Wednesday, 10 August 2011   I have just returned from holidaying
in Malta.  This isn't a travelogue and I'm not Judith Chalmers
but this blog is about stuff as well as politics so I thought I
would write a few lines about my hols before getting back into
blogging proper.  I thoroughly enjoyed Malta though I don't
suppose it will be everyone's cup of tea.  It is an island (or
two islands counting Gozo) in the Med.  It was eerie flying into
it over Sicily knowing that if we kept going for a couple of
hundred miles or so we would end up in Tripoli!  Everyone speaks
English as the Island was sort of looked after by Britain from
1800 until 1964.  Maltese itself is a language that is 70%
Arabic.  They also all speak Italian as they are only 60 miles
off Sicily and receive Italian telly.  The island is almost one
big city with astro turf 5-a side footy pitches squeezed into
every spare space.  The sea around it is the most fabulous blue
and a mecca for divers and snorklers.  The city of Valetta is
fabulous and spect