Malta - A Land of Secrets (Part 2)

Plus - minus a millennium. In order to save time we recommend you to visit the Mediterranean conference center in Valletta. It's located in the building of middle-aged hospital. You will see a movie there with many special effects for the most interesting events in Malta's seventhy years of history. After that you will be able to decide on your own which culture's heritage you would like to learn more about. The choise is huge - from the primitive rocky painting and magnificent Roman mosaic to catacombs of the early Christians and the weapon's history from the World War II. The Maltese themselves think for the most important periods of their history two of them - the secret culture of the Stone Age and the Age of the knights of the Maltese Order. You can visit on the islands Malta and Gozo the secret sanctuaries, made from huge stones which have shapes like a woman's body. The Maltese are proud because they are older than the famous Egyptian pyramids. Another sightseeing is the Oracle palace. There a loud echo is replying from all sides to the most quiet male whisper, but without an answer stays the strongest female shout. Three tousands years later the knights from St. Joan's order came to the little island and gave it a second culture. In 1530 the Spanish king Carl V signed a document to give Malta to the Order and in turn he wanted an annual fee - a Maltese falcon with a silk cloak and golden bells and rings on his paws. The knights decided to revenge for their old wounds and made a real blockade - no Turkish ship could sail untroubled in the Mediterranean see. Suleiman the Magnificent promised to his favourite wife Malta as a gift for her 13th birthday. After the Great Besiege of 1565 and the building of the great city-fortress Valletta, the Turkish never ever thought of attacking the island.

Itineraries for each taste. The original intention of the founder of the city wasn't to make Valletta city of beautiful palaces. But in the conditions when the land is more expensive than gold and there is a lot of gold, it couldn't be else. You need just to walk slowly on the streets of Valletta. The streets are straight so there is no way to lose yourself. There is a street of barbers, of bakers, of goldsmiths, etc. When you look at the building of the Order's Tribunal, try to find the big iron hook on the side. The English seamen used to believe that it has a magic power - everyone who succeed to jump over it without getting hurt, will be promoted. The historical and cultural sightseeing should be combined with another type of entertainment. All disco clubs and the only casino are situated in the north part of the island. Here it's hard to understand where the bar ends and the disco starts, if you are still in the restaurant or already on the street. Malta makes people better, so the rude attitude and scandals are rare. You can always find a quiet place for a drink. There is a factory on the island for bier production - Farsons. Wines are domestic and imported. The domestic wine is twice cheaper than the imported one and really nice. When speaking about food, fish in Malta is more expensive than meat and the octopus, shrimps and prawns are more expensive than fish. These high prices are because there are no reefs around the coasts of Malta and fishmen should go 30-50 miles in the sea. You can eat here sword-fish, salmon, tuna by Maltese recepy - with peppers, tomatoes and onion. The Maltese bread is baked by old recepy in wooden ovens, using an old technology. You can be sure, you'll never forget it!

No shopping - Go yachting!