every 7 to 8 minutes from a stop a half mile away.

Though it’s larger than most neighborhood Italian restaurants I know, Palio’s would be right at home on Chicago’s Taylor Street or in one of Lower Manhattan’s Italian neighborhoods. With cream-colored tile floors, predominately pink walls textured with swirls of white, and dark wood tables, this was a classic trattoria. And the dishes Palio’s did best were classic Italian ones.

The standout was a lamb shank--sinfully caloric but delicious--cooked fork-tender and surrounded with a variety of vegetables: basically, osso buco with lamb replacing the traditional veal shank. A simple risotto with lean, tender smoked chicken in a spicy red sauce was another standout. Nor could one go wrong by opening with Palio’s version of bruschetta, four squares of lightly toasted bread smothered with black olives and a generous helping of diced tomato. Surprisingly, the chef managed to infuse the bread with the flavor of olive oil without any sense of oiliness.

A few minutes’ more cooking would have helped the "Trancia de Pesce Spada Lampedusa," swordfish in a tomato and caper sauce with a small mixed salad and boiled potatoes. It was flavorful and generally satisfying--I ordered it again another night--but wasn’t well-done as I had ordered it. Seafood lovers would probably fare better at the Westin’s Terrace Restaurant or Compass Rose.

On most of my nights, the server was either a classic old-school Italian headwaiter or a very good imposter. He had that uncanny knack of knowing exactly when I’d be ready for another glass of wine, when to start the entree, etc. On his days off, a white-shirted man who appeared to be the manager also had to double as a server, and the pacing wasn’t quite as smooth.

My one serious disappointment was the pricey steak. The meat was thick, tender, and juicy, cooked as requested--and smothered in a gravy-like sauce that completely nullified the simple joy of prime, flavorful, unadorned beef. The menu had offered two options; I forgot to specify which I wanted and the server made the wrong guess. On a few other nights, vegetables seemed less than fresh.

The restaurant is owned and operated by the Westin Dragonara Resort Hotel, though it's not in the hotel proper. When you want a classic Italian meal, come here! For a long stay in the hotel, I’d have preferred having an alternative available. (The in-hotel fine-dining restaurant was closed for the winter.)

Palio’s is in a faux-marble villa built into the side of a rocky coastline, with the dining room a flight of stairs down from the lobby. Unless you really want to, there’s no need to buy an expensive Italian wine here. You can get surprisingly good Maltese reds for half the price.

When the Knights of St. John took over the government of Malta in the 1500s, they wanted their capitol to be within sight of the magnificent natural harbor that held their navy. Hence, Valletta. (It’s actually a peninsula separating two harbors: the Grand Harbor on the south and the smaller Marsamxett (MAR sam shett) on the north.)

For marvelous views of Grand Harbor, turn right just inside the main city gate, walk past the Church of Our Lady of Victories and St. Catherine’s, and climb the moderately steep hill toward St. James’ Bastion. (Just keep going uphill.) You’ll find yourself looking toward the huge drydocks, the industrial cities of Senglea and Vittoriosa, and Fort St. Angelo. Then return to Valletta’s main street, vehicle-free Republic Avenue, and savor some of the city’s centuries-old buildings.

You’ll encounter several museums dedicated to Malta’s history and its extraordinary role in the outcome of World War II. The War Museum at Fort St. Elmo has the George Cross that Great Britain presented to the Maltese people for their gallantry under siege. The Lascarus War Museum replicates the underground control center from which Royal Air Force operators directed the island’s air defenses.

There are also "interactive" audiovisual shows depicting Malta’s successful defense against the Saracens 500-plus years ago.

"Experience Malta Under Siege," one brochure shouts. "Put yourself in mortal danger and love every minute of it!"

I didn’t sample either the museums or the audiovisual experiences, but I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Valletta. There are hills to surmount, but with a good pair of legs and comfortable walking shoes, you could easily enjoy a full day here. There appeared to be many stores offering high-quality, upscale merchandise, and fashionable clothing.

Like many predominately Catholic countries, Malta celebrates Carnival during the final days before Lent. Think New Orleans without the beads, although Valletta’s main parade is on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday instead of Fat Tuesday.

Malta is not a fashionable tourist destination for North Americans--or many others, for that matter. Perhaps more of us should discover it.

Approached from the low valley to the east, Mdina looms in the distance like the legendary Valhalla rising from a Wagnerian opera set: a great castle perched on a huge gray rock. Arriving there, you’ll see it’s actually an entire town, and that its dominant feature is a cathedral, not a castle.

The walled community of Mdina was Malta’s capitol from well before the birth of Christ until the late 1500s, when the then-ruling Knights of St. John relocated to Valletta. "Mdina," according to a guidebook, is an Arab-derived word for "town." A related word, "Rabat," meant "suburb." Under Roman law, Christians were not allowed to bury their dead within the city walls. Instead, they dug catacombs in what we now know as Rabat--a "suburb," as it were. In 60 AD, St. Paul is said to have spent three months in a church grotto in Rabat after being shipwrecked en route to Italy. Rabat’s St. Paul’s Church Grotto and some of the catacombs are open to the public.

The buses from Valletta and Sliema pass through Rabat to a terminal directly in front of Mdina Gate. Macmillan’s Malta and Gozo Traveller’s Map has a detailed street plan of Mdina, but you don’t really need it; the place is too small to get seriously lost in. Just wander up whatever lane you eye leads you into. Do, however, be sure to reach Pjazza Tas-Sur at the far northern tip of the city for its views of the valley far below. The photo of visitors lining the parapet, below, was taken from there.

The main street, Triq. Villegaignon, will take you to both the northern ramparts and the cathedral; the plaza in front of the latter is on the right at about where the second photo below was taken.

There are several inviting-looking restaurants along the northeast wall of the city, between the tourist lookout and the cathedral. A small theater, showing an audiovisual program on "The Malta Experience," is in Pjazza Mosquita.

See the entry "Scenic Bus Rides" for more on routes serving Mdina.

The small city of Mosta is the approximate geographical center of the Island of Malta and contains what’s probably its most well-known landmark: the striking pink dome of the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady.

Said to be the largest one of its kind in the world, the "Mosta Dome" also has an especially grisly souvenir of World War II. While 300 persons were at Sunday worship, a thousand-pound bomb crashed through the dome, landed in the aisle of the sanctuary, and skidded up against the altar--without exploding! Many considered it to be a genuine miracle. The bomb is on permanent public display; accounts vary as to whether it’s the actual bomb or a replica, though I suspect the latter. (Had I heard the story before I went there, I’d have taken time to see for myself!).

The most impressive photo I’ve seen of the Mosta Dome was an aerial shot, taken just before sundown, showing it clearly dominating the area. (As it seemed to do when I saw it during my landing approach days earlier.) Photography from ground level was frustrating; little but a selection of narrow or very-narrow streets to choose from. And, alas, festoons of utility wires.

Mosta’s a pleasant place to wander through, camera in hand, in search of interesting old buildings and monuments. With a long enough lens, you may also be able to capture a good view of the dome from the city’s outskirts. When you’re done, catch a #65 bus back to Sliema or on to Mdina, a #80 to Valletta or Mdina, or a #49 to Bugibba or Mdina. CHECK BUS-STOP SIGNS: There’s no one central bus stop in Mosta; different buses leave from different corners.

Stand on just about any piece of high ground on Malta and scan the horizon. You’ll probably see at least two or three sets of church towers and domes standing tall against the sky. The Maltese are strongly religious and predominately Roman Catholic; they tend to build their churches where they can dominate the landscape around them. Many can be seen for miles before the towns they serve appear.

One of the most spectacular, the cathedral at Mellieha, is built on a massive rock outcropping which, in turn, rests atop the high ridge separating inland Malta from its northwestern seacoast. Approaching it from sea level, southbound from the Gozo ferry terminal and Mellieha Bay, can be a spectacular sight even from a bus. Had there been decent light, it would have been well worth getting off, hiking back to a good photo spot, and waiting the half hour it took for another bus to come along.

Stella Maris Church at Sliema, "The Star of the Sea," considers itself to be the champion of all seafaring folk. When it was built in the mid-1800s, the pastor said, it was built on a hill where it "could be seen from any ship leaving the harbor."

The city of Tarxien, along the bus routes to Marsaxlokk and Birzebuga, has two highly attractive churches plus the ruins of Neolithic-age temples. There’s a very attractive waterfront cathedral along the Msida Creek Marina which can be photographed to good effect from across the harbor. Every local bus between Valletta and Sliema passes by here. You’ll discover many more lovely churches as you explore--including, for variety, at least one major Anglican church.

One potential difficulty: Many of the island’s most attractive churches are built on relatively small plazas, with only narrow streets radiating from them. The cathedral at Mdina was such a challenge, as was the huge cathedral dome at Mosta. Below are some I was able to capture:

Buses to just about anywhere you’d want to go leave either from Valletta or the Strand Terminal in Sliema. They cost from ML 15 cents to ML 40 cents and normally run at least once every half hour. Since the island is fewer than 17 miles long, and only 10 to 11 miles wide, bus travel is practical as well as economical.

THE most scenic bus rides, in my opinion, are Route 427 from Bugibba to Marsaxlokk and Route 645 north from Sliema through Bugibba to Mellieha, Cirkewwa, and the Gozo Ferry Terminal on Pretty Bay.

Marsxlokk, pronounced "MAR-sah-schlock" and often abbreviated "M’XLOXX" on highway signs, is a picturesque fishing village on Malta’s southeastern coast. Bugibba is a planned resort community a few miles north of the Valletta-Sliema-St. Julian’s metro area. Like many bayside communities, it has a curving oceanfront drive with a pedestrian promenade on the seaward side and upscale shops and restaurants on the other.

The route southward begins at sea level, passes a rugged, unpopulated coastal area, and then climbs a high inland ridge. It duplicates the waterfront route of the local buses through Sliema, but bypasses Valletta and, instead, passes by the drydocks and waterfront fortifications of Grand Harbour’s inner reaches and tunnels under the stone underpinnings of Fgura.

Continuing south, you’ll pass through agricultural Malta, where fields are divided, European style, into small plots separated by 16- to 20-inch-high stone "fences." You’ll also see the vineyards where Malta’s surprisingly good wines are produced. The return trip bypasses the harbor area and tours the narrow streets of Tarxien, a city built almost entirely of white limestone and site of Neolithic temple ruins.

Mellieha may be the most beautiful village on Malta. The #465 bus approaches it from high above St. Paul’s Bay, descends to sea level, crosses a magnificent green valley, and then starts a long, winding climb up Mellieha Ridge, Malta’s closest equivalent to a mountain. At the very top, you’re directly in front of the stunning Mellieha Cathedral. Another long descent takes you past Mellieha Bay, where sailboarders were cavorting even on a cold February day, and on to the ferry terminal on Pretty Bay. Here, you can catch a boat for Gozo, Malta’s other main island, or to the small island of Comino, which offers Malta’s version of "The Blue Lagoon."

For marvelous views of Malta’s innermost harbor, and skylines that most tourists will never see up close, take the #1 or #6 bus toward Vittoriosa (Birgu) and walk downhill from the cathedral at the end of the line. You’ll find yourself directly across a narrow channel from the massive wall of Senglea.

Valletta-Bugibba-Mosta-Rabat-Mdina-Valletta makes a great circle trip that combines some of the island’s most famous sites. Start with the #70. Change to #49 at the casino in Qawra ("OW!-rah"), for Rabat/Mdina via Mosta.

You pay a new fare every time you board another bus. If you’re planning frequent stops en route, you may be better off with a 3-, 5-, or 7-day pass.