Tag: Travel Sustainably

And how you can make your own movie

🏛️ Cultural Influences in Malta – More Than Just a Week

One told me that you only need one week to explore and see all the important sightseeing. Just to spoil at the very beginning this advice: no, definitely you’ll need more time if you want to learn a bit more about the rich culture and history.

We stayed one week and we were not able to explore everything. How would this even be possible if the Arabs, Italians, and British influenced the Maltese archipelago over the centuries?

The Maltese language is the only Semitic language in the whole of Europe, even though we found some familiar words from the Italian influence like the simple thank you which is “grazzi”. OK, my Italian is not good enough, but English works well, of course ☺

🌆 Exploring Valletta – A UNESCO World Heritage Site Full of Secrets

Once you start exploring the main island where we stayed and take some time to walk a walk in Valletta, capital of Malta and UNESCO World Heritage. The city is so impressive that I’ll share only a few highlights we came across, because every corner and palazzo seems to have some secrets to be discovered.

We were strolling along the main street to get the first impressions of Valletta while the Malta Society of Arts which is located in a former “palazzo” caught our attention. It was open to the public and once we entered we saw a spacious inner courtyard where our thoughts could fly away while listening to some piano music someone was playing within the building. We went to the first floor where an exhibition about photography was waiting from beautiful landscapes to different people showing them expressing their different emotions. On the same floor was a small chapel that took us back in time showcasing the rich art of the past, the artwork of this particular space which was dedicated to the La Salle family. The whole place told us of the grandeur of the past in brown and golden colours while preserving art that is open to the public.

🌿 Barrakka Gardens & Grand Harbour – Scenic Views and Movie History

Impressed and inspired we continued our first walk through the city, heading for the Lower and Upper Barrakka Gardens, some beautiful spots of greenery where we lost ourselves in the beauty of the sight of the Grand Harbour and the three cities taking some time to adore the wonderful skyline, the lush greens and the quietness of people who seemed to enjoy the same. While our walk we discovered that there were a lot of signs to inform us about the scenery and the movies which were shot all over Valletta and the forts in the three cities. Maybe you’ll find the scene of one of your favorites?

🎬 Filming in Malta – Game of Thrones, Popeye & More

Below the Upper Barrakka Garden, we found the Saluting Battery, which we visited on another day. It was very interesting with regards to the fact that the saluting was special to state the exact time for astronomical navigation. After visiting this special place, which is also used for ceremonial and military purposes, we took a break in the Upper Barrakka Gardens, where we could enjoy two musicians who played…guess what? The main theme of “Game of Thrones”.

The film industry is super important in Malta, as we learned from friends we met during our stay, stating that the days are long, which reduces the costs of a film shoot. That’s because the natural daylight can be used longer for the film shots. Another important fact is the cultural influence so many cities like Valletta or Mdina have, which can showcase the film set of a Mediterranean city or even an Arabic city. How can you become a movie star, you may ask? Let me tell you later on 😉

🛐 St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral – British Influence in Maltese Culture

Another interesting place we came across was St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, where we could learn about the British influence in Malta. The Cathedral was founded in the 19th century and commissioned by Queen Adelaide, who wished for an Anglican Church on the Island. Once you enter the Cathedral, you’ll see a portrait of the current King of the United Kingdom. And of course, English is one of the most important languages and a second language besides Italian on the island, which connects locals to tourists, filmmakers, and all those who don’t know the Maltese language to each other.

🍝 Where to Eat in Malta – Local Food Beyond Valletta

Since most of the tourists visit Valletta, you’ll find fantastic restaurants and a rich variety of food from Maltese, Italian, and international food, but also the higher tourist prices. When you would like to have local food, take the bus to some of the places and smaller cities inside the island and look around. I’m sure you’ll find something great. But don’t ask me where we stopped; it was a location with only 3 bus stops ☺ But the food was rich in flavour with lots of vegetables and locals who enjoyed it the same.

🏰 Mdina & Rabat – Stepping into the Silent City

Let’s move on to Mdina and maybe you remember it from somewhere? Well, it was one of the cities they used for Game of Thrones and the set for King’s Landing in the first season. The city is worth a visit since it was founded by the Phoenicians and later on under Roman and Arabic influence. They call it the Silent City and it’s true: once we entered the main gates which are part of the huge wall and even though a few tourists were just as curious as us…we rarely heard a car or the masses of people we saw at Valletta or the Christmas Market in Rabat.

It’s indeed very, very silent, besides a handful of cars and from time to time a bypassing horse-drawn carriage taking interested travelers around the place. It felt like a time travel, hiding us behind the thick walls of the city with its pastel houses and palazzos and less sound than we would expect from such a popular place. Smaller streets led us to even smaller squares which were nearly empty thanks to the rainy weather and the advantage travelling in the off-season brought to us.

🌍 Sustainable Travel in Malta – Nature, Green Spaces & Public Transport

Forgetting time about strolling around the beautiful city we reminded ourselves that after the windy weather, it was time to leave and continue the adventure the other day heading for dinner and back to the hotel. It’s worth mentioning that in Malta they have a fantastic concept to build resilient and sustainable urban spaces: the wall trench of Mdina (and also Valletta) is recreated into a public garden with arts spaces to sit and relax. It looked like a beautiful addendum and natural to the cityscape without disturbing the historical scenery.

Once we were in Mdina, another day we wanted to visit the nearby city, too. Rabat doesn’t only provide you with the best Pastizzi at the Serkin Crystal Palace close to Mdina, but also the Crypts. What? Don’t worry, it’s not getting scary, but one of the most interesting learnings for me was that people with different religious backgrounds were buried at this place, stating that whatever culture and religion we have, we are all the same: humans. And seeing how beautifully Malta was influenced by many cultures, all of them were the foundation for what Malta is today and why it’s so unique and enchanting once we decide to discover it. Probably that’s why it enchanted international movie makers, too.

🎭 Be a Star in Popeye Village – A Fun Filming Experience

As I mentioned before, the Island is popular among filmmakers, and there is Popeye Village, which is the whole movie scenery from the 80s movie with Robin Williams. And yes, I dare to say that he was one of my favorite actors, and I particularly loved his movies in my childhood. The whole “village” was vivid while tourists and actors were buzzing around the place.

Once we entered, it reminded me of the Disney parks, and indeed, the movie was also produced by it. It’s possible to enter some of the houses where the movie characters like Olive Oyl and her family live, and paying attention to the details like the furniture and tableware, she might just come around and say hello to you with Popeye.

And how does it connect to the question of how you can be a movie star? Popeye Village is the place to go because the actors will at one point reach out and ask you to play a scene in the movie! Do you want to be Popeye or discover your inner villain? Then let’s go! The whole scene is shot by the camera and afterward can be seen in the cinema. The staff will let you know when it’s ready, and you can buy it at an affordable price after the show. And no, I never mentioned that you’ll become rich and famous, but a movie star☺. So immerse yourself as the hero of the day or the supervillain. My significant other played a villain, and as a spectator, I admit it was a lot of fun with the bunch of people coming together and getting out of their comfort zone.

🙏 Final Thoughts & Thanks

If you want to discover sustainable inspiration, take some time to stroll along the gardens I already mentioned in Valletta and Mdina. Otherwise, we took some time to explore Ghadira Nature Reserve in Biskara, where we learned that the island is a habitat for migratory birds on their way to the South, offering a little break and a contrast to visiting museums and learning about history and culture.

Transportation in one way is sustainable because I can strongly recommend taking the bus to go from A to B on the island. What I can’t recommend is renting a bike if you don’t feel safe without an extra cycle path and with the left-hand traffic, as I did. And yes, people have a special style of driving, and I was reminded that I should go faster several times :D.

I’d like to thank Kiva and her husband Mo for giving us some impressions about Malta and taking us to the place with the wonderful local food.