DarrenBarefoot.com

I know nothing about Malta either - but if I could try and hijack this into a ‘Where to go’ line of discussion - I’d suggest New Zealand, or perhaps Rio.(never been to either, but I suspect they would be wonderful places to live for awhile, for very different reasons)

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I know people who’ve been. Great weather, gorgeous architecture and incredibly densely packed towns where, as a pedestrian, you take your life in your hands dealing with traffic in the narrow, narrow streets.

It’s great that you can even consider doing this!

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Patagonia ! Come to Patagonia.

As an Argentinian who did graduate studys in Canada (U of C) and came back to Patagonia I can assure you there is no shortage of adventure here !!!

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Hi,
I came across your blog when checking recent mentions of Malta in blogs. I am Maltese - Gozitan really from the smaller island). I cannot really tell what exactly you want to know about the island but judging by your worries of expats and Brits I would suggest you consider living in Gozo rather than the busier Malta. The only drawback there could be that the people are laid back - so much so that the island’s motto is : The Place Where Time Stood Still. But if its idyllic surroundings, friendly people and nice climate you are looking for Gozo has to be the island.

Should you have any further questions just drop a comment on my blog.

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Hi Darren, I am from malta although i have been living in Sydney for the past two years. 400,000 people and over 5000 years of history crammed in 246 square-km. The living is good and it scores very high on the most-happy-country lists. Like Jacques said, the island of gozo might be a better option for you as it gives you a bit more space. Quite accessible from EU and also african countries. Real Estate is becoming very expensive so that could be a good investment. Cheers.

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Well. Seems like Christine got a bad holiday indeed. I’m sorry it turned out that way but I guarantee you that it looks more like you were very unlucky. I’ve seen instances of what you described in Italy, in France and in Djerba - not to mention Germany. On a bad weekend even London can seem ugly and bad. What I mean to say is maybe you did not give Malta enough time or your holiday was shadowed by some negative vibe.

You should try it again one more time.. and this time do not miss Gozo!

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You want adventure, tropical, fun and off-the-beaten-path (ish)

Cartagena..

Read a blog entry about it here

(written by a well-travelled Indian girl who spent a year living in Colombia while working with Aiesec)

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I am from Ireland and am thinking of going to Uni next year in Malta. I was wondering if someone could let me know how expensive it is to live there and also would it be difficult to get a job.

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Hi There,

I am of Maltese origin and lucky enough to have lived in several well known cities of our western civilisations, in fact at the moment I am living in France. For me, there is no place like Malta, It is the only place where I can actually live life to the full all year round without being rich or waiting for the next holidays. If I consider the saying about Malta “You hate it or you love it” very true, it is because it explains it very well, Like all things with high flavour and high character, one cannot remain indifferent, but one can only love it or hate it. We the Maltese are however very lucky and grateful that the large majority of visitors do fall in love with it and recognise the islands virtues. Having said this, I do not want to give an idea that Malta is a paradise, because as everywhere, human problems follow humans, and by personal experience I can say the “get away from it all” is a naive attitude and non-existent in this world of ours.

I think that whether one likes or dislikes Malta depends on the characters and the individual attitudes towards life itself, and maybe on a lighter tone, a sort of mental confusion of what one looks for while on holiday, or simply not well prepared for the trip. I am saying this because I have often studied our islands visitors, and could not help noticing that in general tourists who dislike their Maltese experience, whether on a short or a long stay, have not actually entered in contact with the Maltese and the Maltese way of life. Visitors, that looked at things as though they where in a shop window. There was therefore, no one to explain our philosophy towards life here. In fact, every time I and others like me, had the opportunity to acquaint visitors on a personal level and show them around, spend time together, present our families and friends and show them the country from the inside and through our eyes, I can say that they always loved Malta and the Maltese and that most of them come back. The funny thing is that quite a lot of visitors grumble about this and that imperfection and so on, of which Malta is admittedly a champion, however, the indescribable magic and special feeling one finds in this country is second to none. Only for the one who know how to look and deserves it!

To help you get the picture and conclude, I will say that before one decides to come to Malta, one must understand and realise that Malta is not just any other tourist destination, not just another island in the sun belonging to a greater mother nation, and even less a sort of fun park where everything is destined to baffle and fall into the visitors mouth. Malta is a nation in itself, and like all nations there is good and bad, with the difference that the Maltese archipelago is just a meagre 316² km, with a very high population density. All this resulting in the fact, the commodity or discomfort of having everything you can imagine, the mysteries, the specific things to discover and all the usual things and activities that exist in all our occidental nations, accessible and close by to the one that knows how to look, that deems to scratch the paint and see what’s behind the scene.

Following, I have included a letter published on the “Times of Malta” and which describes in other words my humble opinion.
“Home away from home for Briton on 101st visit
At best, you could risk being labelled unadventurous or lacking in imagination if you travelled on holiday to the same country over 100 times! Then again, you could just be in love with it, having “lost your heart” to it from the first time you visited. That is the case for 77-year-old repeat British tourist Ida Whitehead and her husband - who give the word “repeat” a new meaning, removing any connotations of monotony. “There are no in betweens: You either love Malta, or you hate it,” she claims on her 101st return. And of course, there is no question about the orientation of her feelings, although she admits her closest friend did not share her thoughts. Ms Whitehead first visited Malta in the 1960s on her husband’s invitation. He had entered the island twice on a troop ship, and though he had never disembarked, Grand Harbour had captivated him. Since then, the Whiteheads have visited Malta several times a year - so many times that their trips have, coincidentally, coincided with the arrival of Queen Elizabeth, Gorbachev and the Pope - and the gaps in between have been minimal. Their shortest sojourn has been two weeks and they often stay up to three months, but the best times of the year for Ms Whitehead are, most certainly, spring and autumn. “I do not really like coming in summer due to the heat,” she says, sporting a deep tan under a summery outfit of flowered shorts and matching vest. The only reason why she is in Malta in July is because of the Gzira feast. The Whitheads are members of the band club - probably the only non-Maltese - and took great pride in walking behind the band on the occasion last week and participating in the revelry. “We had friends calling out to us from their balconies, welcoming us back,” she said. Indeed, one of Malta’s major bonuses is the friendliness, hospitality and helpfulness of the locals, which the Whiteheads love to mingle with. “They are like family,” she says, recounting numerous experiences that prove her opinion of the Maltese. “We have so many occasions and events to attend,” she says, listing “weddings, baptisms, grizmas,” the works… Her favourite spots on the island are, indisputably, Sliema and Gzira, where they have often rented apartments. But she has stayed at the Palm Court Hotel in Qawra 42 times - since it opened around two decades ago and the owner was still young, handsome and slim. (”Now we are both big,” she laughs, using size as a benchmark of time.) Its general manager, Victor Spiteri, considers the couple to be part of the furniture and fittings, not tourists, and says the rooms are not referred to by their numbers, but by the names of its regular guests, who always keep the same accommodation. What does Ms Whitehead dislike about Malta? “The climate is lovely; the people are lovely; the hotel is lovely; the management cannot do enough. The only downside is the complaining British tourists. They are always grumbling” - and Malta’s self-appointed ambassador tells them: “What more do you want?” It is not that the Whiteheads do not know any better. They are seasoned globetrotters and have travelled the world. But the US and Malta remain the only two destinations Ms Whitehead always wants to return to. “It is like home,” she states, adding that when she returns to Surrey, where she resides, after a few weeks, she tells her husband she is “homesick”, and he immediately understands that he should book a holiday to Malta.”
While hoping for the best for you and your family,
Regards,
Mike.

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