Any Excuse to Travel

Stories from travels in

Malta

Open house with a difference

When I first hit the States, I was intrigued by the idea of open house. Where I come from, it means that anyone can drop

The inquisitors

I’ve been a tourist long enough to know that it’s impossible to see it all first time, or even seventh time. I’ve been going to

The backstory

What’s that flower? How old is that church? Are all those cows milking cows? I don’t know, he answered. I don’t know. I don’t know.

Il-banda

il-banda

I still get occasional flashbacks to playing in the school band. I failed miserably with the accordion, had slightly better success with the melodica (mine

azure window

Making travel compulsory

I travel. A lot. And I love it. I like finding new places, seeing new things, meeting different people. And when I go back again

The Azure Window

Back in the days when I first started travelling, I had this urgent need to see everything. I’d visit cities having done my homework and

The great citizen sell-off

Driving to my hotel from the airport in Malta last week, I fell into conversation with the taxi driver. He spoke English, the language of

The separation of person and passport

My greatest fear, as a traveller, was realised last week. For years, I’ve broken out in a cold sweat when hotel receptionists ask me for

Popeye’s village in Malta

The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see. So said  G. K. Chesterton many moons ago and although

Dating frescos by fashion

Forget carbon dating – let’s use fashion instead. Yes, things are done differently in Malta.