Ancient and modern

Malta is a melting pot for ancient history and modern amenities, writes David Bear for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, following a visit to Malta with his wife Sari:

..As my wife, Sari, and I discovered during a too-brief visit at the completion of a late-September cruise, the Maltese islands may be small, but they are remarkably well endowed with ancient history as well as modern amenities. The vast majority of the country's 400,000 inhabitants live on Malta's northwest corner in the walled city of Valletta and the ring of satellite towns that blend seamlessly around it. Called "a city for gentlemen built by gentlemen," the whole of baroque Valletta has been declared a World Heritage City.

Settlements to the east across the harbor — Vittorioso, Senglia and Cospicua — are more working-class, while Gwardamangia, Ta' Xbiex, Gezira and Sliema to the west are a more fashionable district.Farther west, the former fishing villages of St. Julian's and Paceville have become tourism centers, with high hotels, restaurants and lots of other leisure amenities fitted in tight ranks along the slopes and shoreline of the small bays.

Because we had only two days to explore, we decided to rent a car. Based on the 20-minute, early Sunday-morning cab ride from the ship's pier in the city of Valletta to the small hotel by the bay in the village of St. Julian's, we realized that taxis can be expensive. And although public buses on Malta are cheap, colorful and relatively convenient, we knew they wouldn't be the most efficient way to make the most of our Sunday and Monday..

And although compact, the islands are not simple to negotiate. Driving on Malta is a challenge because of the left-hand drive roads, standard-transmission cars, difficult-to-read directional signs and tangle of narrow, poorly maintained roads. Don't forget the high stone walls that line every back lane, making it impossible to see around the next corner, or Maltese drivers who also seem to be very aggressive. Judging by the care the young man who delivered the vehicle took in cataloging the dents and dings, minor damage is a familiar factor. Fortunately, in a perverse way, driving challenges such as these only added to my enjoyment...