Reader\'s Digest AU NZ 03.2020

MALTA

AREA: 316 sqkm

POPULATION:around430,000

E

venif youhaven’tbeentoMalta,
it’spossibleyou’refamiliarwith
itssun-drenchedlandscapesor
ancientlimestonebuildingsfrom a
sceneina movieorTVse-
ries.Morethan 100 inter-
nationalproductionshave
beenmadehere,atleastin
part,includingGladiator,
TroyandGameofThrones.
For the film version of
Popeye, a brightlycoloured
cartoonvillagewascon-
structed,andithasnow
becomeoneofthecountry’s
maintouristattractions.
Visitorsf lockhereforthe
guaranteeofsunshine(at
least 3000 hoursayear),
thediving(reefsandsunkenships
abound)anda richandcolourfulhis-
torythatgoesbacktoNeolithictimes.
Countlessnationshavelaidclaimto
this21-islandarchipelagooverthe
centuries,andmosthavelefttheir
markinonewayoranother– notto
mentiontheKnightsofStJohn,who
PHOTOS: (THIS AND NEX T PAGE) SHUT TERSTOCKbequeathed the country its famous

eight-pointedcrossanditsfortified

capitalofValletta.

One landmarkthat’s sadlyno

longertobeseenistheAzureWin-

dow,a28-metre-highrock arch

onthecoastoftheislandofGozo.

LongoneofMalta’smostpopular

landmarks,itcollapsedonestormy

morninginMarch2017,thegiant

pillarfallingfirst,followedbythe

toppartofthearch.Notraceofit now

remainsabovethesea.

Ona visittoMaltabeforemeeting

PrinceHarry,MeghanMarkleclaimed

that her great-great-grandmother had

oncelivedthere.Otherwell-known

individualswithtiestothecountry

includeauthorandpolymathEdward

DeBono(bornthere),singerBritney

Spears(maternalgreat-great-grandfa-

ther)androckerBryanAdams(mater-

nalgrandmother).

TOURISTAPPEAL:heavenforhistory

buffs (and sun worshippers).

Builtasafilmset,

Malta’sPopeyeVillage

is now a tourist attraction

105

Small Country, Big Attraction