European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 01, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Mall Tel Insun National tourist office of Malta an Aerial View shows St. Paul s Cathedral in the walled City of Medina above. The Palace armoury in Valletta has More than 5,000 pieces of weapons and military hardware right. \ no Jonal tourist office of Malta continued from Page 13 breakfasts for just a couple of lire. England ruled the islands from 1800 until 1964" in fact Malta still remains a Republic within the Commonwealth and the maltese have a kindly affection for britons. But English and maltese fare Are not your Only choices. Lunch and dinner selections offer everything from american burgers hot dogs Etc chinese italian Middle Eastern and Creek food served sit Down or carryout. A Nice fish dinner for two Complete with a baked potato salad and a bottle of Fine maltese special Reserve red wine Cost about $20 at cranny s restaurant in Bug Ibba and How can you go wrong in a restaurant called cranny a. No matter where you stay or Dine getting around is easy the colourful Green Morris buses on Malta run regularly service air the cities and the fares Are cheap the 45-minute ride from Bug Ibba to Valletta is Only 20 maltese cents about 75 cents american Riding the buses provides terrific opportunities to see Malta. Taxis Cost a bit More but they won t put a Hole in your Wallet either the fare from Bug Ibba to the Airport about 20 minutes away is 6 maltese lire about $18. The unit of currency is the maltese lira also sometimes referred to As the.pound.,Rental cars Are readily available for everything from a Day week and longer trips. You can rent four wheel drives or take a group tour for some off Road sightseeing. But if you drive be warned. Malta maintains the British tradition of driving on the left hand Side of the Road the cars have the steering wheel on the right Side roundabouts Are frequent while Road signs Are not. For exploring the main Island by water of can take one of capt. Morgan s cruises Malta s major cruise line company it offers a wide variety of trips indu Dinga simple Bay cruise of the grand Harbor a Day cruise hitting All three islands and even a submarine ride for a fish Eye View of the underwater world. Chartering your own boat is another Way to see the islands. Regular ferry service is offered to Sicily and Tunisia from several tour agencies. You can Book any of these cruises at most ticket agencies on the islands. The vast majority of Malta is Catholic and the country has some 3,000 churches. Many festivals celebrating a town s Patron Saint a religious Holiday or seemingly life in general Are held throughout the islands. These parties which last one or More Days Are big events for the locals who go All out to celebrate. Homes and churches Are Given new Coats of paint the town squares and roundabouts Are spruced up. Each town feels Honor bound to outdo the neighbouring towns in Good times entertainment and fireworks. Many maltese towns were heavily fortified by the knights of St. John during the r reign from 1530 to 1798. After their Victory in 1565 during what is known As the great siege against the ottomans the knights kept fortifying Malta for the next 250 years or so. The result is that today Many towns retain the look of impregnable medieval fortresses landlocked in time. Medina is an excellent example As Are the three cities Singlea cosmic a and Vittoriosa mosta and Victoria. Another such town now the country s capital is Valletta. Built soon after the great siege it was designed from the ground up to be heavily fortified and easily defended. The majority of the knights history is found Here most of the the former palaces the armory the inquisitor s Palace St. John s co Cathedral Malta s Man made jewel and More. The artist Caravaggio s masterpiece the beheading of St. John painted in Malta in 1608, hangs in the Cathedral. From Valletta you also have Superb views of the three cities and the grand  the past Malta s tourism companies have promoted a cruise ship offers a tour of Valletta arid its grand Harbor Cal aspect of the islands. But in recent years a t t f. I. .1 a . 1h-. -3imii in a Vici 3imi1 in i Wui . Snorkel in scuba diving sailing. Landlubbers can Delight in the Isla id s offerings of Golf and horseback Riding. For an Active vacation or just a kick Back and drink Cool one Malta is a great Choice. After All what can you say a Bou an Island with two traffic lights 25 diving schools a a the big Blue. For information about Malta Contact the National tourist office of Malta 280 Republic St., Valletta Malta. You Call a so Call the Tom in Frankfurt Germany at 069 28 58 90 or Send a fax 069 28 54 79. Oor or. Is a writer living in Wiesbaden Germany. National tourist office of Malta National tourist office of Malta the Interior of St. John s which was built in the late 1500s. This mosaic floor was left by the romans. A september i 1994 stripes Magazine 75 14 stripes Magazine september 1, 1994