Dghajsas and Rabbit Stew
Exploring the local neighbourhood was a must… starting with St. Paul’s Pro Cathedral (also referred to as a Co Cathedral) … indicating it has Cathedral status but is not the primary one. This is the iconic dome that dominates the Valetta skyline. An Anglican church with strong ties to the armed forces that defended the island during WWII, Flags from all countries (Canada included) hang along the walls and special plaques commemorate the Merchant Navy and various important personages … including one to Viscount Cunningham. This is Sir Andrew Cunningham – highly-respected Commander in Chief of Mediterranean Forces during 1942/43 when naval convoys struggled to supply Malta with essentials … so in effect, Dad’s boss!
Down to the waterfront … where blue skies and sun-drenched sandstone promontories of The Grand Harbour lay displayed like a glorious oil painting … the old hospital with its cot lift (tower) that used to take patients from boat up the cliff (currently the headquarters of Heritage Malta) … Fort Angelo … the city of Vittoriosa (or Birgu as it is called now) … the hundreds of sail boats nestled into protected marinas and dozens of monstrous, gleaming private yachts worth countless millions or possibly billions. But this is also a working harbour as evinced by all manor of freighters, fishing and tour boats plying in and out along with a colourful fleet of dghajsas (pronounced Die-asas) zooming back and forth between the tri cities … ferrying locals and tourists alike. This was something we needed to try … and what a deal … just 2 euros a person to whiz across the harbour. They would wait in line … their captains maneuvering them in using long oars, gondolier-style, for people to hop aboard. Our particular dghajsa was 60 years old — lovingly restored and gleaming and had been in the family for a couple of generations. Away from the dock a small outboard took over the work that used to be done manually. Two young girls were our companions on this trip, but they only appeared interested in taking selfies and rocking the boat side-to-side!
On the Vittoriosa side a convenient bench beckoned invitingly, so we sat in the sunshine, admiring the views and ate our sandwiches. A wander up to the fort and back then another dghajsa back … this one perhaps not quite so cared for and an irksome toddler who clambered over everything and everyone with gay abandon … always in imminent danger of falling over the side – it was still a delightful voyage back. For a meagre 10 euros (plus tips) where else could two people ride aboard a piece of history – and with priceless views thrown in? Further along the waterfront a lift (elevator) to the Upper Barrack Gardens … where arches, greenery and fountains gave a commanding view of the harbour and battery of cannons, which apparently they fire at 12 noon and 4pm every day, with accompanying marching music and soldiers in uniform and white pith helmets.
For dinner this evening Jelena had recommended a local restaurant just around the corner which specialized in Maltese cuisine. Just as we were getting ready, the power went out. A peek outside the door assured us that the rest of the building was fine … so Glen went in search of the electrical panel to see if something had tripped a switch. Nope. Sam soon diagnosed the problem as the main switch downstairs … apparently a common problem … just as well as we’d resorted to using flashlights.
Tonight’s fare was a tasting menu made from all Maltese food and wine – consisting of 7 courses (oh my!) … starting with a selection of tapas. Bread and dipping olive oil from Gozo – quite spicy and delicious …. braised local vegetables … a tapenade of walnuts … Maltese sausage in tomato sauce … delicate goat cheese with homemade fig jam … and the most wonderful Rabbit pate. 2nd course – a parmesan of aubergines, courgettes and tomatoes; 3rd was a vegetable fish soup; 4th a dish of mussels in cream and white wine sauce plus a platter of perfectly cooked sea bream; 5th was a rabbit and tomato pasta; (we’re beginning to lag at this point) 6th was a slow braised pork rib with roasted potatoes smothered in a tasty sauce made (apparently) from potato skins … we hardly made an inroad — the lady asked if we’d like to take this away with us and we readily agreed – it was took good to leave. 7th and final course – dessert. A choice this time from lemon cheesecake, tiramisu or creme brulee. What an incredible meal!
2 Comments
Timothy Sly
I enjoyed reading this. You went over to Birgu (Vittoriosa) but only on the half closest to Valetta. If you’d walked past the Birgu main square and continued, you would have arrived after 200 meters more where where we lived! (First house :Bastian Fosse,now Foss Il Triq) The most amazing thing about malta is that no trees of any size at all grow on the island. Meaning that the entire island provides the golden sandstone from which all builtings are made. In some cases, you can see the stone crafted intt shapes that rsemble what would have been timbers, joints and all, to provide the roofs to the houses. Most of the older houses in Valetta, Conspicua, Birgu, are built around an open-topped central courtyard… very small, sometimes only 2-3 meters square, but this is where rainwater is diverted and stored in cisterns below the house., Most houses have wells. This is a survival strategy from the time sof the sieges. The encircling armies were unable to storm the walls of the cities, and they expected the occupants to surrender from lack of water. But they had learned to retain and preserve every drop.
Jennifer Smith
Ah, if only we’d known that Foss Il Triq was that close. We both loved Malta … the people, the food, sandstone buildings glowing in the sunlight across a turquoise sea. An idyllic isle.