In-Sight Creations
Narrative Snapshots of Malta
Snapshot from Marsaxlokk
An iron statue of a little boy, his protective arm shielding his sister stood captured in this frozen moment.
I knew that on sunnier days Xlukkajri would have already returned from the sun-blanched horizon their nets filled with swordfish, tuna and lampuki. Marsaxlokk’s harbour would usher in locals and tourists to its thriving markets. The now empty plazas would have been filled with seating and laughter as the aroma from seafood restaurants wafted on the warm breeze. But not today. Like the Ottoman fleet in the 16th century, even the birds had abandoned this place.
The Sirocco winds blew in from the Sahara creating a foggy amber sky. Silence— bar the sound of tinkling ropes and buoys tapping against Maltese luzzu bobbing in the rocking swell. Mist and sand swirled around the harbour and the low hung sky pressed down, waiting to suffocate any that had not escaped behind shuttered windows. The bus crawled off up the steep cliff path and left me abandoned in this ghost port. But I wasn’t the only one.
Marsaxlokk - T Ikerd ©
T Ikerd ©
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Malta is made up of 3 islands – Malta, Comino & Gozo
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English & Maltese are joint official languages
Snapshot from The Gut
During the war in the heart of Valletta, the narrow Strait Street, nicknamed ‘The Gut’ by English Sailors was lined with bars and nightclubs where Cabaret, Drag Queens and the beats of Jazz brought The Gut to life.
As I walk The Gut I am aware that I’m walking in my father’s footsteps, although he has never disclosed what went on here other than to grin and say, ‘fun times’.
I glance through a boarded window and peer back into history. Everything is as it was left, tables and chairs still in situ. A slice of light creeping through a broken shutter highlights a blanket of dust resting on an ancient sea wood bar. It feels like the Maltese refuse to forget. The New Life Music Hall’s billboard still hangs above a door and graffiti holds testament to its distant past.
In a café just off Strait Street the walls are decorated with photos of smiling sailors living the high life. It’s January and as a Tourist I am out of season, but the Waitress with long flowing dark hair is welcoming, and on realising I’m from England desires to make an instant connection. She tells me her Grandmother met an English Sailor who served here during the war. She laughs and says it caused a bit of a drama back then but she’s proud of her heritage.
The Gut is only 3.5 to 4 metres wide making it the narrowest street in Valletta. It runs to approximately 665 metres and towards the far end the sound of clanking and drilling alerts me that restoration works are underway. The Gut is to be transformed into a hub of social life and in the words of Dr Schembri Bonaci,
‘it is to become a tradition and institution; a brand name of arts and culture.’
Somehow after speaking to the Waitress I don’t think it will change all that much.
T Ikerd ©
The Gut Graffiti - T Ikerd ©
The Gut - T Ikerd ©
Snapshot from Sliema
Sliema - T Ikerd ©
The elderly couple were seated in Sliema’s Victoria Hotel bar. They introduced themselves as Mr & Mrs Jacona. After learning that I was British, Nestor Jacona’s face beamed.
‘I have been to England,’ he said, ‘such a lovely place.’
He then told me that he was Malta’s only competitor in the 1948 British Olympics, where he ran the 100 metres.
‘You can’t imagine,’ he said, ‘it was just after the war and thousands of spectators stood and chanted, “brave Malta”, as I marched around the stadium.’
Nestor’s wife smiled proudly as he confessed that he’d been knocked out in the first round. He was Malta’s Olympic Celebrity and no one could take that away from him. They were an endearing couple and Nestor explained that they ate at the hotel every night because
‘why go to all the trouble to purchase and cook a meal when you can come here for the same price and be waited on.’
Nestor’s wife added, ‘and we meet lovely people like you with interesting stories. We’ve been together so long we’ve run out of things to say.’
They smiled from across the table, their white halo hair shimmering under a nearby lampshade. I couldn’t think of a reply so I sat there, eating a juicy steak, and wondered if I was entertaining Angels.
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In Malta, cars drive on the left
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A 7-day Explorer Bus Pass will take you all over the Island including Gozo for 21 Euros
Snapshot from Valletta
Stepping into Valletta was like walking through an open air museum with each baroque doorway leading me into different parts of Malta’s ancient history. The narrow streets were filled with museums, religious and state buildings like St John’s Cathedral and The Grandmaster’s Palace. With all its complex history there was still something very British about Malta and it was here in its heart that I realised the British blood still seeps amongst its veins.
Pockets of cafes, bars and restaurants nestle between their ancient ancestors still serve traditional English breakfasts, cups of tea and pints of beer.
I learned that after the British expelled the French in 1802 Malta came under British sovereignty until 1964. During this time it became a strategic stronghold for the British in both World Wars and Malta became known as the ‘Nurse of the Mediterranean’.
The Grandmaster's Palace - T Ikerd ©
Today Valletta continues to nurse the nostalgia of its British past. As I walked through its capital I was amazed to see red telephone booths and post boxes. The warmth of the Mediterranean sun reminds me I’m far from home but I feel safe in this place as its familiarity with British culture soothes my soul.
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Valletta is one of the most concentrated historical places in the world and is classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site along with Malta’s Megalithic Temples and the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum.
Snapshot from Hagar Qim and Mnaijda
High on the coastal cliff face sit two fat ladies. Remnants of the Neolithic Temples of Hagar Qim (worshipping stones) and Mnajda. The gravel path crunches under my feet as I walk towards them, leaving behind the Activity Centre and civilisation. Once the Temples were attended by worshippers of the Mother Goddess, known as the Venus of Malta, and they appear to have been created in her image. The monoliths spread out to imitate her large round frame. For over 3000 years they suffered the blight of raging storms and their testament of feminine endurance still remains. But it has not come without a cost as even the absent seabirds testify. The central passageway connecting oval chambers remind me that this site was once used for ritual animal sacrifice. Echoes of distant chants, song, dance, frenzy, and the blood spilling over a stone altar still linger.
Carved stone altar with the ‘tree of life’ motif
T Ikerd ©
Pushing those thoughts to the side I dip my finger into the decorative pitted patterns on megalith stones and cross over into the realm of physical experience. Total immersion, no red silk ropes identifying invisible boundary lines. Here at the Temples I can walk as freely as its congregation once did. If I had timed my trip right the summer solstice sun would have filtered through the megalithic doorway and washed me in its light. But I am content. The ocean sparkles like opal glitter as a white yacht speeds over the waves. Bottlenose Dolphins dipping and leaping with joy in its wake, and then they are gone, and I am alone.
Snapshot from Mdina
There is something lurking deep beneath the rocky plateau on which rests the silent city of Mdina. You can feel its presence and the rise and fall of its breath seeping from of its fortifications. And the tiny sparrows perched high above on lampstands suspended from honeycombed walls know what it is.
It’s not surprising that Mdina and other areas in Malta were used as prime location shoots for major movies such as Gladiator, The Da Vinci Code, Troy, and Assassin’s Creed. I think their movie producers knew it too.
Also filmed here was the first season of Game of Thrones.
As I walked through the Gatehouse into Mdina’s labyrinth of slender alleys it felt like crossing the threshold into Westeros. Narrowed King’s Landing styled alleys weaved their way through the ancient city and the clippity clop of horse drawn carriages echoed off its towering walls as they guided me onwards to find answers to questions I never knew I had.
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Although attempts have been made to ban bird hunting, it is still legal in Malta
Mdina 's Greek Gate - T Ikerd ©
Open plazas with coffee and gift shops provided respite and distraction but the yearning lingered pulling me forward into the unknown.
Reaching the far end of Mdina the fortified walls met with the sea breeze. It swept over the pasture land below whilst iced tea cooled my thirst. Dotted amongst patchwork hues of shaded greens and colossal cacti, small square structures rose like gravestones. The structures were everywhere and I was intrigued to find out their purpose. After asking the Waitress she said, ‘they are hunter’s huts.’ I must have looked puzzled as she went on to explain, ‘Farmers don’t like the birds on their crops.’
‘You mean they shoot them?’ I asked.
‘Yes, she said, ‘no one likes birds here, they’re a nuisance.’
It was a shock to learn of Malta’s bird shooting lifestyle and to see the dramatic effect this has had on the local birdlife. It was then that I understood. Mdina has always been a place of refuge. She withstood the Hafsid invaders in 1410 and the Ottoman Empire in 1551 and although the city was surrendered to the French in 1798 she was returned by 1800. Today a silent war continues between hunter and prey. But that living breathing entity that lives beneath the silent city remains to provide a safe haven within her fortifications for Malta’s birdlife.
Mdina - T Ikerd ©
View from Mdina - T Ikerd ©
Top 5 Reasons Photographers Should Choose Malta
Cost
For two to three hundred pounds you can spend a week in Mediterranean sun all inclusive of hotel, breakfast, flights and transport. Sliema is 10-15 minutes away by ferry or bus from the Capital, Valletta, and offers a wide variety of hotels at better value for your money.
Transport
An Adult 7-day Explorer Pass can be purchased from Valletta’s bus terminal for €21
and provides unlimited travel around Malta and its sister Island Gozo.
Malta is a small Island and in popular areas like Valletta, Rabat and Sliema it’s difficult to park. Visiting Malta outside of the tourist season has its benefits. I was often the only person on the bus when travelling away from urban areas. Their circular bus service can take you anywhere you want to go, and when you’re ready to return you just cross the road and catch the bus back. I gave up on using timetables after a while because the bus service is so regular.
Cleanliness
Malta has limited vehicles and therefore low-level exhaust emissions. This place is clean, so clean I wondered if they washed all the walls. The tap water is high quality and comes filtered from the sea.
Photography
Wildlife
Malta has two national parks, the Ghardra National Reserve provides salt marsh and
wetlands for migratory birds within a protected area and Is-Simar shelters birds from hunters and provides a home to snakes and chameleons. Other wildlife of interest can be found submerged in the warmth of the Mediterranean Sea. Common in the area are the Bottle-nosed and Grey Dolphins, Long Finned Pilot Whales and Sea Turtles. Malta also has a National Aquarium.
Street and Architecture
Malta hosts twenty-three ancient sacred and religious sites, over 300 Churches,
numerous Forts and State Buildings, gardens and several Museums. In Rabat you will find the Domus Romana (Roman Villa) ruins and St Paul’s catacombs. The backdrop of amazing Baroque style architecture is sure to seduce those interested in street photography.
Seascape
The Mediterranean Sea, sandy beaches, rocky terrains, wonderful marinas, and blue lagoons all under the most wonderful sunsets are sure to entice those interested in a variety of seascape photography.
Activities
Malta has many activities which include day trips and boat excursions, TV and Film tours, sailing, swimming, scuba and snorkelling. The Popeye village appeared to be an exciting attraction for children as did Mdina’s dungeons. There is also a wealth of shops, restaurants, bars, theatres, nightclubs and casinos.