New & now
Francesca Balzan: “The spectacular Grand Harbour gives me the chills every time”
The curator at the Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum in Mdina shares a few tips for visitors, as well as some fond food memories.

Marie-Claire Grima

Francesca Balzan

Francesca Balzan

What is your most vivid childhood memory in Malta?

The wild excitement of setting off to the beach for the day in the summer hols. 40 years ago, beach facilities were at the minimum and the food on offer was basic, so my mother would bake rice or macaroni the Maltese way and we’d pack the car and drive off to Gnejna, a beautifully pristine pebbly beach in the West of Malta and all the way we’d have the glorious smell of the piping hot baked food in the car with us. We’d spend the day on the beach and go back home tanned, tired and hungry (once again) – we would finish the day off with hobz biz-zejt… juicy red tomatoes smashed against delicious Maltese bread and dressed with mint, sea salt, pickles and olives or whatever else we felt like adding. To this day, any of these foods immediately transports me back to the beach.

What is your favourite…

Activity to do in Malta: Cliffside walks somewhere off the beaten track.

Family tradition: Sunday lunch with the family, generally at my parents’ home. It is always a feast of food and wine, which means Sunday afternoon is a total write-off.

Landmark: The prehistoric temples of Mnajdra and Hagar Qim.

Maltese historical era: Now! But we must strive to make it historic for all the right reasons.

View: The Grand Harbour of Valletta. It is so spectacular and history-laden it gives me the chills every time.

Town/village: Mdina

Place for a walk: Lippija – it’s a lovely country walk with stunning views over the bays of Ghajn Tuffieha and Gnejna.

Maltese historical figure: Olof Gollcher! In some manners I consider him my employer. I work and spend a lot of time in his erstwhile home, Palazzo Falson, and have read his papers and diaries and researched him. Shame that I was born decades after he passed, as I would have got on really well with him – of that I am sure.

Local dish: Baked potatoes, but specifically the way I do them which is very, very special, and I’m not about to tell you what makes them so yummy.

Beach or swimming spot: A little hidden cove with turquoise waters at St Paul’s Bay which is only known to locals.

Francesca Balzan

Describe your ideal day.

Wake up to a good breakfast with a sea view, spend the morning visiting an archaeological site, have lunch by the sea. Chilled white wine is mandatory. Siesta follows. And an evening swim at a beach in the west to watch the sun go down (preferably with a cocktail in hand and a really good book on my lap) followed by dinner at one of our very many excellent restaurants.

Is there anything you would change about Malta or the Maltese?

Yes, I wish we could be less noisy. Screeching and screaming ought to be permitted only in case of a national emergency.

What is the one tip you’d give to a visitor?

Don’t miss Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, don’t miss St John’s Co-Cathedral and don’t miss my favourite Museum, Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum!

Either or…

Irkotta or pizelli? Ricotta… I might be the last dinosaur pronouncing it that way, but it’s a definite ‘ricotta’ for me.

Malta or Gozo? Gozo

Valletta or Mdina? Equally wonderful.


Marie-Claire  Grima
Written by
Marie-Claire Grima
Marie-Claire loves travelling and exploring the weird and wonderful hidden corners of the Maltese islands.

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