Flying high

Barry Napier says that when he first visited Malta it was still very quaint and he loved the old post-war vehicles 'that hurtled around blind bends':

..I still smile at what we saw in the capital, Valetta… a very old car totally brown with rust, its top cut off, all its innards removed except for the driving seat – which wasn’t even fixed to the floor – and no clocks or other dials..

..Also at that time Malta had a very small fleet of old jets, with few passengers compared to other airlines. But the Maltese air-crews were lovely folks, homely and helpful. From ‘planes to country, Malta is superb, but, as everyone will tell you, you either hate the place or love it! This is because it is not the usual nightlife hot-spot with rowdy teenagers, but a country steeped in history and ancient sites, very safe to walk around even at night.

In summer the island is uniformly stone-coloured with little greenery or flowers, because of intense heat and dust. Each season is different, bringing a wide variety of experiences for those who visit regularly. Go in late winter and you’ll get your greenery and flowers!..

I love Malta, but, until now, I would not have considered a short-break there because it would have been far too costly. In fact, I have always booked in two-week stretches, to make it financially worthwhile. Now, Air Malta is bringing in very competitive prices, so short-breaks are now a real possibility for Europeans...