We are going to Malta (via Turkish Air) in April. Any sites recommended?
Apart from all the obvious highlights, I thought the Hal Millieri chapel was an off-the-beaten-path gem.
You may have to call ahead to make an appointment.
It's definitely worth a little trip to Gozo.
Quote from: Sheilbh on February 12, 2024, 11:14:00 AMIt's definitely worth a little trip to Gozo.
Yes! And eat here, a bit in the middle of nowhere but worth it and you can take a cab back.
https://www.brookiesgozo.com/
That menu is wonderful. The big problem for me is I would need to spend many hours there :)
The cathedral in Valletta. The war museum. The old knights capital Mdina. The Sliema waterfront.
Popeye's Village :showoff:
Quote from: Caliga on February 12, 2024, 06:59:27 PMPopeye's Village :showoff:
One of the most WTF tourist attractions ever.
Quote from: Josquius on February 14, 2024, 10:17:34 AMQuote from: Caliga on February 12, 2024, 06:59:27 PMPopeye's Village :showoff:
One of the most WTF tourist attractions ever.
A good match for the movie that was shot there. :P
They even shot an Ator / Iron Warrior movie as well, so the sets would not go to waste. :lol:
Go see that falcon.
Quote from: PDH on February 14, 2024, 10:51:07 AMGo see that falcon.
and if you can't find it there's a puppy.
Quote from: Duque de Bragança on February 14, 2024, 10:48:00 AMQuote from: Josquius on February 14, 2024, 10:17:34 AMQuote from: Caliga on February 12, 2024, 06:59:27 PMPopeye's Village :showoff:
One of the most WTF tourist attractions ever.
A good match for the movie that was shot there. :P
They even shot an Ator / Iron Warrior movie as well, so the sets would not go to waste. :lol:
WTF - that was such a bad movie.
It's not like how I can understand why the Hobbit village in New Zealand is a popular tourist destination.
Loved Popeye as a kid though.
Not quite certain I want to pay to see the remains of the set though.
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on February 14, 2024, 03:53:50 PMLoved Popeye as a kid though.
Not quite certain I want to pay to see the remains of the set though.
I saw Popeye at the theatre - so I must have been 5 or so.
At the end of the movie the villain (Bluto, right?) is swimming away. He's wearing like a yellow rain coat or something.
5 year old me was "why did he suddenly change clothes?". I think it was explained to me that it was because he had turned "yellow" - that is he was afraid.
5 year old me thought that was stupid.
I've been to Malta quite a few times since the Popeye movie and have never stepped foot anywhere near the set :D
If you go to the War Museum in Valletta like I said, if you walk up to the open air roof, from there you get a really good view. The museum is in an old fort where the Knights held out against the Turks. Across from the fort you can see where the prison for the movie Midnight Express was filmed.
They recently finished filming Gladiator Two there and opened up the set to the public, but I believe that was a temporary thing.
Most epic siege of all time, Malta or Constantinople?
Historically Constantinople of course. For one thing the Ottos won that one, and it had quite the historical significance, not the least of which a good starting point for historical strategy games.
I read a good book last year on the siege of Malta though and it was really quite a blood fest. The Ottos almost had that won, but the valiant knights really held on against all odds, in that fort full of rotting bodies. (the Maltese people were also pretty valiant in that and were recruited in a final counter attack). Although not as well known, the Knights' victory was historically important, marking the last attempt for the Ottos to dominate the Mediterranean and allowed the Crusaders to continue harassing the Otto shipping lanes.
If the Ottos did win that, there's a good chance I'd be worshipping Mohammed today.
Incidentally that was a cool travel experience. Climbing on the walls of Constantinople. Really unguarded and open for all- I found a homeless guy living in a guard post. Great views from the top.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 14, 2024, 06:05:33 PMMost epic siege of all time, Malta or Constantinople?
Vienna 1683
So many epic Siege moments over the years. :)
Quote from: Barrister on February 14, 2024, 04:12:40 PMQuote from: Darth Wagtaros on February 14, 2024, 03:53:50 PMLoved Popeye as a kid though.
Not quite certain I want to pay to see the remains of the set though.
I saw Popeye at the theatre - so I must have been 5 or so.
At the end of the movie the villain (Bluto, right?) is swimming away. He's wearing like a yellow rain coat or something.
5 year old me was "why did he suddenly change clothes?". I think it was explained to me that it was because he had turned "yellow" - that is he was afraid.
5 year old me thought that was stupid.
I was actually scared at the end. I thought it was a baby skeleton. As I got older I realized it was supposed to be a pirate and his parrot.
Quote from: The Brain on February 15, 2024, 07:40:55 AMSo many epic Siege moments over the years. :)
Whatever happened to Siegebreaker?
Yeah. I think an island siege is always more dramatic than land and Constantinople was just put out of its misery - relentless inevitability. I'm not sure the siege actually matters because it feels pretty certain there would have been another one, it would have fallen eventually. Malta is more of a high watermark.
Even the WW2 Siege of Malta has drama with planes, searchlights, subs, convoys etc across huge swathes of the Mediterranean - plus the siege ends and the convoys start to get through on the nativity of Mary which is, I believe, a huge feast day in Malta anyway.
So it sounds like there's broad consensus that you should go to the Popeye Village.
Quote from: Sheilbh on February 15, 2024, 09:51:21 AMYeah. I think an island siege is always more dramatic than land and Constantinople was just put out of its misery - relentless inevitability. I'm not sure the siege actually matters because it feels pretty certain there would have been another one, it would have fallen eventually. Malta is more of a high watermark.
Even the WW2 Siege of Malta has drama with planes, searchlights, subs, convoys etc across huge swathes of the Mediterranean - plus the siege ends and the convoys start to get through on the nativity of Mary which is, I believe, a huge feast day in Malta anyway.
Oh I thought we were talking about the Ottoman Siege of Malta.
And I would choose the Arab siege of Constantinople just because of the image of Greek Fire burning the Arab fleet in sight of the palace of Leo III.
Quote from: Valmy on February 15, 2024, 02:25:57 PMAnd I would choose the Arab siege of Constantinople just because of the image of Greek Fire burning the Arab fleet in sight of the palace of Leo III.
Yeah, the 717 siege of Constantinople was both the most dramatic and most consequential siege I know of. The 1452 siege was just the fall of the last tattered remnants of the Byzantine Empire. The 717 siege allowed the city to last another 700 years.
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on February 15, 2024, 07:57:41 AMWhatever happened to Siegebreaker?
Count de Money tempbanned him and then noticed like four months later that he had forgotten to unban him.
Quote from: Barrister on February 14, 2024, 11:36:29 AMQuote from: Duque de Bragança on February 14, 2024, 10:48:00 AMQuote from: Josquius on February 14, 2024, 10:17:34 AMQuote from: Caliga on February 12, 2024, 06:59:27 PMPopeye's Village :showoff:
One of the most WTF tourist attractions ever.
A good match for the movie that was shot there. :P
They even shot an Ator / Iron Warrior movie as well, so the sets would not go to waste. :lol:
WTF - that was such a bad movie.
It's not like how I can understand why the Hobbit village in New Zealand is a popular tourist destination.
Popeye or Ator / Iron Warrior? :P Both, most likely. :D
Quote from: The Brain on February 15, 2024, 07:40:55 AMSo many epic Siege moments over the years. :)
I've seen more movies about the Alamo than about Constantinople or Malta. It must have been one epic battle. :P
Quote from: viper37 on February 23, 2024, 03:04:45 PMQuote from: The Brain on February 15, 2024, 07:40:55 AMSo many epic Siege moments over the years. :)
I've seen more movies about the Alamo than about Constantinople or Malta. It must have been one epic battle. :P
If the Alamo had had a back door, Texas would still be part of Mexico.
Quote from: viper37 on February 23, 2024, 03:04:45 PMQuote from: The Brain on February 15, 2024, 07:40:55 AMSo many epic Siege moments over the years. :)
I've seen more movies about the Alamo than about Constantinople or Malta. It must have been one epic battle. :P
It is a thought. I've never seen a (WW2) siege of malta film.
There surely must have been one back in the 50s and 60s when they churned out ww2 films on a production line. But nothing stands out in my mind so I expect it was nothing special.
Thinking about it though, it does seem to have all the ingredients for a really good modern film or miniseries.
Semi exotic Mediterranean setting but with plentiful Brits and any other culture you might want represented, lots of dramatic tension and moments of minor victory and defeat...
I could see it work with anything from a blockbuster to a tea time tv (think The Durells with explosions) treatment
I think a good film based on the Otto siege of Malta would be cool. It's very much a heroic, last man standing despite the odds type of story.
There are films about Malta in WW2, as you said, mostly 1950s British ones, none particularly good. If you can come across this book, though, The Kapillan of Malta, I highly recommend it. It's a story about a local village priest who tries to comfort his parishioners during the siege. Written by a Brit, Nicholas Monsarrat, who retired in Malta.
Darth, if you do go, you can find that book at all the good war museums.
Quote from: Josquius on February 24, 2024, 03:30:44 AMQuote from: viper37 on February 23, 2024, 03:04:45 PMQuote from: The Brain on February 15, 2024, 07:40:55 AMSo many epic Siege moments over the years. :)
I've seen more movies about the Alamo than about Constantinople or Malta. It must have been one epic battle. :P
It is a thought. I've never seen a (WW2) siege of malta film.
There surely must have been one back in the 50s and 60s when they churned out ww2 films on a production line. But nothing stands out in my mind so I expect it was nothing special.
Thinking about it though, it does seem to have all the ingredients for a really good modern film or miniseries.
Semi exotic Mediterranean setting but with plentiful Brits and any other culture you might want represented, lots of dramatic tension and moments of minor victory and defeat...
I could see it work with anything from a blockbuster to a tea time tv (think The Durells with explosions) treatment
I ask Co-Pilot (ChatGpt). And... That thing is fucked up.
No hitorical dramas. One tv documentary shot on site in 2020 (looks nice, btw). And one about the WW2 battle shot in 2014 that includes never before released footage.
Turkish Air has repeatedly changed the flight times, usually by about five or ten minutes early or later. Its making me nervous.
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on March 15, 2024, 08:34:01 AMTurkish Air has repeatedly changed the flight times, usually by about five or ten minutes early or later. Its making me nervous.
When are you leaving?
And don't forget to try the pastizzi.
Our trip is in a few weeks, first weekend in April. Which is why all these 5/10 minute flight changes are weird.
I've had that with Wizz Air. It's really weird - like the flight is fine and leaves at basically the right time but they'd send loads of "IMPORTANT INFORMATION" emails and it's just that they've moved it by 5 minutes :lol:
Not at all related but I think Turkish are the airline that flies to most destinations - or maybe Istanbul is the airport with the most connections :hmm:
Leaving for Malter tonight, hopefully. Assuming the weather isn't bad.
I have a sinus infection and torqued my back and my wife as a severe cold. The air travel will be a blast.
Have fun. Don't forget to try the peas pastizzi.
The pistazzi were good.
The local beer was good. I wish I had bought some of the wine.
Took a 'fast ferry' from Valetta to Gozo. When they started having to hand out extra vomit bags by the time we cleared the harbor I realized it was a terrible, terrible, mistake.
Didn't make it to the Popeye village. :(
HOnestly, I think Popeye Village would have been a waste of your time. It's out of the way, and really just something for kids. Too bad you didn't try the wine, but glad you dug the pastizzi.
Did you go to any of the war Musemus?
Yes, the Malta at War museum and one other, which I forget right now. They were pretty neat.
Did you get to touch the falcon?
Quote from: Josquius on April 15, 2024, 01:11:11 AMDid you get to touch the falcon?
:yes: It's the stuff that dreams are made of.