Mellieha, Malta

Off to Gozo it goes. A ride on the Gozo Channel ferry allows you to see all three islands of the Maltese archipelago: Malta, Gozo, and Camino. Which two are visible here? In archipelagic states, ferry links are not a luxury; they are a necessity. [2009]

Valetta, Malta

Bay windows add floorspace and maximize the potential for natural lighting (and heating) in flats like these. They also increase the possibilities for invigilating the street, even if it is the pets who are keeping watch. Jane Jacobs would approve. [2009]

Mellieħa, Malta

Three main islands constitute the archipelagic republic of Malta: Malta, Gozo, and Camino. This ferry, one of many run by the Gozo Channel Line, connects the first two, and the trip takes only half an hour. The country's ferry connections to mainland Europe are all to Italy, and there are no ferry connections to Africa. [2009]

Birgu, Malta

Malta's Castrum Maris's innards go back to the 13th century. Those innards, however, were expanded into a complete fortress to protect the harbor. Quite a harbor it is, too, and quite a shame to waste such a capacious anchorage on a small island. Such a grand harbor really deserves a continent to back it up. [2009]

Victoria, Gozo, Malta

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Clocks: Time ticketh away: The end of the year will soon be upon us. Clocks on the landscape make time so ever-present (ever-threatening, too). They are provided, presumably as a service, by governments, churches, and businesses. Why? [2009]

Valetta, Malta

Gallarija Falza / شرفة زائفة / falso balcon: Do you recognize the languages? They would be the ones spoken in the countries bordering the central Mediterranean. In fact, the first language is a mélange of the second two (and more). What does she find her gallarija falza good for? Drying clothes. [2009]

Valetta, Malta

Malta became and independent state in 1964, but the British left behind a predilection for draughts, a 2-player game, played on an 8-by-8 board. Draughts? Americans call it checkers. [2009]

Victoria, Gozo, Malta

Roman Catholic churches all over Malta are hearing these words (in Maltese) on this third Sunday of Advent: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things by prayer and supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God." [2009]

Valetta, Malta

If Malta is the "land of honey," then these are honey bees. But, their honey is Cisk, the nectar of the island nation, now with an export market, but penultimately Maltese. Cisk: lager beer since 1928. [2009]

Valetta, Malta

Don't discount the role of food and drink in nation-building. Malta doesn't. For indigenes of the archipelago, there is a preferred alcoholic beverage: Cisk. And, there is a preferred non-alcoholic beverage: Kinnie. Devotion to Cisk and Kinnie define what it means to be Maltese. [2009]

Mellieħa, Malta

If you were from the British Isles and wanted to go scuba diving, you might think about the Maltese Isles. Why? Hint 1: thermometry. Hint 2: clarity. Hint 3: colony. [2009]

Victoria, Gozo, Malta

'Profoundly Roman Catholic' might be the best way to characterize the landscape of Gozo. Every home carries a mark of religious devotion. Enmuraled effigies of the Virgin Mary are common, and the red door at this address adds yet another mark of piety to the streetscape. [2009]

Valetta, Malta

It's just as it should be in a country once under control of the Brits: Expect a pub on every corner and a story from every guest. [2009]

Victoria, Gozo, Malta

The pop culture pie includes a very large piece spiked with place-promoting propaganda. Think about your many shirts, socks, ties, scarves, and hats that refer to the places where you have lived or visited. "Gozomania" suggests a new term for the larger phenomenon: topomania. [2009]

Victoria, Gozo, Malta

The twin islands of Gozo and Malta are among the greatest transportation museums in the world. Albeit from another era, Tiger Cubs and their cousins flow like red, white, and orange corpuscles along the archipelago's transport arteries, oxygenating local economies and establishing themselves as part of the nation's patrimony. [2009]

Victoria, Gozo, Malta

What happens when a Pope visits one of his parishes? Parishioners erect a statue in front of their cathedral. Adding to the authenticity of this place-making art is the pedigree of the sculptor: he's a Gozitan. Papa Gwanni Pawlu II (in the Maltese language) visited the Gozo cathedral in 1990. [2009]

Victoria, Gozo, Malta

Fruits and vegetables add color to otherwise drab sidewalks, but too much of that color is hiding behind those greenish bins (hardly a hue out of nature's palette). If you are going to show off your produce, do it right. Let it molt. [2009]

Victoria, Gozo, Malta

Rock walls and terraced fields lead up to the old (3,500 years old!) fortified city of Victoria on the island of Gozo. The city is still known locally by its former name, Rabat, and at its heart is the Cathedral of the Assumption. Surrounding the cathedral like a crown of thorns are intermittent rings of paddle cactuses, imports from the Americas. [2009]

Victoria, Gozo, Malta

Here's what café society looks like on the island of Gozo: all men, all 'mature.' Does it remind you more of Italy or Tunisia? Do you see the evidence of globalization? No? Those chairs have taken over patios, porches, and rooftops all over the world. What did people sit in before the age of ubiquitous plastic? [2009]

Ġgantija,Gozo, Malta

Ġgantija takes us back 5500 years, even before Egypt's Pyramid Age began. The era was neolithic (new stone age) and the construction was megalithic (built with large stones). In 1980, these and other temples in Malta were listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. [2009]