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Home Page > Travelogues > Malta > Blue Lagoon (Comino/Gozo)
Note: This travelogue is based on a trip I took to Sicily in 1995, so the pictures and information are rather dated and may not accurately reflect the modern appearance. I welcome updates and corrections. The Maltese bring new meaning to the word
'multiculturalism'. Spurred by their heavy reliance on tourism, street
signs are displayed in (not one, not two, but) six languages (Maltese,
English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German are the ones I remember
anyway). In a conversation The main Island of Malta is loaded with different styles of
architectures, reflective of its many former conquerors. Before Islam
spread across North Africa in the 8th century, Malta was a Byzantine territory,
falling under the Eastern half of the Roman Empire after Constantine. The
Muslims ruled for nearly three-and-a-half Sliema has a huge boardwalk, and is a loaded with portside cafés, such as the one seem in the top photo. Because Malta's coastline is very fractal, there are a number of narrow bays and canals cutting inland, so there's a ton of shoreline to enjoy. The bays are often deceivingly narrow. Sliema's downtown is ultra-modern (or at least was in 1995),
with great shopping catering to European tastes. It has a pedestrian zone
similar to those one might find in contintental cities, Valletta is shown in this photo. It has a very distinctly Turkish appearance, and is dominated by the world's largest free-standing (that is, unsupported) dome. This is the rounded structure on the left side of the photo. Although the bay is very narrow between the two cities, there is no easy or direct route between them because of the shape of the coastline. But, Valletta is a must-do as it has many of Malta's greater historical monuments.
Besides, there are many advantages to walking. Sliema is a grand mix of old and new -- Turkish style stone apartments with classy English doorways and floral displays, like you see in this photo. The port of Sliema is on the opposite side from Valletta, and
has one of Malta's largest marinas. It was from there that I took a tour
boat to the Sliema is a good place to hang your hat while visiting Malta. It's in the center of activity, and getting to the Blue Lagoon or Mdina is easy enough. Trip taken 1-3 September 1995 -- Page last updated 01 September 2006 -- (C) 2001 Tom Galvin Useful Links:
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with
a hotel worker, I learned that to work at a reception desk, one had to be fluent
in three languages. As a person whose rendition of French sounds like the
schoolteacher in the Peanuts cartoons, I have a great appreciation for such
individuals, for they make tourists like me feel quite welcome and comfortable.
centuries
before being pushed out by the Europeans -- the French, Germans, and Sicilians
each had their turn before the British took over in the Victorian era.
Each Maltese city seems to have its particular flavor: 
and
it is assured to be crowded during many a hot Maltese afternoon. The
downtown faces along one of Malta's larger bays towards the capital city of
Valletta.
Certainly
by contrast, Sliema shows its British touch quite shamelessly. The food
stores and sidewalk restaurants were definitely British -- all the classic name
brands (like "HP Sauce") were sold, and the pasties were quite
authentic.Much of modern-day Sliema is overrun by small British cars and large,
very old busses (shown in this photo). Sliema's streets are very narrow,
and traffic was hellacious everywhere, so I don't recommend renting a car... I
found it much quicker taking the bus or walking. 
