Malta: A dazzling visual treat but an inexplicable culinary disappointment

Large parts of Game of Thrones, Gladiator and Munich have been shot in Malta

There were seven of us from the same family — two from the Netherlands, five from India. We had to meet somewhere for a holiday. And after circling the globe on WhatsApp, we fixed on the tiny European archipelago, Malta. Along with sister islands, Gozo and Comino, it lies in the Mediterranean sea south of Italy and north of Africa. What was not to like?

And then we found Kiostro, a 350-year-old farmhouse in Zurrieq (pronounced Zurray) in the suburbs of Malta on Airbnb. Left to myself I’d have spent the whole week just meandering along its secret stairways, lounging in the inner courtyard with its small pool or having tea on one of its many little terraces. Danielle and Clinton, our hosts, had done a great job of refurbishing it, the antiquated plumbing notwithstanding.

But how could I resist sunnily monochromatic Malta? The June sunshine played up the light yellow limestone that is used on almost all buildings. The air was cool and the temperature a crisp 21-28 degrees Celsius. And you could simply walk and walk and get lost in time.

Tourists on the island of Gozo | Photo: iStock

Whether it is in Mdina, the old capital also known as Città Vecchia or Città Notabile and which is reminiscent of the Latin Quarter in Barcelona, or the up-and-down capital Valletta, Malta has a medieval look and feel that makes it a favourite with film makers. Large parts of Game of Thrones, Gladiator and Munich, among dozens of other films, have been shot either in the cities of Malta or on the Malta Film Studios compound. One of the biggest Hindi releases lined up for this year, Yashraj Films’ Thugs of Hindostan starring Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, was shot in Malta too.

The Mediterranean Sea that surrounds Malta is the way through which almost every invader known to man has come to Malta — Arabs, Normans, the Sicilians, the Spanish, the Knights of St John and the French, you name it... Malta attained independence from the British, its last master, in 1964. The influences of so many invaders are visible all over — in its architecture and its language, Maltese, which has a heavy Arabic influence. The Maltese people take great pride in describing themselves as a diverse, multicultural country that wants to move forward and refuses to dwell in the past. It made me wish that Indians who are so hung up on “correcting” 700-year-old artefacts, monuments and issues would just start looking to the future.

A narrow street in Valletta | Photo: iStock

Funnily enough, this diversity is absent from Malta’s food. Pizzas, burgers, chicken nuggets and ice-cream seem to be the most popular, easily available foods. In every restaurant we went to locals were always ordering large pizzas or taking them home. We were not on a budget, only three of us were vegetarian and all seven of us are very open to experimenting. Yet, restaurant after restaurant left us disappointed.

Among the limited local options we encountered were rabbit stew, Maltese cheese, a rather insipid bean dip and Maltese sausages. The best meal I had — and I take food and cooking very seriously — was paella (which is Spanish) in Valletta on our last night. Maltese wines, though, are a saving grace: they are excellent, especially the rosé. In most Western European countries, both local and world cuisine is plentifully and easily available. Why Malta doesn’t have a range of restaurants that serve Mediterranean, French, Turkish, Arabic or other cuisines is beyond me. We found only one restaurant serving Maltese cuisine and that was shut on a weekday evening.

A lane in Mdina | Photo: iStock

The result of a diet heavy of pizzas and ice-cream? Well, I stumbled upon the answer fortuitously at the Cassarini Restaurant near the Blue Grotto, or the Blue Caves, one of the most beautiful and serene things you will see on the island. I had an (indifferent) meal of duck meat. The better half and others in the group had chicken, pasta and other things. But none of us could finish our food. The helpings, as usual, were too large. When I asked the Maltese waitress why they served such large helpings she said that the Maltese complained if they were small. “It is not good, you know. We have the highest levels of obesity in the European Union (according to the World Health Organization),” she said.

How to get there
 
There is no direct flight from Delhi to Malta. You can fly into most major cities in Europe and then take a flight into Malta. We took a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul (6 hours and 45 minutes) and from thereon to Malta (2 hours and 25 minutes). The total flying time is over nine hours. But the wait at Istanbul is a full six hours, each way.
 
What to see there

• If you enjoy walking, go for the cliff walks in Gozo and around the Blue Grotto, near Dingli (on the main island of Malta).
• The water caves, especially the Blue Grotto or Blue Cave close to Zurreiq in South Malta, are ethereal.
• Visit the capital city of Valletta and the old capital city, Mdina, to get a true sense of Malta.
• There are plenty of beaches to go swimming or diving.