Maltese Buses

A typical Malta Bus was used both as a public transport and a tourist attraction, notable for  a unique colourful appearance. A major restructure of the bus service in Malta took place in 2011, when new buses were introduced - and that is when this set of stamps  was issued to commemorate the oldies. I have to say a year and a half ago when I was there I could hardly spot any of them...but they say the whole transport system benefited greatly from the restructure.

Topic for today's Sunday Stamps is cars. Yes I do realise these are buses, not cars :) But as I figured, there will probably never be a 'buses' theme because the field is too narrow, and on the other hand 'transport' is too broad cos we can divide it into cars(!), trains and plains. Buses somehow get stuck...I may be mistaken, but nevertheless, here they are - I hope you will forgive us for playing intruders xD

You can see the whole set here (thank you Malta Post for making them cheap!)

And here you can see cars of every built and shape (and I may post about a few other postcards with actual car stamps, as I have managed to dig out a few ;)

                                        

Gozo Lace

 

Lace-making has been prevalent in Malta since the 16th century - traditional Maltese lace is bobbin lace formed on a lace pillow stuffed with straw; Genoese-style leafwork is essential and eight-pointed Maltese cross a frequently featured element.

Maltese buses on stamps, but we'll get to that in the next post :)

UNESCO - Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, Malta

 

The Hypogeum is an enormous subterranean structure excavated c. 2500 B.C., using cyclopean rigging to lift huge blocks of coralline limestone. Perhaps originally a sanctuary, it became a necropolis in prehistoric times. It consists pf three levels, with the middle one being most decorated. Amongst the prized finds there was the small clay statuette of the Sleeping Lady.

There is always a sense of yearning when I post about the unvisited Unesco sites, but also a great satisfaction when posting about the visited ones - despite it being an obligatory organised tour the place was very mystycal and rewarding. The little statuette is placed in a museum, even though so tiny it left a lasting impression on me :) alas as most of my postcards from Malta the stamps were left uncancelled...

Traditional Fishing Boat 'Luzzu', Malta

A luzzu is a traditional fishing boat from the Maltese islands, brightly painted in shades of yellow, red, green and blue, and the bow (usually) pointed with a pair of eyes. It looks like a sad little fella dying to go out of the harbour and onto the sea..!

Mdina (Città Vecchia), Malta

For today's reminder of my trip to Malta I have only chosen postcards with cancellations, to keep it short and sweet :) A daytrip to Mdina was one of the highlights as the place is simply gorgeous - I just wish I didnt have to also connect it to the extremely strong gusts of wind that nearly knocked me off the city walls..!

Mdina or Città Vecchia is the old capital of Malta, a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Its commonly called the "Silent City", as the town is still confined within its walls, and has a population of just over three hundred - a part of its charm.

Mdina is on Unesco's tentative list.

UNESCO - Megalithic Temples Of Malta

Seven megalithic temples are found on the islands of Malta and Gozo, each the result of an individual development. The two temples of Ggantija on the island of Gozo are notable for their gigantic Bronze Age structures. On the island of Malta, the temples of Hagar Qin, Mnajdra and Tarxien are unique architectural masterpieces, given the limited resources available to their builders. The Ta'Hagrat and Skorba complexes show how the tradition of temple-building was handed down in Malta.

I have only been to Ġgantija on Gozo, which was a bit underwhelming so I didn't feel too bad about passing on the other ones due to bad weather - though of course I still wish I've seen them! At least one more. The Ġgantija temples were erected during the Neolithic Age (c. 3600-2500 BC), which makes these temples more than 5500 years old and the world's second oldest manmade religious structures, after Göbekli Tepe (Turkey). Mnajdra megalithic temple complex, built around the fourth millennium BCE, looks more advanced and impressive - my sis has visited and sent a card six years ago. I was so happy to have sent the 1st postcard from the PO nearest to the temples in Xagħra; alas I've noted later that Malta has the same cancellation everywhere. I was actually lucky that this one got cancelled, cos most of the cards i've sent werent :/

Lacemaking On Maltese Islands

I've brought some more older postcards from home to add to the variety, and among them are a few countries that I still havent displayed here. Crazily enough, Malta is among them! As I was travelling there in march I have quite a few postcards, which I thought I've blogged about, but there you go..! Whats more, my sister was also visiting Malta 6 years ago and sent me quite a few cards, and here is one of them: it encompases all things maltese, i.e. lacemaking, religion and yes cats :)) And the cancellation! The cards I sent this spring were mostly without cancellations, boo :(

Altogether I love this card and is one of my maltese favourites :)))