These directions are given by the wonderfully friendly Maltese whenever you ask to be guided anywhere in Malta. In eastern Malta, we asked for directions to the Tarxien Temples (stone temples older than Stonehenge), we are told “go to the end of the road, turn left, ask for directions at the church.” We asked directions to the fort in central Malta, “go to the end of the road, turn left, ask for directions at the church.” We asked for directions to the Mdina experience in western Malta, “go to the end of the road, . . . ” You get the point. Despite the fact that the Maltese highways have no signs indicating what road you are on and every direction apparently heads toward Valetta (the capital) and Gozo (another island the opposite direction generally from the capital), we stumbled our way around the beautiful island of Malta during our first long weekend of the program. A real benefit of participating in the programs for students and professors is the opportunity to explore other places in addition to magnificent Venice.
Festa of St. Andrew, Luqa, Malta – Ground fireworks
The highlight of the trip was the local “festa” for which Maltese villages are known. These yearly festivals are held in honor of the patron saint of the village. The village streets are bedecked with lights, banners, and statues of the saint. The local church (to which we had to return and turn left, of course) was decorated with glorious red damask cloth, shiny chandeliers and gilded statues. Local social clubs open their doors selling local food and beer cheap. The village’s two marching bands roam through the streets, competing to “outplay” their rivals. Street vendors sell food, ice cream, candy, toys and souvenirs. There even was a Hawaiin Ice cart! The best, however, were the fireworks, both aerial and ground. I’d never seen ground fireworks before. They are fireworks attached to 15-20 foot mechnical frames that spin and twirl when the fireworks go off. They were spectacular. The best part of the festa was that it was truly for locals and only of a few of us tourists intruded. Fortunately, the Maltese were welcoming and gracious throughout.