Tag: Malta

A photo of Maltese balconies - Valletta, Malta

The story behind a Maltese galleria

Maltese has adopted lots of Italian words over the years, much to the amusement of Italophones. It is rather curious then that some Italian words have a different meaning when used in Maltese. One of them is our word for balcony which is gallerija. Why don't we use the Italian word for balcony? How does a borrowed word's definition change so much?
A photo of the aircraft at Erding US Air Force base

RAF hijacking in Prague

In 1950, three ex-RAF pilots, persecuted by the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, coordinated the hijacking of three flights, leading to a daring escape to the West.

HMS Orwell

In 1903, a British navy drill off Corfu ended disastrously when HMS Orwell collided with HMS Pioneer during a night exercise.
A photo of one of the cippi of Melqart - Louvre, Paris, France

The Maltese Rosetta Stone

The Cippi of Melqart, discovered in Malta, are priceless because they were the key to deciphering Phoenician script. This article explains who Melqart was, what cippi are and what this Maltese Rosetta Stone is all about.
A photo of a British Royal Air Force Vulcan bomber

The RAF Vulcan crash in Malta

In 1975, a British RAF Vulcan bomber exploded as it approached the runway of Malta's airport. That few cilivians died is near-miraculous. This article describes what happened and the view on the ground.
A photo of the Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

Air Battle over the Ore Mountains

On 11 September 1944, a massive, intense air battle took place over the mountains between Germany and what was then Czechoslovakia. The memory of this battle is still alive today.
A photo of HMS Marlborough, location unknown

Russian exiles in Malta

Mentioning exiled Russians these days suggests pro-Ukrainian protesters or anti-Putin demonstrators. Malta's reputation as a haven for Russians goes back more than 100 years before Putin's antics.
A photo of the Nibbia Chapel of Bones - Valletta, Malta

The Maltese chapel of bones

I’ve written about Czech ossuaries before, and I’ve visited the one in Paris, but few know there is a Maltese chapel of bones. Well, there used to be one anyway.
A photo of the Barbican - Coimbra, Portugal

The special Barbican of Coimbra

One thing which fascinates me is the amount of human history we've lost. The barbican is one of those historical architectural features we've almost lost. In fact in Coimbra, Portugal, one of the remaining few is often confused with something else.
A rendition of Fort Orsi

Learn all about Malta’s lost Orsi Tower

We are so focused on preserving historical buildings that we often don’t realise how many already disappeared for one reason or another. Orsi tower used to stand guard at the mouth of Valletta's harbour, and is one such lost building.