Note: We’ve been informed that these lectures won’t be taking place as Prof. Variana is unable to come over to Malta for now. We’ll keep you posted when they’re rescheduled.

Not all culture comes at a price as February’s series of free lectures at Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum in Mdina proves. What’s more, these particular talks have an added bonus – they come complete with free tastings of wine, Renaissance cookbook-inspired foods and extra virgin locally pressed olive oils.

What an enlightened trio of cultural pursuits. The lectures are a winning formula for getting us to appreciate an historic venue and learn something new, and also an ingenious way of the museum marrying its collection with some complementary, lively events.

The Food, Wine & Art lecture programme
Palazzo Falson has invited a visiting art historian, Prof. John Varriano, to give two, two-hour lectures on food, wine & art, each one covering two distinct themes. The sessions (including tastings) are completely free of charge, but booking is essential to secure a place (and we advise you book fast as seats are limited). To book, tel: +356 2145 4512 or +356 2145 1021, or email: info@palazzofalson.com.

Friday 12th February (1400-1600hrs):
1. “Wine and Health, Wine and Death” first discusses the presumed therapeutic benefits of wine as brought down to us through the ages, and goes on to examine its changing metaphorical associations with memento mori, or images of death, in ancient and Early Modern times.

Wine Tasting & sampling of food inspired by Renaissance cookbooks (researched and prepared by Matty Cremona). Sponsored by Marsovin and Wardija Extra Virgin.

2. “Erotic Appetites” focuses on paintings of food that embody two genres of Renaissance allusion, the first exploiting the sexually suggestive shapes of certain fruits and vegetables, and the second linking the eating habits of the different social classes to stereotypical notions of sexuality and procreative success.

Saturday 20th February (1030-1230hrs):
1. “Eggs, Butter, Lard, and Oil” traces the evolution of the binders used in Renaissance art and cuisine, noting the importance of oil in particular for the signature characteristics of both cultural expressions.

Oil Tasting & sampling of food inspired by Renaissance cookbooks (researched and prepared by Matty Cremona). Sponsored by Wardija Extra Virgin and Marsovin.

2. “Edible Art” introduces the art of trionfi da tavola, edible table decorations that routinely embellished Renaissance and Baroque banquets.

Prof. John Varriano taught Art History at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts from 1970, until his retirement in June, 2009. He is a specialist in the art of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods in Italy, and the author of five books and more than four dozen articles. His latest interests combine the history of art with the history of gastronomy.

Manoeuvering Maltese roads is bad enough. Our driving skills come close to those of our Italian and Arab neighbours. But what’s even worse is being stuck in a Maltese rush hour jam near Valletta in the vicinity of a karozzin.

Yesterday morning the juxtaposition of old and new rankled. A karozzin driver gabbling into an iPhone, yanking the lead on the horse with his free hand, creates a domino effect of crazy manoeuvres by irate cars with dents, their occupants half-gawping, half running over the entrepreneur and his beast.

I have yet to meet a local who has owned up to having been in a karozzin when sober. In Malta, karozzin drivers’ street cred is almost at a par with our ‘allegedly’ rude bus drivers. It’s a reputation that has been built over some fifty years’ of tourism. Go to Valletta, Mdina, or Rabat, in Gozo, and you will find some naive tourist trying to negotiate a way out of being almost press-ganged into ‘having a ride with the cabbie’ or a ‘tour round the harbour’ or whatever comes out of the cabbies’ mouths. Poet-laureates these guys aren’t. They’re safeguarded as a component of Malta’s tourism, and yet they’re often seen hassling tourists or anyone with fair hair; their horses generally look world weary; and their ‘guiding capabilities’ leave much to be desired from the snippets you hear as they trundle by.

I don’t want to stereotype and tar them all with the same brush. I know every country has its ‘tourism’ artefacts, its ‘living souvenirs’. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing quaint about the karozzin. Vienna has its Fiakr – open horse-drawn carriages – that are polished to the hilt and driven by well-turned out men in uniform. A totally different experience, if costly (but our equivalent can be too). Fiakr can pass being described as ‘romantic’; a word that hardly trips off the tongue in relation to Malta’s karozzin, although I know many wedding organisers do add karozzin to the list of bride and groom transport.

So what makes tourists jump into a karozzin in Malta, get fleeced, and then return home to flood Flickr with their pictures?

Or have I got this all wrong?

Photo: courtesy of Kevin Archaeo

For me, the ideal ingredients for a good outing with under 5’s (and even older kids, come to think of it) are:

• space to run around
• not too much to see or do – avoid over-tiredness at all costs!
• toilets – preferably clean and with loo paper
• snacks/drinks/food for sale – preferably some healthy options
• easy parking or transport options.
• something to keep the adult/s amused – including decent coffee

One place that fits the bill right now in winter, and for that matter is pleasantly cool enough to still enjoy in peak summer, is the medieval walled city, Mdina. In winter, it’s far less crowded so kids can run around that bit more without getting lost in passing tourist groups! In summer, it provides welcome relief from the beach, a good dose of history, fantasy and culture. Mdina, at any time of year, has something age-appropriate to offer most kids 0-15. And adults can relax knowing that attractions are all a few steps away from each other – the whole outing is in a contained, historic, pedestrianised space.

Mdina

The walled city is virtually car-free (but do watch out for the odd car or horse-drawn carriage careering round a corner), so is ideal to explore with kids and pretend you are stepping back in time.

The Mdina Cathedral Museum
Well worth a visit, or three. The exhibits are eclectic, there’s not much in reach that is breakable, and all of it in a large building which is fairly sound-proof. In common with all Maltese museums, there isn’t much “Hands on” or “Interactivity”, so you have to ad-lib a bit “Wow look at that carriage – you remember when the Emperor went out with no clothes on? Well he would have been in a carriage like that”. You get the gist. The tickets to the museum also give entrance to the Cathedral, where the biggest attraction for kids are the multi-coloured inlaid tombstones in the floor – many of which include comic-looking skeletons leaning against trees. You will need to keep the volume down a bit inside the Cathedral though.

Mdina Cathedral Museum
Archbishop Square, Mdina
Tel: ( 356) 21454697
Open: 09:00-16:30 Mon – Fri. Closed: Sundays and Public Holidays
Tickets: adults €2.33

The Natural History Museum
This vast building has idiosyncratic displays, including those of some 3,500 birds, and is usually devoid of visitors. So between the ‘Ooooh! Look at that stuffed albino hedgehog’ the kids can roam around and make lots of noise. One of the best sections is the mock-up of various local habitats of Maltese bird and small mammals; they show how common birds nest in walls, farmer’s outhouses and so on. Outside, in the large courtyard there is a little gift shop and a stuffed cow – not any old cow, but the last pure-blood of the now extinct Maltese breed. No cafe here or at the Cathedral Museum, so wander off to the Trattoria at the Xara Palace Hotel round the corner – great ice creams, good menu (massive servings), tolerant staff and if you sit outside the kids can roam around the courtyard. But accompany them to the loo – there is an open trap door en-route…

National Museum of Natural History
Vilhena Palace, St Publius Square, Mdina
Tel: (356) 21455951
Adults (18 – 59 years):€6
Students (12 – 17 years), Senior Citizens (60 years and over), ISIC Card Holders, EURO<26 Card Holders, ISE Card Holders and ICOM Card Holders: €4.50
Children (6 -11 years): €3.00
Infants (1 -5 years): Free
Open: Monday to Sunday: 9.00-17.00. Last admission: 16.30
Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday

The Carmelite Priory
Relatively newly-opened as an attraction, the priory has a good, but pricey, coffee shop, treat them to the excellent hot chocolate and then herd the progeny into the courtyard where they can jump up and down. If you want to pay the entrance fee, the rooms inside are worth seeing, and will hold the interest of most kids for half an hour or so. The priory had its first taste of kids big time when it offered an activity programme at half term.

Elsewhere in Mdina
There are several audio-visual displays and walk-through tableaux attractions, such as the Mdina Experience, or the Mdina Dungeons, but my kids tend to get scared just looking at the door, so I am waiting a few years before paying for entrance.

Just outside the main entrance is an old but fit-for-purpose playground. Beautiful views, bad coffee and OK snacks at the kiosk at one end, better food and even better views from the cafe at the other end.

When the kids have had enough of the swings, cross the road to Howard Gardens just outside Mdina’s walls. If it’s not raining, consider a ‘Horsey Carriage Ride‘(Karrozin), a bit pricey as it can cost around €30 for an hour, but is fun as a one off. Alternatively, keep walking through Howard Gardens (clean toilets on your left, but watch out for climbable railings and a vertical drop on your right) towards the Roman Villa. There you will find Peprina, the trackless ‘train’, replete with clear blinds if it’s raining, which winds around Rabat and Mtarfa (adjacent towns to Mdina), leaving on the hour (10.00-16.00 in winter; and 10.00-20.00 in summer).

Photo: Amanda Holmes

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We live in a time-poor, real-time, internet time world, in which things need our immediate response. So I often find myself making excuses as to why I can’t take a bit of time out to go to cultural events; and this winter, Malta has lot going on of interest at its various arts’ venues.

It’s easy also to just pick and choose to go to those events that immediately tally with our own interests. However, it’s worthwhile, once in a while, to see something completely different. I remember several years back going to Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti’s (Maltese Heritage Foundation) magnificent exhibitions on Maltese silverware and furniture. I was wowed by the experiences, even though beforehand I’d thought the subject matters more suited to my parents’ tastes.

So, my ears pricked up when I heard that Palazzo Falson (historic house museum, Mdina) in conjunction with Patrimonju is holding this winter a series of lectures on historical and art historical subjects. Aptly, the one this week, entitled ‘500 years of the watch’ is all about man’s inventiveness in measuring time.

Coincidentally, a couple of weeks ago, I read with fascination on the BBC website about a 450-year-old painting that’s believed to show the oldest known image of a watch. The Science Museum is investigating the portrait, thought to be of Cosimo I de Medici, Duke of Florence, holding a golden timepiece. I am sure this painting will come up in the talk as the speaker’s specialism is 16th and 17th century timepieces.

Palazzo Falson has its own rare watch in its collection of timepieces which is one of the most valuable pieces in the Gollcher collection. It was made in Paris in 1791 by Robert Robin (1742-1799); King Louis XVI’s favourite clockmaker. It is distinctive for its ten-hour dial, which reflects French Revolutionary Time, which was based on the decimal principle.

The Lecture & tickets
The speaker is published author and horology expert David Thompson. He trained as a practical clock and watchmaker in the 1970s. David has worked in the horological section at the British Museum for the past 30 years, and been Curator of Horology there since 1995. The lecture is at the Phoenicia Hotel, Valletta, at 18.30, on Wednesday 11 November. Tickets are free, but on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact the Palazzo for further details and to book.

Useful links
Palazzo Falson
Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti

Photo: Courtesy Palazzo Falson (17th century watch signed Isaac Hasius, Haerlem from the Palazzo’s collection).

Next week, Malta’s school kids have three days off for mid term. It’s barely a month since they went back to school after the endlessly long summer holiday, so thankfully mid term is short.

I had no idea until around a week ago that things are organised in Malta to occupy the little dears for the mere three days. So, if like me, the usual outings – beach (weather permitting) or Playmobil Funpark don’t appeal (horrendously crowded and been there, done that lots of times), you’ll be relieved to hear that there is something intelligent, fun and creative for kids to do. And some new venues and activities are coming on stream, which, word has it, are proving popular. They might be booked up for this mid term, but get on the mailing lists for the future!

Two that stand out are: the workshops at St James’ Cavalier, Centre for Creativity, Valletta; and the music and art sessions at the Carmelite Priory Museum, Mdina. And for something authentically seasonal, the Manikata Pumpkin Fair should be a nice diversion for kids Sunday 1 November, from 10.30. See our article on pumpkins too.

St James Cavalier

The Centre has been running a programme of Family Sunday afternoon sessions in the creative arts. I went to Halloween mask and model making last week, for instance. Now, the Centre is running on 2 & 3 November, a creative workshop for 4-7 yr-olds, from 09.30 – 12.30. Price per child, Euro 15, and booking by Friday 30 latest!

Older children (9-12 yrs olds) are catered for with a performance workshop animated by Austrian artist Luise Kloos who has been working with children, their fantasies and stories for several years. Children will be encouraged to form, perform, invent and move. Sessions are free, but on a first-come-first-served basis for 25 places. For this, and the younger kids’ workshops, contact: Amanda Palmier on (+356) 2122 3216 or email schoolsprogrammes@sjav.org.

The Carmelite Priory Museum

A newcomer this year as a cultural venue and a real gem of a place to visit any time, the Priory in Mdina is opening its doors to children for mid term workshops in music and art. Sessions are 2 & 3 November; choose from morning or afternoon. The Music Workshop will be held in the Oratory under the direction of Christine Gauci; in it, children will work on melody, rhythm and other related activities. The Visual Art workshop will be held in what’s described as “the peaceful surroundings of the Cloister” (peaceful, with kids?) under the direction of Maxine Claire Attard. All materials are provided.

What I really like about the Priory’s sessions is that “accompanying adults are invited to relax in the Old Priory Café or attend a Lectio Divina which will be conducted by a Carmelite Friar.” Now, call me elitist, but that seems a dream compared to many a mid-term venue I’ve had to suffer. Children and adults also get a tour of the museum by curator Michelle Galea.

Workshops are Euro 6.75 a child (including light refreshments) and are not suitable for the under fives. Booking is recommended since attendance is limited to 20 children per session. Places are still available as we go to press. Phone on 27020404 or email: carmelitepriorymuseum@gmail.com.

Photo: Anne Muscat Scerri

I’ve had a sweet tooth all my life. And a lot of the blame has to rest with Fontanella, which has made delicious cakes and other delicacies for as long as I can remember.

Fontanella is an essential pit stop if you’re going anywhere near Mdina or Rabat. There’s something wonderfully comforting about approaching Mdina and seeing Fontanella’s red and white umbrellas billowing on the bastions. In winter, it’s a great place to meet friends and huddle over apple pie and a steaming pot of tea. The rooms inside are typical farmhouse fayre, with rendered, linseed-stained walls. In other seasons, you get some of the best views of the island from your table al fresco on the terrace, on the Mdina north bastions.

The place is always crowded because it gets a lot of business from organised tours, but don’t let this put you off. Tables tend to miraculously become available when you least expect and the wait is normally worth it. You can idle some time in the lovely courtyard or just wait to run up the wooden stairs to the terrace when you see someone leave.

There’s much to keep you amused at Fontanella. The place is lovely, with a profusion of greenery: climbers, ferns, palms and blooming geraniums. And the people-watching is good too: from the odd nun get-together to happy pink tourists drinking Cisk and love-birds enjoying the view over a glass of chilled white.

But you go to Fontanella for the cakes. I’ve probably munched my way through the cake menu over the years, and the great thing is that the quality has remained consistent. My top five favourites:

1. Chocolate cake Dark, fluffy, long lingering taste. Looks dangerous. Fight over the crumbs.

2. Apple cake You actually can see the apple chunks. Could try and convince your better half that it’s part of a calorie-controlled diet. It isn’t.

3. Apricot and walnut cake Crunch your way through the conversation. Then get a second helping.

4. Strawberry cake Is it the strawberries? Or the meringue? The closest you will get to feeling light and cheerful without illegal substances. And more lip-licking involved.

5. Carrot cake Sounds horribly healthy. It isn’t. Useful if you have a young child in tow and want to wonder about intelligent application of vegetables in our food chain.

Fontanella also has a regular menu – I’m told the salmon salad is great. You can also munch a couple of pastizzi and contemplate the finer things in life.

Fontanella does a takeaway service if you want to take a cake home. But nothing beats being there, on a spring evening, watching the colours change on the limestone as the sun goes down on the island below you.

Fontanella Tea Rooms & Beer Garden
1, Bastion St. Mdina.
Tel 21 454264

Mdina’s Medieval Festival is now established as an annual event. Here’s how this year’s (18-19 April) passed off.

Mdina is a beautifully-preserved UNESCO World Heritage site, but perhaps for some it is ironically too well conserved. I once had a discussion with a tourist who said he found it too quiet – almost a ghost city. I could appreciate his point. But, I always love wandering around Mdina; it’s small enough for even the youngest (or oldest) legs to get around.

On this damp, chilly, grey Saturday in mid April, my family was delighted to find the streets full of knights, noble-folk, falconers, wenches and the odd town crier. Chain-mail clad soldiers wandered past stalls selling strange, (medieval-style?) vittles (soup in a rock-hard roll, and dry cabbage and onion pies). Museums, chapels, churches and cafes were all wide open, with attractions such as The Mdina Experience charging a reduced entrance fee. Since rain stopped many people venturing out, there were relatively few folk in twenty-first century garb, which made the overall effect better for those of us who had made the journey.

My daughters were delighted with a little square where we found traditional crafts. An enormous loom and a hand pottery wheel were set up beside a man making baskets and another selling local honey and beeswax produce under an ancient tree. The girls spent ages tasting the different jars fruit-flavoured honey, which were so delicious that my eldest opted to spend €4 of her pocket money on a tiny jar of strawberry honey. Meanwhile the lady selling the hand-woven rugs took great pains to point out that they were all machine washable. And at €25 for a large bedside rug, probably a better investment!

Outside the walls, the defensive ditches were the location for games which appealed to all ages. Strapping young men sat on horses (from a gym, not stable), trying to imitate jousting by prodding each other with a long wooden stick. For those who were slightly more risk-averse, a wooden walkway and frame had been erected with swinging axes, hammers and spiked balls, each over a metre in size, looking incredibly dangerous but made of foam. The idea was to get from one side to the other without getting knocked off. You could, however, choose to play safe (or play executioner) and opt to pull on the ropes to swing the ‘weapons’.

You could also have a go at firing a catapult loaded with ‘rocks’ aimed at cardboard figures attempting to breach the city’s defences. It was pretty realistic and made quite some bang on firing, so the kids recoiled with eyes shut and missed seeing where their missile went.

At a safe distance from the catapult we found a mobile climbing wall; not particularly medieval at first glance, but conveniently the same height as the Mdina walls, so it gave a good impression of what it must have been like to attempt to scale the walls at a time of battle. Well, minus the armour, arrows and burning oil of course.

All-in-all we had a fantastic day. Six hours after we arrived the kids were still going strong, but I was chilled to the bone so dragged my complaining family back to car. Luckily for me, we found some olde mulled wine beside one of the city gates, so even I was happy as we headed for home.

Photo: Amanda Holmes