The 25 best destinations in the world to go on holiday in November, from South Korea’s flourishing capital to the Canadian hinterland, also included Malta in none other than the 4th place.
Iceland ranked 3rd, whilst Sayulita in Mexico and Lisbon in Portugal ranked in 2nd and 1st place respectively.
The tradition of “Figolli”, goes back to ancient times, thousands of years back …. and it is assumed to have originated in Sicily, Italy. Its roots can be traced back to pagan history but more recently, they are a traditional post-lent snack and are often given to children as an Easter gift… They generally come in the shape of rabbits, butterflies, or Easter eggs, but you can also find them shaped like men and women. They are a mouth-watering mixture of biscuit, marzipan and icing, with a moist soft almond paste in the centre and are finished off with icing or chocolate coating and a chocolate egg on top!
Many housewives still enjoy making delicious “figolli”, in the company of young children who draw their favorite shapes on cardboard or use ready made shape templates about 20cm to 25cm long but You can also buy these everywhere around this time of the year, from supermarkets, bakeries, confectionaries, and other food shops and they are a must try for anyone visiting the islands.
La crociera sul Grand Harbour è uno dei tour più tranquilli e interessanti di Malta ed è oggi diventata parte integrante dell’itinerario turistico per migliaia di visitatori delle isole maltesi.
Abbiamo posto alcune domande a Davide Cachia, Managing Director di Colours of Malta, che ha ideato questo interessantissimo tour.
Clicca qui per leggere l’articolo completo: https://www.maltameeting.it/aggiornamenti/treasures-crociera-sul-grand-harbour-by-colours-of-malta/
Cruising the Grand Harbour is one of Malta’s most peaceful and interesting tours… and has today become an integral part of the tourist itinerary for thousands of visitors to our islands.
The Grand Harbour (in Maltese: Il-Port il-Kbir) is a natural harbour. It has been used as a harbour since early Phoenician times. The natural harbour has been greatly improved with extensive docks and wharves, and has been massively fortified over centuries.
Our Grand Harbour set stage for various attacks and conquers leaving behind centuries of history and stories to tell.
This morning we set sail with Captain Bruce and Rayphil on a traditional boat named ‘id-dghajsa’ to discover the history of our majestic harbour and explore its magnificence from the sea.
What could be a better way to see the sights than from an exceptional vantage point, with the refreshing sea breeze caressing your face?
The main attraction of this harbour cruise is definitely the Valletta Grand Harbour. The imposing bastions of the fortified cities of Valletta and The Three Cities, together with the skyline of their baroque churches, provide the perfect backdrop for a memorable cruise around one of the world’s deepest natural harbours. One can also view the numerous Fortresses built by the Knights of St John that surround the entire harbour and the Historical Three Cities. The imposing Fort St. Angelo, at the tip of Vittoriosa (also known as Birgu), is considered to be the jewel in the crown of Malta’s architectural heritage.
Further in one can see the docks, which for centuries have provided a living for the inhabitants of the area, and continue to dominate the skyline.
Cruises can take place on different types of boats, all depending on the size of the group and a tour takes approximately 90 minutes.
This is definitely a experience not to be missed!
2020 marked 100 years since Sir Temi Zammit started excavations at the Domvs Romana, 2021 marks the 140th anniversary of the Domvs’s accidental discovery and 2022 will commemorate 140 years since the Domvs was opened to the public as a museum. However what we see today when we visit the Domvs is a far cry from what this luxurious dwelling must have looked like, roughly between the second half of the first century BC and the first half of the first century AD.
David Cardona, senior curator for Phoenician, Roman and medieval sites at Heritage Malta, said that some workers were planting trees at what we now know as Howard Gardens, during which a spade made a jarring sound when it hit a hard surface. Startled, the workers stopped to alert their superiors, unaware of the marvellous discovery that was about to unfold. Following the incident during the tree planting at Howard Gardens, Antonio Annetto Caruana, the librarian of the Bibliotheca and curator of the archaeological collection housed in it, was entrusted with the investigation. Most of the areas of this rich Roman townhouse were discovered then and a museum was built to protect the mosaics and house Malta’s Roman antiquities.
Unfortunately a good portion of the house, as well as other surrounding structures and tombs, were completely lost when the British services cut the road leading to the Museum Railway Station in 1899.
The site underwent further investigations in 1920-25 by Sir Temi with the help of Robert V. Galea, Harris Dunscombe Colt and Louis Upton Way. Works extended in all directions of the site and uncovered a substantial number of Islamic burials above the remains of other small Roman houses.
The owner of this Domvs may have been an important public figure. What historians can deduce quite accurately, however, is that this was no humble abode. This was the home of someone wealthy enough to be in the top social stratum, someone with high social connections in Rome, as evidenced by two statues showing members of Emperor Claudius’s family carved in fine marble.
There is so much more to be discovered at the Domvs Romana, such an incredible wealth of artefacts that yet make up only a fraction of our unique cultural heritage. The sheer fact that we can set foot in this house some 2,000 years into its existence is a wonder in itself and all the more reason for Heritage Malta to celebrate its discovery’s anniversary as befits such a remarkable event in our history.
This week we met Marika and Nicolo at the InterContinental Hotel Malta. This St Julian’s hotel has established itself as the Mediterranean’s leading hotel of distinction and the only virtuoso hotel on the island.
All 481 rooms and suites are elegantly furnished with the Highline Suites located on the hotel’s higher floors.
The InterContinental Malta is constantly being upgraded and over the last few years they are proud to have launched a number of luxury service facilities ranging from a Rooftop Infinity Pool Club to a super relaxing ambience at the SPA, to an award winning Brass Bar at lobby level.
This hotel’s versatility and large number of meeting rooms is the perfect business hotel for large events however it is also a great choice for a leisure trip due to its high amount of facilities ranging from beach club to pools to gymnasium and spa.
Here at Colours of Malta we have had the pleasure to host countless events at this hotel, both large scale and small, all memorable and with very satisfied clients. The service and hospitality that the great management and staff provide is near to none, and we can’t wait to resume operations within this property in the very near future!
This week’s Special Feature takes us to the newly opened Embassy Hotel, a 4* superior city hotel.
Located at the very centre of Valletta, this Valletta hotel stands on the site where one of the first hotels in Malta welcomed guests in the 1800s.
Valletta, Malta’s Capital City and a UNESCO Heritage site is quaint yet vibrant, dotted with restaurants, bars and shops at all corners and is the ideal location for any type of trip in any season.
Ivan Borg Ferrando explains how this brand new designer finished hotel boasts 81 good sized bedrooms, a rooftop pool and dining area along with a gorgeous courtyard full of greenery and also meeting facilities.
The Embassy Hotel is officially the largest hotel within the City Walls and is already making a mark on the local hotel map.
No doubt once tourism is back, this property will be buzzing with city slickers, business persons and even families.
We wish the Management and staff all the very best of luck!
Did you know that Malta has been used as a filming location since 1925 and that more than 100 productions have been partially or fully shot here?
Popular productions filmed in Malta include:
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Midnight Express (1978)
Popeye (1980)
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Gladiator (2000)
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Troy (2004), Munich (2005)
Game of Thrones (season 1: 2011 – 2019)
Kon-Tiki (2012)
Captain Philips (2013)
World War Z (2013)
By the Sea (2015)
Assassin’s Creed (2016)
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)
Queen of the South (2016–)
In the Hallmark movie Mix Up in the Mediterranean, which was shot in its entirety in Malta, a small-town cook impersonates his big city chef twin to compete in a culinary contest and falls for the woman in charge of the event, who thinks he is the brother who is married.
The film is a Malta / Canada co-production between local producer Colin Azzopardi along with his Canadian colleague Leif Bristow. Colin organised and took care of all the Malta side of things whilst the post-production was done abroad. “We used various locations in Malta, but the main location was in and around the Phoenicia Hotel, who were extremely accommodating throughout the making of the film,” Colin says. Other locations included Merchant’s Street and Upper Barakka Gardens in Valletta, and Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar.
The Maltese really let their hair down in the revelry of Carnival few days before the beginning of Lent. Malta’ traditional Carnival is a treat alike for the Island’s inhabitants and for the ever increasing number of tourists. This three day festivity was introduced in Malta 1535 under Grand Master Pietro del Ponte, five years after the Knights took over the Island. The main celebration takes place in the capital, Valletta, but in every town and village children dress up in colourful clothes to camouflage their identity. The Valletta parata (parade) is very spectacular, including King Carnival followed by many floats of a high professional standard. Until some years ago, Carnival was also the event of the year for dances and masked balls. This type of entertainment during Carnival had an old tradition behind it. Under the Knights the Auberges remained open and were delightfully decorated. The burning of King Carnival on the last day of the festivities also survived, up to some years ago.
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