9 Things That Are Instantly Recognisable As Maltese
Have you ever watched a big Hollywood blockbuster and from out of nowhere, like an uncontrollable tick, your whole body jolts up, points to the screen while you insanely yell: “Malta! Malta!”.
Yeah, it’s happened to the best of us. The reason behind it is that there are a bunch of visual snippets that consistently confirm that what you’re looking at is part of our beloved islands.
Here’s a list of the most “hemmhekk Malta, man!” worthy visual features.
1. Those wooden-slatted benches
Uncomfortable, but oh-so-Maltese.
2. The eye of the… luzzu
Unmistakably Malta. Probably Marsaxlokk, to be precise.
3. Pregnant windows
We’ve all bumped our heads on one of these…
4. Old Maltese people
They just look different to other old people. Maybe it’s the decades of sunburnt skin, or the clothes that have all faded into that beige-green-brownish colour – they’re a dead giveaway.
5. That iconic gardjola
(Maltese watch tower)
Thanks to millions of tourist photos throughout the years, this is one that has been burnt into our brains.
6. Maltese balconies
Almost as ubiquitous as that damn cross…
7. Those arched railings on the Sliema promenade
Unmistakable…
8. Balavostri
(Balustrades – typically made of stone)
Love them or hate them, you’ll know instantly that you’re looking at Malta if these guys pop up.
9. Anywhere in Valletta
Let’s be honest, there are loads of towns in Malta that are gorgeous, but sometimes a little hard to differentiate from other southern Mediterranean places. Valletta – never hard. Even the more obscure parts of it.
BONUS: Our harbour, no matter where they pretend it is instead
Screw you Count of Monte Cristo (2002), Marseille ain’t got nothing on our stunning Grand Harbour.