Malta's Little Sister

By Jo Sidebottom

Finding myself with a week’s leave that had to be used up, and precious little time left in which to take it, we decided to squeeze in a last-minute trip away in mid-January. We looked for somewhere sunny, not too expensive, and ideally, one of those places we’d always said we must visit.

Malta soon emerged as the front runner, but we actually ended up booking a week on its smaller neighbour, Gozo, on an Air Malta package that offered a week’s half-board in a lovely looking hotel with good Tripadvisor reviews. The package included not only flights but also taxi transfers, the return ferry crossing to Gozo, and even a week’s car hire.

Azure Window

Everything worked very smoothly on our arrival – a taxi met us at Malta’s small airport, and the 45-minute ride across the island to the ferry terminal at Cirkewwa gave us a good introduction to the Maltese countryside. The taxi driver was an expat Brit, who loved Malta and spoke enthusiastically about the low cost of living, low crime rate and mild weather. We did the 25-minute ferry crossing as foot passengers and another taxi driver awaited us at the Gozo ferry terminal of Mgarr. By this time it was fairly dark so we didn’t see a great deal during the 20-minute ride to the central village of Xaghra (pronounced “Shara”) where our hotel, the Cornucopia, was located.

Our room was across an open courtyard where one of the two swimming pools was located. It was fairly spartan, but clean and comfortable, with a balcony and lovely views across the hills to the sea on the north side of the island. The hotel seemed quieter than we had expected – there were only about five tables occupied at dinner. The food was good and plentiful, and the house wine very reasonably priced.

The first morning we decided to take a ride on the City Sightseeing bus to get a good overview of the island and decide what we wanted to return to and explore in more detail. It was about a ten minute walk (uphill!) into the village centre, which was also fairly quiet except for extensive roadworks in the main square - so much for our visions of sitting out at pavement cafes soaking up the sun with a cold drink!

We had discovered whilst reading up about the island beforehand that Xaghra is home to the Ġgantija temples, at 5,500 years old the world’s oldest manmade freestanding buildings. After completing a full circuit of the island we got off the bus outside the visitor centre, where we paid our €8 entrance fee and spent some time looking around. The complex is deservedly a UNESCO World Heritage site and we were amazed by the size of some of the stones that its Neolithic builders had shifted into position. That was truly one of the highlights of our week, and I can’t understand why they aren’t more famous.

After a busy first day we started to plan the rest of our week. We soon discovered that although there was a good network of bus routes, the winter timetable wouldn’t really permit us to get around and see everything we wanted. Gozo is a great island for serious walkers, but it’s very hilly and the weather was a bit changeable so we also ruled out the idea of trying to walk everywhere.

We had previously decided not to take up the “free” car hire because we knew there would be additional insurances and excesses which would still make it fairly expensive. We were also a little unnerved by some of the narrow streets and the state of the road surfaces. However that ended up as the only sensible option and so on the second morning we found ourselves the proud custodians of a decidedly middle-aged Ford Fiesta for the week. Freedom at last to travel the island at our leisure!

Malta and Gozo drive on the left, like the UK, so it really wasn’t difficult, although the state of some of the roads, some amazing hairpin bends, and the likelihood of meeting an oncoming car round a corner on a narrow village street all presented interesting challenges. However, there wasn’t a lot of traffic and the drivers were fairly patient and courteous; hire cars have a recognisable registration number so they made allowances!

Our first trip was to Victoria, the island’s capital – also known by the locals by its previous name of Rabat. Following the signs from Xaghra, we turned a sharp bend on to what looked like a sheer drop down a farm track that led nowhere. I wondered how on earth I would get turned round and back up the hill again on to the right road. However, it soon became clear that this was the right road – after a half-mile of crazy bends and ridiculous gradients, the road flattened out and we bumped over the rough surface until we emerged in the centre of Victoria. I did not relish the thought of the return journey and the hill starts that might be required if we had to stop on the way, but fortunately we found a better route home.

Victoria is the size of a small British town, and its main attractions are the citadel and the main square – both also undergoing extensive maintenance work over the winter. After watching an introductory film about the island, we climbed up the hill to the citadel and explored the cathedral and its museum, and the narrow lanes around the cathedral precincts. The view from the town’s walls included both the north and the south coastlines simultaneously. We also unknowingly stumbled upon what we later discovered to be the town’s best recommended café, where we enjoyed a mezze-type lunch washed down with – in his case – the local lager, and – in my case – Kinnie, the local soft drink.  Described as an aromatic blend of orange and herbs, it tasted to me rather like Dr Pepper, but with an unpleasant bitter aftertaste. I wasn’t that keen!

Other expeditions included the Azure Window, one of Gozo’s main sightseeing spots – basically a rock formation with a hole looking out to the sea beyond. It was a Grey Window the day we visited! The inland sea is nearby but we didn’t like the look of the boat operations so gave that a miss. We did, however, enjoy just driving around through the small villages taking in the scenery. Many villages looked very similar, with pale stone buildings, narrow winding streets, and a town square with a huge oversized church. One day we found a lovely pizza restaurant overlooking the channel between Gozo, the even smaller island of Comino, and Malta, and we whiled away a leisurely lunch hour watching the ferries crossing back and forth. Another day we went back to a craft centre that we’d passed on the sightseeing bus where, amongst other things we watched some lacemaking being done, and I bought a lovely lace mat with a Maltese cross in the centre for my mother.

Would I recommend a trip to Gozo?  Certainly – though with a few caveats. First, don’t go in the middle of winter if you’re looking for sun – it’s only a little milder than the UK. It was almost spookily quiet and it was definitely the close season – though we did feel we saw the island “au naturel”, with the islanders just going about their normal daily lives. March/April and September/October are probably the best months weather-wise. I would definitely recommend the Cornucopia Hotel in Xaghra; I can imagine it being lively and fun in the summer, with its two pools and facilities for barbecues and buffets in the courtyard. We were told that the bus service is better in the summer, but I suspect that unless you are a keen walker – including pretty steep hill-walking – then you probably still need to hire a car. Don’t on any account miss the unique Ġgantija temples.

In summary, I’d say that unless you specifically want (i) quiet, and (ii) lots of walking, then stay on Malta instead, and take the ferry to Gozo a couple of times. Do one of the sightseeing buses and hop off at the main attractions, and you’ll see most of what Gozo has to offer. That sounds like faint praise – we did enjoy our week, but in hindsight I think we should probably have gone to the Canaries in January and saved Malta and Gozo for warmer months.

First published in VISA 

Tourists do the Funniest Things

by Neil Matthews

The scene: evening in a hotel lobby, behind the potted plants, with local beer on hand...

Guide (early 20s, short spiky hair, comfortably built, round face, tshirt and shorts): "I told them they should try your restaurant as it's next door to the hotel. Did they turn up?"

Waitress (also early 20s, taller and slimmer than the guide with longer hair, traditional red and gold dress): "They did, but what was that you told me about them saying they ate a lot of Chinese food at home? They chose the roast duck and couldn't assemble it to save their lives! Too much filling in the pancake, every time, and they didn't put the cucumber and the spring onion parallel at the bottom before rolling it up. I had to go and show them how to do it, or else they'd probably still be there!"

Giggles round the table

Guide: "Good grief. Then there was the Great Wall fiasco. The wife actually asked if it would be a better idea to walk up there - why did she think there was a cable car? The two girls were there as usual to help them get on, but I think they thought it would stop at the bottom rather than continuing to move. The husband managed to squeeze himself in at about the third attempt...When we got there, they promptly announced that he had a problem with heights and she didn't like stairs. They managed the length of about two towers distance and that was it - straight down again. Then I took them to the same old cheap restaurant at the bottom (no choice round there) and they said they really liked it!"

Wall guide (short, mid-50s, long hair in ponytail): "Yes but, Tzun Pe, you need to remember these Westerners have bigger feet than us. Those bright red trainers the woman was wearing - all well and good for wide streets in London - not so good for our Wall. No wonder she had to slide sideways down some of the steps, like a crab. I went along at my normal pace, but it didn't seem to encourage them - quite the opposite. And after all that, they didn't even buy a Great Wall book. I was a bit miffed, I'm telling you."

Driver (30s, tall, lean, polo shirt and dark trousers): "Well, whatever you got up to with them on the trips must have worn them out...they were nodding off in the car all the time. Still, they were polite enough, weren't they?"

Guide: "Yes, I suppose they were...here's to the next bunch."

All clink glasses

All: "The toast is - tourists!"
First published in VISA issue 78 (Apr 2008)

Return to New York

by Eunice Kirby

A visit to New York in the aftermath of 911

After a protracted time checking in to our hotel, we eventually got settled and set off for a walk along Seventh Avenue, reaching Central Park and The Lincoln Centre, before coming back along Broadway, via Times Square and Manhattan Mall for something to eat before having an early night to try and get used to the five hour time difference.

Sunday morning we had arranged to meet in the hotel coffee shop - freshly squeezed orange juice - wonderful, then we all set off for a diner in Herald Square for breakfast and to plan our day. We decided that as it was a nice day weather wise, we would head for Central Park. Last time, we had taken a horse and carriage ride round some of the park and said that we would like to see more of it, so off we went. We soon realised that there is a lot more of Central Park than most people realise; we spent most of the day just wandering round and only saw half of it. Three of us (the female three) went on the old wooden carousel, which boasts the largest wooden horses still in use - and seat belts! We wandered through the park, via The Dairy - now an information centre, then on to watch the skaters.

We then went in the Zoo which was renovated in the 1980s and is now divided into three zones, polar, temperate and tropic. We arrived just in time to watch the seals being fed and put through their routine, which is as much to check their health and wellbeing as it is to entertain and educate the visitors. The highlight of the polar region for me was the polar bears; their enclosure includes a plunge pool with glass sides, so that the visitor can not only watch them swimming under water, but also stand next to the glass and marvel at their size! The tropical enclosure is all inside and when looking at the various plants you wonder just how much wildlife you are not seeing. So many things are well camouflaged and we were all pointing things out to each other that we had not spotted ourselves. After a quick lunch in The Leaping Frog Cafe, we then visited the Children's Zoo (well, we are all children at heart) and enjoyed the chance to feed and pat the various cuddly creatures on show. We carried on with our walk taking in many lakes and wonderful views - many of the trees were still in full autumn foliage and looked lovely reflected in the lakes.

We saw the statues of Hans Christian Anderson and Alice in Wonderland, before heading for Strawberry Fields, the memorial to the late John Lennon. It was only a couple of days after the death of George Harrison so the memorial could not be seen for all the flowers and tributes to George. There were hundreds of people there paying their respects and a group of singers singing old Beatles songs; all in all it was very moving and I am glad to have been part of it although it does mean that I have not yet seen the memorial, oh well, we shall just have to visit New York again sometime. We then left the park and crossed over the road to look at The Dakota Building - identified by the guard on duty by his sentry box, with Dakota on his uniform. By this time we were all quite tired so we got the subway back to Penn Station - opposite our hotel, to have a rest and freshen up before heading off to Times Square and 42nd Street for something to eat, then back to the hotel via a few shops including Macy's.

Monday morning and Steve's birthday! After he had opened the cards and few small presents that I had brought with us, we went off to the same diner for breakfast, then caught the subway to Wall Street. We came up the escalators from the subway into the station building and you would have thought that you were in the lobby of a very expensive hotel! We all just looked and admired before heading out onto the street and walking down to South Street Seaport. We saw the second biggest sailing ship ever built - The Peking, the floating lighthouse, Ambrose and took in the views of The Brooklyn Bridge before sitting outside in the sun to partake of a beer. By this time, it was so warm all coats had been abandoned and those who were not wearing short sleeves were regretting it and planning to buy T shirts at the first opportunity - we had packed jumpers and fleeces expecting it to be cold! We spent a happy hour or so wandering round the shopping mall that is located in Pier 17 Pavilion, an assortment of shops on three levels, all with charming wooden decks outside offering views across to Brooklyn and also of the Statue of Liberty.

We left Pier 17 and walked along the waterfront to the ferry terminal for the Staten Island Ferry and boarded the next ferry. This has to be the best bargain in NYC. The ferry gives wonderful views of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and of course the city skyline and all for free. The best time to take the ferry is evening when you can see the city all lit up, but it is just as breathtaking on a sunny day. We did not spend much time on the island, just took a short walk from the ferry to look back across to the city, then we got another ferry back to the mainland and stopped in Starbucks for coffee and cakes.

We did not set out to visit Ground Zero but, as we were so close, we went to pay our respects. It is in this area that the city is much quieter, there are prayer stations along the way, and people who are there just to talk and help in any way. We stood in silence as we viewed the remains of the Towers, and I am not ashamed to say that tears were shed. We did not linger, but caught the subway to Grand Central Station where we split up. Steve and I watched the Christmas laser show that lit up the ceiling of the station, then wandered round both the craft market and the food market before leaving the station building and making our way back to the hotel along 42nd Street, shopping along the way. We met up with the others for a meal at Broadway Joe's Steakhouse, steaks like you would not believe (fond memories of our last visit made us go again) We did not have room for dessert so we walked back towards our hotel and stopped for a couple of drinks before turning in.

Tuesday morning: after our usual large breakfast, we caught the subway to Grand Central Station and then went inside the Chrysler Building just to look and admire the marble and chrome lobby. From here we walked down to the United Nations Headquarters - you can tell from the buildings, the water features and landscaping that this is a very affluent area. We carried on along 11th Avenue to the Roosevelt Aerial Tramway, but it was being repaired/restored so was not running. We headed back inland and 'came across' Bloomingdales, where we stopped for coffee and to stock up on their wonderful chocolate dipped mint sticks.

We admired all the Christmas decorations both in the store and in the window displays before heading off for the Citicorp Building where a model railway took up most of the lower level, we lost two of the men for a while so the rest of us looked round the shops - mostly a Barnes and Noble Bookstore, then found seats to sit and rest with more fresh orange juice. Once we had managed to get them away from the trains, we made our way to The Rockefeller Centre to watch the skaters. This is another typical New York Christmas scene, but there was something missing this time - we arrived while they were polishing the ice so there were no skaters. By now, we were all getting hungry so we went to Jekyll and Hydes for an entertaining meal. Anyone who has ever been to one of the Jekyll and Hyde restaurants will know what I mean; the statues talk to you, the pictures have eyes that move, the staff are all in character and the entertainment is almost non-stop. It is an experience to enjoy - oh, and the food is not bad either.

On our way back to the hotel we took the ride up to the top of the Empire State Building, this is the best time of day to go up, as you can see the city in daylight and watch as night descends and the city lights up. One thing that was more obvious to us all this time was the number of planes that we could see at any one time, usually well over a dozen, of varying sizes - it made us feel very vulnerable. It was from here that the absence of the Twin Towers was most obvious; the work on the site is going on twenty four hours a day and you can see a large black area with a circle of lights around it that seems to send a ghostly glow into the sky. We spent the rest of evening just wandering round some of the shops and buying souvenirs and Christmas presents before finishing up in an Irish bar.

The next morning we caught the subway with my sister and her husband to Greenwich Village where the first stop was a diner for breakfast - it was called Tiffany's, so we can say that we had breakfast at Tiffany's! (My niece and her boyfriend went off to spend the day in The Natural History Museum.) We walked through Washington Square, then made our way through Soho to Chinatown and Little Italy. At one point, we were at a street corner and looking at our maps, deciding which way to go, when a lady asked if we were tourists. When we said "yes", she just said, "Thank you for coming to New York". Visitors are still wanted and made to feel very welcome.

Thursday morning and we all met up for our usual breakfast. The three men and my niece went off to spend the day at the Intrepid Museum; my sister and I did not fancy spending a day on an aircraft carrier so we went shopping. We spent most of the day in Macy's but managed a few other shops too and I finished off all my Christmas shopping, which I had hoped to do. I had been checking on the Internet what shows would be on while we were in New York and when we saw that A Christmas Carol was on at Madison Square Garden, we all said that we would like to see it, so I booked the tickets direct with The Garden ticket office and Veronica and I collected them that morning before we hit the shops. The entrance hall to the theatre was done out as an old village, complete with shops and stalls selling refreshments and souvenirs all to do with the show, with all the staff in costume and carol singers to entertain us - it was all lovely and really festive. The show itself was wonderful; it was not only on the stage but also along both sides of the auditorium, so at times you did not know where to look. All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening.

Friday morning, our last full day. We all had breakfast then set off on the subway to Brooklyn Bridge and spent a very pleasant hour strolling over the bridge which has wonderful views of the city skyline, and is a marvellous sight in its own right with its twin gothic towers and many miles of cable. The walkway is along the centre of the bridge, above the traffic which thunders along beneath your feet. We spent some time wandering along Brooklyn Heights Promenade, at one point there is a framed photograph of the city skyline taken from that spot pre-September 11, showing the twin towers. The photograph is surrounded by flowers. It makes you wonder what the people who were standing there at the time of the attack saw and felt. I found myself looking at people's faces, and wondering just what they had been through and what stories they could tell. I felt very emotional standing there because it was so much more obvious here just what was missing.

We left the shoreline and headed into Brooklyn itself - a lovely place that I would like to spend more time in on another visit but we were on our way to Coney Island. This involved a long subway ride, a short ride on a bus then back onto the subway and when we got there it was shut! There was a notice to say that it had shut down early as a mark of respect to those who had lost their lives. It was nice just to look at the place - it probably looks better when it is open and there are hundreds of people there, and walk along the boardwalk and even venture onto the beach. We went into Nathan's for one of their 'world famous' hot dogs, this is the place where they were supposed to have been invented. We then caught the subway back to Times Square where we split up again, after some more shopping we returned to the hotel where I managed to pack everything ready to come home. We met up with the others for a meal in TGI Fridays in Time Square - the largest one in the USA Then we walked back via The Blarney Stone for a night-cap - you can rely on finding a good Irish pub almost anywhere these days.

Saturday morning and I popped down to the hotel coffee shop for two fresh orange juices and two Danish pastries, I could not face another enormous breakfast and we were not due to meet up with the others until lunchtime, so we could all finish our packing and have a couple of hours doing our own thing. Steve and I wandered down 5th Avenue to admire the windows again. I had not realised that all the Christmas windows in the big stores are done by the same company. I had supposed that each store did their own but no, one company does them all and the planning, designing and constructing takes them all year.

As we were walking back to the hotel, I noticed people going in and out of Trump Tower and saw a list of shops - very discreetly displayed on the wall. I asked the doorman if we could go in, and after checking our bags we entered the lobby and our chins hit the floor! The entire place was built of pink marble, glass and brass, with real trees lining the entrance hall which leads down to the atrium, the end wall of which, consists of a three storey waterfall cascading into a lower courtyard. We did not go in any of the shops (Cartier, Galeries Lafayette and such like) but we did go up to the fifth floor where there is a restaurant and roof gardens, unfortunately shut in winter. We had seen the trees growing on the terraces from the third to the eighth floors from the other side of 5th Avenue, but did not realise that they were open to the public, another reason to return to this city.

We are all glad that we went to this wonderful city and I for one shall return. Maybe we would not have gone had it not been booked well before 11 September, who knows, but I am very glad that we did not cancel like most people expected us to. The city welcomes visitors, yes there is a lot of sadness, all the fire stations that you pass have black and purple drapes and photographs of their lost colleagues on show. Our hotel was full of State Troopers and other volunteer workers; in the lobby there was a large Christmas Tree and an empty cot when we arrived, with a sign asking for toys for the children of NYPD and FDNY who had lost their fathers. By the time we left, there were four full cots, and yes, we had added to them. New York is not going to forget what has happened to it, postcards showing the destruction are on sale, as well as some with before and after photographs. There are books on the history of the twin towers, showing how they were built and how they were destroyed - all proceeds from sales going to charity. The stars and stripes fly from every available building and car aerial; the dreadful events have united the people of New York. They care more now and are not so self-orientated.

So, my advice to anyone who was thinking of going to New York, is GO. It is still a wonderful city, there is so much to see and do, buy a week long subway ticket and get around as much as you can and see everything. There are still lots of things that I would like to go back and see so we shall return again in a few years time, perhaps one Spring, to see the city at a different time of year. While we were there, both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were still closed, but I think everything else has now reopened, including the helicopter trips. We were lucky enough to go up the Statue of Liberty and take a helicopter trip last time we came, but we had hoped to visit Ellis Island this trip - one day perhaps. A week may seem a long time for a city break, but this is a city that needs at least a week to get to know it. This was my second visit and I still have not seen and done everything that I would like to.

First published in VISA issue 45 (Spring 2002)

Highlights of a Low Country

By David Whiting

For many years I have combined my hobby as postcard collector with that of traveller. In 2006 I joined an Internet postcard exchange site called postcrossing.com through which I share my hobby with thousands of like-minded individuals in almost every country around the world. Occasionally there are meetings for Postcrossers; indeed I organise meetings myself in the east of England.

When a meeting was announced in the Netherlands in May 2014 I decided it would be an ideal opportunity to meet other Postcrossers and at the same time spend several days in the country visiting places I had not previously seen.

I bought a ferry ticket to travel with Stena Line from Harwich to Hoek van Holland. My ticket included a train ticket to any station in Holland; the return fare cost £80.00. It’s quite a lengthy journey, and I had two changes of train before I arrived at my base, Deventer, where I had been invited by a total stranger, a Finnish Postcrosser and her Dutch husband.

The Waag, Deventer

Deventer dates from 768 and its large harbour on the River IJssel enabled it to join the Hanseatic League. Its principal building beside the main city square is the Waag (public weigh-house), built in 1550. It now houses the city museum and Tourist Information Office (V.V.V). The cobblestones of this city, as elsewhere in the country, make for some sore footwork! Deventer has many lovely shops including several which satisfy the most discerning postcard collector!

Saturday was the day of the Postcrossing meeting. A leisurely train journey took us to the city of ‘s Hertogenbosch, also known as Den Bosch (in French Bois-le-Duc), originally the hunting forest of a Duke of Brabant. The city has the country’s finest cathedral, built in 1330-1550. Fifteen Postcrossers had arranged to meet at a café beside the cathedral and we all turned up gradually. Eventually we headed off around the city, buying postcards at the numerous outlets including a museum and a junk shop.

Postcrossers are very friendly people and I met friends new and old. Such meetings are not common, but do attract different members each time. We spent some time in a park where we wrote and collectively signed postcards which we sent to absent friends.

Sunday in the Netherlands is very different to Sunday in the UK. Here the towns can be almost as busy as any other day of the week. In the Netherlands it is extraordinarily quiet as the shops remain closed. We paid a short visit to Zutphen, a smaller town with medieval walls. It is another Hanseatic town in the River IJssel. There is a great town gate, several fine old buildings including the Old Town Hall built in 1460-62 and a hideous green New Town Hall.

Utrecht

On Monday we travelled by train to Utrecht, a much larger city. In most Dutch towns, cyclists believe they have priority and need to be avoided by other road-users. In Utrecht they may be regarded as Weapons of mass Destruction, such is the danger from cyclists and motorcyclists, even cycling in places where cycles are supposedly not allowed.

Utrecht is principally famous for its great cathedral, dating from 1254. Its massive tower was built in 1321-82, 112m tall, with 465 steps. There are guided tours (tickets from the VVV) but only for the fit! The views from the top are magnificent. The cathedral tower is now separated from the church section since a hurricane in 1674 destroyed the central part of the cathedral. It is best seen from the top of the tower.

I returned home on Tuesday, already wondering which meeting I may attend next year…

First published in VISA 117 (October 2014)