The King Longs, imported from China, have certain advantages that the long-suffering, local commuter may appreciate even if tourists miss the hilarity and fun of the old bus rides. Among the pros, one aspect stands out above all: comfortable seating. Err, who can say the old horse hair, dimpled Neoprene and plastic-covered seats of old were that bad? Seats are never comfortable in buses, whatever their age. But we might expect to have more comfort on the King Longs if their suspension is up to scratch – millions of traffic humps and bumps on of course.

Other plusses of the new buses include low-rise floors and real-time passenger displays, including next stop announcements (in which language or languages?). This will help tourists who have so far had to rely on the grace and favour of individual drivers to point out stops.

Now, to the issue of those articulated buses. The so-called ‘bendy’ buses. While London is ridding itself of bendy buses, Malta is gaining them… on main-line routes only, we’re told. But odds-on bets for the first to be spotted wrapped where it shouldn’t be.

Our post a few months back asking ‘what if the Malta bus were to disappear?‘ gave rise to a good debate in the comments about the pros and cons of new vs. old and on the bendy issue. All commentators agreed that Malta needs to ditch belching (sometimes paraffin-run) buses and clean up its bus act. But most were emotional too about the demise of the iconic Malta bus – so beloved by tourists for its quirks and cheapness, if not for its routes, hours and reliability. It is the most photographed bus in the world. It will linger on postcard stands, and a few routes. Its destiny now as a museum piece, or scrap.

Another 20th century icon gone. R.I.P Malta Bus.

For current routes, timetables and fares, see: APT website
For new bus info and routes etc from 3 July, 2011, see Arriva.

Photo: Leslie Vella, whose Flickr stream has a set of old buses. And see also Gethin Thomas’s buses on Flickr too.

There's a new cache' about a secondhand car in Malta now

Around 20 years ago, ageing motors were the norm on Malta’s roads. Even today, apparently, the average age of vehicles on our roads is 14 years. However last week, a red Ferrari swung past me on a roundabout. For all its polish and untarnished paintwork, it probably wasn’t new. Because now’s the time for the return and rise of the second hand car in Malta – in the more luxury end of the market this time.

The past few years have seen a surge in used car imports from the UK by both private individuals and dealers. In parallel, importers of new cars have seen their sales nose dive despite a string of government budget measures to encourage us to buy new cars locally. For instance, we’ve seen new cars cheaper to register than second hand ones. More recently, in November 2010, we saw the introduction of a scrapping scheme open to private individuals which pays a rebate of 15.25 per cent of a new car’s cost up to a maximum of €2,000 in return for a vehicle that is at least 10 years old. The aim is to make Malta’s road stock more environmentally friendly.

But it doesn’t take much of a head for maths to work out that rebate aside, it can be more worthwhile to opt to import a ‘good as new’ secondhand vehicle, especially in the mid- to high-end of the market, with around 20,000 miles or so on the clock than buy new locally.

Judging by the number of UK plates around, in cars that seem to be driven by locals not newly-arrived expats, it is a trend that’s on the up. I know of several individuals who’ve searched the internet to source their own secondhand import to drive down. Note that if an individual purchases more than two vehicles from the UK, he won’t be able to sell them on before at least two years as he is considered a car trader under Maltese law.

For those who find going it alone a hassle, there are firms that offer a one-stop solution and do the whole thing for you. We spoke to Mark Gauci at Gauci Automobiles about why the time is right and what the middleman can do for you:

Why now?
It’s the perfect time to purchase your used car from UK at the moment because you save approx 25 per cent on new in the medium and luxury sector. We calculate that we can supply the medium and high end cars in excellent condition at very good prices compared to brand new. The time is better now also as the registration tax to be paid on used secondhand imported cars has dropped by 40% compared to what we use to pay with the old system of the registration tax. Yes, we do still have a registration tax system which depends on the registration value of the car unlike in the majority of EU countries. But thankfully with the revision, the RVs are now reasonable! When it comes to the cost of importing your used car from Gauci Automobiles, there are no hidden charges; we ensure up front that you know the total cost of your car on the road in Malta.

What the dealer does for you
At Gauci Automobiles, we can take care of the whole chain. We have our reliable and reputable suppliers who take full responsibility for choosing the car. We vet them carefully as our local reputation relies on ensuring we do deliver on promise. Besides having cars in stock for clients to see what they are purchasing, we can get cars specifically on order for clients who have defined needs as to colours and specification. We guarantee all the cars we import come with certified mileage, in excellent condition and with a complete check, electrically and mechanically. The whole process of registering your car in Malta is very time consuming… it would approx take 2 full working days! But, we take care of all the registration procedure… you just pick up the car from our showrooms ready from everything.

Useful Links
Gauci Automobiles
Malta Transport – Government agency. See also: Vehicle Registration.

Photo: Gege Gatt

Two on a tray: an allegory of the two faces of one small island state

We, as a nation, are among the first to find fault with ourselves. We are far too critical and truly adept at finger pointing. We are ready to look down at whatever is Maltese, and are often critical of what we may have.

I am no exception. I, like most Maltese, do love my country, and what it stands for, though like most find I find it easy to fault.

So it was quite a pleasant eye opener to be reminded of just how special we can be, especially through the eyes of a visitor to our islands from far away Australia.

My cousin and her husband were sitting in our sitting room, sharing their experiences of Malta, on the day that it half the island flooded bringing all to a stand still. A day a truck passed them by in a Balzan street swamping father and five-year-old son. Swamped enough in foul smelling water to have to return home for a quick shower and a change of clothes.

I have not yet found reason to invest in a car, so have depended on the bus service as run by Transport Malta. On the whole I do not have much to complain about, its cheap, and I pay for the service that I get.

It is not often punctual, it’s very user unfriendly leaving young, old, healthy and infirm, waiting, standing in the scorching summer sun, or cold drenching windy winter, while drivers are either late, or keeping everybody waiting while they have a quick cup of tea, or, during the festive season, a quick celebratory whisky. I have seen them being offensive, racist, bullying, reckless, penny pinching, short changing, rabid thugs. Some simply do not care.

Yet if truth be told, with the exception of waiting at the mercy of the elements, most of the drivers are courteous and yes, often kind. It took my cousin to remind me of this when she shared two very positive experiences she had.

The first was when asking the driver how to get to the Valletta Waterfront, the driver not only showed them how to get there, but actually stopped the bus and followed them on foot for a short distance, while passengers waited on the bus. The passengers may not have been happy, but neither would they have begrudged the kindness being shown to a foreigner.

On missing the stop at Balluta and reaching the terminal, the bus driver asked my cousin to stay on board while he took the return trip explaining the different areas, St Andrew, Swieqi, St Julian, Balluta, as he took them back.

I was reminded of the times I’ve seen bus drivers helping elderly people off or on the bus, once even getting off the bus to help one old lady to cross the road.

Whether we want to accept it or not, bus drivers are not a breed unto themselves, neither do they come from a different genetic pool. Bus drivers are representative of us as a nation. We are as kind as we are bigoted, as understanding as we are bullying. We are as sympathetic as we are racist. We are not bus drivers, but we ALL Maltese.

Another positive example was at a small take-away where they ordered chicken burgers. My cousin was surprised that the chicken burgers she ordered were an actual chicken breast. When she pointed out to the owner cook that he may have made a mistake, he simply smiled, pleased, saying that he likes giving value in his food. She was also surprised at the low cost of the meal.

A far cry from many large and small eateries that not only are pretentiously over priced, but some also greedy enough to over charge foreigners.

Our island nation, with its proud history, can truly be magnificent; the village festa; the people sitting on the doorstep talking to their neighbours late into the warm summer nights; the marching bands, the shouting, swearing, the kindness, the screaming mothers and the crying or laughing children, playing football, tag or soldiers in the streets. These are what makes us what we are.

This is the experience my cousin referred to as a trip into the heart of the nation – differences among us, yes, but still one nation if two, or more, faces.

Photo: Gege Gatt

Let's just say Malta's roads are challenging....

As the weather cools and autumn begins to set in finally, my thoughts turn to cycling. But when a neighbour who is a triathlete told me the other day that she won’t cycle on the roads anymore, it hit home that cycling in Malta is not only not for the faint hearted, it’s increasingly not for the pros either.

Little more than a year ago, a leading figure in cycling in Malta was killed on the coast road at dawn while out training for the annual Betfair LifeCycle Challenge, a long-distance charity cycle from Malta across Europe which raises money to support patients suffering from renal disorders.

The only conclusion anyone can draw from these two incidents is that however expert a cyclist you are, cycling in Malta is probably more dangerous than you think, and requires all your wits about you, all the time, and a lot of precision planning. Drivers don’t think about bikes, let alone ‘think bike, think twice’.

It won’t stop me cycling this winter, and I will not be alone; as I drive or cycle around the islands I see more and more cyclist out, and in pro gear and on ace bikes looking as if they are training for the Tour de France. It’s a sport that in theory lends itself to small islands where everything is within cycling distance. But as with most aspects of Malta, small is a double-edged sword. Here are some things to think about if you’re keen to cycle Malta:

Where to cycle:
I just about manage to cycle from my door and out into countryside almost immediately. But with a lot of Malta urban, you may find you need a bike rack on the car to get you somewhere suitable to start a ride. Away from the urban arc that covers the south-east of Malta, you’ll find smaller roads everywhere in varying degrees of countryside, but not necessarily quiet countryside – more like suburbs. Central Malta can be tricky to negotiate as major arterial routes need crossing or joining in places. I know my favourite patches to cycle (limits of Rabat, past Buskett, up to Dingli Cliffs, Girgenti and back), but suggest you post your recommendations for good safe cycling areas in the comments below. A family I know gave up on Gozo as it was ‘all hills, all the time’! If you’ve kids, then where to cycle is even trickier…

With Kids:
A magazine here recently had an advert showing a family out cycling on a pleasant woodland path! Where I wonder? I can’t think of any sufficiently long path in any ‘wood’ in Malta suitable to cycle with little ones. Yet, from experience, I’d say keep them well off roads of any kind until they are very steady and road aware – you need to train them for the latter. Under 8 – 10 years, I’d say stick to seafronts (Marsascala, Qawra-Bugibba, or St Julians-Sliema; or Zurrieq) or take the bikes to Ta’ Qali (but don’t assume the roads are quiet there at weekends). If they are learning and still have outriders, Ta’ Qali is a bit tough as the ground is rough and stony; otherwise you are in the car park or on the roads. Very small kids who aren’t speed kings can get away with being in playgrounds. But once they are more confident don’t cycle in kids’ play areas at all. I don’t like my son on seafronts as strictly they are for pedestrians, but what can you do? Cycle lanes? ermm…

A Word on Cycle Lanes
Increasingly, you’ll find cycle lanes marked either on a wide pavement alongside the pedestrian ‘lane’ or in a kind of hard shoulder area. There are some stretches that go far enough to do a reasonable cycle, especially if you’ve kids with you. The two that spring to mind are along the Mgarr road from Mosta direction, and along the perimeter of the airport heading to Hal Far. The cycle lanes are a start, and let’s give them their due. But don’t relax on them: they can be used as ‘overtaking lanes’ and of course, they inevitably end all too soon on some main road junction. As a driver, I would also urge cyclists never to cycle two abreast, even if you think you’re on a quiet road.

A cyclist’s dream for Malta
I long for a Malta version of the Avenue Verte, that takes cyclists traffic-free, or virtually traffic free from London to Paris. It’s nearing completion the French side and more is being done the UK end to get it ready by around 2020. Imagine cycling Malta top to toe not touching the roads. That would be something to encourage kids and families to enjoy cycling as it should be – in relative safety. Malta’s smallness should make it possible to get heads together on this one quicker than they are doing on the Avenue Verte?

Useful Links:
Malta Mountain Bike Association
Malta Cycling Federation – website doesn’t seem to be up but try this for contact details.

Road Cycling Clubs:
Qormi Cycling Club
Team Greens
Mosta Cycling Club

Others:
www.letsgocycling.org
Life Cycle Challenge
Malta Triathlon Association

Photo: Courtesy of Betfair LifeCycle Challenge

Worthy of a museum. Malta's ageing bus stock at the end of the line

Everyone in Malta has an opinion on the Maltese bus.  Including those who do not actually use a bus for transport.  In a crowded place, it’s difficult to go about your life ignoring the trundling yellow and orange (Malta) or grey and red (Gozo) machines.

The opinion camps tend to congregate along the following lines:

Buses are a necessary evil. They’re cheap, get you from point A to point B. And they’re particularly useful if you work in Valletta where parking on weekdays is a nightmare.

Buses need to be replaced. They are decrepit, smelly, dangerous, outdated, a menace to anyone on the road and driven by rude maniacs.

Buses are a remnant of a romantic past. Tourists buy models of them, photograph them and write about them. They need to be preserved as a core component of Malta’s cultural heritage.

We’ve sat on the fence on this one, merely highlighting passenger etiquette and the ecosystem.  But the wheels of progress are now in motion, spurred by public opinion that ‘something needs to be done about the buses’ and it’s starting to look as if the days of the Maltese bus as we know it are indeed numbered.  Unless there’s some dramatic u-turn by the powers that be,  most of our current rolling stock will fail prescribed criteria for carbon emissions, wheel-chair accessibility and more.

If you’re alarmed by the threat of the scrap heap for the beloved Malta bus and its replacement by something equivalent to a 21st century machine, you can make some noise by signing an online petition here.

Photo: Gethin Thomas

Eyes down, move your bag, don't speak: here comes the next punter.

Think of a perfect, ideal morning. Add a bus. Now it’s the opposite of that. Welcome to my mornings. I have been reading a lot of articles about the dismal state of Public Transport in Malta. As a student who has been using buses four times a day for the past four years, I have become somewhat an authority on the subject. I have stockpiled my fair share of interesting episodes: on a bus ride anything can happen, and believe me it does.  Then, just to spice things up, you meet one of the following people:

The One Who Can’t Keep A Queue

On early mornings, buses have a tendency of coming to your bus stop almost full. If there are twenty people on the bus stop, and only two spaces left, please let the people who were there first take them. Chances are they are even later than you are, and it is extremely frustrating to see your place being filled by someone who showed up five minutes ago when you have been waiting for thirty.

The One Who Pays With Notes

The bus fare is small change. Unless you want the driver to shout and swear at you for the next fifteen minutes, please produce coins. No one likes to hear a bus driver rant. Especially a Maltese bus driver.

The One Who Will Not Move His Stuff

I will be the first to admit that when I get on a bus and the seat next to me is empty, I use it to unload my bag. However, if you see people getting on, especially if the bus is full, please remove the bags. It is extremely uncomfortable to almost beg: ‘May I sit here?’ when the seat is obviously free. Not to mention, that you, the innocent party, come across as being antagonistic.

The One Who Stares

You pay, sit down, put your change in your pocket (if it’s graciously given to you at all), and take out a book. You feel Eyes on you. The person opposite you is gazing wide-eyed at your bag, at your book, at your clothes. You smile politely and get back to whatever you were doing. When you look again, the person is still staring. Admittedly the view isn’t much, but you could always look out the window. Or get your own book.

The One With The Loud Music

This might be the most annoying thing on the list. We get it: the music you’re listening to is God’s gift to humanity. But must you share so loudly with the rest of the unfortunate beings on the sardine tin-like bus? Some of us have headaches, are going home after a long day at work, or just simply don’t like your music. Please invest in some earphones or turn it off.

The One Who Will Not Move Back

We’ve all heard the infamous bus driver cry: “Move back please!” If the driver sees people standing up next to him he will assume that the bus is full up and not stop to let poor souls who have been waiting forever on the bus stop. Therefore, if you’re standing up, please go as far back as you can. It’s only right.

The One Who Is Chatty

After a long day on campus or after work, the last thing I feel like is making small talk with someone I haven’t seen for eight odd years. As an avoidance tactic, a book or an mp3 usually works. Yet, every so often despite these obvious barriers, I find myself making small talk on the bus. Also under this category, are people whom you don’t know from Adam, yet feel that it is perfectly acceptable to engage in deep conversation about excessive taxes or the weather. Please don’t: respect other people’s privacy.

The One On The Phone

If it’s early morning, the bus will be (thankfully) quiet. Then a particularly cringe worthy ringtone goes off and someone decides to share their conversation with the rest of the select population on the bus. Remember: if no-one is talking, everyone is listening. Keep your voice down and your conversations private.

The One Who Will Not Get Up For The Elderly

It’s rule number one for people with good manners – even Enid Blyton mentions it once or twice in her books. If you see elderly people standing up on the bus, give them your seat. It will make you feel really good inside and you’ll have done your good deed of the week.

The One Who Insists On Fresh Air

I understand that it is flu season and people are afraid of catching a cold from someone who might be sick on the bus. However, I fail to see the necessity of a wide open window in the middle of January. Just because it’s not raining doesn’t mean people aren’t freezing their toes off!

Related articles: Maltabuses & how to use them (routes, fares info etc)

Photo: Walter Lo Cascio

Rainy days and Mondays, perhaps not the best days to tout for rides.

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

Good job it's written, as it's rarely spoken

Malta’s buses are bound to feature hugely in anyone’s visit to the Islands. They are bright yellow and orange (in Malta) and grey and red (Gozo). Colour aside, you can’t miss them as they dominate the roads, in more ways than one. The bus fleet also sports some wonderful vintage models (usually Fords) dating back to ’50s and 60s’, if not earlier! Drivers tend to personalise their bus cabs, and it’s common to see interiors decorated with images of Elvis cheek-by-jowl with Madonnas, rosary crucifixes and tinsel left over from last Christmas. Our Flickr group photos show just how photogenic and popular Malta’s buses are. Here, one regular bus traveller, Rebecca Buttigieg, gives us her low-down on them.

The Bus System
The public bus system is licensed by the Government but run by a collective called the Public Transport Association or Assoċjazzjoni Transport Pubbliku (ATP), with each driver owning his bus.

Bus Termini and Routes
The main bus terminus is in Valletta, just outside the city gate, wrapped around the Triton fountain. You’ll know it when you see it – the dozens of bright yellow buses are difficult to miss. Almost all the bus routes in Malta start off here, and most of them end in a small terminus in one of the various villages, where the driver will wait a little while, and then make the next trip back to the city.

Catching a bus
Riding a bus is easy – stand at a bus stop and stick your hand out when a bus comes along. Get on, pay the driver, and then ring the bell just before the bus stop you want to get off at.

Which Bus Route?
Each particular bus route is assigned a two- or three-digit number, and so all you need to know is which numbers go to or through wherever you want to go. As a general rule of thumb, the routes with numbers lower than 40 serve the south of Malta, the numbers above 40 serve the north, and those between 80 and 95 serve the central area. Route numbers between 60 and 70 run to, through or from the Sliema terminus, which serves as a sort of auxiliary to the one in Valletta.

The details of the routes can be very complicated, with some routes even varying according to the time of day and season, but do not despair – when in doubt, just ask a driver, dispatcher or even fellow passengers which bus you ought to catch to get to your destination. Just be prepared for a lively discussion while the most suitable options are debated by those in the vicinity!

Tickets & fare structure
These are usually bought on a trip-by-trip basis from the driver when you board the bus, and the cost depends on whether you are travelling within or across the ‘zones’ that Malta is divided into, and whether you are using a ‘normal’ bus route (E0.47 to E0.58) or one of the special direct routes (up to E1.16 if you cross zones). There are concessions for children and senior citizens, just ask the driver.

Passes valid for one or more days are available, but the pricing means that you only save money if you take several bus rides each day, or if you use the more expensive routes. This makes them a great option for sightseeing expeditions, but not so much if you only need to get somewhere and back.

Frustrations of using Maltese buses
The system can be a frustrating experience due to its limitations – most routes only operate between 6am and 9 or 10pm (excepting the night service laid on for Paceville), and although there are scheduled times, sometimes a bus just doesn’t show up. Passengers often complain about unreliable service and drivers’ behaviour, especially with regard to manners, giving incorrect change, and smoking. Likewise, drivers complain about passengers who are rude and who leave litter, leftovers and even graffiti behind on the bus. For these reasons, there is generally little love lost between drivers and passengers.

On the positive side
Such as it is though, the system does function quite well for the most part, especially on weekday mornings, and it enables thousands of people who can’t or won’t use a car to get around the island. The sad thing is that many car-users who would otherwise love to leave their cars at home refuse to use the bus system because of its inefficiencies and reputation for unreliability. But buses are cheap, so you can’t have everything! Tourists meanwhile often find the buses quaint and for them, bus rides are all part of the Malta experience, if a somewhat hot one in peak summer.

A reform is pending, which should involve, among other things, a new system of bus routes designed to provide better coverage. It will be interesting to see if this reform succeeds, and what changes it will bring to the system.

A final word: I ride buses on a daily basis, and I have been left stranded innumerable times. I tried to be fair though in my comments.

Useful Stuff
The Official ATP website for its list of ‘Malta Bus Routes 2008′.
Malta by Bus: a site run by a British enthusiast of Malta buses. It’s a great source for all things quirky on Malta’s buses, including their history, book annuals of vintage buses, as well as route info.

Photo: Gethin Thomas
Author Rebecca Buttigieg runs a blog called maltagirl.

A typical Maltese shop; but not shopping as most expats know it.

Despite having lived, worked and travelled in many different countries, coming to live in Malta took a lot of getting used to. Of course, there is no massive culture shock or language barrier to negotiate; my British sense of humour is understood; there’s shared history; and shops stock Marmite and Heinz Baked Beans.

But, there are of course some things to get used to in order to settle in to a new pattern of life. Most of my early struggles were about getting around and shopping.

Here’s how I dealt with them and why I get a smile on my face when I reflect on them now.

Things to despair over (at first)

Getting Around

Walking: In August, heavily pregnant, with two very young kids – on pavements which are either non-existent, look as if they were built on a fault line and are just too narrow for a buggy. I tried, I really did.
Driving: I was used to walking to shops, pools and parks, bussing to museums, tubing to work. Here in Malta, most things are a drive away – albeit a short one – but that means braving the roads…
The Roads: Potholes a plenty – unless there’s a big sign announcing EU funding for works. Make sure your tyres have a bit of give in them.
The Road signs: Key junctions and roundabouts are bereft of signs… maps don’t help. Allow plenty of time, know the general direction you are heading in, and memorise the place names, just in case there is a random sign.
The Road Users: Snail snow or furiously fast. Overtaking irresistable, particularly on hills, blind curves, approaching junctions etc. No use of indicators, ever. I now drive very defensively, and usually very calmly.

Shopping

Opening Hours: In my village, I think the shops open at 6am. I know they close between 12 and 4, but don’t re-open on a Wednesday afternoon, or a Saturday afternoon, and never on a Sunday. But I now know where to get the UK papers on a Sunday morning, and where to get fresh bread any time of day or night.
Milk: In the UK, I used to buy 4-litre recyclable cartons to last the family a few days. In Malta, milk comes in non-recyclable cartons and 1 litre is the biggest size – which in the heat of summer can go off anyway before you get it home.
Hawkers: The best type of ‘man with a van’ (I rarely see female hawkers), where I love to get bread, fruit, veg and fish which are fresh that morning. If I can find the van that is! Different days and times mean it’s in different locations. I still haven’t figured it out, and have been known to drive round the village in hot pursuit.
Choice: I used to live on little tubs of hummous, bagged salad, any fruit and veg, any time of year, preferably hand-picked from organic slopes, the odd ready meal…I was shocked that none of this was available. But my wallet and my waistline have benefited.
With Kids: In the village store, aisles are narrow, shelves stacked precariously and cakes at toddlers’ eye level. Very stressful. Supermarkets have more space, but none had trollies with seats for more than one child. Very uncharacteristically, very few people offered to help with unloading/packing bags/getting to the car.

….And the delights

Getting Around

Traffic Jams are practically non-existent – once every few months I may get stuck for 10 minutes if I’m very unlucky. Though, accidents do gridlock roads pretty quickly.
Vintage vehicles: The ancient, cherished cars and vans still delight me – I even saw a motorbike with a side car the other day.
The buses: Always cheap, usually reliable, often full of character – and a great outing with the kids!
Getting lost: Many times I have stopped to ask someone directions, and they have jumped into the car to direct me and make sure I know where to park.

Shopping

Everyone delivers: So I don’t need to brave the narrow aisles with the incomprehensible queue-jumping or the terrible trollies. One ex-pat friend with a new-born would SMS the veg man and get the baker to leave ftira on her door. All with no charge and lots of smiles.
Less choice means less temptation: I just don’t really shop much, which means I save loads of money, and my kids aren’t hanging out in malls and exposed to rampant consumerism.
Fresh, seasonal produce: In the UK people will pay a premium for locally-grown fruit and veg. Here, it’s a fact of life – if we could buy tasteless strawberries 365 days a year, would we still enjoy the sublime taste of the local harvest in early summer?

All this, makes me smile, and it still does…

Photo: Gethin Thomas

Hire a car to get around Malta and come bumper to bumper with this gleaming relic!

It’s easy to assume that because Malta is small, you can rely on public transport and taxis to get around. We do in fact know of some instances of foreigners moving here and still relying on taxis two years down the line. But, they haven’t really got to see much of Malta in that time. OK, so they are not adding more cars to the road in a country which already ranks 5th worldwide for cars per 1,000 people (the UK ranks 24th). However, we do think that Malta can’t be experienced properly without having wheels of your own. So we’ve some quick tips on getting around:

1. Public transport is cheap, gets you to most towns and villages (via Valletta, in Malta and via Rabat, in Gozo) – but it’s slow, can get crowded and just fails to work after the witching hour or even before. By all means get on a bus for the experience – some people find the old bangers quaint. We think that your time here is too precious to waste on slow, smelly, hot bus journeys. Waiting on a hot bus-stop in scorching 35 degrees is no fun. And our bus drivers are a rule to themselves, despite various attempt at upgrading basic levels of customer care.

2. Taxis are expensive. And a few irresponsible individuals have given the whole trade a bit of a bad name on the island. You’ll find out from hearsay whether it’s best to use the ‘white’ or the ‘black’ cabs! But if you can avoid them, do so and save your pocket.

3. Hiring a car is still good value. Competition is fierce; all the major brands operate here as well as local companies that do go out of their way to provide you with the right car or motorcycle to give you the freedom to set out your own itineraries.

4. When hiring a car, do pay to get the extra full-cover for insurance. Malta is not blessed with brilliant drivers, and for many visitors, driving on the right side of the road can be bewildering. Do make sure that part of the deal is a full breakdown service.

5. Unless you have a large family, hire a small, economical car with air-conditioning. Parking bays in Malta are small, and you don’t want to get ruffled trying to park while a queue of irate drivers builds up behind you. Though, admittedly, you can get more street cred driving a Zodiac or a Zephyr (see photo above!).

6. Stay safe. If you’re uncertain about driving on the left-hand side of the road, just drive slowly. Do not be intimidated by aggressive drivers. Malta has its own share of local drivers who drive in the shade or crawl – join them until you have got your bearings. We’ve got some further tips in this feature.

7. Get out of your immediate ‘comfort’ zone. Sadly, a lot of visitors never get beyond the immediate environs of their hotels – that is, they get to see Paceville and Bugibba, which quite frankly, could be in any Med resort. Point your car towards the south of the island, and go in search of the traditional fishmarket at Marsaxlokk on Sunday, Birgu as the sun is setting, or Zurrieq for a late drink. Drive to places like Siggiewi, Mqabba and Qrendi. Go for pastizzi at the Crystal Palace, Rabat, in the early hours of the morning. Point your car north and go in search of an almost desertedbeach for an early morning swim, or go for a walk on Dingli Cliffs.

8. You will get lost, and that’s part of the experience. Signposting is still approximative in some more rural areas and even in towns. Roll down your window and ask a local. Nearly everyone speaks English and some Italian. Locals often stop mid road for a chat with a friend they’ve spotted so don’t be worried about holding up traffic!

9. Do watch out for speed cameras. They’re fairly well sign-posted, but can crop up in unexpected places and speed limits vary between 60 and 70 km per hour, sometimes in the same stretch of road. Maltese drivers have a terrible tendency to hit their brakes when approaching a speed camera – ‘front to rear’ collisions are frequent occurrences. So common are these shunts that we witnessed one the other day in which the driver causing the accident couldn’t even be bothered to get out to inspect the damage to his car, let alone worry about the one in front!

10. Speed humps can sometimes appear when you least expect them – in village cores usually. Over-enthusiastic councils, keen to make a buck rather than solely stem accidents, have placed them less than 50 metres apart from each other at times. Do as locals do and either crawl to a virtual halt or drive at speed over them and see how your car suspension takes the ride (at least it’s a hire car, not yours!).

11. If you get a ticket for a parking contravention, just let your car hire company know and pay up. The fines are not extortionate – but you don’t want nasty letters to arrive in your mailbox once you’re back home or find a lump sum off your credit card.

12. If you are involved in a traffic accident, call your car hire company immediately. It can avoid a lot of hassle. Just don’t get involved in any arguments with the other party – use common sense rules of courtesy. Traffic Accident Reporting: 2132 0202