These icons of Malta may have disappeared, but they have not been forgotten. Here's a tribute to five Maltese icons that live on in Maltese hearts.
In the short course of a lifetime of any Maltese grandmother, a number of Maltese icons have sadly disappeared. While fondly remembered and still mentioned in conversations, you are unlikely to come across them, so here's a tribute: to five Maltese icons that are no more.
1. Maltese bus
The Maltese buses! We hated them yet we loved them. These old crankers were real bone-shakers on the Maltese roads of 10 years ago, when air conditioning was all but unheard of. They were beautiful however, and each had a unique character. We fondly remember the holy images, flowers, flags and decorations on the interior, and the hand painted scripts, not to mention fond memories of the driver picking up glass bottles at every bus stop to return for pennies. I feel almost nostalgic. You can still spot a renovated collector's item in the original town colour (they were all different before they all turned green and then yellow) from time to time.
2. Azure Window
The entire nation went into mourning on 8th March 2017, when heavy storms destroyed Gozo's iconic Azure Window, and sent it cascading below the surface of the unforgiving sea. It even made it to international news, and locals felt heavy for days afterwards in pure disbelief and shock. Next, there were shards of Azure Window rock being sold on eBay. However, nothing but photos of the majesty of the rock structure remain. There is only remains to see on the seabed for divers searching for it.
3. The Maltese Lira (and cents)
The Maltese Lira was the currency of Malta until 1st January 2008, when it adopted the Euro. The exchange rate was 1 MTL = 2.32937 EUR but whatever coins and notes remain of the old currency are now obsolete and can no longer be exchanged at the Central Bank. Many local people have intentionally hung on to some Lira coins and notes as collectables and memories of a previous time when Malta had its own currency. Amusingly, much of the older generation still think in Lira, and sometimes refer to the Euro as a Pound.
4. Crucifix tree in Rabat
The famous Crucifix Tree in Rabat, so called for its uncanny resemblance to Jesus on the Cross, was uprooted by a storm on 11th December 2013. In the following days, the Mayor's phone did not stop ringing, many people evidently upset. All attempts were made to save the tree, which had been turned into a shrine by the devout, however, it was proclaimed dead less than a year later. The Sunday Times of Malta reported the news right up until the intentions to turn the tree into a monument.
5. Hal Niesi
Stephen C Spiteri
Niesi in Maltese means 'my people' and plays on the word 'forgetfulness', nesa, while Hal, short for rahal, means 'village'. This fictional but real village, as depicted by artist and historian Stephen C Spiteri, is an ode to Malta and Gozo's forgotten hamlets, and village life that remains just a memory in the hearts of the elders. Over the years, Malta has changed face completely, particularly since the 1980s, when much of the character of old hamlets was outdone by busy apartment blocks. Some old village cores still hold on to slow-paced, traditional village life but, sadly, always less and less.
Still, with a fast growing renewed appreciation for Maltese icons and traditional way of life, there's no doubt that the Maltese people will carry on the legacy of these icons in their memories, so what may be dying out in Maltese culture will never fade completely.