Secluded Beach (not Gnejna Bay)

At the weekend I decided to go and check out Gnejna Bay, given that the sun was shining and I didn’t have much else on.  I have previously spent time sitting on the sands of the popular Golden By, and the slightly less popular (but certainly no less attractive) Ghajn Tuffieha, so reckoned it was worth making the extra effort to stop in on their neighbouring beach. 

Unfortunately, geography is not my strong point.  I didn’t make it as far as Gnejna, but came across a different beach altogether.  Well, I have to tell you, you would really need a desire for seclusion bordering on sociopathic hatred of your fellow man or woman to drag yourself to this place.  Not that it isn’t a perfectly nice strip of beach -because it is - it is just very, very tricky to access.  And by 'tricky' I mean that Tom Cruise in full on Mission Impossible mode would probably think twice about it.

Bar Review: The Drayton Pub

The Drayton Pub deserves to do more business than it does.  It is dimly lit, (as any good pub should be), it has a wide selection of alcoholic beverages, tv screens showing sporting events at an unobtrusive volume, and a couple of pool tables.  Okay, so the pool cues are basically sticks with a veneer of chalk on the end, but still. 

Mosquitoes in Malta - How to Avoid Them

Tis the season for our winged friends to wreak their bloody habit again.  I was awoken the other morning to the droning hum of the mosquito, searching for some unexposed flesh to feast on.

These are nasty fellows, and I think only the most fuzzy-hearted of animal lovers would try to catch one of them under a glass and set them free out the window rather than aiming a (usually mistimed) slap in their direction.  There are plenty of mosquitoes in Malta at this time of year I'm afraid, so how best to deal with them.

Employment Agencies in Malta (or How Not to Make Money from Blogging)

This is going to be less satisfying than some people hope for, and more interesting than others expect. Maybe.

Okay.  For my first year in Malta, I worked as a teacher in a wonderful language school, (no job agency involvement), of which more in a later edition.  However, if you are a foreigner in Malta and want to make some money, there is only really one game in town.  That game is the i-gaming game.  I had no experience whatsoever in this line of business, but sent my CV to various agencies in the hope that one of them would be able to sort me out with an interview or two.

So here is a list of employment agency sites for Malta:

recruitmentsolutionsmalta.com
pentasia.com/malta
maltajobs.com
jobinmalta.com
malta.xpatjobs.com
8am.com.mt
reed.co.uk/malta
people.com.mt
careerjet.com.mt
keepmeposted.com.mt
eujobs77.com/mt
maltajobsboard.com

I did not get a fantastic response.  I may have got an apologetic email from a couple, but generally the agencies seemed disinterested in my attempted career jump. Except for one.  And from this one agency, and despite my complete lack of experience in the industry, I received two invitations to interview, and from one of them, a job.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malta

It's a small country, as has previously been noted, but Malta certainly punches above it's weight in terms of UNESCO World Heritage sites.   There are three listed sites in Malta, as follows:

- The City of Valletta
- The Hypogeum (Hal Saflieni Hypogeum)
- The Megalithic Temples

Now this last one includes a number of different sites, which UNESCO has decided to group together under one heading - Malta is pretty small, remember.  These temples are situated here:

- Ggantija (two temples on Gozo)
- Hagar Qim  (South Malta)
- Mnajdra (South coast of Malta)
- Tarxien  (Paola, Malta)
- Ta' Hagrat  (Mgarr, Malta)
- Skorba  (Zebbiegh, Malta)

If you get a chance, you really should take the opportunity to visit one of these sites, as they're among the oldest of their kind anywhere in Europe, and definitely worth checking out.  Not all of them - visit one and you pretty much get the idea, and some are in a better state of repairs than others - but something you should find time to fit into your stay on the island.

Bar Review: The Salisbury Arms

This is one of the better English pubs you will find on the island.  It is tucked away in the back streets of Sliema, but is well worth seeking out.  Good friendly vibes and no frills, usually filled with expats enjoying a few beers.  The food comes highly recommended too.

All in all, a lot of people call this place the best pub on the island, (and I struggle to think of too many that are better myself), so if you are wandering around the High Street area of Sliema and working up a thirst, you should definitely seek it out.

Best Full English Breakfast in Malta?: Sir Alex

Cafe 516 has changed name.  It is now called 'Sir Alex', presumably after Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.  Now I am not a supporter of this football team, being more of an Arsenal man myself, but nonetheless felt duty-bound to check out their full English breakfast.

Look at it.

What the Four Ex is that supposed to be?