Pray for a cloudless morn so a lucky 40 can see the Spring Equinox

The spring equinox at Mnajdra Temples takes place this year on 20 and 21 March and Heritage Malta is once again giving guided tours and early-bird rights of access to a lucky 40 people only, so as ‘to enhance the visitor experience’. May be, just may be this year, I’ll manage to get out of bed (at around 04.45) to get there in time – I am a bare 10 minutes’ drive away. If you want to go, book quickly (see below) so you won’t miss the magic unfold as of the first shafts of the summer season’s sunrise enter the temple’s inner sanctum.

If you’re at all into prehistory, mysticism or ancient cults or just fancy a more unearthly start to your day on that weekend, then it’s worth the effort. We’re giving you a couple of weeks’ notice, but expect tickets to be snapped up quickly.

A bit of background from the experts
The unique setting of the Mnajdra Temples at Qrendi, overlooking the coast, gives them a special charm not to be found in any other of the large-scale megalithic buildings of the Maltese Islands, many of which lie in more urban areas or inland.

Sunrise on the first day of each season underlines the relationship between the temples and celestial bodies. Although it is not known for certain whether these orientations were intentional, they are so systematic that this is very probable. In prehistoric agricultural societies, observation of the motion of the stars, the moon and sun could have been related to the changing seasons and times of planting and harvesting crops.

On these Equinox days, the first rays of the sun light up the edge of a megalith found to the right of the central doorway connecting the first pair of chamber to the inner chamber of the Lower Mnajdra Temple.

Event Tickets & Further Info
Tickets are €15 for the general public and €10 for Heritage Malta and ICOM members and are strictly on a first-come-first-served basis. You can buy tickets from any Heritage Malta site or museum as well as the Heritage Malta head office, Old University Buildings, Merchants Street, Valletta. Tel: +356 22954000. On the mornings, participants meet point at 05.30 next to the Ħagar Qim main entrance.

For further information, see also the Heritage Malta website.

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It's OK, the real live wave is coming soon

Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Malta, scheduled for April 17-18, is to celebrate the 1,950th anniversary of the shipwreck of St Paul (Malta’s patron saint) on the islands in A.D. 60. Malta will be his 14th trip overseas since becoming Pope and makes an ideal visit outside his home territory.

Malta is near (an hour from Rome); has a population that’s stated as being 98 per cent Roman Catholic, and is guaranteed therefore to give him a vociferously warm welcome; is safe (little likelihood of the allegedly deranged leaping barriers to have a go at him); and it has a history steeped in defending the faith (as home to the Knights of St John for around 250 years).

There are also the benefits of Malta that most tourists enjoy – Malta’s compact size means the Pope, according to his published programme, will pass through some 33 parishes (just under half the total). The Popemobil won’t stop in all of course. During the visits of Pope John Paul II (1990 and 2001), many parish priests were disappointed, to put it mildly, as all they saw of the Pope was a papal wave from a rather high-speed Popemobil. Allegedly too, local legend has it, nuns were known to have used rather interesting methods to get to the front of the crowd during previous papal visits.

No doubt Pope Benedict’s trip will provide years’ worth of anecdotes along with memories of his astute addresses and the solemnity of religious ritual, handshakes with the President and blessings. Leaving aside the logistics, you’ll come across mumblings about the Pope’s visit. The Vatican has said that the Pope’s visit will be a time to reflect on and deepen the Christian faith. Here’s a round up of some issues minorities would like the Pope to reflect on in Malta, but on which he is he is unlikely to:

Interfaith Dialogue: When the Pope visits Britain later this year, interfaith dialogue will have to be on the agenda given the recent schisms in the Church of England and the multi-faith make-up of the UK. But, in Malta, with a solid 98 per cent (not all practising of course) Catholic, his agenda setters see no need to bother with it here, despite calls from Hindus and Jewish leaders across the world for him to urge Malta to have greater moral responsibility towards minority faiths on the Islands. The minority will just have to let the show go on. But, we should reserve judgement till we hear the Pope’s addresses, though it seems he will play to a home crowd only.

Religious equality under Maltese law for minority faiths: Linked to the point above, is a similar call by influential spokespeople of other world faiths for the Pope to urge Malta to treat all religions and denominations equally under its laws. Malta’s Criminal Code reportedly makes one liable to imprisonment up to six months for publicly vilifying the “Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion”, while committing such act against “any cult tolerated by law” makes one liable to imprisonment for up to three months.

Teaching of comparative religion in Malta’s schools: While religion is not a compulsory subject in the curriculum, there are those who feel religious teaching in Malta’s schools should include information about all world faiths, not solely the dominant Catholic religion. Children get a lot of Catholicism from their upbringing, family and parish yet have no formal way of being introduced to the teachings of other world faiths in the spirit of understanding, broadening horizons, tolerance for other’s beliefs and so on.

Pope Benedict’s 13 journeys to date have been tailored to national situations. Malta, with its homogeneity of faith, doesn’t require him to raise these issues. Both fervent Catholics and the less so will be living in hope then for the Pope’s visit. One group may be more disappointed than those parish priests who missed John Paul II – at least they got a brief wave. The minority voices here most likely won’t even get a cursory nod in their direction.

Photo: Gethin Thomas

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Walk with a spring in your stride at Ghajn Tuffieha and Golden Bay

Spring in Malta is often quoted as being the best time of the year. But is very brief, and sometimes almost non-existent. I always say I go from wearing boots to flip-flops in week in Malta, so abrupt is the changing of the seasons.

The ‘mezzo tempo’, as our neighbours the Italians call spring (and autumn too), is a season rarely worth buying any clothes for. You may find yourself overdressed and sweating one day, or without enough layers the next having assumed the sun would continue. But it’s not worth planning for, as fashion houses do.

Today though was a beautiful day, which would lighten any heart and a day to be out in the blue and warmth as long as possible. We walked the short, but stunning cliff-top path from Ghajn Tuffieha Bay to Golden Bay. It’s our regular spring walk as it has amazing flowers budding up as well as great views. En route, we mulled over ‘how you can tell spring is round the corner in Malta’. Here’s our list of the obvious and the not so:

Everybody rediscovers the countryside.

There are more bikers on the road.

The first lizards emerge.

The cat’s tail starts to twitch more.

The new range of sunglasses shows up.

Tourists start going pink after minimal sun exposure.

You start seeking some shade when sitting out at cafes – but the shade is still a tad chill.

The lads in the ‘festa’ building are there more often renovating old decorations for the coming summer.

The green slime on limestone walls and stone floors starts to disappear.

It hasn’t rained for two weeks.

Lidl supermarket’s special offer days include gardening equipment – gloves, trellises and watering cans.

What’s left of the fields start to sparkle in yellow English weed and red poppies.

The Eurovision song contest is back on the agenda.

Heads peer down wells to determine water levels.

The cafes on the beach start getting repainted.

People start washing their cars.

Householders start inspecting peeling paint on doors and windows

Some people think about fasting for Lent.

The light is just beautiful. The sky is cobalt.

Low-cost airlines now offer more times and routes but seasonally adjust their fares.

Working parents realise there’s only one more full term before the long summer holiday, and start thinking of summer schools!

Spring hunting debates rumble.

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Grey skies or blue? There's a right time for everyone to holiday in Malta

A little internet research – here too we hope – and you’ll probably have a good idea of the main reasons why the Maltese Islands stack up as a holiday destination for you in 2010.

You are a diver, you want to learn English or holiday somewhere English is spoken, you’re seeking some Mediterranean winter sun, you’re a walker, or you’ve heard about the 6,000 odd years of history and the UNSECO World Heritage that awaits. Or you’ve kids and think a lot to do in small space (less travelling around time!) and some beaches with cafes will do the family holiday job nicely.

So much for the ‘why’, but what about when to come to Malta to make the most of it?

Some dates to plan for, or avoid

Maltese public holidays 2010, click here

With Kids
Clearly, you are stuck with coming when your children have school holidays. But bear in mind the Maltese school holidays too, as many parks, beaches, playgrounds, seafronts, gardens, activity & fun centres (like Playmobil) and the newly-opened Ta’ Qali Adventure Park (near the national stadium, Attard) will be more crowded. Malta is small, so space for kids recreation can be limited and under pressure. On the plus side, your own children will find Maltese kids to play with which is ideal if you’re with a only child! Also, you’ll find that in Malta’s school holidays, there are activities laid on – such as the hands-on workshops at the Centre for Creativity at St James Cavalier, Valletta. Note that flight prices always go up to coincide with school breaks, both UK and Maltese ones. Note too that often local and UK mid terms don’t quite coincide.

Malta School holiday dates (most schools):
15 – 17 February, mid spring term break
Easter holidays: 26 March – 11th April
1 June – most schools on half days
25-28 June – beginning of summer holidays lasting 3 months till late September.
1 – 3 November: mid autumn term break
17 December: Christmas holidays start

Cultural Activities & Sightseeing
Summer is often too hot for comfort to really enjoy sightseeing, so avoid peak months mid/late June to early September if you can. Baking out on exposed rocky hillside visiting the prehistoric temples at Hagar Qim isn’t pleasant. Even though boat trips take the edge of the heat, you can get sunstroke unless you are careful and well protected. Shoulder months, even winter, are far better for getting around to cultural sights, comfortably. Most people’s holidays in Malta are a mix of activities so, of course, seek some culture even in the summer. Nothing beats sultry summer evenings out. So choose to enjoy events after sundown, such as those of the near month-long Malta Summer Arts Festival in July. Here are some key cultural diary dates to coincide with, but check our What’s On for others. We’ll link to relevant the websites as they come on stream.

Carnival, 12-16 February; a riot of fun and colourful floats pre-Lent. Family fun.
Ghanafest, 28-30 May: a weekend festival celebrating traditional music & food from Malta and with guest performers from around the Mediterranean. Ideal for the family.
Malta International Jazz Festival, 15-17 July: a major and magical event by Grand Harbour which has attracted true, international greats of the jazz scene to Malta since it started 19 years ago.
Malta Summer Arts Festival: first 3 weeks of July. It’s a bonanza of performance, music and dance with events held in open air in gardens as well as historic venues. Something from almost all artistic forms and for everyone.
Notte Bianca, 2 October: held in Valletta on the first Saturday in October each year, this ‘white night’ is a celebration of culture and the arts in Malta’s capital.
Birgu Festival around 8-10 October. Birgu’s (Vittoriosa’s) answer to Notte Bianca. Street stalls, music, event and food. Candlelit procession at dusk on the Saturday. Family fun.
Village & Town Festas: all summer long! Some of the main ones.

Other regular festivals include the early May Strawberry Fair at Mgarr; the Pumpkin Festival, same venue, in early November; the Mdina Festival, early March; the Siggiewi Agricultural Fair in June for a touch of local, rural tradition; Malta International Fireworks Festival, early May; and numerous other foodie festivals including bread, oranges and tomatoes.

Learning English
A year-round option depending on whether you’re a student or working. Bear in mind that Easter and the peak summer months (mid-June to early September) see a vast number of young people come to the Islands to learn English. So, expect crowds, larger classes, extra-curricula activities to be in large groups to over-crowded sites and beaches. Schools run small group, one-to-one and specialised English courses as well, but the whole atmosphere will be louder in summer months!

Diving & Sailing
Other almost all-year-round activities, so feel free to plan shoulder month vacations to enjoy these sports. While you might hit bad weather, you might just as easily have the glorious autumn weather we had in 2009 until Christmas. That said, October’s Rolex Middle Sea Race last year saw teams battle their coldest event in years with some icy squalls. In contrast, November was hot and sunny though. Divers say that you see more underwater life in the off-season months as the interesting fish tend to come closer to shore then. Sea temperatures range from 25°C in August to around 17°C in December and down to around 15°C in January-February.
Malta Weather & Sea Temperatures
Browse our Diving articles
Browse our Sailing articles

Walking
Shoulder months and winter are the optimal times to hike and ramble and enjoy the countryside when it’s green, lush and less hot to explore. At all times of year though, do pack plenty of drink and some energy boosting snacks and apply sun screen. While urban areas have snack bars aplenty, the countryside, especially on coastal hikes (Dingli and Fawwara, most of Gozo, Mellieha and so on) is quite isolated in Maltese terms and devoid of food pit stops.
Browse countryside articles
Browse walking in Malta & Gozo articles

Senior Citizens
A few tips here: don’t assume Malta has Caribbean-style winter sun and do be prepared for crowds and very high temperatures in peak summer. Winter temperatures will be higher than those in northern Europe, but come with clothing for wet, damp and chill weather. See our tips on ‘what to pack for a Maltese winter‘. Check about the heating in your accommodation. See ‘heating a Maltese house in winter‘, for some idea of what we do heat with here so you can ask! Hotels might not always have the heating on sufficiently high – I’ve heard of very chill hotel rooms. Be prepared. Similarly, check about aircons and fans. A lot of hotels now offer spa facilities which make a good leisure option especially in winter months. You can either book the odd treatment or plan a full week of therapy and pampering.
Related links:
Travelling by bus in Malta
Reasons to Love Malta in Winter

Accommodation
Do check if holidaying in peak summer that your chosen hotel isn’t packing in language students (3 or more to a room), if you don’t want noisy corridors and to be kept awake at night. It can happen. Some 3 or lower 4 star hotels have filled spare capacity with students in recent summers. Our forum should help provide this kind of info when it’s launched – details here. We’re doing a separate article on accommodation (rental apartments vs hotels, which towns for what type of accommodation and so on, so we’ll just mention this one date-related issue here for now.

Photo: Leslie Vella

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For once in Malta, hot air that makes a real conversation piece

Therese Debono rekindles a childhood passion and pastime – cloud busting – and shares some of the hairy and peaceful moments of capturing stunning cloud formations on film.

Since a young age, I have always been fascinated by clouds. I guess every kid makes shapes out of clouds passing by. My earliest recollection is of my cousin and I lying on our backs in our grandfather’s garden….cloud gazing, trying to find some human form or other in the clouds. Our respective parents used to always say we had our heads in the clouds, and they were far from being mistaken!

Years later…..and I am still cloud gazing, or rather chasing at this point because if there is one thing I love shooting, its clouds. There is something about the play of light on clouds and their shapes which really make me want to chase and capture beautiful shots.

My cloud chasing though began quite by chance. I was down taking a few seascape shots in Gnejna last November and I was captivated with these big fluffy white clouds and since then I just haven’t stopped looking for them.

It is quite dangerous sometimes especially when I am driving, and all I want to do is look up! It’s not the first time that I found myself driving as fast as I possibly can to reach the perfect destination with the perfect clouds……the search is endless really. The evening colours can be surprising too and add more to a shot. It’s a matter of timing and also luck with clouds. It can also be disappointing, but perseverance pays and so far my cloud chasing expeditions have always left me thrilled and pleased!

It’s also thanks to this that I have learnt to appreciate more our nature, our beautiful Maltese landscapes and seascapes and also how to read the light. I am more aware now of sunset times and more often than not, it’s a race against time, running after these clouds right after work when at 5pm it’s usually rush hour….whereas I am in a rush chasing clouds….

Going home from work has become an appointment I never miss. With my camera in the front seat, I look up at the sky and head in the direction of the best clouds…….

This shot above was the first of the series of my cloud chasing. Shot at Gnejna in November 09, I just couldn’t resist the giant sized clouds drifting along. In contrast with the blue sky, this shot deserved a beautiful yet simple backdrop, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time.

We’ll be featuring a series of Therese’s moody and magnificent clouds in the coming week or so.

Photo: ‘Gazing at Clouds going by’, Therese Debono

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