Return to Malta (Part 4)

Events of Monday 25th November 2012

Ann decided to relax in the hotel in the morning, so Dean proposed that he and I visited Mosta followed by Rabat. It didn't take long to drive to Mosta and Dean managed to park near the famous 'Mosta Dome', more properly called the Rotunda of Saint Marija Assunta. This Roman Catholic church was consecrated in 1871 to replace an earlier church on the site. It is famous both for the size of its dome and the fact that a German bomb which fell through the dome during a service in 1942 failed to explode, an event called 'The Bomb Miracle'. There's more information in a Wikipedia article.

The Rotunda of Saint Marija Assunta, Mosta.

The church is certainly impressive, so I include the obligatory shot looking up at the inside of the 122 feet diameter rotunda.

The decorated inside of the rotunda.

We set off for Rabat but, remembering we'd pass near the Aviation Museum at Ta' Qali which neither of us had visited, we changed plans and headed for the museum. The museum was very impressive due, I am sure, to the dedication of the volunteers and the European Union funding.

General view of one bay of the original building at Malta Aviation Museum

The original museum building (formed from two Nissen Huts side-by-side) has been supplemented by both a large building able to display a number of complete aircraft and a slightly smaller building called 'The Air Battle of Malta Memorial Hanger'.

Mark IX Spitfire number EN199 displayed in the Air Battle of Malta Memorial Hanger.

The range of exhibits is impressive and the access exemplary. In most cases, you can get up close to exhibits and view all sides. In addition to a wide range of complete aircraft, aircraft engines and accessories, there's a complete Link Trainer - the first aircraft simulator used for training pilots. There's a large collection of detailed models of aircraft.

There's a complete cockpit and forward door section of a BAC 1-11. Access is via the aircraft's airstairs. I've flown as a passenger in BAC 1-11s a few times but never ended up in the P2 (co-pilot) seat until this visit.

Jan in the co-pilot's seat of a BAC 1-11.

My pictures don't do justice to the items on display. There's more information on the Malta Aviation Museum website or, preferably, make a visit.

In the afternoon, we all went to Saint Julian's by car. Ann had an appointment at the Spa at the Hilton Hotel so Dean and I explored the area on foot. On my first visit to Malta, I'd stayed at St. Julian's but the changes since then have been so massive, I recognised nothing. Dean found the hotel where he and Ann had stayed some years before but he was amazed at the changes. The Hilton Hotel is possibly the tallest building in Malta - it certainly gets my award as the ugliest, beating off fierce competition from the surrounding developments. We walked downhill to the sea and a small, rocky cove. Moving on, we passed The Westin Resort. At least they'd retained the limestone wall and triumphal arch of whatever was before. Slightly inland, we came to a multi-level shopping mall with a number of "Gentlemen's Clubs" nearby in a fair imitation of London's Soho. Returning to the sea, we came to St. George's Bay - much nicer. It even had a sandy beach (although I suspect this was man-made).

By the time we'd walked back to the Hilton, Ann was ready for us so Dean retrieved the car from the multi-storey underground car park and took us via Sliema to various parts of Valetta. The most incongruous sight was visiting cruise ship 'Pacific Princess' moored almost at the side of our road opposite traditional three-storey buildings of stone.

'Pacific Princess' preparing to leave Valetta.

'Pacific Princess' had only berthed that morning and, when we saw her, she was preparing to leave. I'd noticed the ship was berthed with three radar scanners working. That puzzled me although imminent departure seemed the most probable reason. The useful website MarineTraffic.com confirmed the ship's movements.

As we left Valetta and headed back to Golden Bay, we saw Cunard's 'Queen Elizabeth' arriving. Afterwards, MarineTraffic.com confirmed the ship's arrival from Limassol for a brief stay of just under one day.

Photographs:

Malta.

[Revised 27-Nov-2012]

Return to Malta (Part 3)

Events of Sunday 25th November 2012

After breakfast in Flavours Restaurant I took a 'deep paddle' up to my waist in Golden Bay (still not warm enough for me to swim - I see a pattern emerging). I'd heard the roar of a number of motor bikes since earlier in the morning. When I left the beach for the main road, I discovered that Golden Bay is the 'Matlock Bath' of Malta.

At 9 o'clock, I counted 60 motor bikes at the Apple's Eye restaurant, with more arriving every minute. In addition to the usual range of Japanese machines, there were 'Triumph', 'Harley', off-road 'trials' bikes and, no doubt, many other types. There was plenty of exuberant driving, particularly on the straight road to Ghajn Tuffieha. There were also a few low-slung, expensive sports car in the mix so, from time to time, the distinctive roar of a 'V8' engine could be heard.

Motor bikes at Golden Bay.

I walked up to Ghajn Tuffieha Bay which I shared the beach with just one man doing morning exercises near the (closed) cafe. The area is managed for the government by the Gaia Foundation and they have a website here.

Plan of Ghajn Tuffieha Bay on the Gaia noticeboard.

Click here for an enlarged view of the Plan..

I tried the sea, but the water still wasn't warm enough for me to do other than a 'deep paddle'. I spent a while walking on the cliffs but, although the sun was very warm, it was still very damp underfoot on the cliffs from the heavy rain of a few days earlier. The clay in the soil mixed with the scree made a tenacious aggregate which attempted to suck my shoes off at every step (it was too rough for barefoot). By the time I'd walked back to Golden Bay, I found my shoes had acquired a layer of 'cement' which proved very hard to remove.

The number of motor bikes parked near Apple's Eye had increased to at least 150. In the hotel, I met up with Ann and Dean taking a late breakfast before leaving on foot for a horse ride. Ann and Dean remained in the hotel.

The stables were less than a mile from the hotel. It took a while for all the people booked to arrive and get mounted but we set off at 11.30 with a girl from the stables up front, a couple of experienced riders free and the rest of the riders on leads to what I took to be the proprietor. We took the public road for about half a mile, passing cars and a couple of buses before turning off into Il Majjistral Nature and History Park. This is 'Malta's first natural national park' - there's a brief description here. We trekked along rough tracks around the hillside behind our hotel. The area was fairly windswept and barren, sprinkled with small, abandoned buildings. Presumably because it was Sunday, there were numerous parked cars dotted around with families enjoying a picnic. We rejoined the public road where we had left it and, after running the gauntlet of various cars and buses, arrived back at the stables an hour after we'd left.

Horse riding in Il Majjistral Nature and History Park.

In the afternoon, we all went out by car. Ann wanted to visit the Ta' Qali Craft Village near Rabat. A series of Nissen huts on a World War II airfield have been converted into industrial units occupied by a variety of craft workshops. Since it was Sunday, only some of the businesses were open but Ann spent some time in the stonecraft workshop whilst Dean and I visited the large glassblowing business and explored some of the abandoned Nissen Huts.

We then drove to Rabat where Ann and Dean took me to the former railway station at Museum, the ultimate terminus of the metre gauge Malta Railway line from Valetta. First opened in 1883, the railway went bankrupt in 1890 but was taken over by the government and, after further rebuilding, re-opened in 1892, finally closing in 1931. Traces of the railway can be found in some places. The Museum station operated as a restaurant and railway museum until a few years ago but it is currently boarded up.

Museum Station Building (rail side).

Some Railway references:

Wikipedia.
Malta Railway Website.
'The Malta Railway'.


The fortifications of Rabat loom over the old station and major restoration work is currently in progess.

Rabat viewed from the old station. At four o'clock in the afternoon, the moon is visible.

Rabat itself was very busy and parking was a problem so, promising to return, we headed towards Valetta and the former film studios at Kalkara. Although Malta became a popular destination for film-makers, the facility we visited appears closed. The remains of various sets and the large outside pool used for 'tank shots' can still be seen but major building work seems to be producing a 'Smart City'. The MFS website is well worth a look and there's a list of films made in Malta here.

Derelict sets and the huge Tank at Malta Film Studios.

Valetta and the Three Cities is an impressive and confusing area where the ancient and modern meet in surprising ways. The massive medieval fortifications are everywhere, pierced to allow roads through in tunnels or huge arches. The sea is always at hand with a remarkable mix of small boats and large ships, particularly around Grand Harbour.

Ancient and modern around Valetta.

As it started to get dark, Dean drove us back to the hotel where we enjoyed a buffet dinner in Flavours Restaurant.

Photographs

Malta.

[Revised 27-Nov-2012]