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As long as I can remember, there was always talk of Malta in our home. It was the homeland of my grandparents, Aunties, and Uncles. After my husband, Bob, and I took our first "roots" trip to Malta with my parents, Speed and Lila Fenech, we couldn't wait to get back. It was a dream come true, when my sister and brother-in-law, Joy and Tom Thrun joined the four of us for "Roots 2"-our second visit to Malta with family. It was absolutely incredible! I still find it hard to describe how wonderful it was to share such a rich experience with my family. "The Malta Experience" is the title of a movie shown in Valletta to acquaint visitors to the island and its history. It is also the phase we adopted to describe our trip. Once you have visited these beautiful islands, the experience is one that will affect you for the rest of your life.
Malta is actually three islands; the main island, Malta (which we used as our home base), Gozo, which is a short ferry ride away and equally rich in history and sights, and the tiny island of Comino (where only two families live).
A visit to Mosta is an easy stop on the way back where one can see the beautiful domed church which is one of the fourth largest in Europe. It's considered a miraculous church as a bomb pierced the ceiling in WWII and failed to explode or injure any of the 300 attending mass. One of the other largest domes is in Gozo --so 50% of the four largest domed churches reside in the tiny Maltese islands!
All of Malta is worth another visit. This is my second trip and I again feel that I ran out of time. You have to wonder how a place so small can offer so much. It's easy to see why rulers throughout history have attempted to possess these 'jewels of the Mediterranean'. We are truly blessed that we could have such a trip - a beautiful place with our loved ones. Malta has a special meaning for me, but I think would for everyone. Malta will win your heart, stimulate your brain, indulge your taste buds and have you yearning for more--it's all part of The Malta Experience.
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The
Malta Experience
Situated
in the Mediterranean off the coast of Sicily, Malta is considered by
some archeologist as a possible site of the lost Atlantis. There are
temples that predate Stonehenge by hundreds of years and are believed
to be the oldest in the world. And, that's just the beginning! The location
of the Maltese islands makes it a 'crossroads' for nations and of strategic
importance to practically every invading force throughout history. Each
invasion, whether benevolent, or by force, has left its mark. The 'big'
main island of Malta is only 18 miles across, yet in two visits we have
failed to see it all, and still have much more to discover about the history
and sites of this beautiful place. 
A
good place to start your experience in Malta is Valletta, the current capital. The Knights
of Malta built Valletta in the 1500s after defeating the Turks in The
Great Siege. The defeat was significant and 'saved all of Europe' from
a Turkish invasion. The crown heads of Europe were so grateful that
they provided the Knights with money and resources (like renowned architects
and artisans) to build a fortress that would provide even greater protection
should a similar invasion occur again. As a result, Valetta is one of
the first 'planned' cites in the world and the home of many important
works of art. The 16th century fortress is now a modern shopping mecca.
Shops with jewelry,
leather, lace, clothes and glass line the miles of ancient stone streets. You
enter the through limestone thresholds to modern shops with everything
from the latest European shoes to traditional Maltese glass and crosses.
It's an almost disturbing mix of old and new. One entry leads you to
the latest stiletto heels, the next to the breathtaking Cathedral of
St. Johns. 
The
Cathedrals of Malta are stunning. The entire country is adorned with
beautiful churches, which are a source of pride for the community and
where the church reflects the faith, devotion and wealth and of those
that live there. The marble inlayed floors of St. Johns mark the tombs
of knights, bishops and nobles. It is spectacular.
And, it is the home of important artifacts, sculptures and paintings
including Caravaggio's "Beheading of the Baptist". Also in
Valetta is the palace of the Knights of Malta, the Archeology Museum, the War Museum, and much more. 
In
WWII Malta endured a second Great Siege and became the most bombed place
on earth. Malta stood alone while being attacked day and night by the
Germans forces. The importance Malta's heroism is validated by the King
George Cross and the tribute by Franklin D. Roosevelt that are displayed in the War Museum. While the museum could use a lesson in preservation,
it is an emotional experience for veterans of WWII such as our father.
For the rest of us, it's awe inspiring to witness the bravely of the
Maltese people. They suffered but stood fast though horrific years of
devastating bombing and depravation where one in 70 people were injured
and one in 700 killed. Much of the island was bombed and many priceless
landmarks were destroyed. But, as is the nature of these brave and proud
people, the island is today a mostly restored, beautiful tribute to
their tenacity and bravery. 
Which
brings me to another favorite feature of Malta - the people and the
food. The fresh Mediterranean cooking, with delicious pasta, fish and
pizza were so good that my mouth waters at the mere thought of it. Yet, if the
dinning experience is topped by anything, it's the wonderful people
of Malta. They seem to really enjoy Americans; they speak English, and are a joy to
get to know. Everyone we encountered was helpful and pleasant
and it seemed that we wanted to return to every restaurant we went to
(and several we did). Some of the food specialties include a Maltese
bread starter with tomatoes and seasoning rubbed into it, a delicious
bean pate, several wonderful variations of pasta (they have capers the
size of peas), and rabbit. Since half of us are vegetarians and the
other half are fussy, we skipped the often recommended bunny, but the specialties we did
try were simply delicious.
One
day we hired a driver and headed west to Mdina, the capital before Valetta
was built and the site of The Great Siege. As you would expect, there
is a breathtaking cathedral and many important and beautiful buildings.
On the way to Mdina, we stopped at the craft village. Here there is
a series of huts and buildings featuring Maltese crafts of Phoenician
glass, Maltese hand made pottery, jewelry, metal and wood work. We ordered
a porcelain nameplate from Bristow Potteries that they hand painted
and delivered, beautifully done, to our hotel. We were glad we hired a driver this day
as it allowed us to proceed to Mdina with our many acquisitions safely
stored in the van. 
Although
you could easily spend your entire trip on just the main island of Malta,
we wanted to visit Gozo one day, and we all agreed to a side trip to
Sicily on another. The trip to Sicily began with a sickening (literally)
high-speed ferry ride and included six hours on a bus ride to Mt. Etna
with one city stop. At the halfway point, Tom declared that if we made
it to Mt Etna he was going to throw himself in. The scenery was fascinating,
but after almost 6 hours on the bus, we were glad for the stop in Modica,
even though we were given only an hour there. Now, we have a sick mom,
for whom we had to find seasick pills, no Sicilian money (they don't
take anything else) and less than an hour. What did we do? With
true Maltese grit, we ran to pharmacy after pharmacy until we found
one that would take our credit card, delivered the pills to mom and
managed to find some great Italian goods for the boys and some fabulous
Italian shoes for us girls. Do us Maltese gals know how to deal with
pressure or what!
Our
ferry ride to Gozo was, thankfully, another matter. Not a single upset
stomach and lot and lots to see. We visited the wool and lace making
area, the Citadel, and had a breathtaking boat ride on the blue lagoon.
You can actually see to the bottom of the clear blue water and marvel
at the rock formations and the famous fungus rock. We loved Gozo and
it is worth another visit.
