Our last night on the island of Malta. I think I can say we have delved fairly deeply into its mysteries: from the fantastic megalithic monuments which have made it one of the most important sites for ancient remains in the entire world, through cities enclosed by great limestone bastions and curtains dating from the Arab conquests of the 9th century, to the Crusader fortresses of the knights of Malta, and on to the docklands, destroyed by the Luftwaffe in World War 2 and so beautifully reconstructed in the traditional style by a perhaps slightly guilty British administration, in the years before Malta finally shrugged off its imperial masters in 1965.
But the British legacy remains: from the road signs, red pillar boxes and phone kiosks and traffic lights with their oh so English red-and-amber sequence, to the total penetration of the English language (over 90% are fluent), this is a very easy place for a Brit to visit. And despite some grey skies and brief periods of rain and high winds, this has been an extremely satisfying visit- I strongly recommend it- though I don't think I'd fancy it in September, when it is known for its intense heat and high humidity- phew! (I'd take some of that right now, though)
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