28 ~— Sunday, November 17, 1996 - North Shore News “ys rat ie ‘paecnestirionre cu etter Fa ater! SMALL islands have a particular fascination for me, few more so than Malta which the hand of fate placed squarely, or sort of, in the centre of the Mediterranean. Others have been there before including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Castillians, Knights of St. John, French and the British. And not all came by force of arms. The knights, for example, made their home here in _ 1530 after being driven out of the Holy Land by the Turks, who later attacked Malta in one of the bloodiest sieges in history. When the Turks got really nasty and put captives‘on blazing crucifixes in the Grand Harbour the knights retaliated by loading their cannon with human heads (Turkish of course) and firing them back. The battle won, the knights brought in.a col- league of Michelangelo to plan the city and fortress of Valletta. The island’s limestone was used to build beautiful palaces and churches and fill them with treasures. Sir Walter Scott described Valletta as “the city built by gentlemen for gentlemen.” St John’s Cathedral con- tains the inlaid tombs of 370 knights as well as Caravaggio’s painting of St John the Baptist, said to have been shipwrecked here and to have converted the Roman .governor to Christianity, The knights must have got into the port, however, for when’ Napoleon arrived in 1798 and gave them three days to get out they recognized that their time had past and quict- ly left. Napoleon himself last- ed only two years before the Maltese asked the British to expel the French invaders. in 1940 Italian bombers attacked Malta and for a while the defence consisted of three RAF Gladiator biplanes, F, Mediterranean jewel David Wishert phots MALTA'S rugged coast has some 3pestaculer rock formations. Up until recently most visitors to Malta were British, but these days large numbers of tourists from the rest of the world have discovered the Meditervanean Isiand’s charms. the legendary Faith, Hope and Charity. The Germans then had a go, destroying 11,000 buildings in 3,343 air raids. Malta held on and was awarded the George Cross. Top air ace was the Canadian George Beurling. More than 300 Canadian war dead are buried here. Today only the Opera House remains in ruins and Valletta sparkles in the Mediterranean sun, capital of an independent and prosper- ous country. The 365,000 Maltese speak their own Jan- guage which is 60% Arabic, although English is not only widely spoken but English- language schools are almost as prolific as “Arret” signs in Quebec. Until not so long ago most visitors were British, but these days large numbers of tourists from the rest of Europe have discovered Malta's charms, with Canadians starting to arrive via Air Malta’s growing European network including non-stop flights from London and Paris. The only cross Maltese I met was at an outdoor cafe in a smart square where two customers had skipped with- out paying their bill. “These Italians!” she fumed. I loved spending a morn- ing strolling the alleyways and markets of Valletta, walk- ing through the living muse- um of Mdina, a siesta by the pool, then a sundowner in the fashionable Sliema district followed by a promenade along the water’s edge to a tiny harbor surrounded by restaurants open to a ccol Mediterranean breeze. ALASKA CRUISE for XMAS BOOK NOW - SPACE IS LIMITED on Royal Caribbean's NEW SHIP - LEGEND OF THE SEAS non LO8D 926-4344 #106-100 Park Royal South, (Ground floor of Black Office Tower) Valletta’s Grand Harbour is just that, as magnificent a See Malta page 45 Nov 15 to Dec 6/96 departures 7 night packages Royal Lahaina Hotel All Inctusive Rate CDN $2350 pp/dbl . Kaanapali Beach Hotel Bed & Breakfast Rate CDN $1150 pp/dbi Call us for details . Travel Service to the He North Shore for 15 years b WITH OI, PRINCESS CRUISES It's more than a cruise, it’s the Love Boat? Wednesday, November 20") Meet Shauna Carter from & \ Princess Cruises. Come and. discover the soul of Alaska and & the heart of the Caribbean on: J the spectacular new Dawn & Sun Princess Refreshments & video, Early Booking Bonus presentation Receive $50 US Ship Board Gedit * “when you — book your quise “ss on Wed., Nov. 20th WHYTEECLIFE 1507 Bellevue Ave., West: At your Sandals Resort, you won’t need shoes to dance. To swim, surf, or “stroll. You won't ni2d°. _ them in your luxurious |: room. Or while you try... ‘every watersport imagin-" - able. Come to a Sandals . Resort and rediscover the > joy of going barefoot in the Caribbean's #1 Ultra |, All-Inclusive luxury resorts . for. couples only. : Take your love to a Sandals - Resort in Jamaica, Antigua, . St. Lucia or the Bahamas. - Call BCAA today) BCAA Travel Agency