Episode 3 Getaways

We're in the heart of the Mediterranean on the island of Malta

to find out why 30,000 Irish people

spend their hard earned cash here every year.

On our website, we ask you to come up with some top tips

-of what to do here and what to avoid.

-And you've come up with

some surprising suggestions and some great hidden gems.

The Maltese islands are bang in the heart of the Mediterranean.

Flying time from Dublin or Belfast is about 3.5 hours.

There's the main island of Malta and two smaller islands,

Gozo and Comino.

Maltese is the official language but nearly everyone speaks English.

Well, Aoibhinn, here we are in Malta. I've never been here before,

neither have you.

All I know about the place,

from what I've been told it's very rich in history.

-What about yourself?

-I associate Malta with the older generation coming here

so I'd love to see what else it has on offer. I'm dying to see what Gozo is like,

-and I'd love to see some of the fishing villages, as well.

-Me too. Everyone raves about Gozo.

But really, it's about you getting in touch with us, as you have,

and we'll go and check out your recommendations.

We've gathered together all your advice from the website

and came up with a plan.

We've identified our top five from your suggestions

and we've thrown in a few of our more offbeat recommendations, too.

So, before we get going,

here's some of the basics you need to know about the Maltese islands.

Malta's always had a reputation as appealing to more of an older generation but in recent years,

there's been a concerted effort to try and attract the younger holidaymaker,

bringing DJs like David Guetta and Fatboy Slim to the island.

And also big investment in this area of St Julian's.

You will find a plethora of bars, restaurants

and nightclubs ensuring the weekend never really has to end.

There aren't that many sandy beaches in Malta

but when you DO find one, they're pretty spectacular.

Just be sure to get here early

because they get packed during the summer and especially on Sundays.

SHE SCREAMS AND LAUGHS

Apparently, the water gets to 28 degrees but, I'm telling you,

it's not quite that warm yet.

You'll undoubtedly notice the British influence in Malta

but none more so than the iconic red telephone box.

Malta became independent from Britain nearly 50 years ago,

although you wouldn't think it looking at some of the shops and restaurants.

Nearly everyone speaks English and there are still

plenty of reminders of the island's colonial past.

One thing you've warned us about is the price of the taxis here.

They're not metered so be sure to use a company that's

recommended by your hotel and agree a price in advance.

We've chosen the best of your recommendations

and kicking off at number five is the capital city, Valletta.

Not so much a city as a walled fortress.

Due to Malta being dead in the middle of the Mediterranean,

it has been a popular destination for wannabe

invaders for thousands of years. The English, the Spanish,

the French have all had their wee scraps about this place as have

the Carthaginians, the Byzantines, the Arabs and the Kardashians.

Not quite sure about the last one, but nothing would surprise me.

As a result, this place is simply dripping in history.

Valletta was originally built in the 16th century

by the Knights of St John to protect against the Turks.

The Knights, a major military and religious order,

ruled from here, the Grand Master's Palace,

which many of you said was definitely worth a visit.

The Knights were the sons of nobility from all around Europe

and when they settled here in Malta they brought with them the art,

the architecture, gold, silver

and furniture that we see here in the Palace today.

The Grand Master of the Knights would use the richly

decorated state rooms to entertain important guests

and the Palace also houses a large armoury.

Malta became a republic in 1974 and the Palace now houses both

Parliament and the offices of the president right behind me here.

As a tourist, it's very special to be able to wander through

these corridors of power.

A short skip away is another of your Maltese favourites.

St John's Co-Cathedral.

Not so sensational from the outside, perhaps,

but just wait til you get a look inside.

No wonder you recommended this place so highly.

Absolutely breathtaking.

Now, through this doorway is THE most extraordinary exhibit

in the entire Cathedral. In fact, in all of Malta.

It is considered the masterpiece of the painter Caravaggio

and depicts the execution of St John the Baptist.

Caravaggio was commissioned by the Knights of Malta.

He actually was briefly a member of the Knights of Malta.

That's another story entirely. You should look that up. That's a doozy.

We're not allowed to actually go in and film it.

Nobody is because it's considered such a precious commodity to Malta.

It's a remarkable painting.

If you come here, you owe it to yourself to go and see it.

All is not lost, however.

You can take it home with you for the princely sum of 40 cents.

Another one of your recommendations is here on the Valletta waterfront.

All these restaurants were converted warehouses

built by the Knights in the 17th century and I think it's

a gorgeous place to just hang out and relax and enjoy the sunshine.

But do avoid it on days when the cruise ships are in.

You also recommended we check out the Upper Barrakka Gardens.

These were destroyed during the Second World War,

when the islanders stood firm against the Germans,

but have now been rebuilt in honour of the war dead.

You highly rated the local food,

especially the Maltese ftira, a sort of supercharged pizza.

Connie, what makes this traditionally Maltese?

It's because in the oven we use a real wood.

We bake it with the fire, so it's very traditional.

-So, Joe, do you want to give it a go?

-Yeah, I'm in, I'm up for it.

-Let's get the gloves on.

Like I need a hair net.

At this place, if you arrive early enough,

they'll let you make your own ftira.

Connie is keeping us right but it seems

as though you can throw practically anything onto the ftira.

With tomato, caramelised onions, potatoes,

capers and anchovies being the favourites.

-Can we freestyle? Can we put on whatever we want?

-Yes, you can.

Beautiful.

The whole experience may be better suited to the under tens

but it does bring out your creative side.

(HIGH PITCHED VOICE) Look, you're doing a wee border.

So, Connie, which one do you think is going to taste the best?

Which do you think?

-I prefer that one because it has more ingredients on it.

-Yeah!

And now the moment of truth.

Oh, here they are.

I was expecting mine to come out like a phonebook, like,

I just put too much on.

Mm...

The sesame saved it. The sesame saves mine.

I put too much on mine were to be fair. But that was gorgeous.

You can really taste the fresh herbs on it.

It's very tasty but I definitely don't think I could eat a full one.

Never mind your recommendations.

For just one minute, this is the place I wanted to come to.

This is the pub in Valletta.

This is where legendary actor Oliver Reed spent his last night.

I'm a huge fan.

Oliver Reed came here, he drank eight pints of lager,

12 double rums, and a half bottle of whisky.

Little wonder.

Landlord Graham told me that Ollie was in Malta filming Gladiator

when he met some Navy lads.

They was drinking, they were having a good time with him,

and they started doing a bit of arm wrestling and, obviously,

the usual sort of stuff.

The story goes he sent them all back to the ship

and then a few hours after that, he just sort of slipped away.

Well, let's raise a glass to Ollie at his last bar.

Upstairs here in the pub is, basically,

an ongoing tribute Oliver Reed.

Everyone that comes here tends to come upstairs,

write something on the wall as a dedication to Ollie

or to people they've lost themselves and even pets they've lost.

So I figured we should write our wee tribute as well.

One of the best ways to see Malta is from the water

and you can hire a boat to get a better view of the harbour.

-The colours are fab, aren't they?

-It's amazing.

That is all local limestone as well. It's all built on.

Have you got your bearings of where we are?

It is quite complicated in Malta.

Yes, around the harbour, and that's Valletta over here,

-and those are the three cities we're off to next.

-Right.

I know that's the French Creek, right over there,

that's where Napoleon sailed in when he invaded here.

He was 26 years of age.

When I was 26, I worked in a chippy.

So, Joe, apparently Tom Hanks is here filming his latest movie.

I think we're in the middle of it.

I think we're going to be background extras, whether we like it or not.

In fact, that boat that is probably where Tom is staying

and I think he's expecting us for a cup of tea.

Tommy! TOMMY!

Time to visit number 4

from our choice of your Maltese recommendations.

It's this place, the small fishing village of Marsaxlokk.

What you loved were the brightly coloured fishing boats,

known as luzzus.

Many of you suggested to give this place a try

including Carrie Donaldson, who said, "Some of it's a bit run down

"but that just adds to the charm."

And it is very charming.

The paintwork isn't just random.

The boats from each Maltese village have different colours

to distinguish which port they're sailing from.

There's a bizarre mix of cultures going on here.

Fishermen name their beds after their favourite catholic saint

but if you also look at the front of the boats, they're all painted

with the goddess Eye of Osiris to make sure they get home safely.

Many of you said it was a good place to grab a bite.

The front is peppered with great seafood restaurants with

fresh fish just off the boats.

Also, there's a big fish market here every Sunday.

We've identified our top five of your recommendations

for things to do on holiday in Malta.

It's time for number 3, and it's one of the smaller islands.

Now, a comment that kept appearing on the website was

if you go to Malta, you've got to go to Gozo.

It's a third of the size of Malta, it's more rural, more chilled out,

it's where the Maltese actually go for their holidays.

You can see why, can't you?

Gozo is also host to some seriously ancient temples.

There are 15 UNESCO World Heritage sites on the Maltese islands

and this is one of them.

This is Ggantija on Gozo,

the oldest freestanding structure in the world,

i.e. no cement, just stones placed strategically on top of one another

so that they would fit and, indeed, the building would not fall in.

It's not bad considering this was 1,000 years before the pyramids

and 1,600 years before Stonehenge was built.

And the wheel hadn't been invented yet.

Some of the temple's original features are still standing

like these altars where they would have made animal sacrifices to the gods.

The people who built this temple, there still isn't a name for them.

The Maltese just refer to them as 'the temple builders.'

With a big boy stone like this,

you have to ask yourself how did they transport them?

Well, the answers are lying all around.

There are dozens of spherical stones that have been left at the site

and it's believed these were used as rollers

to move the big slabs of stone around.

This is a great place to get a bit of ancient history on holiday.

I'm in another part of Gozo investigating a different

sort of holiday experience.

I'm meeting another Joe,

a farmer who takes on tourists to help with the harvest.

The ultimate activity holiday.

Why do you think they enjoy coming to the farm and working?

They're actually working but it's a totally different life.

Remember, most of our visitors are spending all their days

looking at a monitor.

You know, and working on the computer and seeing television, whatever.

So they need a change. And here it's more physical than mental.

Actually, here, it's the best yoga you can do.

-It's good to get your hands dirty every now and again, isn't it?

-Yes.

Do you find that they eat everything they're picking,

cos I would eat all of your strawberries.

In fact, we are always telling them, we want to see the cases filled up.

You'll even get paid for what you pick. If you don't eat it all first.

When I visited, there were no crops ready

so the best times to come are August and September.

This is the iconic view of the Maltese islands

and many of you recommended that we visit here.

Behind me you'll find the Azure Window,

and beneath it is the Blue Hole,

probably the best place to dive in the islands of Malta,

actually considered one of the top ten places to dive in the world.

It's also a pretty good place to catch the sunset

and a great way end your visit to Gozo.

We're in Malta checking out some of your top recommendations

but before we go any further, please allow me a little indulgence.

Now, I have to admit, not one of you recommended this.

I figured you deserved it. After all, what is not to love about this?

Popeye Village is a small theme park in the middle of nowhere

based on what's left of a film set from over 30 years ago.

In Malta, they tend to just throw the film set after using it,

however this one since it was in a remote part of the island,

the government of the time decided to keep it.

Maybe someday they'll do something with it.

And some day arrives and nowadays,

Popeye Village is open for the public.

You've no idea how excited I was coming here.

I know Robert Altman's film didn't do well at the box office at all.

The soundtrack is, however, very underrated.

When you come here, this is a film set they just kind of left here.

And was turned into a theme park.

I love the concept of that.

It is a wee bit frayed around the edges

but everyone is after 32 years. But I'd recommend it.

There's something about it that's quite endearing.

Watch the film before you come here or you'll want to watch it

afterwards cos I want to go home and watch it again.

Huc-uc-uc-uc.

The park also boasts the most wimpy Popeye you will ever meet.

-Tell me, are you, in fact, strong to the finish?

-Yes, all the way.

-Because I eats me spinach.

-See?

-There we are, kids, always eat your greens. Eat your spinach.

-Exactly.

Eat your spinach and you will be strong like my Popeye. Look.

-You are strong, Popeye.

-Huc-uc-uc-uc.

Now, for those who prefer a short break closer to home, I'm going to

find out why Belfast has become such a popular city break destination.

I'm taking a whirlwind tour to see what is on offer here for families.

I am starting my visit at the brand-new Titanic Belfast.

This city was the birthplace of the most famous ship in the world

and here you can come and experience its amazing story.

They have put so much thought into the design.

Every detail reflects the great history

of the building of the Titanic.

They really do try to make history come alive here.

And about that moment in time, the ship took her last plunge.

'It's a state-of-the-art exhibition centre

'with some incredibly impressive visual trickery.'

There are a wonderful interactive exhibitions here that will

keep everyone entertained. I know I could stay here for hours.

'And what to my fellow visitors think of it?'

So, David, have you enjoyed the day at the Titanic Belfast?

Yes, it was fantastic. The interaction was brilliant as well.

Do you think it's good for boys who are your age to go

-and see or do you think it's kind of boring?

-I think it is not boring.

It's not boring? Brilliant.

-So, everybody should come and look at it.

-Mm-hm.

Do you want to be a sailor after seeing it?

No.

You can come for afternoon tea in these magnificent surroundings

and this is so exciting walking down this staircase.

'The grand staircase is an exact replica

'of the original from the Titanic.

'This isn't part of the normal visitor experience

'so afternoon tea offers an elegant chance to enjoy the stairs.'

Oh, wow. Thank you very much.

I really feel like I'm sitting in first class.

I just wonder if Leonardo is still hanging around.

If you want to visit the Titanic Belfast Visitor Experience

then we recommend buying tickets in advance, especially at weekends.

There are lots of great hotels in the city but my top tip for a family

is to rent a self-catering apartment here in the Titanic Quarter.

The apartments are the right size to accommodate most families.

This is a perfect location -

close to the city centre which is only 10 minutes' walk away

plus the view isn't bad either.

The Arc Apartments cost from £60 a night for a minimum of three nights.

Next on my list of things to see is the Ulster Museum.

Situated in the Botanic Gardens,

the museum has recently undergone a £17 million refurbishment.

The Discovery zones particularly appeal to families.

In the Discover Nature Zone

you can get your hands on all of the artefacts, which is great for kids.

You can come into Discover History

and the children can try on all the old costumes.

Is there a big petticoat for you?

Look at yourself in the mirror.

It's beautiful.

And, for budding Picassos,

one of the most popular areas is the Art Zone.

So, Bill, what are zones like this like for the children?

Every time we come here, it's always packed.

They always have a different theme every month.

From working with crayons, wool, bits of paper.

Then whenever the children make their artwork, it's exhibited.

It's all around the walls here.

Do you think it is good to have these areas to entice

-the younger people?

-Definitely. Because we come all the time.

That's the first place we come to when we come into the museum.

And all this fun is free as there is no entry charge to the museum.

Belfast has recently undergone a renaissance and the city has

lots of other exciting attractions for all the family,

including the new Metropolitan Arts Centre,

better known as the MAC. And the revamped Lyric Theatre.

My next stop is W5 - Belfast's science and discovery centre.

If, like me, you love science, this is definitely the place to go.

I'm in my absolute element here.

W5 is great because you're learning a whole variety of things

without actually realising it.

And I don't care what age you are, you're going to enjoy yourself.

On your marks, get set, go.

And, if you missed it, W5 stands for who, what, where, when and why.

You could spend hours in here.

Yeah! Whoo!

All the events, shows and temporary exhibitions

are included in admission charge.

Between the demonstrations, the puzzles and games,

I am absolutely zapped.

But it's a great day out.

Back in Malta, it's time for our number two choice

from your recommendations.

'I've come to the middle of the island, to a town that is

'considered one of the best preserved

'Medieval walled cities in Europe.'

Another one of your top five destinations is the city of Mdina

and it is easy to see why. It's the original capital of Malta

and the city has been beautifully preserved.

Only the cars of the 400 residents are allowed past the walls

and it's known as the silent city.

Mdina isn't a place to come if you want to party

but it is truly unique and it's a great spot to come to

if you want to get your bearings on the island.

I have left Joe on the outskirts of the city

to check out another recommendation.

If you can while you're here, you should come to

the Mdina glassware factory and shop.

You'll find a wide variety of wonderful,

colourful products to buy.

If you can get them home in one piece, however,

you're a better man than I am.

-We are here in the workshop.

-Joe's very kindly let me blow some glass.

OK, you can start blowing. Blow, blow, blow.

Blow. Keep blowing. Keep blowing. Keep blowing.

Blow, blow, keep blowing, keep blowing. Keep blowing.

OK.

-That was good for a first go.

-It's modern art is what it is.

-It's modern art.

-Modern art.

-Can we dab some in the coloured glass?

-Yes.

-This one is going to work.

-It's going to work.

It's all about how hard you blow and how much you turn.

Like most things in life.

OK, keep blowing, keep blowing.

Blow. More, more. Keep blowing.

That's good. Very good.

That's it, you can go now. You won't be able to blow anymore.

-Wow.

-Wow, look at that. How nice.

-I made a balloon.

-Great job.

-Thank you very much, Joe.

It's been a pleasure.

'Back in the walled city, it's nearly dusk

'and this is the best time

'to walk around the cobbled streets before getting a bite to eat.'

So, Joe, what did you get?

This is a traditional Maltese platter with pickled onions,

goat cheese, bigilla, which is like a bean paste.

With traditional Maltese biscuits, roasted Maltese sausage.

And before I ask you what you are about to eat,

how can you tackle that? That's bigger than your head.

-I know, it looks great, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

OK, this is traditional Maltese bread, ftira.

-It's got steak and egg and mustard in it.

-That is unbelievable.

I think mine is slightly less healthy than yours.

Yeah, but more appealing to the eye, to be fair.

-Before we start, I have a gift.

-Oh, really?

I got you a gift, yeah. From the glassblowing factory.

-Oh, yeah?

-That's for you.

-OK, thank you.

Ooh! A broken piece of glass.

It's more than that.

That was part of a bigger thing that proved just too

-beautiful for this world.

-Did you make this?

I did make it with my own two lips, if you want to call it that.

I made that with my own lips.

I was going to say I'd wear it but not after that explanation.

Why don't you just put a hole in it, a little leather, round the neck.

-A nice little bangle.

-Gorgeous, there you are.

-Yeah.

-There you go.

Thanks, Joe. Thanks.

-Let's eat.

-Do you want some chips?

-Yes, I do. I am taking a few.

Before we reveal our final Maltese must-see,

here's a roundup of some of the accommodation options.

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle in Malta, on Gozo

there is a fabulous range of new and converted farmhouses to rent.

Just like this one.

The Ta'Mena Estate Agrotourism Complex

rents farmhouses for 180 Euros per night.

Alternatively, if you want more of a cultural experience to really

immerse yourself in the city of Valletta, you can rent an apartment

in a residential area that is also very close to all the tourist spots.

You get this living room, bedroom, kitchen.

It sleeps four in this 16th century Palazzo.

There are four self-catering apartments at Palazzo San Pawl

and they cost from 80 Euros per night.

We stayed in the four-star Fortina Hotel.

It's one of hundreds along the seafront that seem

to cater for the older client.

It felt a little bit old-fashioned to me

but it does offer great views and a lovely pool by the sea.

It's great value.

A room here will cost from 46 Euros per person per night

and that is based on two people sharing and includes breakfast.

We booked our hotels and flights separately.

There are six scheduled flights a week

from Belfast and Dublin to Malta.

For more information visit bbc.co.uk/ni/getaways.

OK, time to reveal our number one and to get there you need to

find a boat that will take you to the third Maltese island, Comino.

This is the Blue Lagoon at Comino and it was recommended time

and time again on the website. You can see yourself.

The colours are amazing. It absolutely gorgeous

but there's kind of too many people here for my liking.

If there is a group of you staying in Malta,

what I'd recommend doing is pooling together

and renting a boat like this, taking it for a day, going round

Comino and scuba diving or diving around the island cos

I think it is far nicer than hanging out here.

'The coast of Comino is packed with astounding caves

'and rock formations.'

Not only is this a beautiful spot,

this is also the bit at the end of Popeye, right,

where he fights an octopus, throws it up, up through the gap in there.

No-one else would take you to places like this. Isn't it incredible?

-No, that is true, Joe. No-one else would take me here.

-No.

It is gorgeous, though. This is the life, isn't it?

We could do a lot worse, couldn't we?

So, Joe, we've checked out all of your recommendations for Malta.

What was your favourite bit?

Obviously I'm torn between the majesty of Popeye Village

and St John's Cathedral.

I would honestly say, if you come here,

you have to go to St John's Cathedral.

It is just absolutely breathtaking.

Getting to see that Caravaggio painting in the flesh, it is

stunning. That is a must-see. What about you?

I loved the day out in the boat, going to Gozo, passing by

the Comino Islands and the cliffs were so fabulous

and the colours, amazing.

But then Gozo itself is so laid back, it's so relaxed,

so chilled out, so quiet, so peaceful.

I would highly recommend it.

Seriously, Aoibhinn, you are very glamorous girl,

would you seriously get into the agrotourism thing?

Picking dirty stuff, getting the hands in the muck,

-wee bugs and all running about?

-I'm from Mayo, I love all that.

I think it would be brilliant fun to go out, help in the vineyards

and then enjoy the wine afterwards. What a great day out.

Speaking of which, we should maybe trade these up for a glass of wine.

Excellent. Join us next time on Getaways.

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