Malta Things to Do

In Birkirkara which is a village in the central area of Malta a unique Museum of Statues of Baby Jesus will be holding an exhibition during the Christmas period and private viewing all round the year . This is a private owned collection consisting of hundreds of Baby Jesus statues made from a wide range of materials like stone, wood, clay, wax, terracotta, wool, glass and much more and of various sizes, the smallest one is 15mm and the largest one is 82 cm.

St. John's Co-Cathedral & Museum.

Built by the Knights of the order of St. John in 1573.
The second church for a new fortified city of Valletta.
A city built after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire.

The first church, a beautiful but nowhere near as lavish, still exists.
The second is unimaginable in splendor and a must to be experienced to be believed.

The floor is paved with Marble covers of tombs of Knights.
Each one, a work of Art. Each one a mosaic of funeral Art rarely seen and seldom better preserved.

Each alcove contains altars richly decorated in stone and precious metals.
Sponsored by families that were the power of the old Europe.
The Europe that was a world of city states where a family honour mattered more than survival.

Monuments of men who were the pillars of the order. Men who were members of a rare breed that populates written history lie ignored at every gilded nook and sculptured cranny.
The walls are worked marble and stone motifs. Decorated in somber hues and rich contrasting colours.

Detailed reliefs sculpture arches that tower in graceful frames surrounding frescoes and paintings of immense proportions.

Of course it is always your option to miss. However if you do it would be your regret if you have only visit to the island.

A Museum resides at the rear of the church.
Flemish Tapestries, Church vestments and most importantly of all:
The Beheading of St. John by Caravaggio. A work of Chiaroscuro that is an International Icon and probably the only signed Caravaggio in the world.
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Mdina
Mdina was an uninspiring town in Roman times.
Later and until the early 1500s, it was built into a city at the time Arabs ruled the land.

Fashions in Architecture changed its face constantly. Today is mainly in the Baroque fashion.
Everyone goes to Mdina but few see, few feel, few know that it is special for more than the decaying town they perceive during their visit.

The narrow streets provide air-currents to cool the worst of the island's heat.
High walls edge the streets adding shade to the pedestrians all day spare the mid-day hour.
Behind the high walls hide magnificent palaces, noble houses and churches that surprise you with their splendor.

Go there with an open mind.
Find a place that is somehow familiar to you. Close your eyes and experience history.
Go at night look over the battlements and experience spirituality.
Go there and just experience.
There are more senses to pleasure than the eyes.
And if you are lucky, more senses then the 5 most common to experience by.

Birgu

Otherwise known as Vittoriosa (The Victorious City)
Birgu is the oldest fortress-city in Grand Harbour. The historic Fort St. Angelo guards its point.
The word ‘Birgu’ is a mis-prounation and of the word 'Pirgos' (Castle by the water) in Greek. After the Siege of 1565 against the Ottoman Turk, it was renamed Vittoriosa however the Maltese name remains Birgu.
Although battered and reduced to bare rubble and corpses, Birgu was the only fortification, not taken by the Turk.
This vicious battle sapped the strength of the both protagonists but never again was the Turk ever able to threaten Christian Europe again.
Although harmed critically by Axis Air-raids WWII, it was rebuilt as a magnificently testimony to the resilience of the rock and its people.

Here you will find a Maritime Museum, the famous Fort St. Angelo, a unique Clock Tower, the Church of St. Lawrence and Auberges by the bucketful.

Birgu (Vittoriosa) hosts a smallish Museum in the original Naval Bakery.
The exhibits vary from stone anchors to metal ones from the dawn of seafaring to the period of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem.
A 3 metre Dockyard model of a 1800s 3 rd rate English Man-of-war takes pride of place on the lime-stone floor.
As well as gifts, photographs, weapons and models of ships and boats of wonderful complexity embellish the walls.
As well as various figure-heads from old sailing-ships.

This style of music started some 6 years ago and has developed into its present form with a concert once yearly.
This year the programme consisted of the traditional drums and bagpipes as well Flamenco and "Ghana".

Of all the forms of music, "Ghana" is the most interesting. It originated as a rap between bachelors on warm, starry nights under progressively heavier influence of wine.

A lamenting guitar accompanies the various singers who respond to each other in rhyme until the whole party degenerates into a drunken mess.
Each year, in the ditch protecting the City of Valletta, the concert gets better and bolder.

Try not to miss it. September is only once a year and it only goes for a week.

Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija (Farm-House of Friendship)

A charity is the premises for a flea market in the southern town of MarsaScala.
The original name of the village was probably Marsa Sqalli (Sicilian Bay).

A fishing village, now also known as a place for both local and foreign tourism.
At the top of the hill on Trieq Sant' Antnin (St. Anthony's street) the market starts at the crack of dawn until mid-day.
Each Sunday, locals bring out bits and bobs for making an extra Lira.

The pleasant thing about this market is that abundance of genuine junk is most impressive.
Bus No19 takes you there.

Just outside the walls of Cottonera is a local market of immense proportions.
Anything from clothes to fish is for sale.
Tuesday is the day. Each week hordes of villagers throng to this 2 Km strip.
Anything you need or don't lurks on stalls lying side by side on either side of the street with another row in the centre of the road.
As the market is more local than touristy, one gets a better view of the real life in Malta and meets the average local in their world.
The Market is located on Trieq il-Kottonera (Cottonera Road) in Bormla (Cospicua)
Bus Nos 1, 2, 4 & 6.