Category: Experiences
-
Strait Street Valletta
25th May 1973 (on my way to meet Archbishop Gonzi) Before I arrived at the Archbishop’s Palace a rather peculiar incident took place. I was late and hurried through Strait Street (as a newcomer in Malta I did not yet know its rather questionable reputation. From a bar a scarcely dressed woman not only addressed…
-
My first trip to Gozo
In those days Father Charles Vella was making a popular tv-program called Djalogu. He invited me to join his crew and collected me very early in the morning from St. Paul’s Bay on the way to the ferry. I was surprised to see that the ferryboat originally had been in use in the province of…
-
Getting accustomed
In the meantime we tried to get ourselves accustomed to living in Tal-Furi in particular and to Malta in general. Whenever there was time for a drive we would explore another part of the island. The children loved it when we would eat out. Especially The Wimpy (Valletta, Gzira or Sliema) was a favourite. I…
-
Getting to know the Church
Originally posted on Facebook, 13th April I was supposed to study Church-State relations in Malta, but had hardly any knowledge about the Church I was going to study. I was raised in a Protestant family in Rotterdam. My mother told me that, before she was married, she was employed as a pharmacist’s assistant. Her employer…
-
Figolli
Thinking about the Maltese figolli makes me very nostalgic From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Figolla is a Maltese pastry stuffed with a marzipan-like filling and served as an Easter sweet.[1][2][3] These are often shaped like hearts, crosses, stars, fish, bunnies, any symbol which links to Christianity, particularly Catholicism, but in modern times these can be…
-
Malta in 1973
(originally posted on Facebook, 4 and 5 th April 2023) In 1973 Malta was an independent country with the British Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State. She was represented locally by a Maltese Governor-General. Father Charles’ advice I started my research a few days later at Dun Charles’ office as Director of the Cana…
-
Our first day in Malta
(originally posted on Facebook, 3rd April 2023) The next day, Saturday 7th April, I bought my first copy of The Times of Malta in a small shop on Tower Road. I wonder if it is still there. We had to make ourselves familiar with the recently introduced Malta pound or lira (Lm), which was divided…
-
Our first arrival in Malta, now 50 years ago
(originally posted on Facebook, 2nd April 2023) I became interested in Malta in the late sixties of the previous century. After I managed to get a small research grant we (my wife, our two children and me) drove in early April 1973 overland in five days via Belgium, France and Italy to Siracusa, where we…