My Maltese Adventure 2015: Week 17: The Secret Garden

After a long week trying to get some assignments out of the way, we took a more relaxed pace this week as our classes have now all officially finished, meaning we were able to join Rachel’s parents in some sight-seeing. Despite having thought I had seen the majority of Malta I was definitely proved wrong this week! It started as I found gardens hidden behind large walls and gates amongst the narrow and twisty streets which I have walked past many times without even realising! I really enjoyed walking through the gardens as Malta is densely built up and it was nice to be in a more relaxed paced setting.

St Anton Gardens

Whilst out exploring with Rachel’s parents we visited the first museum of our trip, The Malta At War Museum. Having done history as one of my A-Level’s and having a genuine interest in it I really enjoyed the trip. As a result I now have a better understanding of Malta’s history and how this has affected its culture. Malta has always been ruled and influenced by other dominant powers including most recently Italy and Britain. As a result of these rulings you can see different elements of their culture in Malta. For example you can see British influences as, English is one of the two main languages spoken here, they drive on the left hand side, they have the same electricity sockets found in Britain- different from the rest of Europe and you can also find the iconic British red telephone boxes with the picture of the crown in most towns. Italian influences can be found most notably in their food and in their language as a lot of people will say ‘ciao’ instead of the traditional Maltese farewell ‘sahha’.

The Malta at War Museum

Some of the many unexploded bombs from the war

Going down into the air raid shelter

Some of the dorms in the air raid shelters

During the Second World War Malta was valued for its strategic location in the Mediterranean and its closeness to Italy. As a result it was always high on the enemy’s agenda and was a major target for German and Italian bombing, where despite the small size of Malta it is was the most bombed area during the war, with 3,343 air raids having been recorded during the war. During our tour of the museum we got to explore through an underground air raid shelter which was used during the war. Due to the sustained bombing on Malta, the air raid shelters were commonly used and this one even had a separate room for women giving birth! The bombing had a significant impact on the infrastructure throughout the country. Many homes and buildings were destroyed during the attacks and the economy suffered hugely. Subsequently Malta has received lots of investment to help restore this, especially after becoming a member of the European Union in 2004. The EU has poured in major investment into Malta which can be seen in many projects in different towns, especially in Valletta, the capital city, where the original entrance and many other buildings have been restored.