The good life...

A friend once described Malta to me as ‘a modern place in a very old shell’, and after almost a decade on this rather addictive rock, I can’t but agree with the friend whose name now embarrassingly escapes me.

Malta’s not the centre of the universe as some locals may often think - let alone believe. But it is by far one of the greatest places I have ever experienced living in (Australia, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand; and the list goes on). After all, it is home to the good life!

Sure it comes with some drawbacks, what place doesn’t. But if you’re prepared to give some, there is no doubt the Maltese archipelago has an extraordinarily lot to give back.

Here's a short, sharp take at the weather, transport, eating out and getting away.

Weather

Everyone wants what they can’t have. And with that, locals will complain about the cold in winter, and, about the heat in summer.

In fact, we’re currently experiencing a cold snap of historic proportions. Mind you, it's the middle of winter, but have a look at how we compare to our European neighbours at the time of writing.

Transport

Malta is smaller than people might first imagine and at the same time larger than you might ultimately think. So while you might not walk everywhere, you can certainly try!

And while the vintage Malta buses would until recently attract a vested eye by many a visitor to our shores, our newer modes of transportation are modern in workings and one can quickly and surely figure out the best ‘walk and bus it’ routes to work or any one of thousands of locations across the two main islands thanks to the journey planner.

Eating out

We are spoilt. Quite simply, we really are. Have a look right here, every day: #foodinmalta

Our 2018 European Capital of Culture – Valletta, boasts 184 eateries alone, and while consistency remains to be a challenging aspect for chefs and restaurateurs alike, you will find a plethora of exquisitely delivered cuisines all the way from Indian to Italian, and seafood to steakhouses as far as the eye can see.

Getting away

It's ironic in such a post, that I would allude to the opportunities to get away from the rock. Albeit for a couple of days, or hours even!

As many of you know, I lived for 26 years in Sydney. From there, I could fly five hours north-west across the land down-under and still be in Australia.

This is an aspect one appreciates when living in Malta. Fly five hours out of Malta and you can be in any one of 44 (as per the United Nations) European countries and countless more across MENA (the Middle East and North Africa).

Rome to Romania and London to Latvia, islands and landlocked masses in between, low-cost and national carriers offer flights to and from Europe's doorstep every day.

10 quick facts about the good life in Malta:

• We drive on the left
• Official currency is the Euro
• English and Maltese are the national languages
• Food and drink entirely unique to Malta
• Independence since 1964 and the Maltese are known as friendly and helpful people
• Ferries and water-taxi's can get you from one island to the other (Malta, Gozo and Comino)
• The Maltese are passionate people and this does not stop at football, politics, religion and band clubs
• There are 75 religious celebrations across Malta throughout the year
• Malta has had 11 foreign rulers in the last 2,000 years
• Malta is a member of the Commonwealth

.............................................................................

Did you enjoy reading this? Have a look at 'Don't work in Malta'.

.............................................................................

This was originally written by Anthony Micallef. Anthony is the HR Manager at Enteractive Ltd.

We have a number of vacancies at our office in Malta. For more information, see The Enteractive Careers Page.

#?EnteractiveFamily?