Florence Italy and car hire

The best way to get around Florence, Italy is by hire car, which can be pre-booked directly from the airport.
Florence is one of history's phenomena. Few nations, let alone cities, can boast such an overpowering array of talent literary, artistic, political concentrated over so short a period of time. The names of some of Florence's greatest sonsDante, Boc­caccio, Giotto, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Cellini, Machi­avelliare known the world over. Not a bad achievement for a city whose great period spanned less than 300 years.

At every turn of this amazing city, historic churches and museums unfold for you all the treasures of the flowering of the Renaissance. And in the narrow streets loom the stony masses of the palazzo from medieval fortress dwellings and Renaissance mansions to ornate 17thcentury buildings with names like Strozzi, Pazzi, Salviati, Medici, straight out of history.
Florence is much more than a museum of stone, marble and bronze. Its historic palaces, its great churches, its innumerable works of art are not dry as dust relics. They're very much lived-in, worked in, prayed in and prized by today's Florentines.

Only an hour's drive from Florence lie the marvels of Pisa, where the 800yearold Leaning Tower, delicate as carved ivory, continues to defy gravity alongside the ex­quisite marble cathedral and baptistery. It’s hard to believe today, but Pisa was once the River Arno's estuary (now at Marina di Pisa, 62 miles away). A flourishing seaport colonized by the Greeks, settled by the Etruscans, then the Romans, it had become a rich, powerful naval republic by the 12th century, battling the Saracens throughout the Mediterranean and building fine churches to celebrate its victories. But with the silting up of the Arno, Leghorn (Livorno) supplanted Pisa as a port and the bur­geoning Republic of Florence soon dominated both.

Earlier, the city of Lucca surpassed even Florence and Pisa in prestige. Its arms still proudly bear the one word Liberty. Its ancient walls enclose a plethora of marble churches, chapels and palaces. At different epochs, the names of each of these great Tuscan cities Florence, Pisa, Lucca spelt power and wealth. They will open for you a window onto a golden era of European civilization.

What to do in Florence Italy

Florence is a city to be savoured, its finest monuments and works of art to be lingered over. The city can be divided into six geographical areas to facilitate sightseeing. Each district can be covered on foot (cars, anyway, are banned from the historic centre).

From the Duomo to the Uffizi A good place to start your tour is in the twin squares around the Duomo (Cathedral), undoubtedly Florence's religious hub for tourists. Officially known as Santa Maria del Fiore (Our Lady of the Flower), the green, white and pink marble-faced Duomo was intended by city proud Florentines as a cathedral to end all cathedrals (it can hold over 20,000 people !).

The cathedral itself, flanked by its freestanding Campanile (bell tower) was designed by the great architect Arnolfo di Cambio in the 13th century, and the mighty cupola is a contribution from the Renais­sance. First and unquestionably greatest of his talented peers, the architect Filippo Brunelleschi (13771446) had marvelled at the dome on Rome's Pantheon, rebuilt for Emperor Hadrian about A.D. 125. No one had subsequently achieved such an engineering feat.

The cupola's 138foot (42metre) diameter surpasses the domes of the Pantheon, St. Peter's in Rome, and St. Paul's in London.Battistero (Baptistery), a precious gem of Romanesque architecture, was built in the early 12th century on the site of a Roman templc of Mars. Salvaged Roman columns were used in its construction. The Baptistery's tourist popularity rests on its three sets of bronze doors: those on the south side arc by a 14th­century artist, Andrea Pisano; those on the east side, made by Ghiberti, were called the Doors of Paradise by an ad­miring Michelangelo.

If the Piazza del Duomo is Florence's religious heart, then the civic heart lies in the Piazza delia Signori a, domina ted by the fortress walls of the Palazzo Vecchio or Pa­lazzo delia Signoria. Designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, the Duomo's architect, this future seat of the city's government (it's still Florence's city hall) was completed in.

Flanking the square, the Loggia delia Signoria, or Loggia dei Lanzi, shelters celebrated statuary, incl uding Cellini's fine bronze Perseus; two Giambologna works (Rape of the Sabines and Hercules and the Centaur) and some Roman statues. Michelangelo's David out­side the palazzo was moved to the Accademia in 1873 and replaced by a copy.

Highlights of the Palazzo Vecchio include the massive first floor Salone dei Cinquecento. Built in 1496 for Savo­narola's shortlived republi­can Council of 500, it was turned into a grand throne room by Cosimo I, adorned with giant Vasari frescoes of Florentine victories and Michelangelo's Victory statue in a niche. Three centuries later, the first Italian national parliament sat here.

On the second floor are the apartments of Eleonora of Toledo (Cosimo I's wife), a riot of gilt, painted ceilings and rich furnishings. Visit the nearby 15thcentury Sala dei Gigli (Hall of the Lilies), all blues and golds, lavishly deco­rated with Florentine heraldry, fine gilt panelled ceiling, bright Ghirlandaio frescoes and doors superbly inlaid with figures of Dante and Petrarch.

Don't miss the splendid Guardaroba, a cupboard lined room whose panels were painted in the 1570s with 53 maps of Tuscany and the four continents by two learned and artistic Dominican friars. Medici treasures were once stored here. Climb up to the gallery be­low the battlements and, a little higher, to the top of the tower 300 feet (90 metres) above the ground, for one of the most sensational panora­mas in all Florence. See also the cell where Savonarola was locked up awaiting his execution in the piazza below.

To the palazzo's right, the Uffizi Museum stretches in a long U-shape right up to the Arno. Built as headquarters for government offices (hence the name), it's now one of the world's most famous art museums. Paintings, in chronological order, cover the cream of Italian and European art from the 13th to the 18th century.

Start with the altarpieces of those early Tuscan greats, Cimabue and Giotto. Enjoy Fra Angelico's Coronation of the Virgin, full of light and music; and Paolo Uccello's Bailie of San Romano, an astounding exercise in perspective and volume. Best loved and most re­produced among Renaissance paintings are Botticelli's haunting Primavera (spring) and the renowned Birth of Venus. Outstanding among the 15thcentury Flemish paintings is Hugo van der Goes' huge Adoration of the Shepherds triptych. One room belongs to Leonardo da Vinci. See the Baptism of Christ, painted with his great teacher, Verrocchio. The exquisite Annunciation, paint­ed around the same time, is entirely Leonardo's work.

Among German master­pieces in the Uffizi, don't miss Durer's Portrait of His Father and Adoration of the Magi,' and Cranach's lifelike little por­traits of Luther, his renegade­nun wife and a solidly Ger­manic Adam and Eve.There is only one work by the great Michelangelo in the Uffizi: a round panel, the Holy Family, firmly but hu­manly treated, his earliest knowrt painting (1503).

Equally notable are Rapha­el's placid, maternal Madonna of the Goldfinch and Titian's voluptuous Venus of Urbino. Not to be missed is Rubens' Portrait of his Wife. She is so glowingly alive it's sad to think she died a year after it was painted.

From San Lorenzo to San Marco

With its rough, unfaced stone facade, San Lorenzo looks for all the world like a Tuscan barn. Florence's first entirely Renaissance church and one of Filippo Brunelleschi's earliest architectural triumphs, the building was begun in 1419 on the site of a 4thcentury church.The Medici are buried here in force. Cosimo the Elder himself is in the crypt, his father and mother in the Old Sacristy; Cosimo's two sons Piero the Gouty and Giovanni lie here, too, in a sumptuous bronze and porphyry tomb by Verrocchio.

The adjacent New Sacristy (Sagrestia Nuova) is an amazing one-man show by Michel­angelo, who designed the in­terior and most of the sculp­tures; it took him more than 14 years. Two undistinguished Medicis are immor­talized by Michelangelo in two of the most famous funeral monuments of all time, their elegantly curved sarco­phagi surmounted by splendid figures symbolizing Night and Day, Dawn and Dusk.

The old monastery and museum of San Marco offer one of Florence's most evocative attractions .Fra Angelico (1387-1455) lived here as a monk, and most of his finest paintings and frescoes can be seen in this museum. Off the graceful, col­umned cloister you'll find Angelico's luminous paintings; and, in the small refectory, a vivid Ghirlandaio mural of the Last Supper.

Upstairs, visit the simple monks' cells, each one fres­coed for religious inspiration by Fra Angelico and his pupils. His famous Annuncia­tion fresco IS located III cell no. 3. At one end of the row of cells see the suite reserved for Cosimo de' Medici's meditations and, at the opposite end, that of the monastery's fiery prior and enemy of the Medici. Girolamo Savonarola.

Set in the most Renaissance of Florence's squares, the church of Santissima Annunziata deserves to be savoured in the context of its surround­ings. Giambologna's bronze equestrian statue of Grand Duke Ferdinando I (1608) and the two 17th-century fountains add to the unity of the square and the feeling of spaciousness. The Galleria dell' Accademia is second in importance only to the Uffizi. It boasts seven major Michelangelo sculptures, including the original David.

Mercato Nuovo to Santa Maria Novella

The main attraction of Mercato Nuovo (the Straw Market) are the stalls selling leather goods and straw bas­kets. But don't overlook the 17thcentury bronze statue of a boar, known as Il Porcellino (the piglet). Tradition has it that if you stroke his nose and throw a coin into the fountain, you will be sure to return to Florence. In the centre of the market is a marble circle, the Batticulo (buttock smacker), where, in the 16th century, welchers and swindlers were soundly beaten.

The 15th-century Palazzo Strozzi, one of the most beautiful private residences in the whole of Florence, is nearby on Via de' Tornabuoni. One of Florence's greatest monastic churches, Santa Maria Novella was designed by Dominican architects in the mid13th century. An unlikely setting for the beginning and end of Boccaccio's Decam­eron! Walk through the mystic gloom of the nave to a cluster of richly frescoed family chapels around the altar. The chancel behind the altar features Scenes from the Lives of the Virgin and St. John frescoes by Ghirlandaio and his pupils.
Most striking of all is Masaccio's Trinity (c. 1427) on the wall of the left aisle. Amazing for its uncanny spatial depth, the fresco sets the crucifixion, with kneeling husband and wife donors, in a purely

Renaissance architectural setting.

To the left of the church the great 14th-century cloister with its three giant cypresses is a haven of tranquillity after the noisy piazza.

From the Bargello to Santa Croce

The forbidding fortress of the Bargello in Via del Procon­solo contains the National Museum and represents for sculpture what the Uffizi is to painting. Florence's first city hall and one of its earliest public buildings, it served as the seat of magistrates (podesta) responsible for law and order and later housed the Captain of Justice (bargello), 16thcentury equivalent of a police commissioner.

Men were imprisoned, tortured and executed here. Its outer walls were decorated with lifelike effigies of traitors and criminals hung by the neck or by one foot. Just off the courtyard lies the Hall of Michelangelo and 16th-century Florentine sculptors. Michelangelo was 21 when he finished his early masterpiece The Drunken Bacchus. He sculpted the marble Virgin and Child ( Pitti Tondo) eight years later, while working on his famous David.

The Great Hall contains the spirit of Early Renaissance Florence. Donatello's sturdily human St. George (1416), embedded in a huge expanse of blank wall, dominates the high-vaulted room. It's gener­ally held to be the first great sculptural breakthrough of the Renaissance.With its vast expanse of open piazza, Santa Croce be­came one of the city's social and political hubs.

Within the church are buried some of the most illustrious figures in Italian history. Biographer Vasari designed Michelangelo's tomb (first on the righthand wall). Smug­gled out of Rome in a packing case, his body was given the finest funeral in Florentine memory. The next tomb, Dante's, has no body, much to the Floren­tine's dismay. His real grave sin Ravenna where he died. Further along you'll spot Machiavelli's (14691527) tomb. Opposite Michelangelo is the Pisan genius Galileo (1564 1642) who perfected the earliest astronomical tele­scope. On the same side lies Lorenzo Ghiberti, creator of the Baptistery doors.

Immediately to the right of the altar in the Bardi Chapel, you'll find Giotto's finest, most moving paintings: scenes from the life and death of St. Francis, done around 1320. The Santa Croce museum contains frescoes and statues removed from the church, but its proudest treasure is Cimabue's massive 13th­century painted cross, almost destroyed in the 1966 flood. Pitti Palace to Santa Maria del Carmine Cross over the Arno on the oldest bridge in Florence, Ponte Vecchio, the only one spared in the last war. The present construction, com­plete with overhanging boutiques, dates back to 1345. Vasari built the covered passageway above the shops so that Grand Duke Cosimo de' Medici could go from the Pitti to the Uffizi without getting wet.

From the double terrace in the middle, admire the elegant, softly curved arches of Ponte Santa Trinita. Destroyed in 1944, the bridge was carefully reconstructed, ex­actly as Ammannati had built it in the 16th century. Official Medici and grand­ducal residence since 1549, royal palace of united Italy from 1865 to 1871, the Pitti Palace comprises museums and galleries, plus some ten acres of ornate Italian gar­dens. In the sumptuous Galleria Palatina, you'll feel more like a collector's guest than a tourist. Priceless paintings hang four high against a lavish gilt, stuccoed and frescoed decor.

There are splendid works here by Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Velazquez and Murillo. In the 16 sumptuously decorated rooms of the Museo degli Argenti (Museum of Gems), admire some of the Medici's most cherished jewels, cameos, gold, silver, crystal and ivory objects, fur­niture and porcelain. The Giardino di Boboli is an Italian pleasure garden of cy­press and hedge-lined alleys and arbours filled with unusual statuary, lodges, grottoes and fountains.

Mecca of artistic pilgrim­age, the unpretentious church of Santa Maria del Carmine shelters some of the most mo­mentous frescoes ever painted. Commissioned by the Brancacci family, Masaccio and his teacher Masolino worked from 1423 to 1427 on fresco decorations for their chapel here. Masaccio's Tribute Money and the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden lift painting to a com­pletely new plane. His feeling for light and space, his dramatically stage set figures, the concreteness of their forms are little short of an inspired miracle. Nothing of the kind had been painted before; the Renaissance had come to stay. Masaccio died at 27 before completing his commission.

Piazza Ie Michelangelo

For a panoramic view over the city, drive up to the Piazzale Michelangelo (yet another David statue!) and to the church of San Miniato nearby.St. Miniato, an early Christian martyred in the 3rd cen­tury A.D., is said to have carried his severed head up here from Florence and set it down where the church was later built.

Rebuilt in the early 11th century, it's a remarkable example of Florentinestyle Romanesque architecture.

Florence is a fascinating city which is best explored by hire car from the airport. Make the most of the good road networks and take your time to discover the very best of Italy at your own pace.

Things to do in Edinburgh Scotland

Elegant, civilized and dignified are the adjectives most frequently used to describe the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh. As you visit the city most of the sights are within walking distance of each other you may well add surprising to that list of adjectives. You'll be astonished by an easygoing atmosphere and the graceful architecture, more usually associated with a southern European city. From the castle above the city you'll look down on one of Europe's finest urban panoramas. Impressive buildings set in green and manicured parks, broad and stately streets, ancient steeples and towers all proclaim that Edinburgh has undeniable individuality and style.

The scene of so many dramatic historical events, Edin­burgh is today the setting for the drama, liveliness and excitement of a three week inter­national festival held at the end of summer. It's one of the great arts festivals of Europe. Edinburgh is very much the cultural capital of this nation of some 5 million people that has made such an impact on the world. Scotsmen have ranged far and wide as soldiers, scholars and priests, as explorers, poets and engineers.

And in turn, the romance of Scotland and the reputation of the Scots have drawn people here from all over the Anglo­ Saxon world to claim decent from clansmen of old and to share in national pride. Whether your name is Scottish or not, you'll find that the generosity and lively humour of this immensely talented and practical. people will dispel from your mind forever the image of the dour and tight fisted Scot.

Places to visit in Edinburgh and car hire

Scotland is a diverse place to visit, and whether you want to discover the city of Edinburgh or take a trip out into the stunning countryside which surrounds the city, pre-book a hire car from Edinburgh Airport.

Heavy with history, Scotland's most popular tourist attraction stands on an ex­tinct volcano, high above the city. No one knows how long ago Edinburgh's history be­gan on this great rock, but a stone fortification was definitely erected late in the 7th century and the first proper castle built in the 11th century. Two Royal Scots guards, bayonets fixed on their un­loaded rifles, are posted for your camera at the first gate leading up the cobblestoned ramp ways to the castle.

The impressive black naval cannon poking through the ramparts have never been fired, but you'll see the canon which booms out over the city every weekday to mark 1 p.m. Why isn't it fired at noon? Remember where you are, quips the guide. One cannon shot at one o'clock is much cheaper than 12 at noon.

Tiny St Margaret's Chapel with its plain whitewashed interior is the oldest building in Edinburgh and the oldest church in use in Scotland. Built by the devout Queen Margaret in about 1076, it survived assaults over the centuries that destroyed the other structures on Castle Rock. The simply restored Norman chapel is kept decorated with flowers each week by Scotswomen named Margaret.

On the promontory here commanding one of Castle Rock's many grand views over Edinburgh stands Mons Meg, a stout cannon forged in the 15th century, probably in Flanders. The five-ton mon­ster ingloriously blew up 200 years later while firing a salute to the Duke of York. Close by is an oddity, the world's most spectacular canine graveyard. In a niche overlooking the city you'll find the Cemetery for Soldiers' Dogs with tombs of regimental mascots.

In the Palace Yard is the Great Hall, built in 1502, which claims the finest hammer beam ceiling in Britain. The oak timbers are joined without a single nail, screw or bolt. Scotland's parliament met here for a century. Among 171 the arms on display is a hefty 900-yearold claymore (from the Gaelic word for broad­sword), labelled only with Do Not Touch. The adjacent military museum exhibits a vast array of regimental paraphernalia. Queen Mary's Rooms in the royal apartments include a very small chamber where she gave birth to James VI (later James I of England) in 1566.

The castle's greatest treasure, the crown, sceptre and sword of Scotland, are displayed in the Crown Room. At times more than 10,000 viewers a day file through here to see the oldest royal regalia in Europe. The gold and pearl crown has been altered since it was first used for the coronation of Robert Bruce in 1306. Charles II wore it for the last time in 1651. Popes Alexander VI and Julius II gave the sword and sceptre to James IV. In cases on the wall hang a huge necklace and other pieces of dazzling jewellery.

Note: Edinburgh Castle's entrance lies just beyond the Esplanade, formerly a site for the execution of witches, later a parade ground, now a modern parking lot where the celebrated Military Tattoo is performed during the annual Ed­inburgh Festival. On Castlehill the Camera Obscura atop the Outlook Tower offers a fascinating 25 minutes in clear weather. After climbing the 98 steps to a darkened octagonal chamber, you'll enjoy living panoramas of Edinburgh projected onto a circular table screen by a periscope like device. The accompanying commentary is masterly.
Entrance is free to the castle's outer precincts, including St Margaret's Chapel. But for a token charge you can join a group being escorted by one of the witty and lore loving palace guides, a great bargain.

The Royal Mile Edinburgh

It's all downhill along the high ridge from Edinburgh Castle to the royal palace, Holy rood house. The Old Town's famous thoroughfare, its cobbles now smoothed, is actually about 2 km. Edinburghers of this area of high tenements and narrow closes (entryways) seem to take delight in recounting how the residents used to toss their slops and refuse from win­dows after a perfunctory shout of Gardyloo !the local equivalent of gare de I'eau. That meant centuries of rampant disease and a decidedly unpleasant reputation for a city so graced with intellectual genius.

Today, odourless, tidy and lined by historic buildings, the Royal Mile assumes five names as it descends: Castlehill, Lawn­market, High Street, Canongate and Abbey Strand just before the palace.Food and cloth merchants no longer hawk from stalls in the Lawn market. In James Court here (named after its builder, James Brownhill), Samuel Johnson once visited his biographer, James Boswell.

Brodie's Close recalls one of Edinburgh's favourite stories. Deacon Brodie was a respected city official and carpenter by day, a burglar by night (having taken wax impressions of his clients' house keys). Finally arrested and condemned to death, Brodie thought he could escape death by wearing a steel collar concealed beneath his shirt. He was wrong. The city gallows, which he himself had designed, worked. Brodie's double life inspired R. L. Steven­son's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

It's a brief detour down George IV Bridge to the head high statuette of Greyfriars Bobby. This Skye terrier waited by his master's grave in nearby Grey friars Churchyard for 14 years until dying of old age in 1872. Admiring the dog's fidelity, authorities made Bobby a freeman of the city meaning he had the vote long before women, they'll tell you. Back along the Royal Mile, St Giles, the High Kirk of Scotland, dominates Parliament Square.

Its famous tower spire was built in 1495 as a replica of the Scottish crown. The oldest elements of St Giles are the four huge 12th-century pillars supporting the spire, but there was probably a church on the site since 854. John Knox preached here and is thought to be buried in the rear grave­yard. St Giles' soaring Norman interior with splendid stained glass is spectacular, filled with memorials recalling great moments of Scottish his­tory. Most beautiful is the vaulted Thistle Chapel, or­nately carved of Scottish oak. You'll see a stall for the queen and a princely seat for each of the 16 Knights of the Thistle, Scotland's oldest order of chivalry.

Farther down the Royal Mile are the popular Edinburgh Wax Museum, the Museum of Childhood with toys from yesteryear and Huntley House, the principal city museum. From carefully restored White Horse Close,17th-century stage coaches used to trot off towards Lon­don.

The celebrated royal palace of HoIyroodhouse began life about 1500 as a mere guest residence for the adjacent, now ruined, abbey. Much ex­panded and rebuilt in the 17th century, it has often housed visiting monarchs. During the summer, Holyroodhouse is closed to the public for the week or so that the Royal Family is in residence. In the long Picture Gallery, snide comments abound as guides shepherd groups past portraits purportedly of Scottish kings, dashed off between 1684 and 1686 by Jacob de Wet, a Dutchman who had imagination, brushes and paint.

Upstairs III King James' Tower, connected by an inner stairway, are the apartments of Darnley and Mary Queen of Scots. A plaque marks the spot where the hapless Rizzio, Mary's secretary, was stabbed 56 times with a dagger. You'll hear all about it.

The New Town of Edinburgh

Until late in the 18th century all of Edinburgh was confined to the crowded, unhealthy Old Town along the ridge from the Castle. The population, about 25,000 in 1700, had nearly tripled by 1767 when James Craig won a planning competition for an extension. With significant help from the noted Robert Adam, the resulting New Town has become the most complete complex of Georgian architecture. A fetid stretch of water called Nor' Loch was drained and made into Princes Street Gardens, the city's attractive green centre-piece. Rising from the gardens is the landmark spire of the Scott Monument, which has a statue of Sir Walter with his dog, statuettes of Scott's literary characters and 287 steps to the top. For climbing them you get a certificate and an excellent panorama. The celebrated floral clock, with some 24,000 plants, also adorns Princes Street Gardens.

A sloping road known as the Mound (formed from refuse during construction of the New Town) passes through the gardens. Here you will find the National Gallery of Scotland, a distinguished small collection of the great painters. Look for Van Dyck's The Lomellini Family with its five pouting members, Rubens' dramatically gory The Feast of Herod, Velasquez's striking Old Woman Cooking Eggs and four Rembrandt portraits. The English school is represented by Turner, Gainsborough and Reynolds, and you'll see numerous paintings by the city's own Henry Raeburn.

Past Edinburgh's main thoroughfare, ever busy Princes Street (the apostrophe was dropped long ago), spreads the neoclassical New Town. Its masterpiece is Charlotte Square, the noblest square in Europe.

The 11 symmetrically facaded houses forming the square's north side are considered the finest accomplishment of Robert Adam, Scotland's esteemed 18th century architect. No 7 Charlotte Square has been converted by the National Trust for Scotland into an authentic Georgian show house. In the dining room you'll see an enviable table setting for eight of Wedgwood and Sheffield, and in the bedchamber a marvel­lous old medicine chest, a canopied four-poster and an early 19th-century water closet called the receiver.

Things to do in Edinburgh

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art occupies premises in Belford Road. The collection is ambitious, with an emphasis on Scottish and British work. Along Tnverleith Row extend the 75 acres of the much admired Royal Botanic Gardens with perhaps the world's largest rhododendron collec­tion, cavernous plant houses and a remarkable rock garden containing hundreds of meticulously cultivated specimens. A colony of some 200 parading penguins is the main attraction at Edinburgh's famous zoo, set in rolling park­land in the western suburb of Corstorphine.

Excursions from Edinburgh and car hire

Although there are plenty of organized trips from Edinburgh, the easiest and most economical way to get around and discover the area is to hire a car from Edinburgh Airport before you fly.
Hopetown House, the finest Adam mansion in Scotland, lies 10 miles (16 km.) west of Edinburgh. Deer and the rare four horned St. Kilda sheep roam the grounds of this neo­classical house set in 100 acres (40 ha.) of parkland. The ruins of the great fortified palace where Mary Queen of Scots was born stand nearby in Linlithgow, overlooking the loch.

Picturesque landscapes unfold east of Edinburgh in the resort area of East Lothian, with its pretty villages and romantic ruined castles. Fur­ther south, four great monas­teries founded in the 12th century lie in ruin. The battered shells of the abbeys of Melrose, Dryburgh, Kelso and Jedburgh bear witness to a violent past. The monks used to export cloth to the Continent, and weaving is still a major industry in the border area.

Eating Out in Edinburgh

When the Auld Alliance linked Scotland to France five centuries ago, Scotsmen be­gan to take a serious interest in food. Since that time porridge, kippers, smoked haddock, smoked salmon, shortbread and marmalade have been exported worldwide to the further glory of Scotland. The secret of Scottish cooking lies in the quality of the ingredients used. Aberdeen Angus cattle provide prime beef. From the icy waters of the North Sea and north Atlantic come some of the world's finest seafood. Scotland is also the land of game: venison, pheasant, partridge.

The Scottish Tourist Board has launched a campaign to revive some of Scotland's traditional specialities, including cockaleekie soup, an Edinburgh favourite made with chicken, leeks and prunes, and Fife broth, a rich soup of pork ribs, barley and potatoes. For the next course, how about young chicken stewed with spinach and served with poached eggs. Kingdom of Fife pie contains rabbit and bacon, while the pastry of Forrar bridies encloses a rich steak filling. That king of fish, salmon, is poached and served with a delicate wine sauce in a dish called Tweed kettle. Perhaps one of the most intriguing Scottish preparations is haggis. Burns' great chieftain of the pudding race comprises sheep's innards, oatmeal, suet, onion and seasoning stuffed into a sheep's stomach bag and boiled. Eat it with chappit tatties and bashed neeps: mashed potatoes and turnips.

Drinks in Edinburgh Scotland

Nobody outside Scotland has been able to duplicate Scotch whisky, however hard they try. The Scots claim it is the pure water, the aroma of peat and the highland air that makes Scotch what it is. There are two types straight malt, distilled from malted barley, and grain whisky distilled from malted barley and grain. Most whiskies are blended from both types. You may offend your Scottish host if you drink his malt with anything other than a little plain water. The other great Scottish drink is beer. Ask for a pint of heavy. You can drink it as a chaser with your whisky, in which case you ask for a half and half.

Shopping in Scotland

Woollens are among Scotland's finest products. Tweed is woollen cloth unrivalled for warmth and durability, espe­cially Harris Tweed from the Outer Hebrides. Shops selling tartans will endeavour to find some clan affiliation for you, however un-scottish your name sounds. Shetland sweaters, cashmere and sheepskins have a deserved reputation for quality. Bagpipes will proclaim unmistakably that you've been to Scotland, especially if you learn how to play them. The Scottish Craft Centre in Canongate, a non-profit ­making enterprise, sells the work of local artisans.

The variety of handcrafted goods is astounding textiles, pottery, silverware, metal, wood and leather work, tapestry, calligraphy.

Few visitors can resist the array of Scottish edibles: cakes, shortbread, marmalade, fudge, and other sweets. Scotland's most famous product, Scotch, is quite likely to be no cheaper here than anywhere else, and probably somewhat more expensive. But you will be able to purchase some rare whiskies and fine malts that would otherwise never leave the country.

Things to do and car hire in Dublin

There are so many things to do in Dublin, that the best way to explore this fascinating city and its surrounding areas is to hire a car from Dublin Airport.

Sightseers who prefer cities won't be disappointed in Dublin. The capital of Ireland is a very European city of low profile buildings, many of them outstanding examples of 18th century architecture. Birthplace and inspiration of great authors, Dublin is pervaded by contrasting moods which can affect even the transient visitor: sweeping avenues and intimate side streets, chic shopping and Smoky pubs, distinguished museums and colleges along with sports galore. In this appealing melting pot of old and new, the traditional lace cur­tains still mask the windows of modern apartment blocks, and a policeman riding a bicycle reports to headquarters by lapel radio.

The name of Dublin comes from the Irish Dub inn, meaning dark pool. But you'll also see a much older Gaelic name on buses and signs: Baile Atha Cliath, the town of the hurdle ford, which explains why Dublin was originally settled centuries ago as a place to ford the River Liffey near its exit to the sea. The river, a system of tranquil canals and the nearby Irish Sea all contribute to Dublin's special atmosphere. Seagulls frequent the centre of town; so do the ghosts of Vikings, Normans, Viceroys ... and Leopold and Molly Bloom, late of Eccles Street.

Where to go in Dublin

O'Connell Street to St. Stephen's Green The main street of Dublin, O'Connell Street is worthy of a major capital, a lasting monument to the Wide Street Commissioners of the 18th century. It is 45 metres (150 ft.) across and as straight as the morals of Father Theobald Mathew, the 19th-century priest known as the Apostle of Temperance.

You'll find him commemorated in one of the four monuments down the middle of the roadway. There used to be five. As an anti-British gesture in 1966, unidentified citizens removed the imposing Nelson Pillar erected in 1808. Many Dubliners admired the panache and technical skill of the demolition crew that blew it up in the middle of the night.

The best known landmark of O'Connell Street, the General Post Office, has a significance far great than its postal predominance. The GPO (as it is known) was the command post of the 1916 Easter Rising and badly damaged in the fighting. A plaque on the front of the building, in Irish and English, and a statue in the main hall mark the historic event.

At the south end of the street, facing O'Connell Bridge, stands the monument to Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847), The Liberator, after whom the street and bridge are named. From the three-arched bridge, almost as wide as it is long, you can look up and down the River Liffey and along the embankments. To the east, beyond the skyscraper headquarters of the Irish trade unions, rises the copper dome of the majestic 18th­century Custom House.

Like many buildings along the Liffey, it was all but destroyed in the civil war fighting of 1921, but has been fully restored. Some of the most interest­ing old buildings in Ireland, including disused churches, are now occupied by banks. But it may come as a surprise that the momentous white stone building facing College Green on the south side of the Liffey is the headquarters of the Bank of Ireland company. It was built in the 18th century for the parliament of Ireland, but when parliament was abolished (by the Act of Union of 1800), the bank moved in. The grand portico has 22 Ionic columns.

Places to visit in Dublin

Behind the curved railings at the entrance to Trinity College are the statues of two famous alumni the philosophers Edmund Burke and the playwright Oliver Goldsmith. Founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1591, Trinity remains a timeless enclave of calm and scholarship in the middle of a bustling city. For centuries it was regarded as an exclusively Protestant institution; as re­cently as 1956, the Catholic church forbade its youth to attend Trinity under pain of mortal sin. TCD, as it is generally called, is now integrated.

The campus is mostly a monument to the good taste of the 18th century, and visitors will enjoy roaming the cob­bled walks among trimmed lawns, fine old trees, statues and graceful stone buildings. But Trinity's greatest treasure may be found in the vaulted Long Room upstairs in the Old Library. Here the double-decker stacks hold thousands of books published before 1800, and priceless early manuscripts are displayed in glass cases. Long queues of students and tourists rever­ently wait for a look at the Book of Kells.

This 340-page parchment manuscript, hand­written and illustrated by Irish monks in the 8th or 9th cen­tury, contains a Latin version of the New Testament. The beauty of the script, the deco­ration of initial letters and words, the abstract designs and above all the saintly por­traits constitute the most won­derful survival from Ireland's Golden Age. The leaves of vellum on display are turned once a day to protect them from the light and to give visitors a chance to come back for more.

Some of Europe's finest Georgian houses face Merrion Square, once the proposed site for a Catholic cathedral, now a public park. The discreet brick houses have those special Dublin doorways, flanked by columns and topped by fanlights, and no two are alike. In a complex of formal buildings on the west side of the square stands Dublin's largest 18thcentury mansion, the home of the Duke of Leinster. Today Leinster House is the seat of the Irish parlia­ment, consisting of the Senate (Seanad in Irish) and the Chamber of Deputies (the Dail, pronounced doyle).

At the entrance to the National Gallery of Ireland is a statue of George Bernard Shaw, a Dubliner known locally as a benefactor of the institution. The National Gallery displays some 2,000 works of art, but holds 6,000 more in reserve. Irish artists, reasonably enough, receive priority but important Dutch, English, Flemish, French, Italian and Spanish masters are also well represented. Among those on display: ha Angelico, Rubens, Rembrandt, Canalctto, Gainsborough and Goya.

Rounding out a prize collection of medieval religious art is the gal­lery's most recent acquisition, two glorious frescoes of the lith or 12th century, delicately lifted from the walls of the Chapel of St.Pierrede Cam­public, in Beaucaire (near Avignon), France. The main entrance to the National Museum, another important Dublin institution, is reached from Kildare Street.

The museum's collection of Irish antiquities contains all manner of surprises, from ancient skeletons and tools to exquisite gold orna­ments of the Bronze Age. The most famous exhibits are the 8thcentury Ardagh Chalice, the delicately worked Tara Brooch from the same era and the Shrine of St. Patrick's Bell (12th century).

You can also examine ancient Ogham stones with inscriptions of what might seem a childish way of encoding Latin. And if you don't have time to make a tour of churchyards and far­off monasteries, you can ad­mire replicas of the greatest carved stone crosses from the early centuries of Christian Ireland.

South east Dublin Ireland

The southeast part of central Dublin is unusually well endowed with breathing space, thanks to a number of pleasant squares and parks. The biggest, possibly the biggest city square in Europe, is St. Stephen's Green. In the 18th century it was almost surrounded by elegant town houses, some of which survive; conservationists despair at the dwindling number. Inside the square is a perfectly delightful park with flower gardens and a manmade lake inhabited by waterfowl.

The square contains many sculptures and monuments in var­ied style, including a memorial to the poet and playwright W.B. Yeats by Henry Moore. Nearby is a bust of Yeats friend, Countess Constance Markievicz, the legendary defender of St. Stephen's Green during the 1916 insurrection and the first woman elected to the British House of Com­mons. Another statue honours the man who paid for landscaping St. Stephen's Green in 1880. He was Lord Ardilaun, son of the founder of the Guinness Brewery. Some thirsty sightseers might be inspired to find a nearby pub and raise a toast to the stout hearted benefactor.

Medieval Dublin

Dublin Castle was begun in the 13th century on a hill over­looking the original Viking settlement on the south bank of the Liffey. It was largely rebuilt in the 18th century, which explains why it no longer looks like a medieval castle. Over the centuries it served as seat of government, prison, courthouse, parliament and occasionally as fortress under siege most recently in 1916. Many a visiting head of state has been feted in the lavishly appointed State Apartments, once the resi­dence of the British Viceroy.

Around the corner from the castle, Dublin's City Hall (formerly the Royal Exchange) was built in the late 18th century in neoclassical style. It contains ancient royal charters and the municipal regalia. Dublin has not one but two noteworthy cathedrals. And though it is the capital of a predominantly Catholic country, both cathedrals belong to the Protestant Church of Ireland. The reason for two cathedrals is easily explained if you have the time to sift through 12th century political and religious rivalries.

In any case, Christ Church is the older of the two, dating from 1038. One unusual architectural touch is the covered pedestrian bridge over Wine tavern Street, linking the church and its synod house. This was built in Victorian times but doesn't spoil the overall mood. Otherwise, Christ Church has Roman­esque, Early English and neo Gothic elements. The crypt, which extends under the whole church like a vast wine cellar, is a remnant of the 12th century, when the cathedral was expanded by the Earl of Pembroke, whose remains were buried here. However, the authenticity of the present Pembroke tomb the statue of a recumbent cross legged knight in armour in the southern aisle is discounted.

St Patricks Cathedral Dublin

A short walk south from Christ Church leads to Dublin's newer and larger cathedral, St. Patrick's, dedicated to the national saint. It is said that St. Patrick himself baptized 5th-century converts at a well on this site; a stone slab which covered the well is displayed in the northwest corner of the cathedral. This church was consecrated in 1192, but the present structure dates mostly from the 13th and 14th centuries.

The cathedral is best known for its association with Jonathan Swift, the crusading satirist, who was appointed dean in 1713 and served until his death in 1745. Many Swiftian relics may be seen in a corner of the north transept, and a simple brass plate in the floor near the entrance marks his grave. Next to it is the tomb of the mysterious Stella, one of the two great loves of his life. Over the doorway to the robing room is his own bitter epitaph, in Latin: ... Savage indignation can no longer gnaw his heart. Go, traveller, and imitate, if you can, this earnest and dedicated defender of liberty.

The talented choirboys of St. Patrick's Cathedral lift up their voices and the spirits of the listener sat services every day except Saturday. The Cathedral Choir School was founded in 1432. A joint choir from both cathedrals was first in the world to sing Handel's Messiah when the composer was in Dublin in 1742. The original handwritten score may be seen in Marsh's Library, next to St. Patrick's. This was Ireland's first public library.

The North Bank in Dublin

The most impressive building on the north bank of the Liffey is the domed home of the Four Courts (originally Chancery, Common Pleas, Exchequer and King's Bench). It's the work of James Gandon, the 18th-century English born architect who also designed Dublin's Custom House. The courthouse was quite seriously damaged during the civil war in 1922. St. Mithan's. Church, around the corner from Church Street was founded in 1095 and rebuilt several times since.

Among curiosities on view is a so called Penitent's Pew in which sinners had to confess to the congregation. In the vaults, wood coffins and many a mummy can be seen in a remarkably healthy state of preservation. Some of them have been here for over 200 years, saved from normal deterioration, perhaps, by the dry air or its high methane content. It's all a bit spooky.

The last great official building designed by James Gandon, the King's Inns, is the headquarters of the Irish legal profession. It contains an important law library and a mag­nificent dining hall decorated with the portraits of judges. On the north side of Parnell Square is Charlemont House, one of Dublin's best 18th century mansions. Now the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, it includes pieces from the superb collection of Sir Hugh Lane. He was drowned in the Lusilania disaster of 1915, provoking a long legal struggle over custody of his paintings.

For 20 years pictures shuttled back and forth between Dub­lin and London. The latest agreement assures the Municipal Gallery three fourths of the contested legacy, including works by Corot, Courbet, Manet, Monet and Rousseau.

Phoenix Park Dublin

The Phoenix Park provides Dubliners with nearly three square miles of beautiful park­land on the western edge of the city. The most conspicuous monument , overshadowing flower gardens, forests and sports fields, is an immense obelisk commemorating the military victories of the Duke of Wellington. He happened to be born in Ireland but later quipped ungraciously that although a man may be born in a stable ,that doesn't make him a horse.

Among the buildings discreetly planted in the park is the residence of thc president of Ireland (Aras an Uachla­rain). On the northeast side of the park, the Dublin zoo provides education and diversion. If you can't distinguish an ostrich from an emu, the informative signs will remove all doubts. The zoo is noted for successfully breeding many generations of lion cubs in captivity.

In Kilmainham, a half mile south of the park on the South Circular Road, a stone tower­gate in a style sometimes reviled as gingerbread gothic guards the grounds of the Royal Hospital. The building within, Dublin's principal 17th-century monument, was a home for army pensioners. An ugly, forbidding structure, Kilmainham Jail has bcen painstakingly restored as if it were a work of art. But its relevance is historic not aesthetic. The prisoners who lived and died within its walls include many heroes of Irish nationalism. Guided tours are organized every Sunday afternoon. The central cellblock now features exhibitions from Irish revolutionary history.

The Guinness Brewery Dublin

Jails are unlikely tourist attractions, and so are factories. But many a pilgrim makes his way to the biggest industrial enterprise in Dublin, the Guinness Brewery at St. James's Gate. The firm has been on this site since 1759 and its dark, full-bodied stout is known far and wide. Visitors are shown a film about the manufacturing process and in­vited to sample the finished product so much a part of Irish life. Connoisseurs say it tastes best of all, from the keg, in its native Dublin.

In the Balls bridge district of southeast Dublin are the spacious grounds of the Royal Dublin Society (RDS). A green and golden privet hedge surrounds the fields on which one of the world's great horse shows is held every August. The RDS complex is also the site of agricultural and industrial exhibitions as well as conferences and concerts.

This area of parks and large residences contains many foreign embassies, especially in Ailesbury Road. Around the corner in Shrewsbury Road is the Chester Beatty Library and Gallery of Oriental Art. The collection is known for its priceless manuscripts and literature from thc East: jade books from the Chinese imperial court, early Arabic tomes on geography and astronomy and a sampling of korans from the Middle East. The collector and donor was Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968), an American retired in Ireland.

Eating out in Dublin Ireland

LIke most Anglo-Saxons, the Irish prefer honest meat and potatoes heaped high on their plates. Not for them the esoteric sauces and spices of European cuisines. Following is a selection of specialities. Irish soups are usually thick and hearty: vegetables and barley and meat stock and a dab of cream, for instance. Look for potato soup made of potatoes, onions and carrot.

Fish fresh from the Atlantic or the Irish Sea or the island's streams is sensationally good. Keep an eye out for these great Irish delights: fresh salmon (poached or grilled), smoked salmon, sole, trout from sea or stream. Dublin Bay prawns are a famous natural resource, as are Galway oysters (often washed down with a bottle of stout). With luck you'll be offered local mussels or lobster, though the bulk of the catch is exported to appreciative clients on the Continent.

Meat of the highest quality is the centre-piece of Irish cuisine. The beef is excellent but there is little veal. You'll have a choice of sumptuous steaks (T-bone, sirloin or filet mignon) or roast beef. Lamb appears in tender chops or roast or as the main ingredient in Irish stew, a filling casserole with potatoes, carrots, onions, parsley and thyme. Irish pork products bacon, sausages, chops, Limerick hamare also famous. Dublin Coddle is a stew of bacon, sausages, onions, potatoes and parsley, a favourite Saturday night supper in the capital.

Vegetables as basic as potatoes and cabbage play a big role in Irish cooking. Potatoes have been a mainstay of the Irish diet since the 17th century. Mushrooms, which thrive in the cool and humid atmosphere, are Ireland's biggest horticultural export.

Desserts are often similar to English pudding trifles, gateaux and generally very sweet sweets, often fruity, with a scrumptious topping of thick sweet cream.

Drinks in Dublin

The Irish drink nearly 500 million pints of beer a year, mostly a rich creamy dark brown version, stout. Irish lagers and ales, much less filling, are also worth trying. A unique Irish drink, Black Velvet, combines stout and champagne; it is said to be helpful in the event of a hangover. Pot stilled Irish whiskey is matured in wooden casks for at least seven years. It's drunk neat or with a little water. Never with ice. Irish coffee, served in a stemmed glass, consists of hot coffee laced with whiskey and sugar with a tablespoonful of thick cream floating on top. Two Irish liqueurs merit a try: Irish Misthoney and herbs in a whiskey base tingles the pa­late, and Irish Cream Liqueur contains whiskey, chocolate and cream, like a leprechaun's milkshake.

Shopping in Dublin Ireland

Friendly, low-keyed sales personnel help make shopping in Ireland such a pleasure. Shop­keepers and assistants are full of informed advice, and sincere they're likely to advertise a competitor if they think he's selling something better or cheaper. The most appealing products here are made by Irish craftsmen in traditional or imaginative new styles. Some ideas for shoppers, in alphabetical order:

Aran sweaters. The elaborate stitches in this fisher­man's sweater, knitted of undyed wool, can easily be recognized. Demand so far ex­ceeds the supply that they are made in mainland factories as well as in the cottages of the Islands of their origin. Be sure t examine the label to find out whether the Aran sweater, scarf or cap is handknit.

Connemara marble, rich green in colour, made into book ends, bracelets and brooches. Crosses. Especially reproductions of ancient Christian crosses, and St. Brigid crosses of straw. Dolls, dressed in traditional regional costumes. Enamel dishes, plaques and pendants by local craftsmen. Fishing flies from Donegal and Tipperary.

Glassware. Waterford crystal, world renowned until the industry succumbed to 19th­century economic pressures, is again a going concern. Jewellery. Ancient Celtic designs and illustrations from the Book of Kells inspire some of today's goldsmiths and silver smiths. Kinsale smocks. Stylish cotton wind cheaters for sailors. Not to be confused with Kinsale cloaks, traditional local dress now revived as chic eveningwear.

Lace. Convents in Limerick and County Monaghan have kept this industry alive. Linen. Weaving goes on in Northern Ireland but the fin­ished product from handkerchiefs to table sets is sold everywhere. Peat. The turf of Ireland is now compressed and sculpted into reproductions of ancient religious and folklore symbols.

Pottery. Traditional and modern designs in tableware and ovenware.
Records. Individuals and groups sing or play traditional tunes.
Rush work. In this land of thatched cottages, the makers of woven baskets and similar wickerwork are still in business.

Smoked salmon. The souvenir you can eat is specially packed for travelling, on sale at the airport. So are Irish sausages, and butter, if it comes to that. Tweed. Handwoven Irish fabrics come in a considerable variety of colours and weights, fit for winter overcoats or light shawls or drapes. Whimsical souvenirs. Leprechauns in all sizes, worry stones of marble, Irish coffee glasses and shillelaghs (cudgels).

Things to do in Copenhagen Denmark

Introduction Centre of Danish government, administration and finance, Copenhagen is home to nearly one third of Denmark's people. It also lodges the old royal dynasty in Europe.

In 1157 Valdemar I becomes king. At this time, Copenhagen is a little fishing village called Havn (harbour). But thanks to its position at the entrance to the Baltic, one of the main trading routes of medieval Europe, Havn quickly develops into an important trade centre. States­man and warrior hero Bishop Absalon builds a fortified castle on Havn's harbour island, Slotsholmen, in 1167, the year considered as founding date of today’s city. In 1170, it changes its name to Kopmannrehafn (merchants' harbour).

During his reign (1340-75), King Valdemar IV Atterdag leads Denmark into conflict with its Nordic neighbours. However his daughter Margrete marries Hakon VI, king of Norway and Sweden, and by the Treaty of Kalmar in 1397, the three Nordic countries are unified under her rule. The following 200 years are marked by internal strife, the Lutheran movement and constant wars against Sweden. Copenhagen is enlarged and becomes official capital under Christopher III of Bavaria. With the founding of its university in 1497 it also becomes the cultural centre of Denmark.

The Reformation takes place in 1536 under Christian III who declares himself supreme authority of a State Church based on Lutheranism. During the first half of the 17th century, Christian IV enlarges Copenhagen and erects many fine buildings. In 1660 the town becomes a free city all residents being granted the same privileges as the nobles.

By the latter half of the 17th century, Denmark is forced to relinquish remaining Swedish possessions. During the 18th century, Copenhagen suffers a plague (1711-12) and two devastating fires (1728 and 1795). Serfdom in Denmark is abolished in 1788. Denmark gets involved in the European revolutionary wars without really wishing it.

Copenhagen is attacked by the British in 1801 and again in 1807 when the Danes have to hand over the rest of their fleet to the British, only to be forced immediately afterwards to sign an alliance with Napoleon who is marching into Jutland.

To payoff war debts, Denmark has to hand over Norway to Sweden in 1814. 50 years later it loses the Schleswig and Holstein duchies to Bismarck's Prussia. In 1848 Frederik VII is forced to relinquish absolute rule to the National Liberal Party. Denmark stays neutral in World War 1. In 1920, North Schleswig votes itself back again from Germany into Denmark. During World War II, Copenhagen escapes large scale destruction. In 1949 the country enters NATO and in 1972 becomes a member of the EEC.

What to see in Copenhagen Denmark

No one visiting Copenhagen would wish to miss the statue of the Little Mermaid (Den Litle Havfrue), as well known and beloved as Hans Christian Andersen himself. In his fairy tale, the tragic sea girl exchanged her voice for human legs in order to gain the love of an earthly prince, but mutely had to watch as he jilted her for a real princess. In desperation, she threw herself into the sea and turned to foam. Today she sits forever on a small clump of rocks, looking wistfully out to sea.

Watching over the Little Mermaid is the 300-year old Citadel (Kastelet), a corner­stone of Christian IV's defences of Copenhagen. The 300yearold fort (built mostly between 1662 and 1725) is still used by the army the church, prison and main guard­house have resisted the assaults of time. It is a delightfully peaceful enclave in a modern city, and has a charming windmill (1847) as well as remains of the old ramparts.

The nearby Gefion Fountain is Copenhagen's most spectacular. Erected by the Carlsberg Foundation, it depicts the legend of the Nordic goddess Gefion, who turned her four sons into oxen and used them to plough the island of Zealand out of Sweden.

Ama Henborg Palace, home of the royal family, is situated in a spacious and stately square off Bredgade. Actually, it is not a square but a cobbled octagon, on four sides of which stand identical mansion like palaces. These were originally designed as noble­men's homes by court archi­tect Nicolai Eigtved during a city expansion in the 1750's. After Christiansborg Castle (formerly the royal residence), was destroyed by fire in 1794, the royal family gradually bought up Amalienborg from the nobles and has lived there ever since.

Today it's reckoned to be one of the finest Rococo ensembles in Europe. Its centrepiece is a unique copper equestrian monument to King Frederik V. Outside, the ceremony of the changing of the guards is sometimes to be seen. For a complete change of atmosphere you could visit the lively seamen's quarter, Nyhavn. Hans Christian Andersen spent part of his life in this area. Though he would still recognize the facades and buildings, he would find quite a change: it is now a mixture of taverns, topless discos and tattoo parlours on the immediate north side, and elsewhere of elegantly restored frontages, luxury apartments, some good restaurants and one superb hotel conversion of an 18th­century warehouse.

Copenhagen canals

(From the Kongens Nytorv end of Nyhavn you can take a trip round Copenhagen's canals. Lasting about one hour, these trips provide an excellent view of many parts of the city and of such fascinating harbours as Christianshavn.) On Siotsholm Island, linked to the capital by several bridges, is the Christiansborg Palace, once the home of the royal family and now that of the Danish parliament.

This is the sixth castle or palace on the site since Bishop Absalon, founder of Copenhagen, built his fortress here in 1167, pillage, fire or rebuilding frenzy having taken their subsequent toll. The third castle became the permanent seat of king and government in 1417. The present edifice dates only from the early years of this century.

Christians borg's chapel, the riding lodges and lovely restored marble bridge, which managed to survive two disas­trous fires in 1794 and 1884, help to give the palace a more venerable aspect than its generally very recen t origins might lead one to expect. The palace houses three museums:

On a tour of the Royal Reception Chambers you can see a series of rooms in everything from imitation marble to the richly tapestries, gold and green room where monarchs are proclaimed from the balcony overlooking the Castle Square below.

In a vast building on the southeast side of Christians borg is housed the Royal Arsenal Museum (Tojhusmuseel) where you are greeted by attendants in three cornered hats and knee length red jackets. It's appropriate for a museum housing one of Europe's most important collections of military uniforms and historic equipment.

Across the royal riding grounds at the rear of Christiansborg, and in an elegant little terrace above the stables, is one of the world's most unusual theatre museums, the Teaterhistorisk Museum. |It is unusual, for a start, because of the constant aroma of horses seeping up through the 200­yearold creaky floorboards, and it has always been thus. Already at the former Court Theatre's first production in 1767, the authentic country smell was remarked on.

The small auditorium and galleries of the former Court Theatre are packed with Danish and international theatre relics memorabilia of Hans Christian Andersen, Anna Pavlova, Ibsen; playbills, costumes, prints and photographs of Danish theatre his­tory.

Just off the Castle Square is the highly ornamented Borsen (Stock Exchange), dating from the days of Christian IV. It has a green copper roof with a famous spire composed of four intricately intertwined dragons' tails. The National museet (National Museum) on Frederiks­holm Kanal is the biggest museum in Scandinavia. It holds an uncountable number of exhibits in eight separate major collections, ranging from prehistoric to Middle Ages, town and manor cul­ture, ethnographical, special and classical antiquity, coins and medals.

Riidhuspladsen (Town Hall Square) is the city's largest square from which 14 streets branch out in different directions. A hub of constant activity, it has several notable sta­tues and, of course, the Town Hall itself. Built between 1892 and 1905, this building boasts, among other things, an impressive main hall and ban­queting room, as well as a world clock designed by Jens Olsen. One of the streets leading off Radhuspladsen is Stroget, the capital's most famous pedestrian street with its num­erous small bars, pavement cafes and excellent shops. It winds its way for three quarters of a mile to the city's other main square, Kongens Nytorv, changing its name four times en route Frederiksberg­gade, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet and Amagertorv.

The famous Tivoli Gardens are just across the street from Radhuspladsen. These gardens, the pride and joy of the people of Copenhagen, are unique in that they provide something for everyone. There are fountains, bands, orchestras, theatres, lakes, bridges, a pagoda, restaurants, flower beds, slot machines, and donkey rides; it is a place in which to enjoy yourself or simply relax. Almost opposite Tivoli, down Axeltorv, is Copenhagen's famous circus.

The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, across Tietgensgade from Tivoli, was founded on the classical collection of Carl Jacobsen, Danish brewer and art connoisseur (1842-1914), and developed by his family. To­day, under one elaborate roof, you can thus see one of the world's foremost exhibitions of Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Etruscan art, with enough statues and artefacts to equip 100 ancient temples. In quite another vein, there are 25 Gauguins, three van Goghs and seven Rodin statues, as well as a complete set of Degas bronzes delicate little statues that won the painter posthumous acclaim as a sculptor. A museum with two distinct sides to it, in fact.

Slightly off the main tourist route, but well worth a visit, is the Rundetarn (Round Tower), built in 1642 by Christian IV as an astronomical observatory. It has been one of the city's most beloved landmarks for 300 years, even if it only reaches the modest height of 118 feet (36 m.).
You can walk to the top, but not by steps these would have been impractical for raising the heavy equipment needed there. Instead, a wide spiral sloping causeway winds its way round for almost 700 feet (209 m.) inside the tower. Not only did Czar Peter the Great ride up it on horse­back in 1716 his empress followed in a coach and six. Rosenborg Castle, on the other side of town, boasts exhibits which span Danish royal history over the past 300 years. Of special interest are Christian IV's tower room study, the Knight's Hall and the treasury which contains the crown jewels.

North of Copenhagen and car hire

If you want to travel north of Copenhagen, hire a car from the airport to save you time and money when you arrive in Denmark.

At the Frilandsmuseet (Open Air Folk Museum) at Sorgen­fri, the 90acre (36ha.) site is scattered with forty farm­houses, cottages and work­shops, all furnished in strictly authentic style. Broadly, the buildings are divided into geographic groups laid out along country lanes, with old bridges and village pumps, the whole authentically landscaped.

Another popular excursion is the lovely drive to Helsingor, along the so-called Danish Riviera with its small fishing villages and bays. If it's seaside weather, you might be tempted to stop en route and join the bathers at Bellevue Beach near Klampenborg. At Helsingar itself (better known as Elsinore), Ham­let's castle juts out dramati­cally towards Sweden. In fact, though the film was shot on this site, Hamlet himself never slept here, nor did he ever see a ghost within these walls.

The castle's real name is Kronborg, and it was built between 1574 and 1585 at the command of King Frederik II. Its purpose was to help extract tolls from ships entering the narrow Sound (and thus the Baltic) at this point. Restored this century, the moated brick castle stands today as Frederik's proudest memorial, now sparsely furnished but immensely impressive. It has the feel of solid strength and royal presence, permeating the elaborate little chapel, the long galleries and stone stairways, and above all the huge oak beamed Banqueting Hall.

At 205 feet by 36 (62 x II m.), it is the largest hall of its kind in northern Europe and one of the noblest rooms of the Danish Renaissance. The interesting Handels og Sofartsmuseum (Trade and Maritime Museum) in the castle's northern wing contains an exhibition of old navigation instruments as well as relics from early Danish settle­ments in Greenland and elsewhere.

In the rolling farmland of North Zealand lies Fredensborg Slot. Built between 1719 and 1722, it is a perfect exampIe of Italian/Dutch Baroque, situated on a small hill, surrounded by grounds which were the delight of King Frederik V, who turned this hunting seat into a royal summer residence. You can stroll around the beautiful, lakeside grounds any time, but the royal apartments and private garden are opened to visitors only when the royal family is absent.

Six miles (9 km.) away, near Hillemd, stands Frederiksborg Slot, one of the greatest Renaissance castles in northern Europe and the most monumental achievement of the Great Builder, Christian IV. In 1859 much of the interior of the castle was destroyed by fire but was later restored by a Danish brewer, J. C. Jacobsen, and turned into a museum. Today, in more than 60 rooms, is a complete record of the Danish monarchy from Christian I down to the present queen.

Also of interest are the Knights' Hall, awesome in its dimensions, and the richly carved and ornamented chapel with an organ dating back to 1610, virtually unchanged. Remarkably, the chapel escaped almost untouched from the disastrous fire.

What to eat in Denmark

There are approximately 178 varieties of smorrebrod, those buttered slices of rye or white bread covered with one or a variety of delicacies: veal, beef tartare, liver paste, salmon, smoked eel, codroe, shrimps, herring, ham, roast beef, salad or cheese. This main layer is garnished with a variety of accessories carefully selected to enhance both taste and appearance.

Koldt bord

The cold buffet style spread is known in Denmark as koldt bord (cold table), and resembles the Swedish smorgasbord. For a fixed price, you start at one end of the table helping yourself to herring in various preparations, seafood, mayonnaise salads and other delicacies, and continue on to sample liver paste, ham and other cuts of meat. Despite its name, a kold bord always includes a few hot items, such as meat balls, pork sausages, soup and fried potatoes. Several kinds of bread and salads are also provided.

En platte is a cold dish (smaller version of previous) made up of six to eight specialities, often eaten at lunch­time.

Fish in Denmark

Herring is a great favourite, served pickled, marinated or fried, with a sherry, vinegar, curry or fennel dressing. The succulent red Greenland shrimps are keen competitors in the popularity stakes. Lobster is widely available (but not cheap), as arc crab, salmon, cod and halibut. The little oresund rodspcette (red spot plaice) is on every menu. A speciality in summer is danske rejer, the small pink shrimps from local waters, served piled high on white bread.

Shopping in Denmark

There's value added tax on all goods bought in Denmark. In many cases it can be waived or funded on purchases by residents of other countries ask the retailer.

What to Buy in Denmark

Amber necklaces. The local gem (actually fossil resin) found in the southern Baltic, is probably cheaper here than back home, but starting prices still have a tendency to be rather high. Danish porcelain. The big names are Royal Copenhagen Porcelain and Bing & Gmndahl. Furs are fantastic quality. Glassware and household products in stainless steel are particularly good buys if you want top design matched with excellent craftsmanship.

Knitwear is Nordicstyle, often highly patterned, warm and perhaps expensive. Lamps are a lovingly de­signed product, as are house­hold textiles and hand woven rugs. Silver is a Danish speciality, dominated by the name Georg Jensen. Silver in Denmark is quality-controlled and must be hallmarked. Pipes are another indigenous craft. Toys are simple and attrac­tive, especially those in solid wood: trains, ships, etc. Souvenirs are myriad: little mermaids, Copenhagen dolls in black lace caps and frilly skirts, ceramic blue figurines and animals. All kinds of trolls and Vikings also abound naturally!

What to do in Cologne Germany

Cologne, capital of the Rhineland, is one of the oldest and most distinguished cities in Germany. It lies at the centre of a pious but never austere religious tradition where good Catholics take a secular, even pagan delight in the joys of the flesh. The great symbol of the Church's abid­ing authority is Cologne's gigantic, almost overpowering, twin-spired cathedral. Yet the town is the scene every year of Germany's most riotous, lusty, frolicking Carnival, when wives put away their wedding rings and the husbands are not home to complain.

Long a commercial and cultural centre, Cologne has wit­nessed the nation's growth from earliest Roman times through medieval prosperity to its present state of comfort­able stability. It has been home to a number of famous people: in the 16th century Peter Paul Rubens, the painter of exuberantly fleshy nudes, grew up among the burgers' stout wives. About 70 years later, in 1642, Maria de Medici, the wife of Henry IV of France, died here in exile; her heart is buried in the cathedral. The composer of Orpheus in the Underworld, Of­fenbach, was born here in 1819.

Cologne car hire Germany

The best way to explore Cologne is to book a hire car from the airport in Germany before you travel.Cologne's site on the Rhine is of prime importance. The old city was founded on the left bank, the new industrial centre on the right (Deutzer) bank.

It is the ideal starting place for a visit to the Rhine Valley, land of mists and towering rocks, terraced vineyards and avenues of poplars, Gothic churches and ruined castles, of every poetic image dear to the romantic side of the German character. But it's also coal barges, express trains and juggernaut lorries, cement works and power plants. Phoenix/like, Cologne arose after World War II from a rubble strewn desert to the proud, businesslike city of today. For now, as in centuries past, Rhinelanders settle down to their romantic dreams only after a hard day's work.

History of Cologne

A Brief History 1000750 B.C. Celts settle on the west bank of the Rhine, Germanic tribes occupy the east. In 72 B.C. the Germanic king Ariovistus crosses the Rhine with 15,000 troops and conquers part of Gaul. Gallic leaders call on the Romans for help and Caesar defeats Ariovistus in 58 B.C., driving the Germans back across the Rhine. Three years later the Gallic left bank is declared a Roman Protectorate. In 38 B.C., Augustus's general Agrippa brings a Germanic tribe, the Ubii, across to the left bank, and establishes the settlement of Oppidum Ubiorum.

Julia Agrippina, wife and murderess of the Roman Emperor Claudius, renames her birthplace Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensis, shortened later to Colo­nia. The Roman Rhineland suffers under invading barbarians, first the Alemanni who conquer Cologne, later the Burgundians, who are in turn defeated by the Huns. Turmoil continues with wars between the Alemanni and the Franks; the latter achieve supremacy under Clovis, who introduces Christianity. At the beginning of the 9th century, Charlemagne establishes a Christian European empire and builds his imperial palace on the edge of the Rhineland at Aachen. Cologne, already a bishop's see, becomes an arch­bishopric.

The Rhineland becomes a major recruiting centre for the Crusades to rescue Jerusalem from the Infidel. At Easter, 1096, Peter the Hermit arrives in Cologne with thousands of French eager to fight for the cause. They influence the Rhinelanders to such an extent that they began to massacre local Jewish communities.

The medieval city blossoms into one of Germany's principal towns. The increased power of the church, represented by the cathedral begun in 1248 is matched by growing commercial strength. An independent city III 1475, and part of the Hanseatic League, Cologne grows fat on trade with Bruges and London and imposes its own system of weights and measures on other northern towns.

Decline sets in with the collapse of the Hanseatic League and the growth of Lutherism. A bastion of the Catholic faith, Cologne resists the Reformation, and its Protestant craftsmen flee to other towns. The Thirty Years' War (1618-48) devastates the land, although neutrality saves the city from destruction. The 18th century brings peace but also French domination.

In 1813 Napoleon is driven back across the Rhine into France, and the Congress of Vienna hands the Rhineland to Prussia. However, the area remains a hotbed of unrest until Wilhelm of Prussia defeats the French in 1870, taking Alsace and Lorraine.

After World War I, at the Versailles Peace Conference, Marshal Foch pushes for an independent Rhenish Republic under French supervision. Rhenish separatists, among them the Mayor of Cologne, Konrad Adenauer, stage a coup d'etat on June I, 1919. They declare a republic which lasts only a few hours, until Clemenceau, under Anglo-American pressure, sends orders to break it up. The effects of the Third Reich are longer lasting.
Hitler marshalls troops in the Rhineland in 1936, delivering a triumphant speech in Cologne cathedral. In May 1942 British bombs devastate the town. By 1945 the population has fallen from 800,000 to 40,000, but within 15 years the city is rebuilt.

Things to see and do in Cologne Germany

For a taste of the Rhineland's mixture of the practical and the romantic, the serious and the humorous, there's nowhere better to begin than Cologne. And in Cologne the starting point is inevitably the cathedral (Dam). After the devastating bom­bardments of World War II, it was one of the few buildings left standing, defiantly domi­nating the city. Today, amid Cologne's shining rebuilt prosperity, elevated on a terrace like a somewhat haughty dignitary, the cathedral occu­pies a position that has been sacred since Roman times. Around A.D. 50, it was the site of the Temple of Mercurius Augustus. The first Christian church was built there in the 4th century by Bishop Maternus.

Progressively expanded over the next few centuries, the church began to burst at its seams in the 13th century when thousands of pilgrims flocked to Cologne to view the shrine containing the relics of the Three Kings. In 1248 the church was replaced with a cathedral conceived on a gigantic Gothic plan. Work went on for 300 years and then halted for lack of funds, with 121 the steeples still un-built.

The church remained that way for another 300 years until, at the urging of the young German Romantics and nationalists, work was resumed and the steeples completed in 1880.
Those steeples are the first thing you see of the cathedral, the first thing you see of Cologne, in fact. They complete the largest façade 200 feet wide, 515 feet high (61 m. by 157 m.) of any church in Christendom. Inside, the true architectu­ral glory of the cathedral is its choir, a magnificent example of 13th century Gothic intensity, its slim, almost delicate lines forming a. Striking contrast to the massiveness of the whole edifice.

Very impressive in their natural elegance, set on the pillars of the choir, are the statues of Christ and Mary flanked by the apostles, sculpted by Master Arnold, one of the building's original architects.

The cathedral's richest treasure, looking itself like a basilica, is the gold Dreikonigenschrein (Shrine of the Three Kings) behind the high altar. The bones of the Three Kings were brought by Fried­rich Barbarossa's chancellor, Reinald von Dassel, from Milan in the 12th century. Nikolaus von Verdun was commissioned to design this masterpiece of the goldsmith's art. Begun in 1181, it took 40 years to complete. The solid gold figures include the kings and prophets of the Old Testament along with scenes of Christ's baptism and the adoration of the Kings.

Another highly prized work is Stephan Lochner's splendid 15th century Dombild, a trip­tych to the right of the choir, celebrating the patron saint of Cologne Ursula, Gereon and the Three Kings. On the left side of the choir is the fine 10th century Gerokreuz (Gero Cross), named after Arch­bishop Gero who commis­sioned this movingly sim pie crucifixion. It is the earliest example of a Byzantinestyle sculpture appearing in Western Europe. In the Sakramentskapelle is the beautiful Milan Madonna, sculpted around 1280, with the colour, crown and sceptre restored in the last century.

Appropriately enough, next door to this formidable Christian monument, in the Romisch Germanisches Museum, is the delightfully pagan Roman tribute to Bacchanalian pleasure, the Dionysos Mosaic. One of the few nice things to have happened in Cologne during World War I I was the discovery of this marvellously well preserved work in the course of digging an air-raid shelter. The museum in which it is now housed was built around the mosaic's original site, once the floor of a prosperous 3rd century Roman wheat merchant's dining room. Dionysos is the Greek name of the fun-loving god the Romans called Bacchus. You can see him leaning tipsily on an obliging satyr while around him other satyrs and nymphs cavort and make music.

The reconstruction of Cologne and car hire in Germany

The post war reconstruction of Cologne has generally been a boon for the reorganization of its museums and particularly the Rhineland's most important art gallery, the Waljraf Richartz Museum. Car hire in Cologne, Germany can be picked up from the airport. Situated on the Wallrafplatz a short walk southwest of the cathedral, the pleasant modern building is a triumph of imaginative lighting and display for an excellent collection of early Rhenish art and many fine examples of the great European painters Lochner, Durer, Cranach to name but a few.

Above the Wallraf Richartz in the same building is the Museum Ludwig, devoted to modern art Picasso, Dali, Klee, Kandinsky and Max Ernstbut it is perhaps most remarkable for the comprehensive American pop art collection. There is something especially pleasing about a building that houses both the exquisite, anonymous J 5th­century Gothic Madonna with Pea Blossom and Claes Oldenburg's lusty Giant Soft Swedish Light Switch.
For just a hint of what the old town of Cologne used to look like, go back to the river, to the tiny Austadt between the Gross St.

Martin church and the Deutzer bridge. There, around the old Fischmarkt, along the Salzgasse and across the Eisenmarkt (Ironware Market), you can find miracles of survival and resto­ration of houses dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Now a thriving, renewed neighbourhood of restau­rants, antique shops, art galleries and apartments with at­tractive gardens, the lively atmosphere helps you imagine what it was like in the good old days.

But Cologne also has a bouncing, bustling present attested by the gleaming, pedestrians only commercial area along the Hohe Strasse southwest of the cathedral. Reflecting its taste for things French, the town offers plenty of outdoor cafes. Some of the most agreeable are around Am Hof where you can linger over a delicious pastry and coffee while contemplating. The delightfully kitschy dwarfs . and inquisitive tailoress of the Heinzelmiinnchenbrunnen (Heinzeldwarfs Well), sculpted in 1899.

To round off the church scene, you might like to look in on the Antoniterkirche (on the Schildergasse), the main church of the small Protestant community, and admire Ernst Barlach's 1927 sculpture Der Trauernde Engel (the Mourning Angel)to which he has given the features of his fellow artist Kiithe Kollwitz. The best of the city's Romanesque churches, indeed one of the most delicate in the Rhineland, is the St. Aposteln west of the Neumarkt on the Mittelstrasse.

The area is decorated with blind arcades and graceful galleries. But perhaps the most moving of Cologne's ecclesiastical edifices is the Madonna in den Triimmern (Madonna in the Ruins), the modern chapel built out of the rubble of the old Gothic St. Kolumba church on Briicken­strasse. World War II bombardments left standing only the stump of a tower and part of one outer wall. Amazingly, a statue of the Virgin Mary also emerged unscathed. Hence the name of the chapel, which Gottfried Bohm designed in the 1950s, artfully integrating modern simplicity with the Gothic remains. Here you'll get a true feeling of the city's history of pain and recovery.

On the western side of the Alter Markt is the proud old Rathaus or Town Hall. Its elegant Renaissance pillared loggia is as warm and inviting as the administrative extension of its modern Spanischer Bau is cold and forbidding. From the Rathaus, the Judengasse, once the main street of the medieval Jewish quarter, takes you to the Giirzenich, home of historic merriment. Cologne's most important secular Gothic building and practically the only one to survive into this century was designed as a dance hall for the city government and its honoured guests, including the occasional Habsburg or Hohenzollern. The original building, constructed in 1441, was damaged by fire in World War II. Rebuilt, it is still the most prestigious venue for Carnival balls, banquets and concerts, the perfect Gothic complement to the cathedral.

Excursions along the Rhine

No visit to Cologne is complete without a trip along the Rhine. You could take a train south to Bonn, and return downstream by boat; or take a leisurely cruise upstream to Mainz, along the most scenic part of the river. Bonn Not many people take Bonn seriously as the capital of Germany - least of all the Germans themselves. This is as much a tribute to its quiet serenity as a complaint about its lack of dynamism. But Bonn does have a modest charm, rather a nice surprise for the seat of government of such a busy, purposeful, self­confident nation.

To get a feeling for the atmosphere in which the country conducts its official business, start at the complex of government buildings be­tween the Rhine and Adenauerallee. The Bundeshaus, the parliament, offers multilin­gual guided tours when not in session. There's a fine view of the Siebengebirge (Seven Hills) across the river from the public restaurant on the 30th floor of the Abgeordneten­hochhaus (Deputies' Building).

You can change gears with a restful stroll at the other end of the Adenauerallee, around the old trees of the Hofgarten. This leads back to the university, housed in the elegant Baroque residence designed for the high living elector of Cologne, Joseph Clemens, by Louis XIV's architect Robert de Cotte. It was in the elector's private chapel here that a bright 16year-old schoolboy named Ludwigvan Beethoven performed his first music.

Bonn's sunny Baroque style can be appreciated in the graceful Rathaus (Town Hall) with its balustraded outside staircase, very much the centre of the quiet city basking in its 18th-century dream. The shopping area, like Cologne's blocked off from traffic, keeps things in the subdued mode.

Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770 and his birthplace, the Beethovenhaus, at Bonngasse 20, has been preserved as a museum, proudly claiming the largest and most valuable collection of Beethoven memorabilia. It includes one of the grand pianos he played towards the end of his life and the acoustical instruments he used to combat his increasing deafness. The best of Bonn's museums is the Rheinisches Landesmuseum, outstanding for its Rhenish painters with some fine examples of the Cologne School.

But the stars are undoubtedly the Neanderthal Man and Cromagnon Couple. Old Neanderthal, 50,000 years old in fact, was found by workmen In a quarry near Dusseldorf in 1856. His remains include the top of his skull and 16 other bones, enough for anthropologists to determine that he was 5 feet 4 inches tall and 60 years old when he died. The Cromagnon man and woman, date back to 10,000 B.C.

Rhine Valley Germany and airport car hire

If you hire a car from an airport in Germany you can take your time to explore and look around the Rhine Valley.The Rhine Valley that people dream about is the part betwen Koblenz and Mainz. This is where the mountains of the Hunsriick on the west and the Taunus and the Rheingau­Gebirge on the east come right down to the river forming a narrow valley of steeply terraced vineyards and pine for­ests guarded by castles and towering rocks, where myth and history mingle inextricably with the Nibelungs, me­dieval war and piracy, and romantic idylls.

The dreams begin just south of Koblenz, at Stolzenfels, high above the river. Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia started rebuilding the 14thcentury castle, sacked by the French in 1689, at the height of the German Romantic movement when the nation was lovingly reconstructing its past. His Koblenz architects gave it the full treatment turrets and crenellated battlements, funny little arches, giddy external staircases leading nowhere in particular, half -hidden rosé windows under knobby minarets all integrated into a fairytale natural setting of paths winding past gurgling brooks, of waterfalls among the pine trees, and shrubbery to break the fall of anyone accidentally cast into the dry moat.

Just before St. Goal', on the other side of the river, you will see Burg Thurnberg, better known as Burg Maus, coupled in popular imagination with Burg Katz (Cat) further south, directly opposite St. Goar. Katz was built at the end of the 14th century by Count Johann von Katzenclnbogen to snatch away the river tolls that previously went to Mau . St. Goal itself has a splendid castle ruin, the Burg Rheinfels, built by an earlier equally rapacious Katzenelnbogen in 1245. Louis XIV's troops' rampage through the Rhineland left it unscathed, but in 1797 morc French troops reduced it to the picturesque ruin you see today.

Across the river is the myth laden rock of Lorelei, the siren that inspired Heinrich Heine's celebrated poem. Riidesheim is perhaps the best known of the Rhineland's wine villages. Certainly its Drosselgasse has the liveliest collection of taverns and wine cellars of the region.

Brussels Belgium and car hire

Car hire in Belgium is available from Brussels Airport.
Life in a European melting pot is nothing new for the people of Brussels. Through the centuries invaders and oc­cupiers have come and gone, some with a whimper and oth­ers with more of a bang, but the natives have developed a healthy, good humoured cynicism that helps see them through the crises and pervades everyday life.

It is no shock nowadays, of course, to catch the babble of a dozen foreign tongues as you revive yourself with a glass of beer at one of the myriad pavement cafes, for Brussels has established itself as the capital of NATO, the European Economic Community and Western capitalism. This newly found international status has swept in with it a flood of bureaucrats, Eurocrats, businessmen, army chiefs and property devel­opers, with a host of attendant offshoots.

But though some 230,000 foreigners almost a quarter of the total population now mingle multicultural on the broad cosmopolitan avenues of modern Brus­sels, the enigmatic spirit of the heart of Belgium is still very much in evidence.

The idiosyncrasies of a thousand years of European culture have helped to shape both people and city they look back on invasions by Roman legions, Spanish In­quisitors, the Habsburg ar­mies, Napoleon, the Kaiser and Hitler. But Brussels has not been cowed into insipidness. Tucked away be­hind the skyscrapers there is a lively brew of boisterous old fashioned working class dis­tricts and elegant bourgeois neighbourhoods, lusty taverns and superb restaurants, museums steeped in history and parks aglow with colour. The people of Brussels have a deep seated allegiance to Catholicism but forces sacred are balanced by an exu­berantly profane attitude to life.

Things to do in Brussels and a brief history

They revel in revelries, especially if they involve dressing up and cavorting through the colourful past. Many of the festivals and processions stem from religious roots, but the most flam­boyant are the purely secular, which date back to proud civic parades before visiting rulers during a Joyeuse Entree, or Ommegang.Brussels' architectural glories reflect the importance attached to the municipal, material side of life the spirit of prosperity in the shape of the magnificent Town Hall and fascinating guildhalls of the Grand Place.

And the symbol of modern Brussels, the enormous molecular model known as the Atomium, erected for the 1958 World Fair encapsulates its progressive 20thcentury pros­perity. The Fair's slogan was Balir Ie monde pour l'homme (Building the World for Mankind), with the empha­sis on building.

In keeping with its international political and economic role, Brussels is officially bilingual, with both Flemish and French street signs and public notices. Bilingualism is also a reflection on the Belgian split, between Dutch speaking Flemings in the northern region and French speaking Walloons in the Southall 103 though the official equality in language does not prevent somewhat stormy relations between the two groups.

Despite internal French Walloon squabbles and the bureaucratic invasion, Brussels remains a city of good beer and good cheer, the province of the happy cartoon adventurer Tintin and the great painter Pieter Breughel, whose solid, serene, yet sceptical subjects are still personified in the city's narrow back­streets four centuries later.

To appreciate the real Brussels, you have to appreciate the combination of prosperous modern living and the power of tradition; the festive rituals of historical pageantry, which are played out with such re­lish beneath the gleaming sky scraping symbols of post industrial success.
On any meanderings through the streets of Brussels keep an eye open for the details, for there are many delightful minutiae in the most unlikely places. Old shop signs; delicate wrought iron railings, banisters and even butchers' hooks; street corner shrines in the walls holding effigies of the Virgin Mary and the saints all offer further insights into the reality of Brussels.

Grand Place Brussels

The focal point of Brussels' daily life and history, is a joyous architectural Glebration of the city's civic pride. Sit outside in one of the cafes and absorb the riot of colour in the flower market along with the throngs of natives and tourists. If you visit in July you may catch the Ommegang, the great parade of the patridan families' descendants, While at any time you're likely to see an openair theatre performance or concert held there. The square's harmony of Gothic, renaissance and Baroque was achieved when it was planned and re built after Louis XlV's attack on the city in 1695.

Only the graceful 295foot (90m.) tower of the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) somehow escaped destruction and still soars over the square as a testament to the 15 th century architectural talents of Jan van Ruysbroeck. The Town Hall's Gothic bulk derives much of its charm from the off centre placing of the door and tower. Its carving also merits close inspection, and a breathtaking view of the city makes the long haul up the tower well worthwhile.

The magnificent Renaissance guild houses around the Town Hall are the most concrete evidence imaginable for the historical importance of the craftsmen and merchants. Number 10, L' Arbre d'Or (The Golden Tree), once housed the brewers' guild and is now the home of the brewery museum. Opposite the Town Hall is the Musee Communal, displayed in the inelegant 19thcentury neo Gothic Maison du Roi, a must for any visitor to Brussels. The ground floor contains the original carvings preserved from the facade of the Town Hall, and the next floor has a fine collection of 18th century Brussels pottery to rival that of Delft.

The top floor, however, draws the biggest crowdsit contains the vast and ever growing wardrobe of Mannekenpis, contributed by visitors from all over the world. The Mannekenpis, an irreverent little statue, can be found relieving himself into a fountain on the Rue de l'Etuve; he has become the worldwide mascot of Brusselsas is all too evident from the plethora of souvenir bric­abrac on which he cheekily displays himself.

Attractions in Brussels Belgium

Just north of the Grand Place is L'Ilot Sacre (The Sacred Isle), a treasured enclave of historic Brussels preserved from the ravages of the property developers. Many of the tiny backstreets are now for pedestrians only, hiding a veritable profusion of delights for any sensualist beautiful Renaissance houses, many converted into excellent restaurants, others containing art galleries and craft shops.

In the summer, strolling musi­cians, acrobats and flower sellers add to the pleasures of this little haven. Wander through the complex of glass vaulted arcades of the Galeries Saint Hubert, a fascinating array of shops and restaurants off the Rue de I'Ecuyer; then past the Theatre de la Monnaie back to the realm of 20th century Brussels the main shopping streets, Boulevard Anspach and Rue Neuve. The Cathedral Saint Michel is worth a visit too. The choir of this imposing Gothic edifice dates back to 1226; the nave and chapter are from the 14th and 15th centuries, and the chapels were added later.

The two towers, designed by Jan van Ruysbroeck, echo his soaring masterpiece on the Town Hall, while inside, in the diffuse light of the fine stained glass windows, is the Chapeau du Saint Sacrament. This artistic gem was built in 1540 to commemorate a miracle now acknowledged as false and unjust by the archbishopric. The legend is that in 1370 some Jews stole the sacraments and on Good Friday they stabbed them in ritual defilement, whereupon blood spurted from the sacrament's wounds. Accused of this crime, four Jewish families were burned at the stake in Brussels (hatred of the Jews was rife at this time). In spite of the loathing that motivated their construction and the gruesome facts that surround them, the tapestries and stained glass windows are magnificent pieces of artistry.

Le Sablon Brussels Belgium

South of the Grand Place lies an elegant and peaceful relic of pre19th-century Brussels, the Sablon area. Around the Place du Grand Sablon nestle antique shops and chic restau­rants, while on the other side of the church of Notre Dame du Sablon, the Square du Petit Sablon is a welcome garden retreat in which to sit and muse upon the Sablon of days gone by. The 19thcentury bronze inhabitants of the square include the great martyrs of Belgium, Counts Egmont and Hoorn (who were executed for their part in the resistance movement against Spain), as well as forty eight little statues representing the medieval guilds, each identifiable by the item he is clutch­ing.

The church itself, which took a hundred years to build, is a masterpiece of the 15th and 16th centuries and worth savouring in its own right, rather than for any particular treasures inside. However, don't miss the charming statue of the patron saint of huntsmen, St. Hubert, accom­panied by a stag with a hang­ing Christ between its horns. This stands just beyond the porch; there is also a beautiful Baroque pulpit inside the church.

Les Marolles To the north and west of Le Sablon is the working class area of the Maroues, whose street names indicate the types of crafts once practised therefore instance, Rue des Orfevres (goldsmiths) and des Chaisiers (chair makers). The streets themselves are always fascinating places In which to watch the vigour of daily goings on in the district, and to try to identify the hotch­potch of languages Flemish, French, Spanish, with Italian, German and Hebrew thrown in that make up the rich dialect of the inhabitants.

This is the area where the great populist painter Pieter Breughel lived and died. His home was probably no. 132, rue Haute, a fine gabled house which often holds exhibitions of Breughel's paintings. His marble mausoleum is just up the road, in the Gothic church of Notre Dame de la Chapeau. Wandering southwards, you cannot fail to come across the enormous hulk of the Palais de Justice, the biggest building erected in the 19th century; the bombastic epitome of Belgium's golden age of expan­sionism. Down the Rue de la Regence is the Place Royale with the Musees Royaux des Beaux Arts the homes of III some of the Low Countries most stunning and valuable art treasures.

The Musee d'Art Ancien contains pieces dating up to the end of the 18th century, and began life in 1799 as a depository for everything the French couldn't carry back to Paris. Much was retrieved from France after Waterloo, and there are now around 1200 paintings, mostly from the great Flemish schools. The celebrated names represented there include Roger van de Weyden (1399-1464), Dirk Bouts (c. 1415-75) and Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450-1516), whose Crucifixion is a rela­tively modest and conven­tional work compared with his usual macabre style. There is a fine collection of Pieter Breu­ghel's work, including The Fall of Icarus, while Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) occupies a whole gallery.

The morbidly fascinating imagination of Ribera mayor may not be characteristic of the 16th­century Spanish occupiers one hopes not, looking at his Apollo Flaying Marsyas. Apollo has discarded his lyre and is calmly and gracefully skinning Marsyas alive.

The Modern Art Museum Brussels

The Musee d'Art Moderne holds exhibitions of 19th and 20th-century art in rotation. Regularly on show are such masters as Felicien Rops, Rene Magritte and Paul Delvaux, each taking a potshot at the bourgeoisie in characteristically satiric or surreal fashion. There are also a number of fine French painters. Brussels' other museums span a wide range of interests those whose fancy lightly turns to other civilizations and cultures should not miss the astonishing panorama of ancient and modern arts on show in the Musees Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire in the Parc du Cinquantenaire.

Music lovers should make time for the Musee Instrumental on the Rue de la Regence, which contains rare European instruments dating back to the 16th cen­tury, and some weird and wonderful pieces from China, Java, Sumatra and Mexico. Further out of the city, the House of Erasmus in the borough of Anderlecht is a charming and tranquil combi­nation of Gothic and Renais­sance architecture. It houses a fascinating museum of the philosopher's career. Also in Anderlecht is the Beguinage, a 16th-century nunnery where eight nuns lived and worked at the budding lace industry.

Parks in Brussels and Belgium car hire

You will find yourself spoilt for choice, as far as parks in Brussels are concerned. The Parc de Bruxelles lies in the centre of the city, an elegant area of fountains, and Baroque and Rococo statues. The botanic gardens of the Domaine Royal de Laeken are a delight in spring and summer, and the royal greenhouses are beautifully illuminated at night during May. But the favourite of the inhabitants of Brussels is the Bois de la Cambre at the far end of the Avenue Louise, merely the municipal tip of the gigantic Foret de Soignes, which extends across the southeastern corner of Brussels.

The Bois offers boating lakes, tea­rooms, restaurants in a setting of regal beech trees; the perfect place to rest after a hard day's pavement pounding.

Day trips from Brussels Belgium

There are a number of easy day trips from Brussels: Waterloo is closest, only 12 Y2 miles (20 km.) south. Slightly further afield are Antwerp, 29 miles (46 km.) north, and Ghent, about 37 miles (60 km.) away. Bruges is 31 miles (49 km.) west of Ghent but is also highly recommended, and from there Os tend and the coastal resorts are easily accessible.

Antwerp Belgium

Antwerp is now a thriving and animated port. Port tours leave from the Steen, the castle on the right bank of the River Schelde. The town was the 113 home of Peter Paul Rubens during his heyday. The Cathedral, well worth a visit for its Rubens master­pieces alone, also boasts a majestic open stonework steeple 400 feet (122 m.) high. Groenplaats, south of the cathedral and at one time its cemetery, is now a colourful square edged by openair cafes, with a central statue of Rubens. And Rubens' house itself, at Rubensstraat 911, is an unexpectedly sumptuous affair - clear evidence of the painter's success.

For a fascinating glimpse into Antwerp's golden age­the 16th century visit the PlantinMoretus Museum (Vrij­dagmarkt 22), where Christopher Plantin lived and set up his great printing press. The whole place presents a most informative history of books, printing and the evolution of handwriting. The omnipresent Rubens may be enjoyed at the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, which has a firstclass collection of Flemish art. Antwerp also has marvellous Zoological Gardens and a couple of lovely parks, Nachtegalen and Middelheimthe latter with an open-air sculpture museum which includes pieces by Rodin and Henry Moore.

Ghent Belgium

Ghent should be appreciated for the first time from the middle of the Saint Michielsbrug (St. Michael's Bridge), a splendid vantage point from which to study the city. The magnificent Gothic and Renaissance merchants' houses lie on Graslei (Grass Quay) to the right and Koornlei (Corn Quay) to the left of the bridge works of art in colour, form and detail. Also visible from the bridge, to the north, is the Gravensteen, the 9th to 12th century castle of the counts of Flanders, which has a dubious collection of sicken­ingly imaginative instruments of torture.

The other castle, Geraard de Duivelsteen, in Bauwens square, dates from the 13th century and has an equally nasty reputation. Back towards St. Michael's Bridge is the 15th century LakenhaUe (Drapers' Hall) with its great belfry, the architectural evidence of Ghent's ancient wealth. The multilingual sight and sound show in the huge hall sets the historical scene very well.
The Museum voor Schone Kunsten houses two of Hieronymus Bosch's best known surreal paintings Saint Jerome and The Bearing of The Cross. Not to be missed in Brussels is the Museum van Oudheden, housed in the medieval Abbey of Bijloke. It is a haven of tranquility, far removed from the bloody history of the tor­ture chambers in the old castles.

Eating Out in Belgium

When it comes to matters gastronomic the Belgians do nothing by halves their reputation for sturdy appetites is nourished on the enormous portions and generous second helpings found in most restau­rants; and quality is certainly not sacrificed to quantity. The stock caricature of the ruddy cheeked Belgian munching stoically through an unvarying diet of mussels and chips is, of course, far from accurate but fresh North Sea mussels steamed in a seasoned broth, and crisp, succulent pommes frites are delectable everyday fare. To make the most of the robust flavour of Brussels keep an eye open for such specialities as beer soup, delicious oysters from Zeeland, or potjesvlees, a cold veal, pork and rabbit pate, to start your meal.

Main course delicacies include anguille au vertbaby eel with shredded herbs. Waterzooi is not to be missed a fish stew with herbs, leeks and cream. A good vari­ation on the theme is the Brussels version using chicken instead of fish. Beef casseroled in beer ( carbonnade); hare or rabbit served with prunes (lievre or lapin a lafiamande); boiled goose and a variety of powerful wine soaked game dishes involving venison (chevreuil), pheasant (faisan) or hare­all should be sampled, though the richness of Belgian food makes a strong stomach a useful acquisition.
The figure conscious must be staunch indeed to by­pass Belgian desserts waffles (gaujies) warm from the street stalls; apple pancake (crepe aux pommes); larle au sucre (sugar tart) for the really sweet toothed, or the famous spec loos, king and queen shaped gingerbreads.

Drinks in Belgium

Brewing is an art form for the Belgians, and there are a vari­ety of beers to be savoured, preferably from the small scale breweries which still thrive. Kriek, for instance, is flavoured with cherries during fermentation; and while most beers are of the lager type, the strong dark malt Trappiste is brewed around Antwerp. liS Spirits and liqueurs are not sold in bars, so to sample Peguet, the local slightly sweet gin, you must visit a cafe labelled as a private club (cercle prive) and sign a membership form, or order it with a meal at a restaurant.

Shopping in Belgium

Everything you ever needed is on display in this shop window of the world at a price. The enormous international selection of goods and the cosmopolitan clientele make Brussels an expensive place to shop, and it's often hard to pick up authentic Brussels me­morabilia when searching for mementos and presents.

The best value goods are Belgium's own products. The Belgians are masters of lace and tapestry making. Much is machine produced now­adays but a little detective work will often yield exquisite handmade results. Try the Sablon antique dealers for tapestry. Glassware, crystal and pewter are all crafted in Belgium; fine leather goods are a speciality of Brussels itself; and of course for those who have the wherewithal the city still revels in its reputation as a centre for good jewellery. All these products can be found in the chic boutiques of the Avenue Louise, as well as their more popular neighbours at the Marolles and the department stores of Rue Neuve and Boulevard Adolphe Max.

But it is more rewarding for many people to pick up antique or secondhand versions, by browsing in the antique shops of the Sablon or haggling over prices in the flea markets of the Marolles. Indeed the markets are a joy not to be missed flowers every day; the Sunday bird market in the Grand Place; antiques and books at the weekend the Place du Grand Sablon; the Midi market at the Gare du Midi on Sunday mornings.

No chocophile can pass by the chance to partake of Brussels' expensive but exquisite pralines, some of the finest and smoothest filled chocolates in the world. The arrays of mouth watering biscuits such as spicy spec loos always go down exceedingly well and extremely quickly as pre­sents. In fact, from a nation as conscious of the wellbeing of stomach and taste buds as the Belgians, nothing could be more appropriate than a selection of their delicious comestibles for the folks back home.

Things to do in Berne Switzerland

Start at the railway station (one of the most modern in Europe). In the pedestrian underpass you'll find the remains of the Christoffelturm, part of the wall of the town gates dating back 600 years. Taking the escalator to street level, you come out at the beginning of the Spitalgasse, a lively shopping street whose thriving department stores take refuge behind elegant old fayades. The solid looking arcades are characteristic of the architecture the city has over 5 miles of them!

Before walking down the Spitalgasse, notice the Heilig­geistkirche (Holy Ghost Church) on the left. Built between 1726-29, it is considered by many to be the most beautiful Protestant Baroque church in Switzerland. But to visit it you'll have to come 30 minutes before a service on Sundays as otherwise it's closed to the public. The first fountain you come to is the Pfeiferbrunnen (Bag­piper Fountain). Berne's numerous fountains were almost all built in the 16th century and are as much a symbol of the city as the arcades, bears and red geraniums. The little bagpiper atop the column was probably by Hans Gieng, who designed many of the fountains.

Pass through the 300-year­old Klifigturrn (a prison tower) into the Marktgasse where you'll find two typical foun­tains; the first of hospital foundress Anna Seiler in a flowing blue gown and a little further on the Schlitzenbrun­nen (Musketeer Fountain). Not so charming is the 16th­century Kindlifresserbrunnen (Ogre Fountain) on the left as you come out into the Kornhausplatz. On a slender col­umn the child eater sits poised to bite off the head of one victim, while others wait in his sack. Back to the famous Zyt­gloggeturrn (Clock Tower). Pass through to the other side and try to get there 3 minutes before the striking of the hour for a fascinating display of 16thcentury Swiss clockwork.

About 60 yards from the Zytglogge in the upper part of the Kramgasse is the Zahrin­gerbrunnen (Zahringer Fountain)a warrior bear in ar­mour with a tiny bear at his feetdedicated to the city's founder. Down the Kreuzgasse on the left you come to a little square where you can sit and admire the Rathaus (Town Hall), a lovely Gothic building (1406-17). The colourful Ven­nerbrunnen (Flagbearer Foun­tain) shows a Bernese standard bearer in full uniform.

Rejoin the Gerechtigkeits­gasse to get to the finest fountain in the city: the Gerechtig­keitsbrunnen (Justice Fountain), an allegory of justice holding a sword and a delica­tely balanced set of scales with the Pope, emperor, sultan and mayor at her feet.

The Nydeggkirche (Nydegg Church), in the oldest part of town, dates back to the 14th century although the interior was completely renovated in 1953. Continuing downwards, the street levels out at the Lauferplatz, and directly in front of you is the Untertor briicke (1461-89), Berne's oldest bridge. On the left, the Lauferbrunnen (Messenger Fountain) honours a Bernese herald who had the audacity to reply to a French king's complaint that he didn't speak French, Well, you can't speak German!

Turn right after the Untertorbriicke and walk up the gradient to the Blirengraben (Bear Pits). If you're lucky enough to be in Berne on Easter Sunday, weather permitting, you'll be able to see the bear cubs let out with their mother for their first spring outing. Berne's late Gothic cathedral (Miinster) took centuries to build. Started in 1421, the nave was completed more than 150 years later and the tip of the filigreed steeple (nearly 300 ft. (90 m. tall) added in 1893.

In the interior the 15th­century stained-glass windows are impressive and the Renais­sance choir stalls magnificent. If you've only limited time and want to stay near the city, the Gurten is well worth the 25minute tram and funicular ride. From this high spot (2,815 ft.; 845 m.) above the city, there is a magnificent panorama of the Bernese Alps in one direction and Berne itself in the other.

Museums in Berne Switzerland and car hire

The best way to see Berne is to pre-book a hire car from the airport in Switzerland.Bernisches Historisches Museum (Historical Museum) at Helvetiaplatz 5. The mock­16thcentury building, actually constructed between 1892­94, houses various collections from arts and crafts to furni­ture, but the most interesting is the treasure taken from the Duke of Burgundy in the Battle of Grandson (1476). Closed Mondays. The Kunstmuseum, Hodler strasse 12, is famed for its Paul Klee collection the artist was born and grew up in Berne.

For an overview of the whole country, go to Ballen­berg, near Brienz, to the Schweizerisches Freilicht museum (Swiss Open Air Mu­seum). Here you can see full size reconstructions of farm­houses, chalets and homes from all over Switzerland. Open daily between April and October.

The Bernese Oberland

A one day excursion from Berne can cover some of the loveliest countryside in the Oberland. Around the lake of Thun, in beautiful surroundings, are the towns of Thun and Spiez, and between the lakes of Thun and Brienz is Interlaken. This famous summer resort has huge Victorian hotels, nostalgic grandeur and an incomparable view of the Jungfrau. The Jungfrau railway line from Kleine Scheidegg (the train is actually inside the Eiger for half the trip) leads to Europe's highest railway station, Jungfraujoch (11,330 ft.; 3,454 m.), with wild and craggy scenery all the way up.

Berlin car hire Germany and things to do

With so many places to visit in Berlin, the best way to discover the city is to pre-book a hire car from the airport. More than a place, Berlin is an idea: few cities have a more dramatically evocative name. Brandenburg Gate, with its goddess of Victory on her chariot, continues to honour the formidable Prussian past.

The Kurfilrstendamm, at once elegant and garish, offers an ebullient echo of the wildly creative 1920s. The restored Reichstag recalls united Germany's brief attempts at parliamentary democracy, while the gigantic Olympic Stadium still proclaims the bombast of Hitler's dictatorship. The chaos and destruction that followed finds a quite deliberate reminder in the bombed out shell of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

The serene green spaces (largest of any city in the world) are West Berlin's lungs, but the heart, the centre around the Kurflirstendamm­or Ku'damm as its popularly known has an urgent, urban beat. Here are the shops, cafes, cinemas and theatres that have always appealed to both the Berlin bourgeoisie and intellectual community.

Berlin History

Friedrich II, Prince Elector of Brandenburg, assumes greater control over Berlin in 1447. The town retains virtual autonomy within the empire. During the Reformation, the people persuade the Prince Elector, Joachim II, to accept the Reformed rituals taught by Luther.
17th century The Thirty Years' War causes widespread strife. The Great Elector, Friedrich Wilhelm (1640-88) dreams of one united state of Brandenburg and Prussia. His efforts prepare Berlin to become a strong capital. Jewish refugees from Vienna and Huguenots fleeing France add to the city's cosmopolitan population.

In 1701 the Kingdom of Prussia is proclaimed under Friedrich I. His successor, Friedrich the Great, concentrates on building up the Prussian empire. Wars against revolutionary France begin in 1792. 19th century Napoleon's Grande Armee defeats Friedrich's succes­sors. The French advance through Eastern Germany in 1806. Napoleon rides unimpeded through the Brandenburg Gate into Berlin. After the two year occupation the Prussian rulers are left to contend with liberal nationalism. Workers revolt in 1848 and are brutally suppressed by Prussian cavalry.

The Franco Prussian War

In the Franco Prussian War of 1870-71, the Germans under Bismarck, the Iron Chancellor, overcome the French. In the aftermath of the conflict he creates a united Germany. Berlin booms as the centre of the machine industry. 20th century Berlin's university and research institutes bring new prestige to the city but fortunes turn with World War I. Afterwards the Weimar Republic lasts fourteen years only to be overcome by economic difficulties and mass unemployment, ultimately causing a return to power of the National Socialist (Nazi) Party in 1932. Hitler becomes chancellor in 1933.

Starting in 1939 after Germany's invasion of Poland, World War II ends on May 7th, 1945 with the unconditional surrender of German troops. Four power control of Berlin is formalized at Potsdam by Churchill, Truman and Stalin. Soviets try to incorporate Berlin into East Germany, blockading West Berlin in 1948; but this is circumvented by airlifting supplies into the city. In 1961 Soviets construct the Wall to prevent refugees leaving East Germany.

Running through the centre of town is Berlin's most important street, Kurfiirsten­damm (Prince Elector’s Embankment), perhaps the live­liest avenue in all of Germany. This is one place which pulsates with traffic late into the night. The street is known widely as Ku'damm and, like the Champs Elysees in Paris, it plays a more popular role as the town's preferred promenade. When Ku'damm window shopping expeditions take you as far as Fasanen strasse, you might like to visit the Jewish Community Centre at number 79/80. Framing the entrance is the portal from the synagogue that once stood here.

It was burned to the ground in 1938 From the hub of the Ku'damm at Joachimstaler Strasse, move on to Breit­scheid platz, site of Kaiser ­Wilhelm Gediichtniskirche (M emoria I Church), preserved as a ruin, never to be restored. There is no more eloquent symbol of the city's suffering from bombardment and post­war rebirth. The war-scarred tower with the broken stump of its steeple is flanked by a new octagonal church to the east and a chapel (see the altarpiece by Ernst BarJach) and a six-sided tower to the west.
Beyond the church is the 22­ storey Europa Center, which extends from Tauentzien­strasse to Budapester Strasse.

There are scores of boutiques, a cinema, a casino, and, best of all, a rooftop cafe with a splen­did view of the whole city. KaDeWe (short for Kauf­haus des Westens), Berlin's phenomenal department store, lies a stone's throw away in Ta uen tzienstrasse. The zoo, or Zoologischer Garten, in Budapester Strasse contains such beguiling attractions as Indian and African elephants, giant pandas from China and rare, single­ horned rhinoceroses from India. Next door is the Aquarium, with fascinating ocean and river life.

Tiergarten Area Berlin

Despite its name, the Tiergarten (Animal Garden) is not another zoo. For the Brandenburg princes, it was a forest for hunting deer and wild boar. Friedrich the Great cleared away the trees and turned it, as was his Francophile wont, into a French style park of formal gardens and geometrical avenues. The northwest side of the Tiergarten constitutes Hansa­Viertel, a chic residential neighbourhood damaged during the war and rebuilt III 1957 for an international exhibition.

To the south, just off Strasse des 17. Juni, you'll catch sight of a whimsical architectural landmark: the Technical University's und Schiflbau (Hydraulic and Ship Engineering Institute). The budding, despite its earnest name, is painted blue, pink and green technology with a smile.
Climb the 285 steps of the soaring Siegessliule victory column on the circle of the Grosser Stern for a magnificent view of the city.

Between the canal and Tiergarten strasse, in rubble strewn wasteland not far from the Wall, is a cultural centre, where some of Berlin's most prestigious institutions can be found: the Nationalgalerie, Staatsbibliothek and Philharmonie. In the nearby Strasse des 17. Juni you'll see a gloomy Soviet war memorial (SovielDenkmal) made of marble from the Reich Chancellery, topped by a huge bronze statue of a Russian soldier.

In the palace courtyard is a splendid statue of the Great Elector Friedrich Wilhelm on horseback, designed by the prolific Baroque sculptor and architect Andreas Schluter. The palace interiors have been restored to recapture the gracious atmosphere of royal life in the 18th century. You are free to roam at will through the ornamental world of the Hohenzollerns, except for Friedrich 1's and Sophie Charlotte's apartments in the central building and west wing (join one of the guided tours offered daily at regular intervals). The rooms occupied by the king and queen echo the Baroque grandeur of Versailles.

Rococo Paintings Berlin

Do not miss the incomparable Rococo paintings in the concert room. Like the Tiergarten, the Charlottenburg gardens were originally laid out in the formal French style. English landscaping was introduced later. Several outbuildings can be visited. The nearest is the compact little Schinkel­ Pavilion, just behind the New Wing of the palace proper, where you can see three major early works by Caspar David Friedrich, the great German Romantic painter.

Further exploration of the gardens takes you to the Bel­vedere, a tea house at the northern end of the carp pond, and the Mausoleum in the form of a Doric temple, put up in 1810 and enlarged some 30 years later. Here lie the remains of 19th century members of the Prussian royal family.

Olympic Stadium Berlin

Sightseeing in Berlin never ceases to be a graphic exercise in contemporary history. Nowhere is this more evident than in the area around Olympia stadium. The stadium provides a supreme example of Hitler's folie de grandeur in all the bombastic gigantism of his favourite architecture and sculpture. As you approach through the main Olympic Gate, the stadium looks surprisingly low slung. But once inside, you see that the field itself lies 40 feet (12 m.) below ground level. Built originally for 120,000 spectators, the sta­dium now holds 96,000.

The huge Olympic complex has facilities for soccer, hockey, ten­nis riding and swimming.Southeast of the stadium in Masurenallee there is a colossus of more recent apparition, the I.C.C. (Internatio­nates Congress Centrum), completed in 1979 as an audacious gamble on West Berlin's economic viability? The giant complex boasts 80 conference halls and meeting rooms. You may want to take a guided tour of this ultimate in buildings; the ingenuity and efficiency of it are fascinating, almost frightening.

Grunewald Forest and car hire Berlin

The best way to explore Grunewald Forest and the attractions of Berlin is to pre-book a hire car from the airport in Berlin.
Grunewald and the Havel before World War II, Grunewald Forest was rather melancholy woodland of dense pines. Wartime bombardments and the Berliners' postwar needs for fuel stripped an estimated 45 per cent of the forest, now replanted with a number of varieties18 mil­lion pines, but also six million chestnut, linden, beech, birch and oak trees. The grassy clearings make pleasant picnic grounds, while the wooded areas form a reserve for deer wild boar, marten, foxes and myriad rabbits.

You can reach this greenery by bus or car. Take the Avus Road, turning off halfway at the Grosser Stern. From here Huttenweg runs to the Grune ­waldsee, a lake which offers good swimming from delight­ful, sandy beaches. On the east shore, set impressively against the lake and surrounded by beach trees, stands Jagd­schloss Grunewald, a hunting lodge built in the 16th century for Prince Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg.
Havelchaussee, a more leisurely route than the Avus skirts the Grunewald on th west side, bordering the broad Iver Havel. Several ferry stations along the way offer boat rides on the river and lakes.

Museums in Berlin

Some of Berlin's fine museums which shouldn't be missed are the National galerie (Potsdamer Strasse 50) which displays 19th and 20th century art, the Bauhaus Archiv (Klingelhof strasse 13), showing progressive architecture and design from the Weimar period, and the Agyptisches Museum (across the street from the Charlottenburg pal­ace): three millennia of Egyptian artin all its diversity. The Antiken museum (opposite the Egyptian Museum) contains artefacts from Greek and Roman antiquity, and the Berlin Museum (Lindenstrasse 14) tells the story of the city from early times to today.

The museums housing the major part of the Prussian State art collections are situ­ated to the south of the city centre (In addition to Euro­pean painting, sculpture and engraving, Dahlem groups the museums of ethnography (noted for its pre Columbian holdings) and Indian, Islamic and Oriental (Chinese, Japa­nese and Korean) art. These last will take over the entire Dahlem installation when the European collections are moved, eventually, to the Tiergarten.

Rather paradoxically, the most elegant building on Unter den Linden may well be the old Baroque Zeughaus (Arse­nal), next door to the Neue Wache. It was built at the end of the 17th century to hold the Prussian Army's munitions and weapons. Now it houses the Museum Deutsche Geschichte (German History Museum), which traces the nation's history from earliest times to the present day from a consistently Marxist point of view.
A short distance from Unter den Linden stands Schinkel's Schauspielhaus (Play­house), notable for its imposing Ionic columned entrance. After refurbishing, the play­house is once again an exciting place, though nowadays it serves as a concert hall. To the north of the Schau­spielhaus is the Franzosischer Dom (French Cathedral), and to the south the classically inspired Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral), forms its natural counterpart.

Karl Liebknecht Strasse Marx Engels Briicke, designed by Schinkel, links U nter den Linden to KarlLiebknecht Strasse. As you cross the bridge, you'll catch a glimpse of Museumsinsel off to your left. This is the site of East Berlin's most prestigious museums . On the opposite side of the bridge lies Marx Engels Platz, focus for May Day military parades and mass rallies.

The Palast der Republik, completed in 1976, houses the Volkskammer (Parliament) 89 and a 5,000seat conference hall for Communist Party congresses. The outsize and somewhat ponderous Dom (cathedral), erected at the turn of the 20th century, stands across the street from the Palast der Republik. Further along, in the square beyond the crossing, you'll see the venerable 13thcentury St.­MarienKirche, Berlin's oldest surviving parish church.

The neo Gothic bulk of the Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall) stands on the opposite side of the square. And in the centre lies the massive Nep­tune fountain, stranded in a sea of concrete. Monumental in their own right, the fountain, church and town hall are nevertheless completely dwarfed by the soaring 1,197foot (365m.) F ernsehturm (Television Tower).

Alexanderplatz Berlin

Alex, as the square is uni­versally known, remains the undisputed heart of the city, despite relentless post war modernization. (It would probably be the centre of both halves of town if Berlin were ever reunited.) Now it is a bustling pedestrian area of cafes, hotels, small shops and apartments.

Kopenick

Kopenick, with its delightful Altstadt (old town) of 18th­and 19thcentury houses, lies on the edge of the city to the southeast of East Berlin's centre. The solid 17thcentury Schloss Kopenick occupies an island in the River Dahme. From Kbpenick, a branch of the Spree leads to the Grosser Miiggelsee, Berlin's largest lake and a very pleasant place for picnics. You can get a good view of the surround­ing countryside from the 98 foothigh (30m.) Miiggel­turm nearby.

Eating out in Berlin

Eating out Some local specialities are Soljanka, originally a Russian mixed vegetable soup; Soleier, eggs pickled in brine served with seasoning and mustard; and Havelaal griin, eel boiled in dill sauce.

Eisbein mil Sauerkraut und Erbsenpiiree is pig's knuckle with pea puree and spicily sea­soned sauerkraut, and gebratene Leber is liver fried with apple and onion rings. Dessert favourites are Schwarzwiilder Kirschtorte, Black Forest cherry cake, Ha­selnuss Sahne, hazelnut cream cake; and Kiisekuchen, cheesecake. Snack bars and mobile stalls sell Bulette (meatballs) and Schaschlik (skewers), as well as Currywurst and Thiiringer Rostbratwurst and other tasty German sausages. The most highly reputed Rhine wines are those of the Rheingau, the birthplace of the Rieslingthe pick of the crop being Schloss Johannis­berg, Schloss Vollrads, Kloster Eberbach, Hattenheim and Riidesheim.

Berlin, like any other selfrespecting German town, can offer you a good glass of beer on tap or bottled in several varieties. If West Berlin is one big shop window for western culture, then the main branch is undoubtedly Ku'damm. Fash­ionable boutiques and big department stores line the avenue itself, while (Kaufhaus des Westens), a cherished Berlin institution, is situated close by in Tauent­zienstrasse. The EuropaCen­ter near the Gediichtniskirche gathers together a variety of small shops under one roof.

Some articles to look out for in West Berlin: Antiques. Objects from the era of Kaiser Wilhelm; Art Nouveau and Art Deco glassware. Cutlery and electronic gadgets. These are of very high standard and design. Linens. Whether traditional or modern in design, German linens are noted for their good old fashioned quality. Porcelain. The manufacture of tableware and decorative objects continues a great German tradition.
Precision instruments. Many people appreciate German binoculars and telescopes. Turkish products. A delightful side effect of the Gast­arbeiter (immigrant worker) colony.

Berlin information and car hire

You can book car hire in Berlin from most parts of the city but to save you time and money, pre-book car hire at the airport before you travel.Banking hours: From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday. Most banks remain open two afternoons a week (often Tuesday and Thursday from 3.30 to 6 p.m.). Shops: Open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Barcelona Spain and car hire

Whether you intend to visit Barcelona for a city tour or a beach holiday on the nearby Costa Dorada, the best way to travel around is to hire a car from Barcelona Airport.

Close on two million people live within the boundaries of Barcelona, a centre of banking, publishing and industry. Another million live in the sur­rounding metropolitan area. The city's attractions for visitors are renowned the mighty cathedral, the port, gracious promenades and dis­tinguished museums.

You have to be alert for the smaller delights: a noble patio hidden from view, a tiled park bench moulded to the anatomy, a streetlight fixture lovingly .worked in iron, a sculpted gargoyle scowling down from medieval eaves. The lively people of Barcelona know how to make money.

They spend it on flowers

The next great era, economically and artistically, came with late 19th century industrialization. Politically, the 20th century witnessed a brief revival. In 1931, Barcelona be­came the capital of an auton­omous Catalan Republic that came to an end in 1939 when General Franco triumphed. After Franco's death, the Catalan spirit was unshackled and regional power restored to Barcelona. The capital of Wilfred the Hairy and James the Conqueror remains an outward looking, eminently European city.

A Brief History of Barcelona

Phoenicians and Greeks bring commerce and culture to Catalonia. The Carthaginians give Barcelona its original name, Barcino, in honour of General Hamilcar Barca, father of the legendary Hannibal. In the 2nd Punic War the Romans defeat Carthage; they rule Iberia for the next six centuries. By the 5th century A.D., Rome's grip slackens and Spain is overrun by Vandals and Visigoths.

The next invasion occurs in 711 when Moorish forces from Africa assail the Iberian Peninsula. As Muslim civilization takes root, Christian efforts to reconquer Spain begin. Charlemagne captures Barcelona from the Moors and Catalonia becomes a Frankish dependency called the Spanish March. Count Wilfred the Hairy wins the independence of Barcelona from the Frankish king, Charles the Bald, in 878, ushering in a period of prosperity commercially, politically and intellectually. Count Ramon Berenguer I of Barcelona draws up a constitution called the Usatges in 1060. Ramon Berenguer IV (1131-62) marries a princess of Aragon, an expansionist tactic which creates a sizeable joint kingdom.

With the addition of two dukedoms in Greece, the seizure of Sardinia and annexation of Corsica, Catalonia dominates the Mediterranean. Catalan culture flourishes, great churches are constructed and works of art created. The discovery of the New World proves disastrous for Catalonia. The Mediterranean loses much of its importance as a trading zone and Barce­lona declines as a commercial centre.

Seventeenth century Catalonia rebels against Philip IV of Spain. Violent struggles continue for more than a decade, until a besieged Barcelona finally surrenders and Catalonia renews its allegiance to the Spanish crown. In the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), Catalonia sides with Archduke Charles of Austria. The Bourbon King Philip V triumphs and Barcelona is overrun. The Catalonian parliament is disbanded and the Catalan language banned. Catalonia becomes little more than a satellite of France.

Throughout the 19th century

Catalonia is embroiled in a succession of disastrous wars, beginning with the War of the Third Coalition in 1805 and ending with the Spanish American War of 1898. In the first, Spain was defeated by Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, and in the latter it lost the colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.

Three decades after the empire fades away, King Alfonso XIII goes into exile as confusion and disorder grow in Spain. The Republicans, who favour socialist and anticlerical policies, gain control in several Spanish cities. Catalonia is proclaimed an autonomous republic. But Spain is a divided nation, and civil war breaks out between the conservative Nationalists and the Republicans.

Barcelona falls to the Nationalists in January 1939 and Catalonia is absorbed into General Franco's Spain. On Franco's death in 1975, King Juan Carlos I is crowned. After the years of repression, the language and culture of Catalonia flourish a new, and regional autonomy has been granted. Sightseeing The Barri Cotic (Gothic Quarter).

Old Barcelona and car hire

The old city of Barcelona can be explored by pre-booking a hire car from the airport.The nucleus of old Barcelona, the Barri Gotic is concentrated round the cathedral. Here are elements from just about every century since Iberian tribesmen first settled n the site over 2,000 years ago. On the spot where the cathedral stands today, the Romans dedicated a temple to Hercules (you will see three remaining columns in nearby Carrer del Paradis).

Two early Christian basilicas occupied the area before construction for the present Catedral de aula Eulalia between 1298 and 1454. Don't be taken in by the facade; however it dates from the end of the 19th centu­ry, when new work on the cathedral began, thanks to a subsidy from a rich industrialist.

The interior is laid out in classic Catalan Gothic form, with three aisles neatly designed to produce an effect of grandeur and uplift. Impossibly slender columns soar upwards to support the nave; muted golden light filters through 500­year old stained glass one of the most striking characteristics of Catalan Gothic architecture. Below the altar lies the Crypt 65 of St. Eulalia, the 13yearold martyr to whom the cathedral is dedicated.

Basrelief carvings on the 14th century alabaster sarcophagus supply vividly gruesome details of her torture and execution. Behind the altar, in the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament, have a look at the Christ of Lepanto. Juan de Austria carried this sacred image during the decisive sea battle of Lepanto (Spaniards and Venetians versus the Turks), and legend has it that the image of Christ moved its body at precisely the right moment to escape a bullet.

Pride of the Cathedral Museum, with its religious paint­ings and sculpture from the 14th century onwards, is undoubtedly the Piedad del Arcediana Despta, executed in 1490 by Bartolome Bermejo on com­mission from an egocentric archdeacon, who is pictured kneeling in the foreground of this transcendental Biblical scene. The nearby Carrer de la Tapineria where cobblers made shoes called tapb1leads to Plac;;a de Berenguer el Gran. Behind the modern equestrian statue of Ramon Berenguer III (who ruled Catalonia from 1096 to 1131) stands a reconstructed Roman wall. You can follow the wall for a fair dis tance on either side of the Plalaca de I'Mgel.

Not far away is the Museu de la Ciutat (Museum of City History), housed in a stately 16thcentury palace. There are paintings, tapestries, maps and documents of municipal im­port. But the real spectacle is below ground, for beneath the museum are the remains of a settlement the Romans called Julia Faventia Augusta Pia Barcino. Houses, a drainage system, roads and market­places have been excavated. The well lit, clearly documented underground archaeological zone now extends as far afield as the cathedral.

The museum windows face onto (King's Square), where, in the Middle Ages, farmers sold their produce and locksmiths made bolts. Here, too, is Salo del Tinell (Tinell Hall), where Columbus may have been welcomed by Ferdinand and Isabella on his return from America. The extraordinary span of the meeting hall's ceiling, without a column or support, represents a re­markable technical feat.

Beside the hall, the Archives of the Crown of Aragon contain documents dating back to the 9th century, as well as some very ancient books. Two other highly important buildings of medieval civic architecture remain to be visit­ed: the Generalitat (provincial Council) and Casa Gran or Ajuntament (City Hall), facing one another on Plaz;a de Sant J aume. The Generalitat is the seat of the Catalonian Parlia­ment. This ceremonial 15th­ century structure hides a surprise or two: the overpowering ornamentation of St. George's Room and an upstairs patio with orange trees. The Casa Gran still serves, from time to time, for meetings, and the impressive 14thcentury Sa1a del Consell de Cent (Hall of the Council of One Hundred) does honour to any assembly.

La Rambla Barcelona and car hire

Discover Barcelona and La Rambla and hire a car from Barcelona Airport.
Barcelona's best known promenade, La Rambla, descends gradually but excitingly from Plaza de Catalunya to the port, a distance of about a mile. Like the women of Barcelona, La Rambla is full of life, self assurance and charm. Almost every visitor succumbs to the attractions of this boulevard, thronged day and night with a fascinating crowd of people, animals and things.

Every couple of cross streets, the Rambla's character changes. So does its official name: Rambla dels Estudis, Rambla dels Caputxins, Rambla de Santa Monica and others-five in all which explains why very often it's simply referred to as Les Rambles.

To walk down La Rambla's full extent from the Plaza de Catalunya to the Monument a Colom (Columbus Monument) is an experience, an entertain­ment and an education. You can buy a canary, a monkey, a mouse or a turtle; a carnation, an orchid, a potted plant or a bird of paradise flower, a packet of nuts or one cigarette from a newsstand. Here the bookstalls stock all the papers and magazines of Europe, gypsies insinuate hot watches, lottery sellers flutter tickets practically guaranteed to win you a million. Visit the fronton to see a game of pelota (calledjaialai in the Basque country). The ball flashes around the court at speeds of up to 125 miles per hour. The betting around you is even more frantic; split tennis balls stuffed with gaming slips whizz overhead.

Places to go in Barcelona

Need a rest? Stop at one of the multitude of bars and cafes lining La Rambla while traffic streams by in a seemingly endless flow, barely noticed except by the waiters, brandishing their trays aloft, who dodge to and fro to their sources of supply between serried ranks of cars. Alternatively, leave bustling La Rambla, go through a small arcade and find yourself in the quiet, stately Plal;a Reial, the city's finest square. Or simply hire a chair on the Rambla. People watching is a cheap entertainment by any standards, and there's hours worth to watch.

The Mercat de Sant Josep (Boqueria), St. Joseph's Market, faces La Rambla. You have to wander among the eye catching displays to appreciate the wealth of fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and seafood available here. The fish are lovingly laid out on crushed ice. Just beside the market, in the graceful Palau de la Virreina, many an exhibition of more than local interest takes place. The palace also houses the remarkable permanent exposi­tion of the Coleccio Cambo, where each one of 50 choice works is a masterpiece.

The Rambla leads on down to the Columbus monument and the port. Whether you stay in the shade of the tall plane trees on the promenade or cross the traffic to window shop along the edges of the street (where you can buy anything from a guitar to a deepsea diving bell), you'll want to walk the Rambla from beginning to end and back again. For this is surely where it's all happening.

On the other side of La Rambla, entering at the Plaza del Teatre, are the noisy streets of the infamous Barri Chino (Chinatown). Al The energetic yet graceful national dance of Catalonia, the sardana, with its haunting woodwind accompaniment, hypnotizes Catalans wherever they may be.

The Sardana Dance Barcelona

The exact origins of this disciplined ring dance are unknown. But in the Iliad, Homer describes a Greek dance very like the sardana, and researchers suggest that Greeks may have introduced it to Catalonia when they were established in Ampurias and elsewhere on the coast. The deceptively simple looking sardana is danced in normal everyday clothes, except on special occasions, and very often Catalans simply put their satchels, bags or briefcases in the centre of the circle.

The dancers form a circle which grows as newcomers join it. If it proves unwieldy, they simply form another. If they run out of room, they make circles within circles. Each group has a leader who keeps meticulous time and signals changes. If he makes one error his ring loses its rhythm and can't complete the final step in time with the band.

The wonder of the sardana, quickly noted by visitors, is the spirit it generates. The dance performed in many resorts on weekend evenings cuts all barriers. Doctors and farmers dance together; long­haired students join the same circle as middle aged housewives. They may have little in common in everyday life, but the sardana reminds them that, whatever their social differences, they are Catalans. Even tourists can, technically, join in. In actual fact, prudence is advisable.

There is a fairly strict rule that puts an end to most tourists' ambitions: no local would ever move into a circle that has a much higher standard of dancing than he is capable of, and the uninitiated visitor might thus 'find himself edged out.Though prostitution was out­lawed in Spain in 1956, the colourful denizens of Barri Chino's bars have, one might gather, yet to be notified, and the area has a classic air of port­side lowlife.

Montjuic Barcelona Spain

Montjui'c is a modest moun­tain less than 700 feet (some 200 metres) high. It long had only military significance. But Barcelona's World Exhibition of 1929 saw hundreds of buildings planted upon its hillsides. One of them, the Palau National, houses the Museu d'Art de Catalunya (Museum of Art of Catalonia), a great collection of medieval art; another, the Palace of Graphic Arts, has been turned into the Museu Ar­Queologic (Archaeological Museum), displaying prehistoric finds from Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.

The Museu Etnologic Colonial (Ethnological Museum) of Montjuic is devoted to specimens gathered by expeditions to exotic far-off places. While the newest museum on the mountain, opened in 1975, goes under the unwieldy name of Fundacio Joan MiroCentre d'Estudis d'Art Contemporani. This complex of original concrete and glass buildings Barcelona pays tribute to the great Catalan artist Joan Miro.

Perhaps the most popular sight of Montjulc is Poble Espanyol, a five acre exhibition of Spanish art and architecture in the form of an artificial village designed to show off the charms and styles of Spain's regions. The Waterfront Glass and steel commercial castles may come and go, but the Drassanes, or medieval shipyards, are special. From these royal dockyards were launched the ships which carried the red and yellow Cat­alan flag to the far corners of the world as it was known be­fore Columbus. Since 1941 the Museum Maritime (Maritime Museum) has occupied the site. An annexe of the Maritime Museum is moored at the wharf of Port de la Pau (port of Peace): a fullsized replica of the Santa Marta, Columbus's own flagship. You may board the floating mini museum any time during the day.

The Picasso Museum Barcelona

The Museum Picasso is located in three contiguous 13th­century palaces in Carrer de Montcada, a short walk inland. Though Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born in Malaga, he came to Barcelona at the age of 14 to study art. The museum displays examples of his early work, as well as a selection of paintings, drawings and prints spanning the decades from the 1920s through the '60s. The Ensanche, the new city which grew beyond the medieval walls in the 19th century contains some of the most creative buildings ever de­signed, the work of Barcelona's inspired art nouveau architects at the turn of the century. The Aerial ropeway over Barcelona’s port offers panorama of lively city.

Greatest of them all was Antonio Gaudi, a controversial genius who died in Barcelona in 1926, run down by a tram. Take a look at some of Gaudi's famous projects: Palau Giiell, just off the bustling Rambla, is noted for its innovative facade, decorated with imaginative ironwork. Casa Mila (La Pedrera), a block of flats on the corner of Passeig de Gracia and Carrer de Provenca, has an undulating facade and a roof terrace with weird formations covering chimneys and ventilators.

Casa Vicen, Gaudi's first big commission, sports the distinctive ironwork and tile that became the hallmark of his style. Parc Giiell started out as a suburban real estate development which failed. Count Gtiell and Gaudi wanted to create a perfect garden city for 60 families.

But only two houses were sold (Gaudi bought one of them). Explore the grounds and discover that the plaza is in fact the roof for what would have been a marketplace supported by a thicket of mock classical columns. The last column in each regiment is playfully askew.

Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia (Holy Family), Gaudi's eternally unfinished sandcastle cathedral, must be seen; you may not believe it. Wild and wonderful, it is an extravagant hymn to one man's talent and faith. Many Catalans look on this stupendous church as an extension of their own faith and strivings; their donations keep the construction work going.

Barcelona food

The Catalans appreciate hearty dishes based on honest ingredients fresh from the farm and the sea. If you share this enthusiasm, some memorable treats are in store. Since the Mediterranean is near at hand, the accent is on fish. Here are some of the varieties you'll be offered, normally fried or grilled: lenguado - sole; mero - sea bass; salmonetes': Mediterranean red mullet; calamares - squid; gambas­ prawns (shrimp); langosta­spiny lobster.

Perhaps the greatest speciality of Catalonia is zarzuela, a triumphant concoction of up to a dozen different kinds of sea­food, including prawns, shrimp and clams, octopus, squid and various white fish, all topped by a brandy and wine sauce, or try a stimulating salad of cod, beans, pickled onions and tomato. Xato (pronounced shoat) de Sitges is a related, but more complicated salad including an­chovies, tunny fish or cod and a hot sauce made of olive oil, vinegar, red pepper, diced anchovies, garlic and ground almonds.

Pa amb tomaquet goes well with any salad. Peasant style bread, in huge slices, is smeared with fresh tomato and grilled. Butifarra, a rich pork sau­sage, may be served with chips, vegetables or eggs. Habas a la catalana are broad beans cook­ed with ham and butifarra. The sweetest temptation of all is crema catalana, custard with a glazed caramel topping.

Barcelona and Tarragona wines

The provinces of Barcelona and Tarragona produce good wine. Priorato is a well-known red wine of the region. White or rose Tarragona wines are notable. Penedes can be red or white. In Sitges a dessert wine, malmsey (malvasfa in Spanish), is produced. And the Penedes region is a major source of the world's best­selling white sparkling wine, unofficially called Spanish champagne. Sangria, a mixture of red wine, lemon and orange juice, brandy, mineral water, ice and slices of fruit, is rather like punch.

Shopping in Barcelona

Barcelona, with its fashionable shops, offers variety and quality, but no single street or neighbourhood will satisfy Your window shopping. The 75 commercial area is so extensive that you might have to walk miles to compare quality and value. Visitors from abroad can obtain a 10 per cent discount thus: 1) The shop will give a form to be duly filled up; one copy stays with the seller, the three others are for the tourist. 2) These three copies are to be presented at customs at the same time as the goods. 3) The sum represented by the discount will be forwarded by the shop to the tourist's home address.

What to buy in Barcelona

Catalonian ceramics range from the primitive to the sophisticated and they're always original. An intensive cottage industry along the coast produces leather goods, mainly handbags and items of clothing. The quality of the leather and the workmanship is erratic and so is the style you have to look around. High fashion shoes and boots are top class but expensive. Embroidery, lacework and woven goods such as rugs and bedspreads are produced in coastal villages which keep alive the old patterns and skills. Jewellery, either simple modern designs or traditional styles with lots of silver or gold filigree, can include bargains for the knowledgeable.
For less expansive budgets, there are records of Catalan music the sardana played by those reed bands, or emotional choral works.

Or local glass­work, such as the parron, from which wine is projected through the air to the consumer. Among the best buys of any trip to Spain are alcohol and tobacco, which remain inexpensive by European and American standards. Look for antiques in the shops concentrated around the cathedral. Dealers carry the real thing, as well as reproductions; sometimes the dividing line becomes blurred.

Places to visit in Athens Greece

For every visitor, Athens holds an undeniable fascinations many centuries spanned, so much of Western civilization rooted in a single city. The city centre, just 4 miles from the sea, is scanned by a gentle audience of hills. Crowning Athensas it has since the dawn of Greek history the Acropolis with its breathtaking Parthenon. Considering the very real ravages of man and time, the wonder is that any of the city's venerable monuments have survived at all.

They have though even if the ancients would hardly recognize Athens today. Suburbs of cement and steel sprawl chaotically over its historic basin, and the crystal like quality of Attica's light, famous since Homer, has become little more than a memory. Swollen by unrelenting floods of Greeks migrating from the countryside, Athens' population has soared.

Athens and car hire

Car hire can be booked from Athens Airport before you travel.
During the white hot afternoon hours, the city's bustle dies away, the streets are shut­tered. Athens drowses in ritual observance of that most logical of Mediterranean traditions, the siesta just as it doubtless did under Pericles. When the sun starts its downward curve, the pace picks up again. Offices and boutiques reopen, often until 8.30 p. m. Shopping streets throb with activity, cafes fill up, neon blinks on, the first strains of bouzouki music are heard from the labyrinth of bars under the Acropolis.

Generally Athenians are short in stature and dark haired. Some could pass as replicas of their discus throwing ancestors who pose classically in the museums. They are a volatile, talkative and irrepressibly curious people. The Athenians' surpassing kindness to foreigners reflects the tradition of generous hospitality instinctive to all Greeks.

At the same time you'll come to respect the local business acumen: shoppers beware! First Hellenic races (Achaeans, Aeolians and lonians) descend from north and settle on Greek main­land (Mycenaean civilization). Siege of Troy (1400­1390 B.C.). Invasion of Dorians who destroy Mycenaean culture (1100 B.C.). 776 B. C. first recording of Olympic Games. Although city states of Athens, Sparta, Thebes and others are often at war, they share common sense of identity: they are all Greeks with same language and religion. Athens dominates entire peninsula and experiences all forms of government from monarchy to de­mocracy to dictatorship and back to democracy. The country produces great poets, lawmakers, generals, statesmen and philosophers.

Persian wars which influenced entire history of Europe. 490 B. C. Athenians defeat Darius' vastly supe­rior forces at Marathon. 480 B. C. a few Greek troops under Leonidas hold up enormous Persian army un der Xerxes at pass of Thermopylae long enough for Athens to be evacuated, before Xerxes plunders the city and burns all wooden constructions. In same year Greece's much smaller fleet under Themistocles renounces Persians in the bay of Salamis. In final and decisive battle at Plataea, Persians beaten and Greek independence ensured (479 B.C).

The Golden age of Athens

Athens reaches its Golden Age of art, literature, philosophy and science under rule of Pericles. Parthenon built. 431-407 B. C Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta won by latter with naval help from Persians. Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, takes political lead after battle of Charioneia (338 B. C). Mace­donian troops occupy Athens in 322 and again in 262 B. C while the city continues to decline. Macedonia becomes Roman province (146 B. C). In 86 B. C Roman General Sulla sacks Athens in retribution for its alliance with one of Rome's enemies, and many Athenian treasures are taken to Rome. After visit of St. Paul (A. D. 50)

Christianity in Greece

Emperor Constantine chooses Greek colonial town of Byzantium as his New Rome and calls it Con­stantinople. During Byzantine rule, Athens sinks into provincial obscurity. In 529 Emperor Justinian puts definite end to Greek polytheism by closing last pagan temples and Athenian schools of philosophy.

After being ruled by adventurers from Burgundy, Catalonia and Florence, Athens and Attica fall to Turks in 1456. Venetians briefly take Athens from Turks in 1466 and again in 1687 when they damage the Parthenon. The Ottoman rule is Greece's darkest age, and only the Orthodox Church provides people with a sense of continuity with the past. With foreign help (Lord Byron has popularized cause abroad), Greeks finally win against Turks. 1834 Athens becomes capital of Greece. Great Powers install Bavarian Prince Otto as king. He and Queen Amalia deposed in 1862 and after European diplomatic bargaining, William of the Danish royal house takes Greek throne as George I, King of Hellenes, until his assassination in 1913.

Cretan politician Venizelos, several times prime minister, helps Greece regain Macedonia, most of Aegean Islands and Epirus. Under population exchange agreement with Turkey (1922), many repatriated Greeks flood into Athens. 1934-40 Greece under dictatorship of Metaxas. During World War 11 Greece invaded and controlled by Germans, until freed by Allied forces in 1944. 1947-49 Civil War which ends with Communist defeat. 1967 Military dictatorship seize power forcing King Constantine into exile. 1974 regime of the colonels crumbles. With King Constantine still in exile, popular referen­dum abolishes monarchy, and democracy with free elections is
restored.

Piraetts and Modern Athens

But you can still find local colour especially at Tourkolillano (officially called Mikrolimano). Here you can eat at one of the enticing seafood restaurants ringing the tiny yacht basin, and watch the fluffing of brightly coloured canvas and the bobbing of masts. Included in your outdoor dining programme will be a stream of gardenia vendors, fortune tellers, guitar players strumming Theodorakis tunes, pistachio salesmen.

None will press too hard. The only thieves you'll encounter on this enchanting waterfront will be the overfed cats (if you give something to one, you'll end up with 30 or 40 around you).

In Athens, you can get your bearings from the two great squares: elegant Syntagma and dowdier Omonia. They're perhaps a ten minute stroll apart, linked directly by two major streets, Stadiou and Venizeziou.

On Syntagma (its name celebrates the March 1844 Greek constitution) are deluxe hotels, expensive cafes, and tall glass and concrete buildings containing air terminals, travel agencies, banks, post offices and international business concerns.

Across the upper, east side of the square is Greece's Parliament, until 1935 the royal palace. Soldiers in traditional uniform guard a memorial to the nation's unknown warrior in the forecourt.

The oldest quarter of Athens and by far the most charming is the Plaka. People have lived continuously for more than 3,000 years in this picturesque maze huddled against 51 the northern slope of the Acropolis. Ancient ruins, Byzantine churches, shops, cafes, hotels, bars and nightclubs are packed into less than one quarter of a square mile.

Athens and The Acropolis

This I0-acre (4ha.) rock rising 300 feet (90 m.) above the plain of Attica was the making of ancient Athens. Battered and incomplete though it may now be, the Acropolis possesses such majesty that it still ranks among the world's true wonders. The name means high town, from the Greek acro (highest point) and polis (town or city). Alternately it means citadel, which it was originally place of defence shared by gods, kings and heroes.
The visitors' entrance is the Beule Gate (a 3rd century­A. D. Roman addition named after the French archaeologist who discovered it in 1852). The Propylaea. Six Doric columns mark this monumental entranceway to the Acropolis.

The Propylaea was planned by Pericles and his architect Mnesicles as the most spectacular secular building in Greece, more complex than the Parthenon which it was designed to complement. Construction began in 437 B. C. but was halted five years later by the Peloponnesian War and never finished.

The central and largest of the gateways was for chariots and approached by a ramp; steps lead up to the four other entries destined for lesser mortals. The well preserved building on the north (left) side

The Temple of Athena Nike

Housed a gallery of paintings by famous artists offered to Athena. The Temple of Athena Nike. High on a terrace off to the right (southwest) of the Pro­pylaea perches this enchanting temple, the work of architect Callicrates. It enjoys a glorious panorama of the sea and dis­tant mountains. Tiny compared with the Parthenon towards which it points, the temple of Athena Nike (also called Wingless Victory) now standing is a piece by piece modern reconstruction of what remained after the Turks tore down the original in 1687.

Passing through the Propylaea, you emerge onto the great sloping plateau of the Acropolis. Try to imagine what it was like 2,400 years ago, when these masterworks of architecture and sculpture were gong up. Scores of stone cutters, carpenters, founders and others swarmed over this site.

Dominating the immediate foreground was a gigantIc bronze statue of Athena under another guise Athena Promachos, the Defender. This statue of the goddess holding shield and spear was created by Phidias to honour the victory at Marathon. The great statue stood here for 1,000 years, until it was carted off to Constantinople in the 6th century A. D.

The history of Athens

Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 132. It had 104 Corinthian columns, each 56 feet (17 m.) high and more than 7 feet (2 m.) thick. Today only 15 remain upright. To mark the separation of his own Athens from the ancient city of Theseus, an arched gate­way was erected facing the temple. Relatively modest in size, Hadrian's Arch is thought to have been a donation from the people of Athens. The Agora. The Agora is almost as old as Athens itself. Originally the word meant a gathering together, later the place where people met and conducted business. Sprawling under the northern walls of the Acropolis, it was the heart of the ancient lower city, the marketplace and civic centre.

Today only rubble and foundations remain of the marble or stone altars, temples, law courts, state offices, public archives, shops, concert hall, dance floor and gymnasium that stood here. A panoramic, pictorial reconstruction on a pedestal by the main entrance on Odos Adrianou helps you visualize the Agora in its golden days.

The Olympic Stadium. In the hollow of Arditos Hill, the modern Olympic Stadium is on the site of the stone original built by Lycurgus in 330 B. C. In the 2nd century A. D. Emperor Hadrian introduced Rome's favourite sport here: he imported thousands of wild animals to be pitted against gladiators. The stadium, built for the first modern Olympics in 1896, seats 70,000 people. Its length is just over 600 feet (180 m.) or one stadion. In form it's identical to the ancient U­ shaped stadiums at Olympia and Delphi. Poseidon's renowned temple crowns this promontory 45 miles (70 km.) south of Athens, as beautiful a place to watch the sun set or rise as there is in the Aegean.

The marble temple, with 15 of its original 34 Doric columns now standing, was built about 444 B. C. Another of stone had been started in this obviously commanding location, but the Persians destroyed it in 490 B. C. The precipice is a sheer 197foot (60m.) drop to the sea. Lord Byron, whose name you'll see carved on one of the pillars, was so inspired by the union that he wrote a famous poem about it.

Eating Out in Athens

Although Athens can hardly claim to be a gourmet's paradise, you'll find eating here very satisfying, perhaps even exciting and often in a pleasant outdoor setting. Most restaurants will serve the following specialities: Appetizers - a baked aubergine puree flavoured with garlic, onions and herbs. Dzadziki: a yoghurt dip of sliced cucumber, flavoured with garlic. Tararnosalata: a spread of lararna (grey mullet roe), mashed potatoes, bread, olive oil and lemon juice. Dip bread in it as an appetizer or have it on lettuce as a salad. Soup Soupa avgoernono: a soup of chicken or meat, eggs and rice, flavoured with lemon.

Fish in Greece

Aslakos: spiny lobster; bar­bouni: red mullet; fagri: sea bream; garides: prawns; glos­sa: sole; kalamaraki: squid; kefalos: grey mullet; lilhrini: spotted bream; marides: simi­lar to sprats; chtapodi: octopus.

Meat dishes in Greece

Dolmades: grape leaves stuffed with lamb and rice, seasoned with wine, grated onion and herbs. Often served hot with lemon sauce. marrow (zucchini) stuffed with rice and meal. Kefledes: meatballs, fla­voured with onion, cinnamon, oregano, mint and wine. Baked or deep fried in oil and served with a sauce. Osaka: sliced aubergine and minced meat, baked with a white sauce and grated cheese.

Greek Salad

Don't miss the delicious village salads (salata chorialiki), sliced vegetables lopped with feta, a cheese made from sheep's milk.

Wine in Greece

The first time you sip Retsina, you may get a shock; it's flavoured with resin and has a turpentine like taste but it rarely causes hangovers and helps digest rich, oily foods. Of the undesignated wines Demestica, white or red, is popular, and Santa Helena and Pallini are pleasant, dry whites. Reds are Naoussa and Santa Laoma, and some refreshing lighter roses can also be found.

National drinks in Greece

The national aperitif is ouzo. a clear, aniseed flavoured spirit. Greek brandy is sweet and quite agreeable. Metaxa is the best known; Kamba is a little drier. Greek beer (bira) is excellent.

Snacks in Greece

Ask for souvlakia. meat and vegetables grilled on a skewer; picy sausages (giros) and doner kebab, meat cooked on a spit, or sollvlaki me pilla, grilled meat, tomatoes, peppers and onions in a Oat bun (pi Ita). Try not to buy on impulse: things are not always what they seem in Greece. The best bet is to stick to handmade items. Labour costs are still low, and the quality of rural and island handicraft remains high. Rugs and Carpets.

Flokali rugs priced by the kilo (a square metre weighs about 2'1, kilos) come machine made or, preferably, hand oven. They are made of pure sheep's wool shag, spun from fibres into yarn and then luoped together to be processed under water. Furs. If purchased intelligently, fur coats, stoles, capes , and hats made from pelts hand sewn together can be a handsome bargain. You'll find mink, muskrat, beaver, red, stone marten and Persian lamb.

The secret of the pelt strip coat lies in the sewing, which varies in quality. Shop carefully around Syntagma, and veri­fy the quality and origin of the pelt. Jewellery. Reproductions of museum jewellery in gold and silver are definitely worth a second look.

You'll find the best jewellery shops in the Voukourestiou and Panepistimiou area. Gold and silver are sold by weight; each item should be weighed in front of you. Some gold rings are made from two different purities; check for hollowness and correct weight price equivalents. Enamel cannot be graded for quality, so cast a suspicious eye on any­thing which seems too spectac­ular.

Places to visit in Europe

Lovers, young and old, will swoon at the bel canto singers in Greece, both in the backstreet tenements and the great Theatre San Carlo opera house. Athens has long basked in its reputation as the cradle of Greek and indeed Western civilisation. Greece's return to the democracy it invented 2,500 years ago, along with its more recent entry into the European Common Market, has shaken the capital out of its torpor, persuaded it to clean up its ancient monuments and at least make a start on the problematic air pollution.

If you're headed for a rest on the Greek islands, stop off in Athens to see the great Acropolis, with its Parthenon temple, and the unrivalled classical collections of the National Archaeological Museum. The Plaka district of boutiques, bars and restaurants has a slight air of 'tourist trap' about it, but the Monastiraki is a lively flea market. Watch the Greek world go by from a sidewalk cafe on Syntagma Square.

Switzerland offers a cool relief from that unrelenting Mediterranean sun. The younger artists, writers, movie makers and other jolly misfits who find a special stimulus in the air of this exceptional city. The main street is Kurfiirstendamm, which you'll soon know as Ku'­damm, symbol of Berlin's boisterous prosperity.

The art galleries on and off the Ku'damm, the museums of European art at Dahlem, ancient Egyptian art near the Charlottenburg Palace or modern art at the National gallery, the Philharmonic concert hall, are all testimony to the vitality of West Berlin's cultural life.

You should also visit East Berlin, not only for the curiosity of crossing the Wall, but also to get at least a glimpse of both how the most prosperous of the East bloc countries lives, and what this great city used to look like, architecturally at least, in its roaring twenties. The eastern sector has kept much more of that old world intact.

Hamburg is the pride of Germany's north, a thriving port city of great civic dignity. Its opera, theatre and art galleries belie the somewhat tawdry reputation it has acquired through the red light district of the Reeperbahn.

The curious and bold will seek it out, down by the docks, but the more prudent or less prurient will stick to the nearby Sankt Pauli fish market early in the morning.

Rhine River Cruise and car hire in Germany

Whether you decide to take advantage of a Rhine River Cruise or tour the cities of Germany by hire car, you will not be disappointed.

If you're planning a Rhine river cruise, pay a visit first to Cologne. Not only does it have a grandiose Gothic cathedral and fine museums of Roman and German art, but it's the ideal place to sample the best of the Rhine and Mosel wines perfect with the locally hunted venison. It still may not look like it, but Bonn is the political capital of the Federal Republic. It's also a pleasant university town and most famous as Beethoven's birthplace. His well preserved home is certainly worth a visit.

At the junction of the Rhine and Main rivers, Frankfurt is Germany's financial centre, and its mammoth Book Fair every October has contributed towards making it capital of world publishing. Badly bombed in World War II, its 15th century Romerberg square has been meticulously restored.

The town's prosperity has enabled it to replenish the great art museum, Stiidelsches Kunstinstitut, with some of the best European and American works on the market. The attractive town of Heidelberg, animated by lively student taverns and dramatic firework displays in the ruins of the old castle, is an easy drive down the Autobahn.

Munich car hire

Munich car hire is easy to book before you travel. Munich is the capital of Bavaria and often likes to think of itself as a place apart from the rest of the country while remaining resolutely the most German of cities. It's both a rollicking town for lovers of beer and sausages at the annual Oktoberfest and a magnet for the most creative talents in German art and cinema, concentrated in the neighbourhood of Schwabing.

Luxembourg is the charming capital of a country of the same name, which is not much bigger than the city itself. The old part of town is perched up on a plateau overlooking the Alzette river and you get a superb view of the surrounding forests and meadows. To the extent that the Common Market represents a European unity, Brussels is its capital. The imposing Grand Place is the centre of town life and civic pride. Gourmets agree the Belgians produce the best French fries in Europe (in curious combination with mussels). Let's finish in style with Amsterdam, one of the most cheerful cities in the world.

Things to do in Holland

True, it's a rich repository of Dutch culture. The Rijks­museum is famous for its Rembrandts, the Van Gogh Museum is the perfect place to contemplate that tormented Impressionist's work and life, the Stedlijk is an admirable museum of our modern era. But above all this is a town to see the people and their homes. Start your visit with a boat trip along the canals­Singel, Herengracht, Keizers­gracht and Prinsengracht­and you'll float past delightful mansions of the 17th century. This is a town of noble bourgeois and bumptious youngsters. Get out there walking or rent a bike and join in the fun.

Seek out the floating flower market, beautifully arrayed on sturdy old barges near the Munt (Mint). Wheel around the lively popular neighbourhood of J ordaan, peep into the sleepy courtyards. This town manages to be bright and clean without the sterility of excessive hygiene. The people are friendly, witty, they speak good English and they're curious about the whole world.

If you have something of the same attitude as the people of Amsterdam, you're all set to go to Europe. Bon voyage.

Italy and things to do

The special richness of Italy for the tourist is that centuries of regional rivalries have left the country with no dominant capital like London in Britain or Paris in France. Rome may be the political capital, but culturally, other major cities Florence, Venice, Milan or Naples in no way feel overshadowed.

But let's start in Rome anyway, since so much of Europe itself started there, too. It's certainly not a town to 'do' in a couple of days. Take its cultural riches slowly the ancient splendours of the Coliseum, the Roman Forum in its noble ruins; the artistic treasures of the Vatican, not just Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, but also the serenity of the Raphael Room and the grandeur of St. Peter's and its vast square.

Combine them with the enjoyment of Rome's wonderful street life, from the famous Spanish Steps of Piazza di Spagna and the lovely Piazza Navona, to the old working class neighbourhood of Trastevere, Fellini's Rome across the Tiber River. Throw your three coins in the Trevi Fountain, seek out the last vestiges of a few dolce vita dinosaurs along the Via Veneto. You should shop or at least window shop around the stylish luxury of Via del Corso.

Via Condotti, Frattini or Borgognonafor knitwear, silks and leather goods. Cool off with a granita di caffe (iced coffee). Fill up with one of the great simple Roman pasta dishes, olio, aglio, peperoncino (spaghetti with oil, garlic and pepper) or carbonara (bacon bits, egg and cheese), together with a local Frascati white wine. Above all, try to see this town at dawn and sunset, when the light is mellow, mellow, and mellow.

Milan car hire

Car hire in Milan can be prebooked at Milan Airport. Milan is the country's major business centre, home of its stock exchange, but also a leading focus for fashion and the arts. The Milanese tend to regard themselves as more sophisticated than the provincials of Rome or Florence.
These days, men will find English suits and coats on the Via Monte Napoleone better cut than in most shops in London.

When you visit the cathedral, get up on the roof to wander around the, yes, 135 white marble steeples. The Pinacoteca di Brera has a magnificent collection of old Italian masters and in the little galleries of the surrounding neighbourhood, you'll find the country's principal avant/garde artists.

Things to do in Venice

Do it right and Venice will never disappoint you. Even at the busiest moments of the year, in July and August when you might think that La Serenissima, as she is known, will succumb to the onslaught of the hordes of her admirers, you walk just 100 yards away from the crowds and you'll find yet another blessed quiet spot of Venetian magic.

For this town perched on a lagoon is magic, like no other on earth, and its canals and bridges, palaces and little churches, artisan's workshops and galleries, all contain a part of the potion.

Your gondolier you must try one at least once is well enough paid to know exactly where to take you away from the mob. If the Piazza San Marco with its cafes and bandstands, splendid basilica and cheeky pigeons, is too crowded in the middle of the day, go back at midnight or first thing in the morning.

The shopping district of the Rialto is nearly always packed but It would be much less fun when deserted, so just plunge in. The great Venetian artists Giorgione, Titian, Tin­toretto and Veronesecan be seen at the Accademia, but also in the Doge's Palace. One painter, Carpaccio, had a famous beef dish named after him, another, Bellini, is honoured with a peach champagne cocktail.

There's something awe inspiring about the towering reputation of Florence, but there's no better place to go to sense Europe's achievements. Less boisterous than the Romans and less bustling than the Milanese, the Florentines today have an elegance and dignity appropriate to their city's prestige. Women travelers insist that there is no more handsome man in the world than an upright,.

silver haired 60 year old Florentine gentleman strolling on the fashionable Via de Tornabuoni with his cashmere coat nonchalantly draped like a cape over his shoulders, a Medici reincarnate.

Each visitor comes away with his own favourite memory the Masaccio frescoes in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, the Ghiberti bronzes on the Baptisery's Doors of Paradise, the Fra Angelico paintings for the monastery of San Marco.

The masterpieces of the Uffizi and Pitti galleries are beyond counting don’t try to 'do' them all, just seek out a dozen and you'll still leave dazed and happy. For your best first or last view of Florence go up to the hillside town of Fiesole. From here, you'll get a taste of the rest of Tuscany of which

Florence and Pisa Italy

Florence is the capital. The vineyards and cypress trees will lead you west to Pisa, where you'll find the leaning tower more poetic than comic in the cathedral square under­standably named Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles). A few miles north of Pisa, Lucca offers a charmed moment in the exquisite medieval streets inside its ramparts.

Don't be frightened of Naples. Cynics say that the old adage See Naples and die is exaggerated and should really only be See Naples and have your pocket picked. In this respect, Naples is in fact not so very different from American port towns. You'll avoid trouble with the elementary precautions of leaving your valuables in the hotel safe deposit and holding firmly on to your handbag. The rewards of a visit to this unique south Italian city far outweigh the risks. Many of Pompeii’s treasures are on display in the museum.

Naples and car hire

Car hire in Naples is easy to pre-book from the airport.
The bay really is as beautiful as the poets and singers say, the Mount Vesuvius vol­cano makes a spectacular backdrop and the people are the most colourful in all Italy. The Certosa (charterhouse) di San Martino gives you a lovely view of the bay.

Things to do in Spain and Portugal

Since the death of General Franco, Spain took on a new lease of life. Things are a lot more exciting these days, even in the once rather staid and melancholy Madrid. The flamenco from Andalusia but also the Castilian fandango and bolero are danced in the cabarets of the capital till the early hours of the morning. Every other bodega claims to be an old Hemingway watering hole. Most of them are.

Nonetheless, despite the heightened bustle at the Puerto del Sol, the prevailing tone of Madrid is still one of dignity. Its Prado museum has one of the great art collections of the Western world, proud not only of its Velazquez, EI Greco and Goya, but also of the triumphant return of Picasso's Guernica. You'll find the stately essence of old Madrid in the narrow streets tucked away behind the Royal Palace.

And if you're an aficionado of bullfights, the best are to be found at the Plaza Monumental and Vista Alegre.For some easy and rewarding excursions around Madrid, drive out to Toledo with its fantastic cathedral and colourful old Jewish quarter, to Avila for its fascinating ramparts or to EI Escorial for the grand domes of King Philip II's royal palace city.

Capital of the Republican government during its valiant struggle against fascism in the Spanish Civil War, Barcelona stands with pride and independent spirit apart from the rest of Spain. The feisty Catalonians have made it the coun­try's liveliest cultural centre, the gathering place for writers, artists and eccentrics.

Barcelona and La Rambla

The centre of town is around La Rambla, where high and low gather to discuss the future of the nation, the fortunes of the local soccer team or how to carryon a torrid affair without wife or husband finding out. The port district behind La Rambla, the Barrio Chino, is raunchy but exciting for the bold and brazen. Plan your evening stroll or paseo, like the Spanish, before a late dinner. Catalan cuisine is robust rather than refined try the zarzuela fish soup and escudella meat stew, with a fruity sangria wine punch to help it down.

Besides the impressive cathedral in the medieval Barri Gotic, Barcelona's great ar­chitectural attraction is the bizarre 19th century work of Antonio Gaudi, plant like extrusions covering his church and apartment buildings. Seville was the commuter terminus for the Spaniards' voyages of discovery to America. Testimony to the famous mistake they made about where they thought they were going can still be seen today in the Archivo General de las Indias, the museum where you can see original documents of Columbus, Cortes and Magellan.

But Seville is now above all a great centre of Spanish Catholicism. Its great cathedral is the third biggest church in Europe, after Rome's St. Peter's and London's St. Paul's. It's also the home of the country's best flamenco danc­ing, often right there in the streets of the Barrio de Santa Cruz (once the old Jewish quarter).

Together with the minaret of the Giralda, remains of the mosque that the cathedral replaced, the Moorish fortress of the Alcazar and its tropical gardens are an intriguing reminder of the varied exotic elements of Spain's beginnings. You're a long way from Oslo. Important wherever you are in Spain (or, for that matter, in any other of the hot countries of southern Europe): participate in the lifesaving local custom of the siesta. A half hour nap in the afternoon will work wonders it makes late nights and early starts a lot easier.

Portugal and things to do

First thing to remember when in Lisbon is not to mistake the Portuguese for Spaniards, they really don't appreciate it. But you'll find them a polite and friendly people, for the most part more easygoing than the Spanish. But note, too, that touch of melancholy in their music, the heartrending fado sung as you sip a glass of chilled semi sparkling young white wine known as vinho verde, literally green wine, not sweet, not dry. And they don't kill their bulls at the bullfight. Enigmatic bunch.

Walk through the ancient Alfama neighbourhood and you'll encounter vestiges of the Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and Moors who created this intriguing cocktail. Built on hills overlooking the Tagus River, it's a' great walking town, with sudden dramatic views, best of all from Castelo Sao Jorge (Saint George's Castle).

Places to visit in Europe

After the acclimatization in Britain and Ireland, your choices are infinite. In Scandinavia, where they speak very good English, too, Stockholm can be easily navigated by hire car from the airport, and is a pleasant mixture of historic and modern, sexy and straitlaced. The medieval charm of Gamla Stan has been lovingly restored to house art galleries, covered and open air markets, and nightclubs for every taste. For a sense of traditional Swedish life, visit the open air folklore museum at Skansen.

If you like the variety of smorgasbord, check out the giant market at Ostermalms Saluhall to see just how many different kinds of herring the Swedish can put together (almost as many as the French with their cheeses). Copenhagen is of course the home of Hans Christian Andersen and you'll find his old house down at the harbour, along with a lot less whimsical nightlife for sailors and other lonely hearts. But there's still something of Andersen's fairy tale atmosphere in the Tivoli Gardens ablaze with the colours of 160,000 flowers, particularly spectacular when illuminated at night.

Oslo, big capital of a small country, is spacious enough for dozens of cross country. ski runs inside the city limits, much favoured by businessmen commuting in the wintertime. In a beautiful setting of moorland, lakes and fir tree forests, the town has grown prosperous through Norway's North Sea oil and you can watch construction of the gigantic oil rigs down at the city docks.

The museums of this seafaring people will also show you their ancient Viking long boats and the Kon Tiki balsa raft that crossed the Pacific a few years ago. In the Vika shopping district, you'll find some terrific ski sweaters or mink coats, and art lovers will appreciate the Edvard Munch Museum to which the great Norwegian neurotic bequeathed the bulk of his work.

Finland car hire

Finland is attached to, but not strictly speaking part of, Scandinavia, and car hire from the airport at Helsinki is easy to prebook. Its capital Helsinki acts as a kind of bridge between the Russians and the Swedes, Danes and Norwegians. The city's roots in the western world are clear in the striking modern architecture of Aalto Saarinen. Aalto's splendid Finlandia Hall is the ideal place to hear a concert of the great Finnish composer Sibelius.

The onion domes of the Orthodox churches are an equally clear indicator of the Russian presence in Finnish life. Helsinki boasts the cleanest air of any capital in Europe and broad spacious avenues to enjoy it.

The shopping is much appreciated by the wives of Moscow based Western diplomats who fly in for the hairdressers and boutiques around Esplanadi Park. Connoisseurs insist that the local vodka is the best in the world, bar none, and their children love the pancakes with raspberries.

If you may, from the purely practical point of view, have some legitimate hesitation about driving in London, on the Continent a hire car can be a real asset. European freeways are first class, and the secondary roads, with some exceptions in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece, are excellently paved and signposted. The important thing is to have the right means of transport at the right moment.

For instance, as fast and convenient as it may be, instead of flying to Paris from London, you could take the cross Channel ferry and then the train to see something of the beautiful Normandy' countryside on the way into the French capital. For visiting Paris itself, the local subway (Metro) and bus systems are efficient and a lot of fun, too, but you should consider renting a car for your excursions outside the city to, say, the magnificent chateau at Versailles or the horseracing in idyllic Chantilly. A car will make it easier for you to plan a picnic and so give you an excuse to take full advantage of Paris's marvellous street markets for your provisions.

Things to do in Paris

For the best way to enjoy Paris is to try, for however brief a time, to participate in the Parisians' daily life rather than make your stay there just another sightseeing tour. Visit those bakeries, cheese shops and wine merchants. Don't always take your breakfast at the hotel, get out early to a corner cafe and have your coffee and croissants with the locals.

But don't neglect Paris's traditional sightseeing, either. There are some tricks: get your first view of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame ca­thedral from a Seine river­boat, bateau mouche. Go to the Louvre Museum early Monday morning, not Sunday, to the super modern Pompidou Centre in the evening, not the afternoon, to the flea market at Clignan court at dawn with the early bird antique dealers.

In Paris you'll be able to sample all the regional cuisines of the country the snails of Burgundy, oysters of Brittany, goose of the Perigord and of course the wines, not just the great labels of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but also the lesser known regional wines of Cahors, Provence or the Loire. There's something here for all 13 five senses, plus that sixth intuitive sense for adventure.

Fly or drive down to the French Riviera. From Nice east to the Italian border via Monaco and Menton, or west through Antibes, Juan les Pins and Cannes to Saint Tropez, you pass through towns whose names evoke lazy luxury, easy fun in the sun, sea and sand.

After years of pollution, the French Mediterranean beaches have cleaned up their act. Nice has a pebble beach, but superb white sands are to be found in and around Cannes, home of the international film festival in May, or outside Saint Tropez, where the girls look like film stars all summer long.

Things to do in Nice France

In Nice, take a walk along the stylish Promenade des Anglais (the English are credited with discovering the Riviera) to the old town and its Italian style fish, fruit .and vegetable market. As Nizza, Nice was for long an Italian possession, and its older neighbourhoods still have a certain Italian atmosphere. Monaco is famous for its Grand Prix motor race through the downtown streets of Monte Carlo (also in May) and the casino gambling. Choose between the old fashioned elegance of crystal chandeliers over the roulette and baccarat tables or the more recent Las Vegas style rooms with craps and slot machines.

Europe and its history

Looking back over their history, it's hard to find a time when they weren't killing one another, grabbing each other's land, sinking ships, burning churches, stealing works of art. Even today, when they've made what for want of a better word they call peace, they can't help fighting over the price of olive oil, wheat and codfish or whether to put clean gasoline in their cars. No, Europeans are not exactly one big happy family.

But they do have fun. The land they grabbed is marvellously fertile, the churches they left standing are magnificent and the works of art eminently worth stealing. And when you taste your first Genovese tagliatelle al pasta or crusty French baguette, you'll understand that the olive oil and wheat are worth fighting for.

Europe and car hire

Touring some of the three dozen cities, you'll soon sense that the good things of European life derive from its sheer diversity. Take the city parks. When you walk around the geometrically arranged lawns bordered by regiments of chestnut trees in Paris's Tuileries Gardens, you couldn't possibly mistake them for the rolling expanses of grass scattered with sturdy oaks, deck chairs and loving couples in London's Hyde Park.

Paris's poets and philosophers meditate along right angled or diagonal gravel paths while their London counterparts proclaim their wisdoms corralled in one corner of their park on soapboxes. Even the so called Englischer Garten of Munich has as its centrepiece a decidedly unEnglish beer garden. Or the cheeses.

France may have 400 different kinds (the figure seems to change as often as the Dow Jones average), but the serious gourmet should not neglect the scores of others to be found in Italy, Britain or the Netherlands, each of them subtly different in aroma, texture and taste. The Baroque palaces of Austria do not resemble those of Italy; the beaches of Greece and Spain are as different as chalk and cheese.

The diversity of urban landscape, cuisine or architecture is of course an inevitable expression of the endless variety in the people themselves, not just the obvious differences between, say, Swedes and Italians but also between Prussian and Bavarian Germans or Parisian and Mediterranean Frenchmen.

These national and regional differences are occasional causes of international and civil wars, but a permanent source of pride for the natives and a joy for the foreign visitors. The ideal places for you to sample the flavour and spice of this variety are the major cities, natural magnets for the best talents in Europe.

Well, where do you start? If you don't want to add too much culture shock to your jet lag by confronting a foreign language as soon as you land, it may be a good idea to start with an English speaking city. So unless the old country demanding your undivided allegiance is Ireland or Scotland, which we'll get to in a minute, your first choice is likely to be London.

Things to do in London

The old lady is looking good. Since Britain's entry into the European Common Market in the 1960s, London has become a top tourist destination not just for Americans but for all of Britain's European partners. This has forced London, at last, to raise the standards of its restaurants and the comfort of its hotels. The internationalization of the job market has brought in Italian,

Spanish, Greek and even French chefs and the competition has improved the quality of English food, too. The theatre is as good as ever, whether in the venerable West End houses around Shaftesbury Avenue or in the ultramodern performing arts centre at the Barbican and the prestigious new National Theatre on the South Bank of the River Thames.

The monuments and museums of London's historic past are remarkably unforbidding, but you still won't get the guard at Buckingham Palace to give you a kiss. Shopping is a delightful adventure both in the imperturbable department stores of Oxford Street and Knightsbridge or the elegant arcades of Piccadilly.

Car hire in London

The best way to get around London is to hire a car from the airport at Heathrow or Gatwick. If you're not planning to tour the surrounding countryside, wait till you get to the Continent. But before you cross the English Channel, why not take a plane or train up to Edinburgh? Scotland's dashing; cobblestoned capital charms visitors with its graceful Royal Mile stretching from Edinburgh Castle to the palace of Holy rood house.

The couple of dozen courses in and around the city limits make it a heady delight for golfers, and the pure malt whisky served in the cheerful taverns does a similar job for the rest of us.

Dublin is for poets, professional and amateur, romantic and cynical. The professionals bear names like W.B.Yeats, James Joyce and George Bernard Shaw and the amateurs are to be seen and heard any night of the week in the pubs around St Stephen's Green. They are at their most entertaining on cabaret night. For your moments of meditation, walk the quadrangles of Trinity College and in the evening enjoy the splendid Irish drama at the grand old Abbey Theatre.

Bars restaurants and Cyprus entertainment

Catering specifically for tourists many bars and restaurants in Cyprus pro¬vide music, both traditional bouzouki and international pop, rock and disco, late into the night in all the resorts, par¬ticularly around the harbour. Strolling musicians occasion¬ally liven up the night scene at quaysides and in the tavernas.

If you want to find where the young Cypriots go, follow their motor scooters down the back streets behind the ports of Limassol, Larnaca and Pa¬phos. Nicosia's taverns as are more traditional. But Limas¬sol's cabarets provide the liveliest night out, keeping the Arab and Lebanese colony en¬tertained until the small hours.

Most hotels offer weekly folklore shows with Cypriot¬-costumed performers singing and dancing to charming village tunes. Visitors are in¬variably encouraged to get up and dance along and nobody objects to missteps. Hotels also organize special buffets and cocktail parties, gaming nights and fashion shows.

The Nicosia Municipal Theatre stages plays in Greek and sometimes English; concerts are held here, too. Films in English are shown in the larger cities. Ask at your hotel or consult local papers and Cyprus Time Out for informa¬tion about special events. A Cyprus-by-night tour might take you to a local res¬taurant to sample mezedes and on to a performance of tradi¬tional Cypriot dancing with bouzouki music. Some tours include a pastiche of a Cypriot wedding full in swing.

Festivals and car hire in Cyprus

Every town commemorates its patron saint in Cyprus, and if you want to tour around the festivals and events, there is no better way to do it than by hiring a car at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus. Feast days and other holi¬days bring out the inevitable merchants and their stands (paniyiri) of market produce, sweets, drinks and trinkets.

On Epiphany Day (6 January), bishops bless the waters in all the seaside towns, throwing their Holy Crosses into the sea. Boys dive for them, winning a small prize when they surface with one. February/March Clean Monday. Large amounts of vegetables, olives and wine are consumed on this day of 'fasting', the Monday before Lent. Carnival. Limassol's ten¬-day long celebration features fancydress balls and a spate of parades. It's not Rio, but it's lighthearted.

March/April

Good Friday. Orthodox Solemn Masses take place all over Cyprus, with a procession of the Holy Sepulchre in main streets and squares. Easter. A midnight service takes place on the Saturday before Easter, when people light their candles from the priest's, moving around the church and chanting the litany in a kind of sound-and-light atmosphere that is neverthe¬less fervently religious. On Easter Sunday, High Masses celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The rest of the day is devoted to socializing, eating and games.

May/June

Kataklismos. Also known as Pentecost, this two-day holi¬day harks back to ancient times, when Cypriots con¬vened at temples to worship and sacrifice to Adonis and Aphrodite, continuing their celebrations down at the sea¬shore. Nowadays there are ex¬cursions to the beach, parties, games, colourful parades, competitions and 'dousing' ¬especially at Paphos.
August


Assumption of the Virgin. On 15 August, the faithful gather at the leading monasteries: Kykko, Chrysorroyiatissa, Troodhitissa, Macheras. (Be¬ware of crowds: the small roads leading to the churches can be clogged with cars.) Lefkara Festival. In mid¬-August, Lefkara holds a vil¬lage festival to display its famous embroidery and other crafts. There's music, dancing and food stands galore. September The Virgin Nativity. On 8 Sep¬tember, a crowd assembles at Kykko Monastery to observe rites from iconkissing to lemonadedrinking.

Nicosia Arts Festival. This two-week long event features everything from art exhibi¬tions and folk dancing to avant-garde ballet and rock concerts. Most of the events take place in the Famagusta Gate Cultural Centre. Limassol Wine Festival. A fortnight of wine-tastings, dancing and folklore shows. Ayia Napa Festival. Folk¬lore, music, dance and theatre.

Eating Out in Cyprus

People in Cyprus eat well and plenty; they are not a thin race. Their island has the cuisine of its geography and history ¬conquerors and refugees alike have left their mark Turkish, Greek, Syrian, Lebanese and Armenian. And the modern Republic has the prosperity to make the combination distinct¬ive: good fresh vegetables, tangy meat dishes, fish and seafood savoury but undis¬guised by dubious sauces. Best of all is that mindboggling procession of mezedes where you have the delightful prob¬lem the French call embarras du choix too much to choose from.

But with mass tourism has come that bland hybrid called 'international cuisine' getting in the way of the real local food. And British-style fish¬ and chips is being overtaken by the ubiquitous hamburger and pizza. But take heart: such local fast food items as pitta bread with sheftalia (a kind of •sausage) and souvlaki (skewered meat) are not yet mass-¬produced and the quality can be high.

As opposed to Greece, where you're encouraged to rush in to the kitchen to point out what you'd like to eat, Cyprus restaurants usually ex¬pect you to order from the menu (almost invariably trans¬lated into English and perhaps other languages), with the waiter's help.

Some traditional Cypriot tavernas have no menu, just a set meal and you pay a fixed price for whatever is being served that night: trust them and enjoy your meal. In Mediterranean fashion, local people tend to eat late (from 1.30 to 3.30 p.m. for lunch, 9 to 10.30 p.m. for din¬ner). But service begins an hour or even two hours earlier.

Things are quieter, but you'll usually get good service if you come early, which is also a good idea if you're eating with young children. To be sure of eating in the company of Cypriots, come later. As Cyprus produces excel¬lent wine, beer and brandy, reasonably priced drinks before, during or after meals can contribute to the general euphoria.

Breakfast in Cyprus

The usual hotel breakfast is continental: rolls, toast or bread, biscuits and perhaps croissants with butter and jam, and coffee, tea or chocolate. The tea will probably be made from tea bags, and the coffee is all too often hot water, provided with an envelope or two of instant powder, to be added to taste.

For big appetites, some hotels offer an Englishstyle breakfast of ham and eggs, perhaps porridge or kippers. Some international hotel menus also list Americanstyle breakfast cereals. Fresh fruits and fruit juices are almost always available and they are delicious.

Those who prefer real cof¬fee should order the 'Greek' or 'Turkish' variety, readily available at any time of day in cafes or tavernas. Order it sweet (gliko), medium sweet (metrio), or without sugar (sketo). Greek coffee is taken black, never with cream or milk, and is usually accompa¬nied by a glass of ice water.

Starters in Cyprus

Hot and cold appetizers (mezedes) can be so varied and interesting that you could make a whole meal of them. Some restaurants offer menus of over 20 items. Naturally, in this food cornucopia, there is Greek-style taramosalata (fishroe paste with oil, mashed potato or softened bread and lemon juice). Dzadziki (yoghurt with cu¬cumber, crushed garlic and seasonings) is well known as a Greek or Turkish dish, but probably originated in Lebanon.

Talattouri, a Cypriot variant of this preparation, will invariably be seasoned with fresh mint. Other popular dips include tachinosalata (sesame seed paste with garlic) and hoummous, a puree of chick¬peas, olive oil and hot spices.

To accompany these dips, you'll be served fresh Cypriot sesame seed (koulouri) bread, which has a hearty homemade taste, and may be toasted. The array of mezedes continues with melidzano¬salata (aubergine eggplant ¬pureed with oil, garlic, a little vinegar, lemon juice and sea¬sonings) and a small plate of black olives.

You may be served a tomato salad, pickled capers and cauliflower (moun¬gra) or spicy squid or octopus (ktapodhi ksidhato), cut into small pieces. Smoked sausages figure prominently among mezedes offerings, whether sheftalia (port, veal or lamb) or the ever-popular pork and beef loukanika.

There is succulent marinated ham, pressed (chi¬romeri) or smoked (lounza), and smoked fillet of pork, served hot (charcoal-grilled) or cold and thinsliced. Do try haloumi, Cypriot ewe's milk cheese, which may be served hot (grilled or fried) or cold. Dolmadakia are the well-known vine leaves stuffed with rice, lamb and sometimes mint. Souvlakia, skewered pieces of lamb (or chicken, beef or pork) grilled over charcoal, may be eaten as a starter or a main course as may grilled lamb chops.

Fish and shellfish in Cyprus

Since offshore catches are relatively scanty, the choice of seafood may be limited. Shrimp, squid and spiny lob¬ster appear on menus, but it's likely they will be frozen, rather than fresh. However, you may be offered fresh swordfish (xifias), red mullet (barbounia), red snapper (sinagrida) or a small Medi¬terranean fish called psirika.

These varieties may be grilled, sauteed, stuffed and baked or, more rarely, cooked in a wine sauce. Some hotel chefs prepare salads of mixed shell¬fish (mussels, shrimp, spiny lobster), and they can be ex¬cellent. In the Troodos moun¬tains the farm-raised trout are very good, whether smoked, sauteed, perhaps with slivered almonds, or au bleu (poached with clarified butter).

Meat and vegetables in Cypus

Cypriots love the ubiquitous moussaka as much as Greeks do; this layered dish of minced meat, aubergine (egg¬plant) and marrows (squash),potatoes, cream sauce and spices varies somewhat, ac¬cording to the chef.

A slightly different taste and texture characterize aubergine stuffed with minced meat and toma¬toes and topped with beaten egg and breadcrumbs (papout¬sakia). Stifado, beef or veal stew, usually contains wine, onions and herb seasoning. Patcha is sheep's head stewed with lemon and garlic. Chick¬en (kotopoulo) may be barbe¬cued, roasted, or served in a casserole with sauce, and per¬haps mushrooms and onions as well.

A variety of plain grilled steaks and chops feature on all menus. Lamb is cooked in a kind of clay pot with vegeta¬bles and spices (tavas) or cut into chops and kebabs and barbecued (kleftiko). Pork and suckling pig can be delicious grilled (perhaps over charcoal) or roasted. Look out for aphe¬lia, a tender pork stew made with red wine and coriander seeds, which does not often appear on hotel and restaurant menus.

Vegetable dishes and ac¬companiments include black¬-eyed beans (louvia), potatoes, rice, green beans or peas, tomatoes, courgettes (zucchi¬ni) and aubergines. Fresh green salads are always avail¬able. 'Greek' or 'village-style' salads incorporate tomatoes and feta cheese. In hotels and at poolsides you'll see mixed chef's salad, potato, egg and Nicoise salads.

Desserts in Cyprus

Cheese offerings are limited to the local ewe's milk halloumi (salty and mild), Greek-style feta (a bit stronger) and some rather tired imports. Some¬times graviera is served a local version of Swiss gruyere as well as kefalotyri and kaskavalli. Charcoal-grilled meat {souv¬laki is the speciality at this Ayia Napa hotel. Concentrate instead on the fruit of Cyprus.

Depending on the season, you'll be able to try the outstanding honeydew or cantaloupe melon, water¬melon, cherries, peaches, figs, apricots, oranges, tangerines, plums, grapes, pomegranates, and more ... You may also find wonderful yoghurt and honey, though not as often as in Greece. Cypriot sweets are very sweet indeed.

A speciality of Yeroskipos and Lefkara, louk¬houmi is the sugar-dusted, jellied Turkish delight. Honey and nuts flavour baklava, a strudel-like pastry, and kataifi, a pastry which resembles Shredded Wheat.

Another speciality of Cypriot pastry chefs, loukoumades are a kind of very sweet puffy dough¬nut dipped in syrup. The ice¬-cream, ices and sundaes can be excellent, and many hotels offer French-style pastries and tarts.

Drinks in Cyprus and car hire

If you are planning a tour of the local tavernas, you may not want to take your hire car with you, but the best way to tour around Cyprus is still to hire a car from Larnaca or Paphos Airport. If you pre-book car rental from Larnaca Airport, your vehicle will be waiting for you when you get there.

In addition to a variety of soft drinks and mineral water, there is excellent beer, brewed in Cyprus. Like the Greeks, Cypriots favour ouzo, the re¬freshing anis-flavoured aperi¬tif. Poolside drinks often include cooling Pimm's cup; and do try the heady, fruit brandy sours which are to Cyprus what pifia colada is to the Caribbean. Otherwise all the usual cocktails and drinks are available, but these are likely to be on the expensive side when they include import¬ed spirits. WINES Cyprus wines have been renowned since antiquity. Foremost among them is the sweet red Commandaria, originally produced for the Knights of St John at Kolossi.

Celebrated as an aperitif or dessert wine, it is worth try¬ing even if you usually eschew sweet wines. Sweet to dry wines of the sherry type are another Cypriot speciality. Constantly improving in quality, Cypriot table wines equal the best similar vintages 106 of Italy and Spain, and even some of the lesser wines of France.

Cyprus wines

White wines are usually quite light but not sweet; the outstanding names include Keo Hock, White Lady, Aphrodite and Arsinoe. Bella Pais, a rather bubbly white, makes a good aperitif or dessert wine. Duc de Nicosie is the closest a Cyprus wine comes to being champagne. It is produced using the traditional French method for a quite honourable result.

Red wines are catching up to whites in quality and popu¬larity even in this warm climate. Keo Claret, Olympus Claret and Domaine d' Ahera in particular often have subtle¬ty as well as body. Othello, a very well-known brand, can be outstanding (but not cheap) in vintage years try the ban¬ner year of 1959.

There are a few roses; most people consid¬er Coeur de Lion the best. For an after-dinner drink, try some Cypriot brandy. In the more sophisticated cate¬gory, Five Kings is one of the better-known brands. Filfar, a very strong liqueur, resembles Grand Mamier in taste.
Cyprus is a fascinating island and the best way to explore it is to pre-book a hire car from Larnaca Airport or from Paphos Airport, which will not only save you time and money, but will also enable you to travel in style and comfort. Car hire at Larnaca Airport Cyprus starts from just €80.00 per week, so book before you go, and save the hassle of delays when you arrive.

Things to do in Cyprus

Cyprus is an active, lively place where there is plenty to do beyond sightseeing. Shop¬ping can take in traditional craft-ware, fine jewellery and copies of ancient artwork. And you may encounter the addi¬tional pleasure of 'negotiating' a fair price with the friendliest, least aggressive merchants in the Mediterranean which does not mean they make no profit.

Sporting activities benefit from a great climate and amazingly clear coastal waters. Entertainment can offer anything from bouzouki to hot rock, with plenty of folklore at the village festivals and even a play or concert in the grand setting of an ancient open-air theatre.

The miracle of Cyprus's beaches is their unpolluted sea. For water-sports enthusi¬asts in the Mediterranean these days that is no mean achieve ment. Ramblers find their joy in the unspoiled mountain country of the interior or along the rugged coastline at the northwest tip of the island.

Water sports in Cyprus and car hire

To make the most of the enchanting and fascinating island of Cyprus, visitors should take their time to travel around and explore by hire car from Larnaca Airport or car rental from Paphos Airport.

The facilities for swimming vary from the sandy family beaches of Coral Bay north of Paphos and at Ayia Napa and Protaras to more secluded covebathing in Chrysochou Bay along the Akamas Penin¬sula or out at the island's op¬posite, southeast, tip around Cape Greco. For a pagan tryst, try Aphrodite's birthplace at Petra tou Romiou. In all the major resorts, the Cyprus Tourist Organiza¬tion sponsors excellent public beaches, most often sandy, beautifully laid out with grass around them. Amenities in¬clude changing rooms, bar¬ restaurants and courts for basket and volleyball.

The bigger hotels have ex¬cellent freshwater pools, some Olympic size. Most admit non-residents for a fee. Scuba diving and snorkel¬ling lovers are the major bene¬ficiaries of Cyprus's limpid seas, perfect for underwater photography. In water temper¬atures varying from 16°C (60°F) to 27°C (80°F) you can explore submerged cliffs, val¬leys and colonies of coral, and get close-up views of sea anemones and sponges, exotic coloured fish and crustacea.

Remember that it is a criminal offence to remove antiquities from the seabed, but by all means report sightings to the local archaeological museum. You will find diving cen¬tres with rental equipment and instruction at Paphos, Coral Bay, Lachi (near Polis), Lamaca, Limassol, Ayia Napa and Paralimni. Windsurfing and water¬skiing are available every¬where, with equipment for hire at public and hotel beaches.

The adventurous like para¬sailing, the well-heeled can hire a yacht for sailing, but hiring a canoe or pedalo is not expensive. Fishing at sea, including spear-fishing, requires no li¬cence and boats with or with¬out captain are available for hire at most ports; the smaller ones are better, like Zygi, midway between Lamaca and Limassol, or Pomos, north of Polis. Local fishermen go for red mullet, white bream and amberjack. Dams at Aspro¬kremmos east of Paphos and Germasogeia north of Limas¬sol are stocked with trout, carp and other freshwater fish, for which angling is permitted with a licence from the town's Fisheries Department. Enquire at the nearest tourist office.

Cyprus sports and car hire

The more energetic visitors to Cyprus can enjoy a wide range of sports facilities dotted around the island, and the best way to find the reach them, and other Cyprus attractions is to hire a car from Larnaca Airport or Paphos Airport before you leave home. Cheap car hire deals are available online with easy pick-ups and drop-offs to give you peace of mind when you arrive in Cyprus.

Better hotels provide tennis courts (clay or asphalt) for guests, often available to nonresidents for a fee. There are several courts at Nicosia's Field Club and at the Lapatsa Sporting Centre in Tseri (15 minutes from Nicosia). Horse Riding. With an indoor arena and outdoor paddock, the Lapatsa Sporting Centre offers a full equitation programme, from dressage and show jumping to cross¬country riding (courses for beginners to advanced).

In a totally different category, chil¬dren or others can ride a horse or pony (for hire by the half¬-hour usually at weekends) to sightsee around Troodos. Cycling. Most towns and resorts have at least one shop where you can rent bicycles, with mountain bikes to tackle the Troodos and Paphos high country.

Walking and Hiking in Cyprus

You can trek through the Troodos chain and foothills, past pleas¬ant mountain streams, many delightful villages and view-points. The Cyprus Tourism Organization distributes maps and information on itineraries. Tours are organized from abroad for excursions in the area from a base in Pano Platres or Troodos and along the Akamas Peninsula.

Winter sports in Cyprus

Promoters of the Troodos mountains resort area would like to see more people take advantage of winter as a time to visit Cyprus, when lower prices are in force. Lifts pro¬vide access to several runs on Mount Olympus, and more are being developed. Cross¬-country skiing is also possible. Depending on snow condi¬tions, the ski season runs from January to early March.

Spectator sports in Cyprus

A big event in European racing, the 72-hour international Cyprus Rally in September attracts up to 80 entrants for a gruelling trial of endurance, guts and skill. Check the local newspapers for details of the route. Horse Racing. Race meet¬ings take place once or twice a week from mid-September to the end of June (Saturdays or Sundays) at the Nicosia Race¬course in Ayios Dhometios.

The efficiency of modern in¬ternational trade has made the same range of consumer prod¬ucts available all over the world electronic gadgetry, leisurewear and sports equip¬ment are no cheaper here than elsewhere. So stick to the high-quality products of the island's traditional artisans. Most shops open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., take a leisure¬ly lunch-cum-siesta and re¬open from 4 to 7 p.m.

Things to buy in Cyprus

Rural arts and crafts have been given a big boost in recent years with the influx of GreekCypriot refugees from the north. They are the principal artisans at shops run by the Cyprus Handicraft Service (CHS), a non-profit organization with outlets in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos. Basketry. The choice ranges from small baskets in decorative shapes and colours to large articles in rush or cane. Brass - Look for candle¬sticks, ashtrays, small boxes, religious ornaments and trays. Carpets and curtains. In Cypriot patterns, with a Near¬Eastern and Turkish influence, these can be colourful and in good taste.

The woollen rugs in all sizes are very tempting. Ceramics - Many artisans look back to antiquity for inspiration, creating charming animal figurines, little vessels and terracotta statuettes, fash¬ioned by hand and fired. The functional wares of Kornos and Phini include attractive hand-thrown wine and oil jars. Glazed ceramics may have very pretty geometric patterns in the Cypriot style.

Copperware - Dating from over 3,000 years ago, the copper industry remains a source of CYPriot pride. There are all manner of handcrafted ware, inclUding copper pots, saucepans and bowls. Embroidery - Shops all over sell the island's most important cottage indus try item fine linen table¬cloths, doilies, runner and handkerchiefs stitched with intricate geometic patterns of Letkara.

Food and wine -Turkish Delight (loukhoumi) is a speciality of Yeroskipos and Letkara though Shops all over sell it. You may Want to carry home Cypriot olives or sealed packets of th local cheese, halloumi. Of the many wines and liqueurs produced on Cyprus, you might pur¬chase some Commandaria, the sweet red dessert wine. Jewellery - You can find good quality silver and gold¬ware, the latter almost always 18karat (as opposed to Greece's more customary 14-karat gold). Reputable jew¬ellers will always provide a certificate of authenticity if requested.

Leather goods - Manufac¬tured locally, shoes and san¬dals are reasonably priced and well-styled on Cyprus, especially models for women. Appealing presents for your¬self and others include hand¬-tooled handbags, belts and wallets as well as soft leather jackets, waistcoats (vests), skirts and trousers. Souvenirs - Gifts with a local touch range from colour¬ful Cypriot stamps and stamp gift booklets (at larger post offices), coins and maps, to records and cassettes of Cypri¬ot music.

Wooden articles - Crafts¬men produce everything from elaborate picture frames to traditional Cypriot-style dow¬ry chests. At the Nicosia out¬let of the Cyprus Handicrafts Service you can order custom¬-made furniture, to be shipped home.

Woollen goods - Heavy patterned sweaters, tie belts and shawls have a rustic appeal. Woollen shoulder bags are another speciality. Woven goods - Colourful, hand-loomed fabrics made up into dresses, children's cloth¬ing and shirts for men and women at reasonable prices.

The mountain castles of Cyprus and car hire

Car hire in Cyprus is the best way to get around the island, and the best deals can be found at Larnaca Airport and Paphos Airport online, when pre-booked before you travel.

Most striking of the Kyrenia Mountains rising beyond Nicosia is the Pentadaktylos (Five Fingers) whose stark sil¬houette gives the range its sec¬ond name. In Bitter Lemons, Lawrence Durrell, who lived on their northern slopes, calls the chain 'par excellence the Gothic range, for it is studded with crusader castles pitched on the dizzy spines of the mountains, commanding the roads which run over the sad¬dles between.

These Gothic fortresses lie now in noble ruin, victim not of enemy bombardment but of dismantlement by the Vene¬tians who could not afford their upkeep, the weather doing the rest.

Most spectacu¬lar is St Hilarion Castle, climbing three tiers of battlements and towers up to a 670m (2,200ft) mountain peak. (Be prepared for some uphill walking to tackle all three levels.) The castle was built around a church and monastery of the 10th century honouring Saint Hi¬larion, who fled here when the Arabs advanced on Syria.

An original Byzantine structure was fortified and extended by the Lusignans for their sum¬mer residence. Standing against formida¬ble winds, as its name sug¬gests, Buffavento, is the highest of the castles 954m (3,129 ft). It is little more now than a pile of crumbling stone accessible by car or donkey but once proudly defended the shortest approach from the coast to Nicosia.

Farthest east, Kantara Castle was built by the Byzan¬tines to control the Karpas peninsula after the departure of the Arabs in 965. The ruin offers from its uppermost tower, 630 m (2,068 ft), an ex¬quisite view of woodland and olive groves along the north coast. It was from here that the guard sent out flare signals to Buffavento which relayed them to St Hilarion, Kyrenia and Nicosia.

Kyrenia Cyprus

With sheltered harbour and a grand old castle, this charming town is the best place to stop for lunch. It has a genuine resort atmosphere, more relaxed than its sisters on the south coast. The massive Castle was used as a prison by each of the island's rulers from the Byzantines to the British, the latter locking up EOKA fight¬ers here in the 1950s.

The walls enclose a Byzantine chapel, royal apartments, and the tomb of Turkish admiral Sadik Pasha, conqueror of Kyrenia in 1570. Not least, it serves as a museum for the Kyrenia Ship, one of the old¬est vessels ever recovered from the sea.

This Greek trad¬ing ship sank off the coast here about 300 BC and was discov¬ered in 1965 by a sponge diver. The hull has been pains¬takingly reconstructed and is shown with part of its cargo ¬Rhodian wine jars, millstones, cooking utensils and a con¬signment of almonds.

Bellapais Abbey near Kyrenia Cyprus

A short drive into the foothills behind Kyrenia leads to this superbly situated 13th and 14thcentury Gothic abbey. Looking down to the distant sea, it stands on a 30m (100 ft) escarpment, its monastery buildings enclosing cypress trees, palms, orange and olive trees.

Though 'beautiful country' would be an entirely ap¬propriate explanation for its name, it was more probably Abbey of Peace (Abbaye de La Paix), built by the Lusignans for the Augustinian order. The elegant arcade of the cloister is adorned with finely carved figures: a fox, an ass, a hero fighting two monsters.

The vaulted refectory is a splen¬did space of six bays with a well-preserved rose window. Among vestiges of the monks' wooden benches, the one on the east wall is set higher, probably for the Abbot's High Table. The surrounding village was Lawrence Durrell's Bitter Lemons home, but friends and their families have all sought refuge elsewhere and their Tree of Idleness has died.

Famagusta Cyprus

On the island's east coast, the port was only a village when Christian refugees arrived in 1291 from Palestine. A centu¬ry later, it was a notorious boom town of extravagant merchants, courtesans and colourful rascals. That all ended in 1571 when the Turks massacred its citizens after a prolonged siege.

It rose again to become in this century the most impor¬tant port in Cyprus and a major tourist centre. But the invasion of 1974, less blood-thirsty but still traumatic, left Famagusta Gazimagusa in Turkish ¬only a shadow of its former self.

Since the departure of Greek Cypriots from the southern part of town, Varosha, the beach resort area is deserted and off-limits. Yet the Venetian fortifications and old town where the Turkish Cypriots always traditionally lived are still of great interest.

Down by the harbour stands the Citadel, better known as the Tower of Othel¬lo, associated with a 16th¬-century Lieutenant Governor of Cyprus named Christoforo Moro, who was possibly the model for Shakespeare's tor¬mented Moor.

Notice the crest of Venice's winged lion of St Mark over the barrel-arched entry. The moated tower has four corner turrets and a good view over the port one of those places where photogra¬phy is risky. Most formidable of the Venetian fortifications is the Martinengo Bastion in the northwest corner of the old town. In the siege, the Turks inspected its walls, 46 m (1319 ft) thick, and looked for something easier. The Lusignans built the 88 town's churches, at one time numbering 365.

The palace entertained the graceful Corinthian columns 19th-century Turkish national were brought here from the poet Namik Kemal for three Theatre and re-erected by the years for criticizing the Sultan. Byzantines. In the adjoining Public Baths, you can distin¬guish the jrigidarium, tepidar¬ium and the hot room¬ caldarium with water heated by furnaces beneath the floor. The water itself was chan¬nelled from Kythrea, 60 krn (37 miles) away via a Roman aqueduct still standing.

St Barnabus Monastery Cyprus

A couple of minutes' drive west of Salamis is the mau¬soleum of Barnabas, fellow apostle of Paul on their mission to Cyprus in AD 45. (He achieved martyrdom in Salamis at the hands of Jews he was trying to convert.) The rock-cut burial chamber is now empty, but its discovery some 400 years later helped the Church of Cyprus achieve autonomy within the Orthodox faith and led to the building of the monastery nearby. The present drum¬-domed church was built in 1756 with elements from an earlier 15th century church and columns and capitals from Salamis.

Things to do in Paphos and airport car hire

Most travellers to Cyprus today land at Paphos or Larnaca Airport, and the best way to get around Paphos or other parts of Cyprus is to hire a car from the airport.

Away from the resort cafes and hotels on a beautiful hill¬top site 42 m (140 £1) above the sea, Ktima is a bright, modern area distinguished by Neoclassical school and bank buildings, green open spaces and a large market. On the road to Limassol (Dighenis Avenue) is the small Paphos District Muse¬um.

It houses some remark¬able sculptures found in the Roman 'Villa of Theseus'. Carved in white marble im¬ported from the Aegean, they include fine statues of Aphro¬dite, Dionysos, the divine huntress Artemis (also known as Diana) and Asclepios, Greek master of medicine, feeding an egg to the snake coiled around his staff. Notice, too, the Egyptian goddess, Isis, an exquisite head with heavy-lidded eyes.

There are also fine collections of jew¬ellery, coins, ceramics and ancient glassware. A more modest museum, but also worth a visit, is housed in a charming 19th century house, the Eliades Collection, Exo Vrysis Street near the Bishop's Palace. It combines prehistoric fossils, classical antiquities and Cypri¬ot folklore of the 18th and 19th centuries. In the garden, Professor George Eliades has uncovered, carved in the bed¬rock, burial chambers from the 3rd century BC.

East of Paphos Cyprus

Just east of town on the road to Paphos Airport is the village of Yeroskipos. Its name means 'Sacred Garden'. Dedi¬cated to Aphrodite, pilgrims from Nea Paphos stopped off on their way to the goddess's temple at Palea Paphos; today, Turkish delight is manufac¬tured here.The 11 th century church of Ayia Paraskevi is, for Cyprus, a rare example of a five-domed basilica. Inside are some 15thcentury murals and a much revered icon, also 15th century, with a Virgin and Child on one side and Cruci¬fixion on the reverse. In a restored house nearby is the Museum of Folk Art. Typical of an 18thcentury rich Cypriot's villa, it has an upper storey surrounded with handsome wooden balconies.

The house once belonged to Andreas Zimboulakis, British consular agent for Paphos a post Andreas and then his son held from 1799 to 1865. Mu¬seum displays include gourds that kept children afloat while they learned to swim, even jars of carob honey, from which you can take a taste. You will also see agricultural tools, elaborately carved furniture, a lovely 18thcentury painted grandfather clock, and other items. From Yeroskipos, continue east about 12 km (8 miles) and turn off at Kouklia, once Palea Paphos, where the cult of Aphrodite took place.

The sanctuary of Aphrodite Cyprus

The love-goddess rites flourished at the Sanctuary of Aphro¬dite from very early times. Homer described the yearly spring festival the Mysteries which contributed much to the fame and coffers of Cyprus, as pilgrims came from all over the ancient world. Now in the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia, a conical stone symbolizing the goddess (her beauty was too great to rep-resent literally) was the sym¬bolic centre of Aphrodite worship. Alas, little remains of ro¬mance in the ruins on view in Kouklia, a small farming com¬munity. Aphrodite seems to have wafted away on a zephyr, the way she came.

Archaeolo¬gists have been at work here since the late 19th century, uncovering the sanctuary be¬lieved to lie largely under some surrounding farm dwell¬ings. You can distinguish north and south stoas or halls, and some cyclopean blocks of a Bronze Age wall. The Chateau de Covocle nearby originally a Lusignan fort, and then a Turkish manor house and farm contains the collection of the Palea Paphos Museum. Although many of the valuable finds from the sanctuary have been taken to Nicosia (such as a mosaic of Leda and the Swan, once stolen from here and later recovered), there are still some ceramics and other objects of minor interest.

Places to visit and car hire north of Paphos

Leaving the coast road to the resort hotels on your left, take the other northbound high way (signposted Polis) inland. Just 10 km (6 miles) north of Paphos the Monastery of Ayios Neophytos dominates a peaceful, wooded slope. Its church has some good 15th and 16th century frescoes and icons, but the main focus, set in the hillside opposite the church, is the 12th century English (Hermitage), around which the monastery grew up. The saintly historian and theologian Neophytos (1134¬-1214) hacked this cave-¬dwelling out of the rock with his own hands. He supervised the wonderful frescoes which decorate the chapel, sanctuary and cell.

One scene shows Neophytos himself, flanked by the archangels Michael and Gabriel.On the north coast, the town of Polis stands where the ancient city kingdom of Mari¬on boasted rich gold and cop¬per mines. The modern town is a gateway to the pleasant sponge fishing port and beach resort of Latchi with good fa¬cilities for water sports.

Romantics should head a little way down the road to the Baths of Aphrodite (Loutra tis Aphroditis), a natural pool and springs set in a cool green glade where our local heroine bathed to rejuvenate herself. The Akamas Peninsula is a superb nature reserve, one of the few unspoiled wilder¬nesses left on the island.

Nature trails are marked out along the craggy north shore. One of them leads ostensibly to Fontana Amorosa, in fact just a muddy well, but the ramble itself is worthwhile. Make your way among scrub forest of pine and juniper and stunted olive and carob trees leading over to dramatic cliffs of dark volcanic rock. A peculiarity of the penin¬sula is the Arbutus (strawberry tree), with bright green foliage and fruit that look like (but taste nothing like) strawber¬ries.

Flora fauna and wildlife near Paphos Cyprus

Wild flowers include the bright red Cyprus tulip, pink or yellow anemone and many varieties of orchid. Birdwatch¬ers can spot the black francol¬in, bright blue roller and the migrant bee eater or crested hoopoe, while butterfly buffs may see the rare two-tailed pasha or the commoner orange and yellow cleopatra.

While the monastery of Panayia Chrysorroyiatissa may be reached via some rather perilous mountain roads from Troodos, it is much easier to make the excursion from Pa¬phos. Again take the road north to Polis, turning to Pole¬mi and continuing on through Pano Panayia, the birthplace in 1913 of Mihail Mouskos, who became the archbishop and later president, Makarios III. Panayia Chrysorroyiatis¬sa ('Our Lady of the Golden Pomegranate') perches on a hilly site with orchards and vineyards around it.

Vines have been there since the 12th century, but only recently the monastery has started produc¬ing wines again, one of them a prizewinning white. The monk Ignatios founded the monastery in 1152; the present complex dates from the late 18th century, and was restored in 1955. The cloister is built on an unusual triangular plan.

Within the enclosure stands the church, noted for its elabo¬rately carved iconostasis. A heavy silvergilt case encloses the chief icon of the Virgin, framed in silver, a favourite of criminals and outlaws seeking divine help.

The frustration for Greek Cypriots is not just that the Turkish-occupied north (37 % of the island) is forbidden territory, but that it is a most beautiful region. The Kyrenia Mountains have a gaunt un¬spoiled splendour, the ports of Famagusta and Kyrenia have not lost the romance of their past, nor have ancient Salamis or the Gothic crusader castles and Bellapais abbey. In two day trips you can see all the sights comfortably, including northern Nicosia.

Paphos Cyprus and cheap car hire

Cheap car hire can be pre-booked and picked up easily at Paphos Airport.
Paphos has been transformed by the tourist boom that has concentrated in the southern part of the island since the 1974 partition. Resort facili¬ties have expanded at a light¬ning rate, north to the beaches of Coral Bay and south from the old harbour out along Poseidon Avenue to Moulia. But visitors who want to do more than just lie in the sun have plenty to occupy them.

Paphos is a comfortable base from which to explore the western mountain villages and monasteries and the beautiful nature trails on the Akamas peninsula, not forgetting the ancient sites of Paphos' long history back to when Aphro¬dite first made it her home. Legend tributes the founding of Palea (Old) Pa¬phos to the priest king Cinyras.

A temple was built to Aphrodite here, 16 km (10 miles) from today's Paphos, in Mycenaen times, and the city-kingdom gained renown as the centre of Aphrodite's cult. Earthquakes destroyed the temple sometime in the late 12th century BC, but it was rebuilt soon after by King Agapenor from Arcadia in the Peloponnese, who was ship¬wrecked in the area on his return from the Trojan War.

Agapenor subsequently set himself up as king of Paphos. The last king of Old Pa¬phos, Nicocles, established the new port town of Nea Paphos late in the 4th century BC, though Palea Paphos remained the centre of Aphrodite wor¬ship until the 4th century AD.

Within 100 years of its found¬ing, Nea Paphos surpassed Salamis as chief city of Cyprus and it was here that, when Cyprus came under Roman government, the Proconsul Sergius Paulus was converted to Christianity. Earthquakes in 332 and 342 and Saracen at¬tacks in the 7th century forced most of the population inland to Ktima, though Nea Paphos was not completely abandoned until 1372, following the Genoese invasion.

A small seaport for cru¬saders and others, Paphos lan¬guished as a miserable place with a poor reputation. How¬ever, the population gradually increased to over 2,000 by the late 19th century. The harbour was dredged in 1908, attract¬ing further maritime com¬merce. Paphos continued to grow and prosper, and in spite of some damage in the 1974 war, it bounced back to attract not only tourists but new Cypriot settlers also.

The history of lower Paphos

West of the seafront restaur¬ants and boutiques, the har¬bour still provides a haven for a few fishing boats and sailing vessels as it curves around a jetty to the old Fort. Like a child's buildingblocks, virtu¬ally the same masonry has over the centuries been set up, knocked down and rearranged to form a Roman fort, a feudal castle, a Turkish tower and a British warehouse for salt. From the east end of the harbour, Apostolos Pavlos Av¬enue climbs to the excavated site of an Early Christian basilica (4th century AD).

Among the ruins of the large sevenaisled church, you can make out mosaic pavements with floral and geometric pat¬terns, Corinthian capitals and columns of green and white marble imported from Greece. Arabic graffiti on some of the columns date from the in¬vasion which destroyed the basilica in AD 653. One of the columns is still described as St Paul's Pillar where the apos¬tle was imagined to have been tied and lashed 39 times for preaching the Gospel more than 300 years before the marble reached Cyprus.

Still standing intact is the 15th-century Ayia Kyriaki church at which Catholic and Anglican services are held. Nearby are the vestiges of a Gothic Franciscan church put up by the Lusignans. But note, too, just to the north of the Christian sanctuaries, a tiny twindomed secular building, like a boat from the old port of Paphos and explore the romantic coastline. the old Turkish baths, with a gnarled old tree trunk pushing up through the masonry. West of Apostolos Pavlos Avenue lies the so-called By¬zantine Castle.

Excavations have since established its true iden¬tity as a castle built by French Crusaders at the end of the 12th century and destroyed by earthquake in 1222. Its large square keep had a tower at each corner, surrounded by a dry moat and thick exterior walls with eight bastions.

On your way to the nearby Roman remains, make a short detour north to the Odeon, a reconstructed amphitheatre of the 2nd century AD. In a pic¬turesque hillside setting with a lighthouse behind it, it seats 1,250 spectators for open-air shows.

The famous Paphos Mosaics

The splendid decorative floors that have been (and are still being) uncovered in the re mains of wealthy Roman villas ofNea (New) Paphos (3rd cen¬tury AD) constitute the most important group of mosaics in Cyprus. Lovingly reconstruct¬ed from damage suffered during the landlevelling op¬erations which first revealed them in 1962 and the bom¬bardments in 1974, they are exhibited in houses named after the mosaics' most prom¬inent motif. The tesserae (mo¬saic cubes) are bright coloured local stone of natural hues, together with some orange, yellow, green and blue glass.

The House of Dionysos displays the god of wine returning from India on a chariot drawn by two panthers. This and other scenes, such as Dionysos recolllmending moderation to the nymph Akme drinking wine from a bowl, and King Icarios of Athens getting shepherds drunk with their first taste of wine, were customary decora¬tions for the dining room. But here are also romantic scenes of Pyramos and Thisbe and of Phaedra looking longingly at her stepson Hippolytos.

More dramatic are the hunting mo¬tifs of leopard, tiger and bear around the atrium. Follow the signposts to the Villa of Theseus, probably the official residence of the Pro¬consul of Nea Paphos, where the mosaic shows Ariadne watching a heroic but rather absent-minded Theseus slay the (partially defaced) Mino¬taur. The House of Aion has a spectacular five-panelled mo-saic. The large central panel depicts Aion, god of eternity, judging a beauty contest be¬tween a somewhat smug-look¬ing Queen Cassiopeia, the winner, and the unhappy, un¬questionably prettier Nereides water nymphs.

Tombs of the Kings Paphos

Northwest of what was Nea Paphos (off the road to the beach resort of Coral Bay) is the ancient community's necropolis. Its subterranean burial chambers were carved from the ruddy rock that slopes down to the sea at a time (3rd century BC to 3rd century AD) when Paphos had no kings. But many of them are imposing enough to sug¬gest that they were at least the resting place of the Ptolemy dynasty's most important local officials. This 'city of the dead', imitating in those days the city of the living, gives a rare insight into the residential architecture of Nea Paphos: spacious courtyards with peri style of Doric columns and decorative entablatures.

Walking in the Troodos Mountains Cyprus

The most popular sport is walking. (Even if an occasion¬al snake may cross your path, only one in a hundred has a remotely harmful bite.) There is an easy 30minute stroll via a trout farm at Psilon Dhendron over to the pretty little Caledonian Falls.

The hardier rambler may carry on for another 60 minutes along a nature trail through the ever¬green forest up to TroodosA short drive west of Platres is the friendly little village of Phini. With luck, the fine but higgledy-piggledy folklore museum may be open. In any case, have a coffee with the locals and then follow a hand-¬lettered sign up to the home of the local potter.

Together with her whole family, the lady makes traditional Cypriot red clay ceramics and will be happy to let you watch them work. Troodhitissa Monastery, 8 km (5 miles) to the north, was founded in the 13th centu¬ry by a couple of hermits who had a vision in a near¬by cave.

Their church was twice destroyed by fire and the new one was built in 1731, with modern accommodation for guests. The si I verencased icon of the Virgin Mary and a holy leather belt (ayia zoni) with fertility powers for barren women attract considerable crowds on 15 August (As¬sumption Day).

The town of Troodos Cyprus

Just 8 km (5 miles) up¬hill from Platres, the little res¬ort town of Troodos is, at 1,676 m (5,500 ft) the island's highest resort, high enough to provide some decent skiing slopes in the winter. In sum¬mer, it offers a few tennis courts and a tournament ¬and at weekends a lively throng of day trippers along its 'Main Street' stalls, shops and cafes. Ramblers tackle stark mountain trails through the forests of great twisted Aleppo pine struggling up out of the reddish clay and rocky cliffs.

Armchair mountaineers may prefer to drive up above the town Cyprus's tallest peak, Mount Olympus, 1,951 m (6,40 I ft). Ignore the giant 'golf ball' radar installation on the summit and, ifvisibility allows, look out over the length and breadth of the whole island.

Kakopetria and car rentals at Larnaca Airport

Exploring Cyprus is easy by hire car from Larnaca Airport, and you can save time and money by pre-booking your rental car before you fly.This is a favourite resort for Nicosians. If you are coming from the capital, continue on from your trip to Assinou . In the old part of town overlooking the ancient wood¬en flour mill, the balconied houses are being beautifully restored to bring out the subtle russet, amber and silver hues of the local stone.

Visit the nearby monastery church of St Nicholas of the Roof (Ayios Nikolaos tis Steyis). An upper roof of shin¬gles was built in the 13th century to shelter the older domed roof of tiles. Inside, its oldest frescoes date from the church's foundation in the 11th century, notably a Raising of Lazarus and the Transfiguration. Note, too, the highly expressive Nativity, Entry into Jerusalem and Cru¬cifixion, all from the 14th cen¬tury when Byzantine formal rigidity was breaking down.

West to Kykko and the Cedar Valley Cyprus

The road west from Troodos winds through pine groves, vineyards and orchards of ap¬ples, pears, peaches, cherries, almonds and walnuts to Prodhromos, 1,402 m (4,600 ft) above sea level. The mod¬est hotels and restaurants are popular with hikers. It has a highly respected Forestry Col¬lege and you can visit the experimental orchard at Trik¬ouchia, where new varieties of fruit are cultivated. Further downhill is Ped¬houlas, famous for its cherries and a popular destination in spring for Cypriots who flock to see the thousands of trees in blossom.

Below the main church, the smaller, 15th century Archangel Michael Church occupies an impres¬sive site on a steep hill over¬looking the valley. The most remarkable of its frescoes is a fierce representation of Michael himself.

A giant cedar tree in the village centre is estimated by the Forestry Department to be over 450 years old as a priest re¬marked, 'sprouting in the blessed days before the fall of Constantinople. Some 20 km (12 miles) from Pedhoulas, Kykko Mon¬astery sits proudly remote from the world on a mountain side surrounded by pine forest. It is the island's most important pilgrimage monastery and included.

Archbishop Makarios among its novices. (It was also reputed to have served as a communications and supply base for the EOKA movement in the 1950s.) Founded in 1094 by a hermit, it grew in prestige when Emperor Alexis Comnenos gave it a rich land grant and an icon of the Virgin Mary said to have been painted by St. Luke. The icon sur¬vived several fires and is now covered in gilded silver. Its legendary rainmaking powers still bring in farmers to pray with the monks in time of drought.

Today's buildings are bright and modern for the re¬ception of pilgrims, particular¬ly numerous at weekends for mass baptisms. By the hal¬lowed icon of the Virgin Mary, offerings range from expensive jewellery to cheaper options. Outside, dozens of knickknack stands line the way to a pleasant cafe terrace.

The tomb of Archbishop Makarios

Uphill beyond the mon¬astery is the Tomb of Arch¬bishop Makarios. In a site he chose long before his death, the venerated national leader is buried in a stylized cavetomb watched over by an honour guard of the Cypriot army. Home of the moufflon mountain sheep and a broad grove of cedar trees, Cedar Valley lies 14 km (9 miles) west of Kykko. Despite the unpaved road, it is worth the ride.

Together with the Aleppo pine, plane and gold oak, the cedars make it a delightful set¬ting for a hike or picnic. The valley boasts some 50,000 ma¬jestic specimens of the variety Cedrus brevifalia which the island shares with its neigh¬bour, Lebanon. The oldest here, says the Forestry Department, dates back 850 years and stands 30 m (l00 ft) tall.

Cyprus and cheap car hire

Cheap car hire at the airport in Cyprus is still available, and the best way to book car rentals at Larnaca Airport is to make the arrangements before you travel.

Before exploring the great ar¬chaeological site itself, stop off in the nearby village of Episkopi to visit the fine little Kourion Museum. Founded in the 1930s, it now also holds dramatic recent finds from the earth¬quake that devastated Kourion in AD 365. On display is a group of three human skele¬tons, a 25yearold male pro¬tecting a I9 year old female with an 18 month old baby clutched to her breast.

Among the other exhibits from Kouri¬on and the temple of Apollo are sculptures, a Roman stone lion fountain, terracotta vases and figurines Just west of Episkopi, Kou¬rion is with Salamis in Northern Cyprus the most important archaeological site on the island.

Remains of its various settlements include a Greek temple, houses with superb mosaics, a theatre and stadium of the Roman era, and an early Christian cathedral. Not the least of its attractions is the site's spectacular view from a bluff high above Episkopi Bay. (In ancient times, sacrilegious criminals were hurled to their death on the rocks below.)

The area was inhabited back in the Stone Age, but current historical opinIOn at¬tributes the town's foundation to Mycenaean settlers in the 13th century Be. Known as Curium to the Romans, it con¬verted to Christianity in the 4th century AD, faith sorely tested by a devastating earth¬quake in 365. After Arab raids in the 7th century, the bish opric moved out to what is now Episkopi, leaving Kouri¬on to sink into oblivion.

On the left as you enter the site (before reaching the tourist pavilion) are the fencedin ruins of a colonnad¬ed portico paved with an Achilles Mosaic (4th century AD).

It depicts Achilles, dis guised as a woman to avoid enlistment in the Trojan army tricked by Odysseus into grab-bing a spear and shield and revealing his true identity. The House of Gladiators nearby is so named for its beautifully coloured mosaics of two duels, one with a very aristocratic looking referee ¬perhaps the owner of the house. (If closed, the guardian usually has the key.) Beyond the main entrance gate (where guide maps to the site are on sale) are the re¬mains of the early Christian cathedral.

Approaching from the west, you pass the dea¬con's offices where a Greek inscription from the Psalms suggests that worshippers made their donations 'Vow and pay to the Lord'. The plan of the basilica reveals 12 pairs of granite columns for the nave. Over to the left (north) is the baptistery with a dressing¬-room where people undressed for anointment with oil before descending to the cross-shaped font.

The Roman Theatre Cyprus

Continue on to the recon¬structed Roman theatre (AD 50 to 175), which occupies a spectacular sloping site on the edge of the bluff. The auditori¬um housed 3,500 (and is back in use now for openair perfor¬mances). At the end of the 2nd century AD, the theatre spiced up its show with hunt¬ers pursuing and killing or being killed by wild animals.

When you descend to the semicircular orchestra, notice how the front rows were lev¬elled to move spectators back to a safe distance. Behind the theatre is the Roman Villa of Eustolios, started about AD 400. He must have been a fine fellow, this Eustolios, welcoming visitors with an inscription 'Enter ... and good luck to the house'.

Mosaics of birds and fish indicate a man of wealth and taste. Inscriptions to Apollo and Jesus Christ suggest that religiously he was hedging his bets. He later added onto the villa a public bath house and health club. The baths are up a few steps. In the cen¬tral room, notice some more remarkable mosaics, including one of a partridge, another of Ktisis, a deity personifying creation. She holds what seems to be a one-foot ruler, symbol of her function.

Back on the highway, about 1 km (Il mile) west of the main site, is the stadium (2nd century AD) where you can imagine athletics per¬formed on the Vshaped track before some 6,000 spectators. Continue west to the Sanc¬tuary of Apollo Hylates (God of the Woodland), situated back from the highway in what was originally a deer forest and is now a charming setting of pines and evergreen scrub forest.

Apollo was worshipped here from the 8th century Be but most of the present struc¬tures were put up around AD 100 and toppled by the great earthquake of 365.From the guardian's lodge, take the path west to the pilgrims' entrance through Paphos Gate. The buildings here were probably hostels and storehouses for worship¬pers' votive offerings. The surplus was carefully placed in the vothros pit (at the centre of the site), which was full of terracotta figurines, mostly horse riders still intact when uncovered by the ar¬chaeologists.

From here, fol¬low the pilgrims' way along the sanctuary's main street north to a flight of stairs lead¬ing to the Temple of Apollo. It has been partially reconstruct¬ed, with simplified Corinthian capitals on its columns, as it appeared in AD 100. Take the winding cliff road past vineyards to end your ex¬cursion at Petra tou Romiou, 46 km (28 miles) from Limas¬sol, Aphrodite's legendary birthplace.

The Troodos Mountains Cyprus

The Troodos chain in west central Cyprus is the island's principal uplands and provides most of its fresh water and what the British Empire in its tropical outposts termed hill stations, resorts where people can come up from the hot, arid plains to cool off amid the mountain greenery. The roads climb through foothills with rushing streams and orchards past villages perched on the slopes surrounded at higher al¬titudes by pine forest. Monks ¬and EOKA fighters have found refuge here, and the monasteries are now joined by resort hotels and spas, with even a little winter skiing at the town of Troodos itself.

Platres to Troodos and Larnaca Airport car hire

The best place to pre-book your car hire from is Larnaca Airport, where you can start your tour around Cyprus.About 45 minutes from Limas¬sol, 90 minutes from Nicosia, Pano Platres at 1,128 m (3,700 ft) makes an ideal base for visiting the whole Troodos region. With its hotels, restau¬rants and craft-ware shops, the little town occupies a charming and shady mountain site. In high season, you will be joined by the bourgeoisie of Limassol whose summer homes swell the population from 500 to over 1,500. The Platres Festival of the folk arts is a major attraction.

Limassol history Cyprus

The Limassol urban area was apparently occupied by small settlements from 2,000 BC onwards. But the town it¬self was of little importance before the Christian era and the time of the crusades, around the 12th century. The main centres of antiquity had been the city kingdoms of Arnathus to the east, now just a heap of ancient rocks, and Curium (Kouri on) to the west, still a place of interest to tourists.

Hence, the probable origin of the name Limassol, conjectured to be a corruption of Nemesos, Greek for 'in be¬tween' (the two ancient cen¬tres), which later became Lemesos and then Limassol. It was here that England's Richard the Lionheart, leading a Crusade to Jerusalem in 1191, stopped off with his fiancee Berengaria. Badly re¬ceived by the tyrant Isaac Comnenius, he took the island away from him and sold it -first to the Knights Templar (who settled in Limassol) and then to the Lusignans .

Other Crusaders, the Knights of St John, settled in Limassol in 1291 and the town flourished as never before. But the repeated natural calamity of earthquakes and the human rapacity of Geno¬ese, Egyptians and Turks re¬duced the city by the early 19th century to a crumbling village. Development of the wine industry under the British breathed new life into the place. Since the 1974 partition, Limassol's population has in¬creased by 50% , second only to that of Nicosia. Besides refugees from the north, it counts a notable community of Leban¬ese and other, mostly prosper¬ous immigrants from the Near East.

Central Limassol and car hire in Cyprus

Car hire in Cyprus provides modern day visitors with a convenient and cheap mode of transport, particularly when car hire is pre-booked and picked up directly from Larnaca or Paphos Airport. With only a few historic or cultural sights, the town's good resort hotels and night¬life nevertheless make it an attractive base from which to explore the outstanding ar-chaeological sites to the west and the Troodos mountain vil¬lages to the north.

The solitary monument to the town's feu¬dal glory the rest have suc¬cumbed to earthquake and enemy fire is the Castle, just a few steps inland from the old port and customs house.

The imposing stone fortification dates from the 13th century. Both the Lusignans and Vene¬tians strengthened this ancient redoubt, which served the Turks as well after their conquest of Cyprus in 1571.

In a pleasant tropical greenery setting, it is surrounded by narrow lanes lined with arti¬sans' shops, where the special¬ity is metalware (copper and tin), and where the craftsmen are bemused rather than amused by tourists. The well preserved castle contains a mediaeval muse-um displaying tombstones and weapons as well as photos of early Christian churches and medieval buildings from all over the island.

The Limassol Museum Cyprus

The Gothic Great Hall, converted for use as a church and then a prison, has been restored. The prison now seems a cosy place, with eight cells in pristine white limestone. The small, modern Limas¬sol Museum in Byron Street behind the Public Gardens contains some fascinating ar¬chaeological treasures.

From shards and tools of Neolithic and Chalcolithic vintage, you'll progress through ceram¬ics of the Bronze and Iron ages, with plenty of pottery right up through the Greco-Roman period (plus coins, rings and other artefacts). Don't miss the display of jewellery from various periods and the expressive terra cotta figurines; one fat lady with a basket looks like a friendly old fashioned washerwoman, while bulls and outsize dogs complete the amusing statuette scene.

There's a beautiful head of Aphrodite from nearby Curium; a headless statue of a youth holding a bird (7th-6th century BC); some funerary stejes; and a massive statue of the Egyptian god Bes indeed an ugly fellow found on the site of ancient Amathus in 1978. The Folk Art Museum, 253 Ayios Andreas Street, provides a glimpse of rural Cypriot life, woodcarving, embroidery, jewellery and weaving all coming together nicely in the display of a bride's robes and the elabo¬rately carved chest for the finery of her trousseau.

As winemaking is not only an industry but also a tourist attraction, you'll find a visit to a winery both instructive and fun. On the outskilts of town, the top houses Kep, Sodap and Etko all offer short tours of their plant. You can see Cypriot wines, beers and spir¬its made and bottled with a chance to taste. Tours usually begin around 10 a.m.
Things to do around Limassol

East of town, hidden among the beach resort hotels, are the fenced-off ruins of Amathus, really of interest only to archaeological experts. Just north of Limassol is the little village of Germasogeia, re¬puted for its excellent tavern as in a pretty rural setting of the Troodos foothills. On the out¬skirts is a picturesque dam where you can, with a licence, go fishing. The coast road west past the wineries takes you along a delightful shady avenue that is a veritable arbour of euca¬lyptus and cypress trees bor¬dered on either side by orange, lemon and grapefruit orchards.

Akrotiri Peninsula Cyprus

It was here that the traces of hunters of pigmy hippos, the earliest human presence on the island, were found (8500 BC). Half of the peninsula is salt lake more flats than lake ¬popular with migratory birds, notably pink flamingoes from October to March. Most of the rest is occupied by the British 'Sovereign Base Area'.

The peninsula's popularity with the British army is attested by a stretch of beach east of the salt flats known as Lady's Mile, after the colonel's mare that was brought here for a daily canter. Just south of Akrotiri vil¬lage, look for a track leading east to St Nicholas of the Cats Monastery, a Gothic ruin on the site where the monks reared their special breed of antiviper cats .

On the west side of the peninsula, Kolossi Castle is an impressive 15th-century keep jutting up out of gently rolling countryside. It was the headquarters of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem for ad¬ministering their considerable sugar plantations and exten¬sive vineyards.

The Commanderie, as the headquarters were known, gave its name to their prized Commandaria sweet red dessert wine. A stone stairway leads across the moat to the en¬trance. On your way in, notice the fleur-de-lys escutcheon over the east side entry, coat of arms of Louis de Magnac, Lusignan Grand Commander of the Order of St John.

Among the spacious rooms with massive walls 3 m (10 ft) thick, the one with a huge walkin fireplace was the kitchen. Climb the steep and narrow spiral staircase for the view from the battlements. Outside you can see traces of an ancient aqueduct. Across from the keep, the imposing stone Gothic structure served as the Knights' sugar refinery.

West of Larnaca Cyprus

About 5 km (3 miles) from town, in the direction of the airport, the Salt Lake that was a source of the ancient town's renewed prosperity covers an area of some 6.5 sq km (2 sq miles). Lying 3 m (10 ft) below sea level, it is a true lake only in spring, when it dries up: each year the salt is col¬lected at the end of July.

In autumn and winter, thousands of migratory flamingos pass through in a colourful cloud of pink, as they do at Akrotiri near Limassol. Hala Sultan Tekke, a Muslim shrine, looks like a mirage in the dry summer season thrusting its minaret through greenery over the blinding salt flats.

An impor¬tant Muslim pilgrimage place, the shrine contains the remains of the Prophet Mohammed's maternal aunt, Umm Haam (Foster Mother), known as Hala Sultan in Turkish. Ac¬cording to Muslim tradition, Umm Haram came to Cyprus with a party of Arab invaders in 647 AD. She fell from her mule near the Salt Lake, broke her neck and was buried there. The Turks built the mosque in her honour in 1816.

To enter, you leave your shoes at the door. The outer room has brightly painted oc¬tagonal columns and there is a women's gallery to the right. In the inner sanctuary, the guardian points out the trilithon structure above Umm Haram's grave two enor¬mous stones about 4.5 m (about 15 ft) high, covered with a meteorite that is said to have come from Mecca.

A legend relates that it hovered in the air by itself here for centuries. A couple of miles further west is the village of Kiti. Its famous church, Panayia An¬gelostikos (Built by Angels), stands just north of the main crossroads. Domed and in golden stone, the present II th¬century edifice replaces a much earlier structure.

At the entrance is the 14th century chapel belonging to a rich me¬diaeval family, the Gibelets. But the outstanding feature of the church is the splendid early Byzantine mosaic in the apse, considered among the finest in Cyprus. Shown standing, the Virgin Mary holds the Christ Child, flanked by the arch¬angels Michael and Gabriel.

Lefkara Cyprus

At an altitude of about 730 m (2,400 ft), Lefkara 50 km (30 miles) from Larnaca is actually two villages, Pano Lefkara and Kato Lefkara, which occupy a picturesque site in the foothills of the Troodos mountains. The name Lefkara is synonymous with drawn embroidery (lejkari-tika) , the traditional cottage industry that has brought the village fame for over five centuries. Widely and wrongly known as lace, lejkaritika is linen openwork stitched with intricate geometric patterns.

Women still work in nar¬row streets and courtyards, patiently turning out embroi¬dered articles. Most of them sell their work to one of four major companies in Lefkara, so you can't exactly pluck a doily from the hands of the maker. But lejkaritika is readi¬ly available in shops here and all over Cyprus. You can also buy delicious Turkish delight and figs here.

Just south is Khirokitia, a small village known mainly for its Neolithic ruins. One of the oldest sites in Cyprus, dating from 7000 Be, it was discovered in 1934 by Porfy¬rios Dikeos, then director of the Cyprus Museum. After a climb up some steep steps ¬on the other side of a bridge from today's town visitors reach the most interesting of four areas.

There is a main street and the stone founda¬tions of beehiveshaped hous¬es (tholos). Made of clay or mud bricks, the dwellings were built in successive lay¬ers; when a structure fell down, a new one was put up to take its place The dead were buried right in the cellar, so to speak: 26 skeletons were found in the ruins of one house.

Car hire in Cyprus

Present day visitors to Cyprus can choose from a wide range of car hire companies, but the best and most economical way to travel around the island is by hire car from Larnaca or Paphos Airport.

Among thousands of artefacts uncovered, many of interest (tools, idols, beads) are exhibited in Nicosia's Cyprus Museum. On the way back to Lar¬naca make a detour to Stavrovouni (Mountain of the Cross), a hilltop monastery at an altitude of 689 m (2,260 ft). It affords a magnificent view north across Nicosia and the plain to the blue Kyrenia Mountains beyond and south over neatly terraced hills to the Salt Lake, Larnaca and the Mediterranean.

Stavrovouni is built on the site of a shrine to Aphrodite which, like the monastery today, was off¬limits to women. Nevertheless, Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, is said to have ventured up there to found the monastery with a piece of the True Cross in AD 330. Men are allowed to stay overnight in the austere monastic accommodation.

East of Larnaca Cyprus

The island's southeast corner is its vegetable garden. Its potatoes, aubergines, toma¬toes, cucumbers and onions are all important produce for export. But here, too, the politico military realities of Cyprus become most apparent. Just beyond the Larnaca Bay resort hotels, you pass through the British 'Sovereign Base Area' of Dhekelia.

The Greek Cypriot Republic is squeezed here into a narrow strip by the nearby border of the Turkish-occupied zone, swooping south to include Famagusta. Close to the border, the vil¬lage of Pyla claims the dis-tinction of being the only community in which Greek and Turkish Cypriots still live side by side. It also boasts a mediaeval tower and some good fish restaurants. With the Turkish occupa¬tion of Famagusta, Ayia Napa has been transformed from a tiny fishing village into a major seaside resort.

Its beach¬es of fine sand, a rarity in Cyprus, have proved a huge commercial asset. Boutiques, cafes, restaurants and travel agencies have completely hemmed in the venerable Monastery of Ayia Napa (Our Lady of the Forest). Built around 1530, originally as a nunnery, it remains one of the island's handsomest surviving Venetian buildings.

Seek out a moment of tranquillity in its Gothic cloister and interior courtyard with a charming octagonal marble fountain. Carved out of the rock, the Domed fountain at the tran¬quil Ayia Napa monastery. church lies partially underground.

From the small chapel to the east, steps descend to an ancient sycamore said to be 600 years old. At the island's south-eastern tip, Cape Greco presents spectacular rocky coves for hardy bathers seeking to es¬cape the crowd. Families head for the sandy beaches at Fig Tree Bay and Protaras. The highway continues north to the resort of Paralimnia.

It ends at the border town of Dherinia, where UN troops man a guard post and homesick Greek Cypriot refugees come for a rooftop view across to Famagusta. When it comes to good living, the people of Limassol seem to consider themselves a cut above the rest of the island.

These natural extroverts find the citizenry of Nicosia strait¬laced, Famagustans, even in exile, too business like. Cer¬tainly, Limassol can boast par¬ticularly good restaurants, a brash and boisterous nightlife and it plays host to the island's wildest presented Carnival.

A major role in all this is played by the big Cypriot wineries, all headquartered here. During the September wine festival, they offer com¬plimentary samples of their wares and turn the local park into a freewheeling open-air wine bar.

Larnaca and car hire Cyprus

Larnaca is a great place to explore by hire car, which can be pre-booked to pick up directly from the airport. Public transport at Larnaca Airport is available, but car hire provides a cheaper and more comfortable alternative.

Much of northern Larnaca is built over the ancient city¬ kingdom of Kition (Kittim to the Turks). Legend attributes its founding to Kittim, a grandson of the Biblical Noah. Excavated traces of dwellings from the 2nd millennium BC make this the oldest continu¬ously inhabited city of Cyprus. Mycenaean refugees from the Peloponnese arrived around 1200 BC.

Three centuries later, enterprising Phoenicians took their place, prospering from the export of copper from Tamassos. But the city fell into decline after its alliance with Persia in the war with Athens (5th century BC). The Phoenician kingship came to an end in 312 BC.

The Lusignan barons re¬vived the town as an important commercial and shipping cen¬tre. Because of the nearby salt Cycling is still one of the best ways of getting around the nearby lake, it was renamed Salina, the present name of Larnaca not catching on much before 1600. (Kition was retained as the name of the Orthodox diocese Makarios was Bish¬op of Kition before becoming Archbishop of Cyprus.) Under the Turks, the foreign mer¬chants who made it their home and the many consulates need¬ed to protect their interests gave the town a cosmopolitan air quite lacking in Nicosia. In the 19th century, Famagusta took away much of Larnaca's commercial activity, but the 1974 partition has swung the pendulum back again to the island's south coast.

The seafront at Larnaca

The Foinikoudes (Palm Tree) Promenade changes its name from Athens Avenue to Ankara as its passes cafes and tavernas overlooking the plea¬sure boat marina and broad sandy beach. In the heart of what was the Turkish quarter, the avenue becomes Pyale Pasha from the comer domi¬nated by the Turkish Fort (1605). View the harbour from the ramparts where cannons once fired (friendly) shots to salute passing ships. Inside the fort are a few archaeological finds from Kition and Hala Sultan Tekke, and stone inscriptions in both Arabic and Hebrew left by the Moslem and Jewish com¬munities who once lived here side by side.

Across the street is the Djami Kebir Mosque found¬ed in the late 16th century, serving now just a few Arab students and businessmen. Notice the be-turbanned tomb¬stones in the little comer graveyard, rare in such prox¬imity to a mosque.

The Church of St Lazarus Larnaca

A couple of blocks inland (at the end of Dionysou Street), you will see the three tiered blind arched campanile of the town's most revered church, dedicated to the man said to have sailed here after Jesus raised him from the dead. It was believed the man of Bethany became bishop of Kition before dying, this time for good.

The church was erected over his tomb and rebuilt many times. Its style is now an eclectic mixture of extravagant Byzan¬tine, Romanesque and Gothic. On the iconostasis, the depic¬tions of the raising of Lazarus include one in silver filigree in which a bystander is holding his nose, a popular feature in early representations of the miracle. In the crypt is the empty sarcophagus.

A small English cemetery to be found alongside the church contains marked graves of merchants, seamen and consuls from the days of the Ottoman Empire. Diagonally across from the tourist office, the Pierides Museum (Zeno Kitieos Street) draws on the private collection of the Swedish honorary consul, Demetrios Pierides (1811-95) and suc¬ceeding generations.

The old family home provides a charming setting for hundreds of archaeological finds and works of art tracing Cypriot history from Neolithic to Byzantine times.

Highlights include: pottery of carved stone and red pol¬ished clay; expressive stat¬uettes such as a chubby little terracotta fellow shouting his mystic anguish; idols of Astarte (Kition Phoenician counterpart to Aphrodite); mediaeval glazed ceramics; Roman glassware from 200 Be to AD 300; Cypriot embroi¬dery, costumes and furniture many of them Pierides family heirlooms.

Attractions in Larnaca Cyprus and car hire

There are so many attractions in Larnaca, Cyprus that the best way to get around them all is to pre-book a hire car from Larnaca Airport before you leave home.

Northwest of the city centre, the District Museum stands at the corner of Kilkis and Kimon streets (near a cinema showing English language films with a deafening sound system). Of principal interest here are the prehistoric finds from nearby Khirokitia and Kalvasos and the excavations at Kition.

The collection dis¬plays hoards of coins and jew¬els, ornaments, vases, lamps, tools and mirrors. Signposted uphill beyond the District Museum, the Kition Acropolis (13th century BC) will appeal chiefly to seasoned archaeology buffs, but a boardwalk stroll through the site has its own surreal charm, hemmed in as it is by the surrounding houses' res-olutely concrete and iron rod modernity.

Cyprus Attractions

The island's proud collection of antiquities is housed out on Museum Street just south of the Green Line, near the Turkish Cypriot sector's old Paphos Gate. The sculpture, ceramics and jewellery here give you a fine insight into the unique Cypriot synthesis of Greek and Levantine cul¬ture. (Exhibits are constantly moved around.

We present highlights in a chronological order which will not always correspond to their display.) Exhibits of the Bronze Age include the some of the first implements made from the is¬land's all important copper mines, red polished and white painted pottery. Look for the clay bowl shaped sanctuary model (2000 BC), in which worshippers and priests sur¬round a bull sacrifice while a Peeping Tom on the sanctu¬ary wall watches the secret ceremony.

An intriguing Mycenaean krater (drinking cup) import¬ed to Enkomi by merchants from the Peloponnese in the 14th century BC has an octo¬pus motif framing a scene of Zeus preparing warriors for battle at Troy. A blue faience rhyton (ritual anointing ves¬sel) (13th century BC, from Kition) depicts a lively bull . hunt a Mycenaean theme, but the hunters are distinctly Syrian. Fascinating royal tomb furniture from Salamis (8th century BC) includes an ivory throne, a bed, a sword and the remains of two chariots and their horses' skeletons.

A major highlight is the showcase displaying scores of votive statues and figurines (625 to 500 Be) Swedish exca¬vators found 2,000 of them at Ayia Irini in northwest Cyprus, preserved just as they originally stood around an altar of an open-air sanctuary. In a dual cult of war and fertil-ity, soldiers, war chariots, priests with bull masks, sphin¬xes, minotaurs and bulls were fashioned life size or just 10 cm (4 in) tall, according to their ritual importance.

Ap¬parently of no great impor¬tance in those days are the shrine's only females, two small statuettes. Lacking the more refined possibilities of marble on the island, Cypriot limestone sculpture tends to be psycho¬logically inexpressive, with one magnificent exception, a poignant woman's head (3rd century Be) from the Aphrodite sanctuary at Arsos, north of Larnaca.

A true masterpiece of Roman-Cypriot art is the monumental bronze of Em¬peror Septimius Severus (c. AD 200) in heroic nudity despite his 'orator's pose. (Outside, you can rest in the pleasant Municipal Gar¬dens across the street, next to the Municipal Theatre.)

The Turkish Quarter of Cyprus

Visit the sights, mostly inside the old ramparts, as part of your tour of Northern Cyprus. From Kyrenia Gate, follow the avenue of the same name to Mevlevi Tekke, once a monastery inhabited by members of the whirling dervishes sect, outlawed in 1925. The 17th century build¬ing with its several domes now houses a Museum of Arts and Crafts. Brownstone government office buildings rim Atatiirk Square, hub of the Turkish quarter. Here stands the post office and a granite column probably brought from Salamis by the Venetians.

The Turks removed it when they conquered Cyprus in 1570,and it was erected in 1915. Unfortunately the St Mark's lion once crowning it disap¬peared, and the copper globe you see is a recent addition. From Atatiirk Square, As¬malti Street leads past a couple of old Turkish inns with pic¬turesque courtyards and ve¬randahs: Kurnardjilar Khan (now restored) and Buyuk Khan. In the 18th century the Turks built these khans or hans as hospices for visiting foreigners. A main door gave onto a courtyard surrounded by rooms.

Although the main door was bolted, a smaller door within it, called the 'eye of the needle', was left open for travellers so that camels, carts and other conveyances could not enter. With its minarets and lofty Gothic arches, Selimiye Mosque, formerly the great French Cathedral of St Sophia, is an eloquent landmark of the city's dual identity. The cathe¬dral was begun in 1209 under the first Latin archbishop, Thierry, reaching completion in the 14th century. Here the Lusignan princes were crowned kings of Cyprus, and here Christian worship took place until the Turks turned the church into a mosque following the 1570 conquest.

Note the western facade and its porch with three portals surmounted by a rose window; with moulded ogival arches and carved figures of saints, royalty and clergy, this could be a cathedral transported straight from France. The Bedestan or old mar¬ket next door dates from the 12th to the 14th centuries, when it was constructed as the Church of St Nicholas of the English. The Turks converted the church into a covered mar¬ket today disused.

But you can still admire the carved Gothic doors, the family crests and religious sculptures above the main portal, the barrel shaped roof, three apses and dome. In the crumbling inte¬rior are some wall paintings, notably one of St Andrew (12th century). Also near the cathedral, the Sultan's Library preserves important books in Turkish, Arabic and Persian.

Around Nicosia Cyprus and airport car hire

Airport car hire can be pre-booked from Cyprus International Airport, Larnaca, or from Paphos Airport, where easy pick-ups and drop-offs, make car hire the best option for exploring this fascinating island.

The following excursions are all within 50 km (30 miles) of Nicosia, making them easy day trips. Royal Tombs and Monasteries Just over 12 km (7 miles) southwest of the capital, near the village of Politiko, is the site of Tamassos, ancient city kingdom rich in copper.

Archaeologists have uncov¬ered a sanctuary and altar to Aphrodite. The royal tombs (6th century BC), with stair¬ways and narrow dromos passages approaching the burial chamber, are carved in stone to imitate wooden dwellings, complete with sim¬ulated bolted doors, window sills and 'logroof' ceilings.

The nearby Monastery of Ayios Herakleidos is now in the hands of nuns who tend the gardens and sell honey, marzipan and other sweet¬meats. After many restorations, the present 18thcentury structure houses, in a domed mausoleum, the remains of the saint who guided Paul and Barnabas on their mission to Cyprus. First bishop of Tamassos, Herakleidos was burned alive by unbelievers; his skull and a hand bone were salvaged and are now in a bejewelled gold reliquary.

Even unbelievers can enjoy the drive southwest past sweeping vistas of bleak valleys and wooded ravines to the Monastery of Macheras, 884 m (2,900 ft) up in the Troodos mountains. The re¬gion was a natural hideout for EOKA second in command Gregoris Afxentiou, who died near the monastery in battle against the British in 1957.

The monastery itself is a mod¬em construction after an 1892 fire destroyed the original 12thcentury foundation its miracle-working icon of the Virgin Mary survived. Down the road beyond Gourri, the village of Phikar¬dou represents a noble effort to sustain Cypriot rural traditions. It is protected as an Ancient Monument with a restoration programme for its subtly coloured ironstone houses and cobbled streets.

The idea is not to create anoth¬er folk museum, but to revital¬ize the community. At last count, in 1992, there were just 8 permanent residents (plus a dozen cats), though others may be enticed back by the handsome reconstruction. In the House of Katsinioros and House of Achilles Dimitri, you can see authentic old furnishings, a weaver's work¬shop, a wine press, a brandy still and taste the results at the local taverna. Assinou Church A second tour, some 30 kIn (19 miles) west of Nicosia, takes you past Peristerona to follow a signposted road to the hillside 12thcentury church of Assinou, also known as Panayia Phorbiotissa.

To view its magnificent Byzm¬tine frescoes outside the holi¬day season, stop at the village of Nikitari to pick up the priest and keeper ofthe keys ¬remember to give him a small offering when you leave.

The modest but exquisite little church of ochre stone contains a veritable gallery of Byzantine art from the 12th to 16th centuries: a splendid Pantocrator (Christ in Majesty) in the narthex dome; a Last Judgment in which the dam¬ned seem at least destined for a more interesting time than the rather sad looking heaven bound blessed.

Frescoes in the nave and bays depict the Washing of the Feet, Raising of Lazarus, Crucifixion and Entombment. But for a scene sublime beyond art, look back through the narthex to the frescoes framing the west door open to the green wooded slope beyond. The town is booming. It must be said that it has benefitted considerably from the 1974 partition.

Its airport has re¬placed Nicosia's abandoned airfield as the Republic's inter¬national port of entry. The population has almost doubled since the influx of refugees, mostly from Famagusta, the seaport is reviving. Beach re¬sort facilities have burgeoned, the best out north around Larnaca Bay rather than down¬town. While its own cultural at¬tractions are limited to the Pierides museum, St Lazarus Church and archaeological ruins of its origins, Larnaca makes a comfortable base for exploring the interior and coast of the island's southeast corner.

Places to visit in Cyprus

The ramparts hurriedly built by the Venetians from 1567 to 1570 to fend off the Turks remain Nicosia's dominant feature. Indeed, with its 11 pointed bastions and three giant gateways, the wheel shaped Renaissance fortifica¬tion, some 5 km (nearly 3 miles) in length, has become the modern capital's distinc¬tive logo, a symbol of its historic unity.

The gates bear the names of the three coastal cities to which they led: Famagusta to the east, Kyrenia to the north and Paphos to the west (the two latter gates in the town's Turkish-Cypriot sector).

Originally the main en¬trance to the old city, the mas¬sive Famagusta Gate is a tunnel like building all to it¬self. Handsomely restored as Greek Cypriot Nicosia's Cul¬tural Centre, the stone barrel vaults provide a splendid setting for concerts, plays and exhibitions of modem art. During the city's annual sum Korrekt Spelling Cypriot signmakers very kindly transliterate names from the Greek, but with glorious inconsistency. Sometimes you will see Pafos, more often Paphos, saints are variously pre¬sented as Ayios or Agios.

We have tried to impose some order on our spelling, but where we fail, we are at least capturing the true spirit of the place -our main objective is a mere arts festival, an open-air theatre is installed in the adja¬cent moat. Some bastions shelter muni¬cipal offices, while sections of the moat (not completed in time to keep out the Turks) now serve as public gardens, playgrounds and car parks.

The Greek Quarter of Cyprus

Today, most visitors to the old city enter through Eleftheria (Liberty) Square, where you will find the Municipal Li¬brary, the Central Post Office and the Town Hall this last a fanciful colonnaded structure of 1930, renovated in 1952. From the square, Ledra Street leads through the thriving old part of town, thronged with shoppers looking for popularly priced goods. Explore the crowded alleyways and tiny streets lined with shops, cafes and food stands (which exude exotic odours), especially late in the day when the air is cooler.

The new Leventis Municipal Museum, 17 Hippocrates ') Street, presents a beautifully Augustinian monastery. designed account of Nicosia's history (winning the European Museum of the Year award in 1991).

In a fine 19th-century Neoclassical mansion, it traces the city's long story in reverse, from today's capital of the Republic back to British colonial days, to rule by the Turks, the Venetians, the Lusignans, its Byzantine era and ancient Greek ongms. Exhibits include costumes, utensils, coins and ancient ceramics, but also a rare por¬trait of Caterina Cornaro and a King George VI Coronation tea mug. Immediately to the south, the revived Laiki Yitonia (Popular Neighbourhood) re¬creates the atmosphere of old Nicosia.

Buildings in tradi¬tional style some restored, others specially constructed ¬house quaint boutiques, taver¬nas, flats and artisans' gal¬leries (you can watch the craftsmen while they work), as well as an office of the Cyprus Tourism Organization.

Make your way east to¬wards the minaret landmark of Omerye Mosque, trans¬formed by the town's 16th¬century Turkish conquerors from the Augustinian monas¬tery church of St Mary's. Still used by the few hundred Moslem worshippers living in the Greek-Cypriot sector (mostly Arab students), it is also open to visitors wishing to climb the minaret's spiral stairway. It affords a great view across to the northern sector and beyond to the Kyrenia Mountains.

At 18 Patriarch Gregorios Street, the house of Hadji¬geogakis Kornessios, Konak Mansion, is a beautiful 18th century structure with Gothic¬style doorway and overhang¬ing, closed balcony. Restored to some of its original glory, the interior is notable for the ornate stairway and the grand reception room's painted ceil¬ing and opulent furnishings. They testify to the wealth ac¬cumulated by this gobetween for the Turkish sultan and Cypriot archbishop.

The Archbishop´s Palace Cyprus

The Archbishop's Palace stands at the centre of much of the old city's cultural life. The palace itself (residence closed to visitors) is a fanciful mod¬ern pastiche of Venetian archi¬tecture. Amid the splendour of the state rooms, Archbishop Makarios III installed an aus¬tere bedroom with simple chest and iron bed, a humble resting place for the heart of the revered national leader. Housed in a public wing of the palace, the Byzantine Mu¬seum has rescued and restored a superb collection of icons from all over the island. Pre¬sented with loving care and at¬tention to lighting, they offer the full range of Byzantine art on Cyprus from a primitive 9thcentury Virgin Mary to the decline in the 18th century.

Highlights from the golden era of Cypriot art in the 12th cen¬tury are a luminous Christ giv¬ing his blessing and a solemn Virgin and Child, both from Lagoudhera in the Troodos mountains.

Upstairs is a large collec¬tion of European paintings from the 16th to the 19th cen turies. Attributions to the mas¬ters are doubtful, but it is worth testing the national Cypriot pulse with a look at local themes noble Greek peasants and indolent Turkish pashas. Pride of place goes to Massacre at Chios, attributed variously to Delacroix or Courbet, both fervent champi¬ons of the Greek cause against the Turks. Next to the museum, Ayios Ioannis (St John's) is Nicosia's Orthodox cathedral, built in 1665 in an approxima¬tion of Late Gothic style.


The 18th century frescoes depict landmarks in the island's early Christian history from the mis-sion of Paul and Barnabas in AD 45 to the bestowal of im¬perial privileges on the Arch¬bishop of Cyprus in 488. The adjacent Gothic arcaded monastery building is now the Folk Art Museum, dis¬playing wooden water wheels, looms, pottery, carved and painted bridal chests, lace and embroidered costumes. Opposite the nearby Pan¬cyprian Gymnasium, a high school famous for its enosis activism in the 1950s, the National Struggle Museum documents the EOKA armed uprising against British rule in the 1950s.

Revolutionary ardour is dimly recaptured by a collection of guns, hand grenades, bayonets, old news¬papers and the command car of EOKA leader Griva Dighenis, a small burgundy-¬red Hillman. The Newtown Cyprus and car hireCyprus car hire can be booked and picked up directly from Larnaca or Paphos Airport. Outside the old walls, Nicosia's smarter shops and restaurants are to be found along Evagoras and Arch¬bishop Makarios avenues, south of Elefthera Square. A modern handicrafts centre lies south of the town centre on Athalassa Avenue.

Places to visit in Cyprus

Wherever possible, one of the main cities is used as a base from which to make a series of day trips. Even if you are not actually staying overnight in the base town, it is a good idea to get to it early in the morning for a comfortable day trip.

The six sections are: Nicosia, the lively, historic capital, with trips south to the ancient tombs of Tamassos, the monasteries of Ayio Heraklei¬dos and Macheras; west into the mountains to see the famous frescoes of Assinou church; Larnaca, port and resort, and points west to Hala Sultan Tekke's Moslem shrine, the great Byzantine church at Kiti, Stavrovouni monastery, the Stone Age settlement at Khi-rokitia, and the handicraft vil¬lage of Lefkara; east out to the resort of Ayia Napa, the beaches at Protaras, and Dherinia to see across to Turkish occupied Famagusta; Limassol, proud and cos¬mopolitan port city, and west to the Crusaders' castle of Kolossi, the ancient Greek site of Kourion, and Aphrodite's birthplace; south to Akrotiri beaches and monastery, and a gourmet expedition east to Germasogeia; Troodos Mountains.

If you are not staying overnight in Troodos, the most convenient base is Limassol, within easy reach of the villages of Omod¬os and Platres, Troodos resort itself, Kakopetria, and west to Kykkos monastery and Cedar Valley; Paphos, ancient capital and modem resort, and east to neighbouring Yeroskipos, north to the beaches of Coral Bay, Ayios Neophytos monastery, and mountain villages at the western end of the Troodos range Fyti, Pano Panayia (birthplace of Archbishop Makarios') and Panayia Chrysorroyiatissa monastery and winery; and for walking tours of the Akamas peninsula; Northern Cyprus the starting point for this area is Nicosia from where you can go to the port of Fama¬gusta, ancient Salamis, Kyrenia harbour resort, Bellapais abbey and Crusaders' castles such as St Hilarion.

Those wanting really to get to know Cyprus rather than just to soak up the sun on its beaches should plan to stay in more than one place. If your main destination is at one of the island's extremities ¬Paphos or Ayia Napa it is particularly important to stay at another, more central, loca¬tion such as Nicosia Limassol and Larnaca car hire Although you can pick up car hire from Nicosia, Limassol or Larnaca, the best place to hire a car is Larnaca Airport, where you can pre-book a rental car to save time and money when you arrive in Cyprus.

When you are planning your travels, it is reassuring to know that it is very easy to get from one end to the other of the Mediterranean's third largest island, not least be¬cause of the excellent network of roads. Nicosia in the interi¬or and the south-coast towns of Larnaca and Limassol are linked by motorways (express ways), which are constantly being extended. The coastal highways west to Paphos and east to Ayia Napa are also first rate.

You will find un-paved roads only between the remotest mountain villages. Our Blueprint section at the back of the book gives de¬tailed information about the practical business of getting around. Wherever possible, try to plan your trip with the special events calendar listed in our Festivals section in mind.

Limassol is the place to be if you are on the island for. the pre-Lenten Carnival. The leading monasteries organize spectacular candle light pro¬cessions for Easter (check the Orthodox calendar) and grand pilgrimages on Assumption. Day (August 15).

And wherever you choose to go, your path will be smoother if you take the trouble to learn just five words of Greek: Kalimera, 'Good morning'; Kalispera, 'Good afternoon'; Kalinikta, 'Good night'; Parakalo, 'Please' and Efcharisto, 'Thank you'. Amid the animated prosperity of the town's southern sector, it is easy to forget the stretches of wall and barbed wire that make the divided capital a reluctant successor to Berlin.

Although you can visit it only as part of the Turkish occupied zone, include northern Nicosia to maintain a sense of the town's single identity. Nicosia (Lejkosia in Greek, Lejkosha in Turkish). Cyprus's only inland city, with excellent hotel, restaurant, shopping and entertainment possibilities while for tour¬ists, Nicosia makes a good base for sightseeing excursions.

Nicosia Cyprus car hire

The best way to look around Nicosia is to hire a car in the city or from Larnaca Airport, Cyprus.Nicosia's history goes back to Neolithic times. Situated near the ancient site of Ledra, today's city was founded in the 4th century Be by Lefkon, son of Ptolemy I of Egypt. The origins of the name Lefkosia are uncertain. It could have been inspired by Lefkon him¬self or by the word lefki ('pop¬ular' in Greek). With the arrival of the Lusignans in the 12th century AD, the city was dubbed Nicosie (transformed by the British into Nicosia).

When coastal towns like Paphos and Salamis came under attack in the early 7th century AD, the population shifted to the interior and Nicosia became the chief city of the island. Under the Lusig¬nans, Nicosia evolved into a splendid capital city. From the 12th to the 15th centuries, Nicosia's golden age, castles, churches and monasteries in French Gothic style were constructed. Just prior to the Turkish invasion of 1570, Venetians built the massive defensive wall, which is still standing.

When the Ottoman Turks took over after a sixweek siege, 20,000 citizens lost their lives. Resistance to Ottoman rule flared up into outright re¬bellion in 1821, but the Turks suppressed the revolt. Nicosia suffered an outbreak of cholera in 1835 and a disas¬trous fire in 1857.

And the heaviest fighting of the 1974 Turkish invasion took place here (some old bombed build¬ings are still deserted or serve as warehouses). But the buoy¬ant city has survived all that to retain fascinating architec¬tural reminders of past rulers, whether Lusignan, Venetian, Turkish or British. Indepen¬dence and the post partition era have spawned an array of functional office blocks that do at least testify to the town's economic vigour.

Cyprus and car hire at Larnaca Airport

Visitors who want to visit Cyprus today can explore the historic monuments around the island, enjoy the beaches, the restaurants, bars and attractions by booking a hire car from Larnaca Airport before they travel.

In 1955, the campaign for enosis became an armed strug¬gle led by Lieutenant Colonel George Grivas, a Cypriot-born Greek Anny officer.

He was ¬and still is known to Cypri¬ots as Dighenis, a code name inspired by the legendary hero of an II thc century Greek epic, Dighenis Akritas. The name means 'frontiersman born of two races', though the true enosis fighter might claim that Cypriots and Greeks are the same race. EOKA (Greek initials for the National Organization of Cypriot Struggle) had, unlike other ant colonial movements of the time, a rightwing ideol¬ogy with violent methods op¬posed by the island's leftist trade unions and Communist Party.

Directed by Grivas from a hideout in the Troodos mountains, EOKA blew up public buildings and killed opponents of enosis. Makarios publicly disowned the actions but gave EOKA clandestine support. He was exiled in 1956, first to the Seychelles and then to Athens. The Greek public gave noisy support to the Greek-Cypriot cause, but their govemment was reticent. Turkey backed Turkish¬ Cypriot opposition to enosis with two main arguments: the Moslem community would be defenceless if swallowed up in the greater Greek nation; and Greek extension to Cyprus would pose a direct military threat to Turkey.

In 1958, Turkish Cypriots rioted in fa¬vour of partitioning the island. In 1959, as guarantors (with the British), Turks and Greeks met in Zurich and agreed to renounce both enosis and partition, while guarantee¬ing strict safeguards for the Turkish Cypriot minority. The president of the new indepen¬dent republic would be Greek¬ Cypriot Archbishop Makarios, and his vice president would be the Turkish Cypriot leader, Fazil Kuchuk. On August 16, 1960, Cyprus became inde¬pendent, within the British Commonwealth. (Britain retained two military bases British Sovereign Base Areas on the south coast.) Grivas retired to Athens, unhappy with the outcome.

Troubled Independence in Cyprus

The constitution proved too complex to work. Cabinet posts, parliamentary seats and civil service jobs were appor¬tioned to Greek and Turkish Cypriots according to a ratio of 7 to 3 (the demographic ratio was 8 to 2). The main towns elected separate Greek¬ and Turkish-Cypriot munici¬pal governments. To give Turkish Cypriots added pro¬tection, taxation was subject to special restrictions. In 1963, Makarios pro¬posed 13 simplifying amend¬ments which Turkey promptly vetoed even before the Turk¬ish-Cypriot leadership had voiced an opinion.

Communal fighting broke out in Nicosia. The British supervised a cease¬fire and set up a 'Green Line' separating the communities in the capital. United Nations forces were brought in to pa¬trol it in March 1964, and have been there ever since. Turkish Cypriot enclaves were formed mainly in the northern part of the island. Turkey and Greece each sent in officers to train local forces. In 1974, in a bid to regain popularity at home, Greece's military junta tried to impose enosis in Cyprus.

Makarios resisted and demanded that the Greek officers be withdrawn from the island. The junta responded by engineering a military attack on the Presi-dential Palace in Nicosia. Makarios escaped to Paphos where he broadcast to the peo¬ple of Cyprus refuting reports of his assassination. This coup d'etat gave Turkey a pretext to invade. Within three weeks, Turkish troops had occupied most of northern Cyprus. Makarios escaped to New York where he rallied support in the United Nations to rein¬state him as president. He died in 1977.

Turkish control in Cyprus and airport car hire
With thousands of Brits now flocking to Cyprus each year for their holidays, the best way to get around the island in comfort is to book a hire car from Larnaca or Paphos Airport before you leave home.

The Turkish army re¬mained in control of 37% of the island, including Fama¬gusta, northern Nicosia and Kyrenia. The troops have been accused of plundering churches, and Greek Cypriot art trea¬sures from the north have begun to appear on the interna¬tional market.

Some 170,000 Greek Cypriots were forced to flee to the south, while about 30,000 Turkish Cypriots migrated to the north. By 1992, some 80,000 new set¬tlers had been brought into northern Cyprus from Turkish Anatolia. In 1983, a 'Turkish Repub¬lic of Northern Cyprus' was set up under Rauf Denktash, but recognized only by Turkey. The UN Security Council has condemned the move and urged Greek Cypriot President George Vassiliou and Denktash to find a way other than partition for pro¬tecting minority rights on the island.

Because of its diplo¬matic isolation, the economy in northern Cyprus has stag¬nated badly. Greek Cypriots have recovered from the initial shock of invasion and their economy was thriving again by 1992, thanks in large part to tourism. But reunification with the north remains their national goal.

Where to Go in Cyprus and car rentals at the airport
Car rentals and car hire at the airport in Cyprus is easy to pick up and relatively cheap, compared to the rest of Europe. In order to get the best car hire deals visitors should pre-book their hire car at Larnaca Airport or Paphos Airport, Cyprus before they travel.

Turkish Rule in Cyprus

With the Turks controlling the whole of the eastern Mediter¬ranean, Cyprus lost its strate¬gic importance and was left to stagnate. Some 20,000 new settlers were brought in from Anatolia. The Turkish admin¬istrators, for the most part Nicosia based tax collectors, proved more idle than oppres¬sive. Roads, fortresses and churches fell into ruin. Just as mosques in Spain had been turned into cathedrals, so Gothic churches here were converted to mosques with an added minaret or two.

But after 250 years of Catholic intolerance, Greek Cypriots appreciated the regained status of the Orthodox Church. By 1660, the Sultan made their archbishop directly responsible for the Cypriot citizenry. He could and did appeal to the Sultan over the heads of local officials. This authority extended gradually from the people's personal needs to the collecting of taxes for the Ottoman treasury so as to counter the corrupt and often rebellious Turkish ad¬ministrators. Peasants found taxes an ever heavier burden but at least they could no shrug off feudal serfdom and acquire their Own land.

For the archbishop's dealing with the Turkish authorities, a Greek-Cypriot interpreter or dragoman was appointed who could acquire great influence and wealth by playing off one side against the other. Archbishop and middleman were often sus¬pected of exploiting their responsibility for the undue enrichment of the church or themselves.

The Greek War of Independence

At the beginning of the 19th century, dragoman Hadjigeorgakis Kornessios was considered the wealthiest and most powerful man on the island. During the Greek War of Independence of 1821, Archbishop Kyprianos let Greek rebel ships pick up supplies on the north coast. Turkey immediately sent in 4,000 Syrian troops. The arch¬bishop and three of his bishops were executed. More troops were brought in from Egypt, resulting in large-scale mas¬sacres and plunder of church property.

Over the next 50 years, the Sultan tried to halt widespread abuses by Turkish tax collec¬tors which were provoking massive emigration of Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Local Turkish officials opposed all reforms, often resorting to armed intimidation of gover¬nors sent in by the Sultan. The disintegration of Ottoman au¬thority in Cyprus was sympto¬matic of the imminent collapse of the empire.

The British in Cyprus and car hire at Larnaca AirportHundreds of years on, the British are still visiting Cyprus in large numbers, although this invasion is of a completely different nature, and if you want to fully explore the island of Cyprus, the best and most economical way to do it, is to pre-book a hire a car from Larnaca Airport.

With 'the sick man of Europe' on his deathbed, the super¬powers of the time hovered around like vultures to pick at the remains, among which Cyprus was a choice little bone. Britain was concerned that the eastern Mediterranean remain safe for its ships to pass through the Suez Canal to India. To keep Russia out, Britain signed the Cyprus Convention with Turkey, whereby the island came under British administration while formally remaining the Sul¬tan's possession.

On 12 July 1878, the deal was sealed with a peaceful little flag-raising ceremony in Nicosia that contrasted sharply with the bloody massacres that had once the Gulf War was to activate the plan in Meso¬potamia (modern Iraq). But by 1882, Cyprus’s strategic significance had been super¬seded by British occupation of Egypt, which provided Alexandria as direct protection for the Suez Canal.

Only the first two British governors of Cyprus were military men. Thereafter, civilians from the Colonial Office did the job. Greek Cypriots were happy about the transfer of power from corrupt Turks to upright Britons. They appreciated the new schools, hospitals, law courts and roads that had become the hallmark of British colonial administration. Popu¬lation rose from 186,000 in 1881 to 310,000 in 192!.

Cyprus union with Greece

But the most important contribu¬tion they expected from the British would be to help Cyprus achieve union with Greece enosis as they had done for Corfu and the other Ionian Islands in 1864. As long as he was in opposition, Gladstone supported the claim, but did nothing about it when he became prime minister. It was of course opposed by the Turkish-Cypriot minor¬ity 46,500 (25%) in 1881. They usually remained calm, confident that Britain would respect its alliance with Turkey and not give in, but violent demonstrations did break out when the Greek-¬Cypriot enosis campaign grew vociferous.

In 1914, Turkey sided with Germany in World War 1 and Britain promptly annexed Cyprus. Turkey relinquished all claim after the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 and the is¬land became a British Crown Colony two years later. More roads were built, but not in the direction of enosis. In 1931, impatient Greek Cypriot members of the Leg¬islative Council resigned, there were riots in Nicosia, a priest brandished the Greek flag crying 'I proclaim the revolution', and Government House was burned down.

Cyprus and World War II

Troops were brought in from Egypt. Insurgent bishops were deported, political parties banned, the Greek flag out¬lawed and press censorship imposed. But in World War II, in response to the British alliance with Greece against Germany and Italy, Cypriots rallied to the British flag and furnished a 30,000 strong reg¬iment.

The island's political parties were duly reinstated. Britain's Labour government of 1945 thought it was doing Cyprus a favour by moving it, like other colonies, towards self-rule. But the slogan of the day was 'Enosis and only eno¬sis'. In 1950, the year that a plebiscite of Greek Cypriots voted 96% in favour of union with Greece, the Church appointed a new leader, Arch¬bishop Makarios III.

The rise of Islam in Cyprus

With the Byzantine Empire too weak from its 7thcentury war against Persia to resist the Moslem advance in Palestine, Syria and Egypt, the Arabs were emboldened to cross over to Cyprus in 649 with a fleet of 1,500 ships. Constantia¬ Salamis was left in ruins from which it was never to recover and the raid continued across the island until news of an approaching Byzantine fleet prompted retreat.

Four years later, in a move that uncannily foreshadowed events of the 20th century, the Arabs staged a second invasion and left a garrison of 12,000 men, encouraging Moslem immigration to estab¬lish a foothold. The Byzantine and Moslem Caliphate subse¬quently agreed by treaty to neutralize Cyprus no mili¬tary bases, though ports could be used for refitting the navy ¬and share tax revenues.

Over the next 300 years, offshore battles and Moslem and Byzantine raids did occur, but Moslems and Christians lived side by side in more harmony than their own respective historical accounts may now suggest.

Though Moslem vil¬lages were concentrated most¬ly in the east, Paphos remained in Moslem hands and Greek Cypriots moved inland to a new community at Ktima and from Kourion to Episkopi. Both rulers used Cyprus as a place to park their more troublesome rebels.

Typically, emperors who had outlawed icons happily sent their image worshipping monks to a place where the independent church did not share the iconoclast doctrine. Defeat of the declining Caliphate's Egyptian fleet in 965 ended the condominium. Without its constraints, the peasants, Christian and Moslem alike, found in the new Byzantine governors much harsher taskmasters and tax collectors.

The Cyprus Crusades and car hire at Larnaca Airport

Cyprus became a key strategic post for Byzantine interests in Syria and Palestine. The gov-ernor organized protection for pilgrims to the highly danger¬ous Holy Land and supervised rebuilding of Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre and fortifications for its Christian Quarter. Many of the old monuments and original architecture of Cyprus can still be viewed today, and there is no better way to explore the island than by hire car, pre-booked from Larnaca Airport.

The invasion of Ottoman Turks in Anatolia and the Levant after 1071 threatened commu¬nications with Constantinople, but Cyprus was still able to supply food to soldiers in the First Crusade of 1097 and even provided refuge for de¬feated Moslem princes. The capital was established in the 12th century at the safer inland location of Nicosia.

New trade developed with Venice and the young Crusad¬er states on the mainland. With Salamis harbour silted up, port activities moved down the coast to Famagusta. Other main trading ports were now Limassol to the south and Kyrenia on the north coast.

Anatolia and Cyprus

The Turks' complete con¬quest of Anatolia in 1176 isolated Cyprus from the Byzantine government. Isaac Comnenius, a junior member of the imperial family, felt free to make himself 'Emperor' of Cyprus, using Sicilian merce¬naries to fight off the Byzan tine fleet. He ruled the island with brutal cruelty. Salvation seemed to come in the form of England's Richard the Lionheart, who docked at Limassol on his way to the Crusades.

He crushed the tyrant Isaac and was wel¬comed by cheering crowds in the streets of Nicosia. Isaac surrendered on condition that he would not be clamped into irons, so Richard clamped him into silver chains. Despite his English sense of humour, the Cypriots soon realized Richard was not altogether to be trusted. To pay for his expedition to the Holy Land, he stripped the island of all its money and Greek Cypriots were denied any governing role. They were ordered to shave off their beards, the supreme humiliation.

Lusignans, Genoese and Venetians After various dealings with knightly orders, Richard left the island in the hands of Guy de Lusignan, regarded by fel¬low Crusaders as simplex et minor astutus. This exking of Jerusalem from French Poitou proved at least astute enough to bring barons in from wartorn Palestine with the promise of a safer life on Cyprus's fertile (and free) farm estates. The Lusignan¬dynasty's feudal rule reduced native Cypriots to serfdom. In 1260, the Roman Catholic Church was declared supreme on the island, but Orthodox priests remained the real spiritual authority inside the GreekCypriot community.

Originally Byzantine, the Crusaders' mountain redoubts at St Hilarion, Kantara and Buffavento set the pattern for the feudal castles of western Europe. Church architecture drew on French Gothic models for Nicosia's 13thcentury St Sophia cathedral (now Selimiye mosque) and Bella¬pais Abbey near Kyrenia, and Rh1l1eland Gothic for Famagusta's St Nicholas cathedral (now Lala Mustafa Pasha mosque).

Christian Cyprus and car hire

If you are planning to visit Cyprus, make the most of cheap car hire at Larnaca Airport and explore the island at your own leisure in style and comfort.In the 14th century, Cyprus profited greatly as a Christian outpost supplying the main¬land Crusaders. Famagusta merchants were renowned for their extravagant luxury. In the mountains, the barons used leopards to hunt the island's coveted wild moufflon sheep. The island's opu¬lence attracted pirates and a heated rivalry between the merchants of Genoa and Venice which erupted in bloody riots III 1345.

The Cypriots sided with the stylish Venetians against the rapa¬cious Genoese. Avenging the murder of its merchants and looting of its shops in Famagusta, Genoa sent a fleet to ravage the whole island. In 1374, the Genoese extorted reparations of 2 million gold florins and confiscated the port of Famagusta.

The Lusignan kings had become too fat and sluggish to resist Italian demands. James II needed help from the Sultan of Egypt to oust the Genoese in 1464, but the gold it cost him emptied his treasury. After his death, the Venetians stepped into the breach through James' widow, Queen Caterina Cornaro. After years of intrigue, they sent her back to Italy with a generous pen¬sion as golden handshake and ruled Cyprus for 82 years. The Venetians' lucrative trade was threatened by Ot¬toman encroachment on three sides Anatolia, the Levant and Egypt.

In 1570, the Turks flatly demanded that they give up Cyprus. Imagining that attack would come from the east, the Venetians consolidat¬ed their defences mainly in Famagusta. But Lala Mustafa Pasha, governor of Damascus, landed on the south coast and headed inland to besiege the relatively lightly defended Nicosia, which fell after 46 days.

The capital's Venetian commander was killed and his head sent to his counterpart at Famagusta as a warning. But Captain Marcantonio Bragadi¬no led a heroic defence of the port city, 8,000 Greek Cypriot and Italian troops holding out for over 10 months against a Turkish army of 200,000. On 1 August 1571, when the defenders were reduced to just 400 men, Bragadino surren¬dered. He was promised safe conduct but then flayed alive. Cyprus became a province of the Ottoman Empire.

A Brief History of Cyprus and its people

The first records of human presence in Cyprus seem to be those of a group who were 'tourists' rather than perma¬nent residents. Tools and butchered animal bones found in a cave on the south coast are dated at about 8500 BC; the bones are thought to be the remains of pygmy hippopota¬mus killed and barbecued on the beach by a group of sea¬farers, who landed briefly on the island.

The earliest traces of per¬manent settlers are sturdy stone beehive house dwellings at the northern tip of the Karpas peninsula and the inland site of Khirokitia in thesouth, which date back at least to 7000 BC.

Hunters and farmers lived in sizeable communities of up to 2,000. They preferred to use vessels ground from stone rather than moulded in clay.

Cyprus people and car hire at Larnaca Airport

By 3500 BC, copper was being mined in the Troodos foothills. Cyprus began to prosper as a trading centre, with goods coming in from Asia, Egypt, Crete, the Pelo¬ponnese and the Aegean is¬lands in exchange for Cypriot pottery, copperware and a much appreciated crop of opium. Many of the old relics and monuments in Cyprus can still be seen today, and the best way to see them is to hire a car from Larnaca Airport.

The monuments are a constant reminder of the island´s turbulent past.To please the varied clientele, Cypriot potters mixed Aegean and Oriental motifs flowers, lions and sphinxes. The island's cross¬roads destiny was already emerging.
After 1600 BC, large num¬bers of fortresses were built around the island, which sug¬gests a period of conflict. Cop per was sent to mighty Egypt as protection money and, in exchange, the Pharoah called the king of Cyprus 'brother'. Upheaval in the Pelopon¬nese caused variously by natural calamities and inva¬sions from the north drove Mycenaean Greeks east across the Mediterranean.

Some, said Homer, went to fight the Trojan Wars. A few settled in Cyprus. From 1200 BC, they established city kingdoms at Enkomi, replaced later by Salamis (near modern Fama-gusta), Kition (now Larnaca), Kourion and Paphos in the south, Soloi and Lapithos in the north. The island acquired the predominantly Greek iden¬tity it was never to relinquish. The Greeks brought new skills in architecture, pottery, fine ivory carving and the copper and iron industries. Temples were erected near smelting workshops, presided over by Aphrodite, goddess of fertility, and Hephaestos, the divine blacksmith.

Cyprus and its past

In the 9th century, Kition, left in ruins by an earthquake, was resettled by Phoenicians from Tyre in Syria. Dedicated to Astarte, Oriental counterpart to Aphrodite, their temple was similar in design to Solomon's Phoenician built temple in Jerusalem. The dynamic coex¬istence of Greek and Oriental communities on Cyprus was reflected by the tombs at Salamis. After being buried like the Greek heroes of the Trojan Wars, with chariot and sacrificial horses and cattle, the dead were festooned with opulent Oriental treasure.

Just as it was to become in modern times a pawn in the conflicts between Greece and Turkey, so Cyprus was caught up in the ancient power struggles of Persia and Greece. The Persian Empire spread across the eastern Mediterra¬nean in the 6th century, annex¬ing Cyprus along with other Greek islands. In 499, Cyprus joined the Ionian Greek revolt but was crushed the following year by the Persian army after heroic resistance, notably dur¬ing the prolonged siege of Paphos.

The Persians supported Phoenician expansion into the valuable inland copper belt. King Evagoras of Salamis countered by consolidating Greek power across the island with backing from the Atheni¬ans. Artistic styles reflected the king's Hellenistic preferences: decorative Attic pottery, Classical sculpture in native Cypriot bronze, terracotta, limestone and as well as marble imported by Athenian émigrés in Salamis.

Persian motifs showed up in the fine¬ly crafted jewellery, and the architecture of massive fortifi¬cations for these troubled times was also clearly Persian. From Alexander to the Caesars and Cyprus car hireIn 333 BC, Alexander the Great ended Persian supremacy in the eastern Mediterranean and placed Cyprus under Macedonian rule, introducing Macedonian coinage and Greek weights and measures. His generals used the island as a battleground for the suc¬cession, destroying Kition, Lapithos, Marion and Kyrenia in the process.

By 299 BC, Ptolemy I emerged the victor and the city kingdoms disap¬peared as Cyprus became part of the Hellenistic state of Egypt. Cyprus car hire is inexpensive and visitors can enjoy the ruins and relics of the island in style and comfort when they hire a car from Larnaca Airport.

The Ptolemies ruled for 250 years until the Romans, on a pretext that the island was harbouring pirates threat¬ening their interests, annexed it to their province of Cilicia (southern coast of modern Turkey). While in Egypt in 48 BC, Julius Caesar made a present of the island to Cleopatra, last illustrious member of the Ptolemy dynasty.

After her suicide, Augustus took it back for the Roman Empire. He let his vassal, King Herod of Judaea, farm out the Cypriot copper concession to Jewish entrepreneurs and this led to the only disruption in 300 years of Pax Romana. In AD 116, Jewish revolts spread from Egypt and Libya to Cyprus. No Roman troops were kept in what had become a tranquil backwater and the Jews went on a murderous rampage until an army arrived under Libyan general Lucius Quietus and exterminated the whole community.

The Byzantine Era Despite the apostle Paul's mission to Cyprus in AD 45, Paphos led the resolutely Hellenistic islanders in the cults of Aphrodite and, with the growth of highly prized vineyards, the wille god Dionysos. Only in the 4th century, as Christianity took a hold on the Roman leadership, did churches and monasteries begin to spring up across Cyprus. In 330, the year that Constantinople became the imperial capital, the Christian Empress Helena is said to have visited the island and founded the great Stavrovouni monas¬tery with a piece of the True Cross as its most cherished relic.

Also around this time, the church won more friends when a special breed of cats reared at St Nicholas monas¬tery on the Akrotiri peninsula rid the island of a plague of snakes.

Paphos Earthquakes Cyprus

Earthquakes levelled Paphos in 332 and Salamis 10 years later. The latter was rebuilt and made the capital under the new name of Constantia. Priests wielded consider¬able power over everyday life, defending peasants against grasping tax collectors, but also demanding unquestioning allegiance. In a prolonged power struggle with the Patriarch of Antioch (Syria), in 488 the Archbishop of Cyprus gained undisputed control over the island's spiri¬tual affairs. He won Emperor Zeno over to his cause by presenting him with the origi¬nal manuscript of Matthew's gospel discovered in the tomb of Barnabas, founder of the Church of Cyprus. The arch¬bishop was henceforth autho¬rized to carry a sceptre rather than pastoral staff and sign his name in imperial purple ink.

Cyprus

The pleasures of Cyprus derive above all from its apparent simplicity the straightforward physical charm of the island and the natural warmth of the people. In a sea of troubles at the eastern end of the Mediter¬ranean, Cyprus surmounts its own problems to offer a re¬markably reassuring haven of calm.

The coastline has enough rugged cliffs and surf beaten coves to appeal to the romantic individualist and sufficient well organized modem seaside beach resorts to keep the family happy, too. In the plains of the interior, villages nestle among olive groves and citrus or¬chards. Goats and sheep scam¬per among ruins of ancient Greek temples and Roman markets. Vineyards climb the sunny hillsides and, higher up, cypress trees frame a somno¬lent abbey or the skeleton of an abandoned fortress. Yes, this is a Mediterranean island.

Car hire at Larnaca and Paphos Airport

The best way to see Cyprus is by driving around the island by hire car, which can be booked at Larnaca or Paphos Airport before you leave the UK. Yet not just any old Medi¬terranean island. It has a char¬acter that is European by historic links to Greece, but also Levantine through in¬volvement from ancient to modern times with Syria and Turkey, and even a touch of Africa via Egypt to the south. A first hint of this complexity comes as soon as you get into town. Away from the seafront in the port towns of Limassol and Larnaca, but especially in the inland capital of Nicosia, the juxtaposition on the sky¬line of a mosque's minaret and the dome of an Orthodox church reminds you of the is¬land's tragic division between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Cyprus weather and car rentals

Nicosia, capital of Cyprus since the 12th century, rises up out of the Mesaoria plain, baked dry in summer and be¬decked with flowers and or¬chard blossoms in the spring, and this is a great place to explore by rental car from Larnaca Airport. Mesaoria means 'between the mountains': to the northeast, average low of 21°C (69°F) and average high of 37°C (98°F). Winters from Novem¬ber to March are rainy, with temperatures from 5°C (41°F) to 15°C (59°F). Short sharp changes come with spring in April/May and autumn in October. Cyprus made its ancient fortune from the copper which gave the island its name and colours its silhouette on the Republic's national flag. Today, Cyprus has struck gold with tourism, but also collects good revenues from exporting clothes, fruit and wine. A highly appreciated legacy of British rule is the network of first class roads, easily the best in the eastern Mediterranean and a great boon for visitors wanting to explore the island on their own.

Cyprus history

The ancient myth is that Aphrodite, goddess of love, was born here and ever since, it seems, everyone has wanted a piece of her island. Apart from attracting Phoenician and the craggy Kyrenia range runs into the narrow Karpas Penin¬sula, outstretched finger of the island's pointingfist silhou¬ette; and to the southwest, the wooded slopes of the Troodos mountains capture enough winter snow to make for good skiing at higher altitudes. Depleted since ancient times be¬cause the wood has been used for ship building, the Paphos Forest of the western moun¬tains has been restored, thanks to an initiative in 1907 by a young undersecretary at the British Colonial Office named Winston Churchill.

This is healthy country. The old diseases of malaria and tapeworm have been erad¬icated and the climate is good. Hot dry summers from June to September range between and Assyrian pirates, conquerors from Egypt and Persia, and the ever belligerent Greeks and Turks, Cyprus has been the easy prey of French Crusaders, Venetian and Genoese mer¬chants, and a pawn in the last days of the British Empire. (Novelist Lawrence Durrell's Bitter Lemons, on his days in Cyprus as teacher and colonial official, is beautifully written but most reveals just how paternalistic even the best intentioned British observer could be in the fateful 1950s.)

All these visitors, some more welcome than others, have left their traces, from the Greek basilica and temples of Kourion (near Limassol) to the splendid mosaics of Roman villas at Paphos; Crusaders' castles in the Kyrenia moun¬tains and Gothic churches in Famagusta; Venetian bastions in Nicosia and Byzantine monasteries in the Troodos mountains; Turkish mosques in all the big towns, north and south; and, most recent and cosiest of archaeological relics, the British pillar boxes (repainted yellow) and Belisha beacons (still orange) at the zebra crossings. Slightly less charming vestiges of imperial might are the British military bases 'Sovereign Base Areas' on the south coast and the Turkish counterparts in the north.

Cyprus independence

Since the historical strug¬gle for union with Greece was relinquished in favour of the island's independence in 1960, Greek Cypriots have come increasingly to recognize their distinctive national identity. Their Orthodox Church is autocephalous, which means that the Archbishop is head of the national church indepen¬dent of any patriarch outside Cyprus. The Islam of Turkish Cypriots is of the moderate Sunni persuasion. Considering their turbulent history, one cannot but marvel at the Cypriots' quiet, easy¬going nature.

They have the sunny disposition you may expect (though don't always find) in the Mediterranean. People in the remotest moun¬tain village can be immensely hospitable. The stranger is no enemy. In the tavernas away from the tourist oriented watering holes, you will often find yourself engaged in friendly banter with 'locals' at the neighbouring table.

This widespread cheerful¬ness is coupled with real dignity that shuns expansive surface gestures. The British like to think that their pre¬sence on the island over the past century has been at least partly responsible and as far as the politeness of the police and the sober honesty of public officials are concerned, they may be right. But the courtesy of the Cypriots in general seems to be a more deeply ingrained quality com¬ing from a heartfelt concern for their fellows.

A more sombre note is struck when the question of the divided island is raised. Greek Cypriot refugees from the north there were some 170,000 in 1974, with about 30,000 Turkish Cypriots going in the opposite direction ¬react with more melancholy than anger. Nostalgically, res¬taurants and shops in Larnaca or Limassol may bear the names of their lost homes in Famagusta, Kyrenia or Bella¬pais.

Turkey and Cyprus

Under military occupa¬tion, Turkish Cypriots speak less easily of the division but make the distinction between those born on the island, de¬cidedly ambivalent, and the peasants brought in from Turkish Anatolia after 1974, who remain tight lipped. In addition to the British military community, which is most visible around?

Limassol and Larnaca Bay, the Repub¬lic's foreign residents are mostly Levantine neighbours Lebanese and Armenian Christians, even a few Arab Moslems. The island's prosperity and ethnic mix make dining out a pleasant adventure.

The copi¬ous mezedes (hors d'oeuvres) provide a feast in themselves, spiced with the influences of Greek, Turkish and Levantine cooking. The locally brewed beer is excellent and the brandy lusty, but it is the Cypriot wine that stands out, offering the fine amiable dis-tinction that characterizes the people themselves.

Things to do in Malta and Gozo and car hire

Malta and Gozo car hire can be booked before you leave home, to save you money and time when you arrive, particularly in the summer months. There is so much to see and do in Malta, which is a small island, that the easiest way to get around is to hire a car from Luqa Malta International Airport at the same time you book your flights.

The choice is yours. Malta's climate makes it a paradise for sports and activities. Aware of the latest trend towards healthy exercise, many of the bigger hotels have added tennis and squash courts, gyms, saunas and indoor pools to their range of facilities. Naturally, water sports come first in summer, and the cooler months are just perfect for walking the coastal paths and hills.

Swimming in Malta and car rentals

It's free to swim everywhere except at a few clubs where you can have the benefits of a terrace restaurant, changing rooms and showers. In popular spots you can rent a sun bed or mat and beach umbrella. There are about a dozen small sandy beaches on Malta, notably Golden Bay, Gnejna Bay, Paradise Bay and Mel¬lieha Bay. But even prettier scenery and better snorkelling can be enjoyed at the rocky beach sites, such as Peter's Pool, Marsaskala, Ghar Lapsi, around St Paul's Bay and the seaward side of Sliema, though that can be crowded. On Gozo, the only sizeable stretch of sand is Ramla Bay, with another handful of tiny beaches or plenty of rocks to swim from at San Bias, Dahlet Qorrot, Hondoq, Mgarr ix Xini, Xlendi, the 'Inland Sea' and Marsalfom.

Water sports in Malta

You can get a tow and take off at all the main beaches and bigger resort hotels. If you plan to do much waterskiing, try to negotiate a 'package deal' price: paying for lots of single trips is expensive. As popular here as on any holiday coast, windsurfing is well organized, with boards for hire at hotels and beaches, and beginners' lessons avail¬able. For the experts, international competitions include the Malta to Sicily race in May. The sheltered bays -Mellieha, St Paul's, Marsam¬xett, Marsaskala, St Thomas, St George's and Ramla often ripple with coloured sails.

The snorkelling possibilities are good everywhere you can swim, and especially off rocky shores, where the water can be wonderfully clear. So bring your masks, snorkels and flip¬pers, or buy or rent them at beach centres. The Maltese islands can claim some of the world's best diving and, except for a few winter storms, it's an all year¬ round sport. To dive independently from a diving school you must be able to show advanced qualifications.

Boating and Sailing in Malta and car hire

Malta has a long season of fine sailing weather, and you can reach most of the top boating and sailing resorts by hire car from Luqa Airport, and if you don't come in your own boat you can rent anything from a luxury craft to a dinghy here. Marsamxett Harbour is the main centre, with marinas at Ta 'Xbiex and Msida, and also full repair facilities on Manoel Island, where you can find out about berthing and charter. The Valletta Yacht Club, also on fallowing in father's favourite pursuit. children learn fishing at Marsaxlokk. Manoel Island, accepts temp¬orary members. Regattas are held from April to November.

Even if you don't sail your¬self, be sure to take the oppor¬tunity to get afloat. There are countless cruises and excur-sions to every part of the coast, some in glass bottomed boats from which to view the under-water scene. It's free to all and you will not need a licence, but a little politeness goes a long way, so ask the locals whether they mind before you fish from their favourite rock. If you want to go out on a boat, inquire at one of the harbours: Marsax¬lokk or St Paul's Bay (and Mgarr or Marsalforn on Gozo). Spear fishing without a licence is forbidden.

Walking in Malta

Almost every distant point on the islands is reached by some sort of track, though you may not be happy about one of the reasons to give access to bird trappers and hunters. The sign 'RTO' is short for reser¬vato, meaning 'private hunting ground'. Wear strong shoes or thick soled trainers, so as to be comfortable along the rougher tracks and sharp edged eroded limestone. Some of the most scenic routes on Malta are the ridges and cliff top paths of the north and west coast. All of Gozo's coast and hills are well worth exploring. The north-western end has rewards that can be reached only on foot.

The Marsa Sports Club

Situated between Grand Har¬bour and the airport, this centre 92 has tennis, squash, billiards, a pool, an 18-hole golf course, plus a bar clubhouse and res¬taurant. Visitors can join on a weekly basis, or for longer.

Horse racing (mostly trotting but also a few flat races) takes place at Marsa racecourse each Sunday from October to May, and stables in the area offer riding facilities.

Other sports in Malta

There are indoor bowling cen¬tres at Msida and St Julian's, and you might see the tradi¬tional Maltese bowls (bocci) in the villages. You can go roller-skating at St Julian's, and in¬dulge in archery, table tennis and badminton at the Marsa Club. The strong swimming locals can be found playing water polo wherever there's a suitable pool. Playing, watching, reading and talking about football is a national pastime. Except in high summer, dozens of teams compete in league and cup competitions. International and other important matches take place at the National Stadium at Ta' Qali.

Shopping in Malta

There are few big stores on Malta and you'll probably do most of your buying in small shops and markets. Prices are generally reasonable, and the one quoted is the real price. Haggling is not a way of life here, though it can be worth negotiating terms at outdoor bric-a-brac stalls or at small jeweller's shops.

Best things to buy in Malta and car rentals

Take your time to look around the shops, by taking advantage of cheap car rentals rates at Malta International Airport. Silver, especially delicate fili¬gree work, is most attractive and enticingly priced. The only problem is choosing from the wonderful displays of Maltese crosses, earrings, necklaces, little boats and boxes. The same shapes are also fashioned in gold. Lace, made in Malta and especially on Gozo by women who often sit working in their doorways, is an ideal gift or souvenir light and unbreak¬able! Creating the borders for handkerchiefs, placemats and tablecloths, it can be fine and intricate.

But look carefully before buying, and compare examples: some of the work can be rather rough. You can see almost every kind of craft practised on the islands at the Crafts Village, Ta' Qali, near Mdina, housed in the buildings of a former air¬field. The glass makers here mould and blow remarkable shapes in subtle blends of colours turquoise blue, bottle green and varying shades of brown. This particular style was started by two Englishmen and enthusiastically adopted by local artisans to make ornaments and vases, glasses, decanters and ashtrays. Other glass works can be visited on Manoel Island and near Gharb on Gozo.

Pottery and Ceramics Malta

Look through the range of pottery and ceramics you'll probably find something that appeals to you. Another work¬shop at Ta' Qali cuts and pol¬ishes 'Malta Stone' (good for gifts), a banded brown and ¬white calcite, into bookends, ashtrays and souvenirs. Hand and machine knitted woollens are on sale in shops and stalls all over the islands. The weather may not be appro¬priate, but you might find an Aranstyle sweater, a pullover or a shawl at a fair price. Feel the wool: it can vary from soft and angora like to quite hard and prickly.

The crafts centre just across the square from St John's Co Cathedral concentrates the islands' products in a single display, ranging from original folk art to garish kitsch. The best spots to shop on Gozo are at the Citadel Crafts Centre and in the crafts village at Ta' Dbiegi near San Lawrenz. Other good buys include locally made cotton swim wear and underwear, jeans, printed and plain T-shirts, and various interesting tea towels.

The Maltese will celebrate at the drop of a hat, and fortu¬nately there are plenty of op-portunities. In fact, it is a duty for each parish to mark its saint's day with a joyous festa, and since there are 64 parishes in Malta and 14 in Gozo, the calendar is full.

Malta and Gozo Festivals

It just so happens that most festi fall during the summer months. The main celebrations are usually moved to the week¬end following the actual saint's day, but they are preceded by three days of prayer services. Thanksgiving masses are held in the morning, in churches decorated with flowers, huge silver candlesticks and red silk damask hangings. Brass bands parade through town and men carry a statue of the saint in procession through the packed crowds.

There's a concert in the main square, and an often excellent fireworks display (generally timed for the Satur¬day night). Exact dates for the whole year's festi can be obtained from the National Tourist Office. Apart from local festivals, there are a dozen or so fixed national public holidays and one, Good Friday, which is moveable.

Carnival, the spell of merrymaking be¬fore Lent, therefore also moves from year to year but generally falls in late February. Grotes¬que masks, decorated floats, parties and traditional dances (including the parata which commemorates the knights' victory over the Turks in 1565) add up to a five-day feast of frolicking.

Good Friday is marked by processions of hooded peniten¬tial figures carrying statues of scenes from the Passion, and men and women dressed up as various biblical characters. Easter Sunday sees more pro¬cessions celebrating the risen Christ, and children take their figolla (iced marzipan cakes) to be blessed. The Commemoration of 7 June 1919 is a national holi¬day, and later that month is the Imnarja folklore festival, held on the Feast of St Peter and St Paul (29 in October).

Later in September Independence Day is celebrated (21 September). Republic Day on 13 De¬cember is marked by a public holiday and parades, music and fireworks, particularly in Vitto¬riosa. The year's celebrations climax with Christmas an occasion for family gatherings and New Year's Eve parties. Nightlife is mainly limited to the resort areas Sliema, St Julian's, and Bugibba/Qawra¬where there's plenty of acti¬vity. It's mostly quite informal, centred around the handful of discos and the bars and pubs that put on entertainment. And it doesn't go on very late.

Theatre and concerts Valletta Malta

Valletta's beautiful Manoel Theatre stages plays in English and Maltese, concerts by the local orchestra and some ballet or opera during a season that lasts from October to May. Visiting international soloists and groups appear there too: they say how much they like its intimate atmosphere and acoustics. In the summer there may be outdoor performances of plays in San Anton Gardens. Occasional plays and other shows are put on in Gozo's two theatres as well, during the winter months.

Cinema in Malta

Although you can't expect the latest releases, Sliema and Val¬letta do have a few cinemas, with the occasional one also in other towns. Gozo's are in Victoria. Films are mostly in English, with a few in Italian. Programmes change often and tend towards the sensational or forgettable.

Malta nightlife

You can go to dinner dances in many of the big hotels, or a buffet and cabaret combination in St Julian's. Some of the pubs in Paceville put on enter¬tainment, and many bars (both in hotels and out) have live music you can dance to. 'Malta by Night' tours, barbecue and folklore evenings, 'Medieval Banquets' and the like have been cooked up as excursions to provide further variety for holidaymakers.

Clubs are a magnet to the young. Some are hi-tech with intricate light shows; others are just an open space beneath the stars on summer nights when they're at their liveliest. Unfor-tunately for night owls, but luckily for locals who want to sleep, they close early mid¬night for most, later for some clubs (all of whom charge an entrance fee).
The palatial Casino, at Dra¬gonara Point, St George's Bay (St Julian's) features roulette, blackjack and slot machines, plus a bar and restaurant. It opens at 8pm and closes in the small hours, depending on the action. Take your passport if you want to go in and join the dedicated or casual gamblers, or even just to look.

Eating out in Malta and car hire

Malta boasts a great range of restaurants and bars, and you can take your time to eat out at some of the best eateries by exploring the island by hire car from Luqa Airport.

A glance at the market stalls will tell you of the possibili¬ties. The best of Maltese food is full of Mediterranean colour and flavour juicy tomatoes, bright green and red peppers, squash, salad crops all the year round, and the freshest of fish. Genuine Maltese cooking does exist, though you have to look for it among all the influences from Italy (pasta muscles in everywhere) and Britain (fish and chips and an unfortunate touch of blandness). It is possible to eat well for a reasonable price, espe¬cially simple dishes like fresh fettucine in a sauce, or grilled swordfish. Maltese bread, with a crisp brown crust and soft 'holey' inside, is a treat, but white French style bread and sliced loaves tend to be some¬what tasteless.

The choice of restaurants is vast on Malta, and Gozo has a good selection too. You'll find everything from the most basic, with plastic tables and strip lighting (where it's possible to eat a local pie for next to nothing), right up to an ele¬gant terrace setting overlook¬ing the sea with polished service and superb cuisine. For a change, try Chinese, Japan¬ese, Greek or Turkish food, as authentic as their chefs from China, Japan, Greece and Turkey can make it.

Restaurants are classified into four grades by the govern¬ment. This system generally corresponds to price ranges, though they may not be a reli¬able guide to quality. Hours of service are quite conventional: lunch is usually served between noon and 2 or 2.30pm and dinner between 7 and 10 pm. Breakfast in hotels may be continental, 'English' (with a cooked dish) or buffet style. It's normally included in the room rate, except, paradoxi¬cally, in the most expensive places.

You'll often see appetizers and hors d'oeuvres listed, as the Italians do, as antipasti. They may include slices of local pepper sausage, raw or cooked mixed vegetables, Parma ham (or a similar style) and melon or prawn cocktail. Soups in¬clude kawlata or minestra, which are hearty concoctions of everything in the kitchen garden and more filling than the Italian minestrone. Consommés, fresh (and tinned) tomato soup and mulligatawny (from India via Britain) feature on any menus. If you like something spicy, look out for fish soups: the best come laden with chunks of different fish and shellfish and laced with garlic and chilli peppers. There are many Italian restau¬rants offering a variety of pasta dishes, some of them excellent, and the numerous international restaurants also usually have a pasta section on the menu. You'll see all varieties, from Fish and Shellfish Malta

Landed that very morning and as fresh as can be, fish is prime fare in Malta usually simply cooked grilled, steamed, or fried whole, or alla Maltese (with a tomato and green pep¬per sauce). Lampuka is Malta's 'own' fish, which gathers under off¬shore floats put out specially for it. The opening of the sea¬son (it begins in late August and lasts until November) is a big moment, when the fisher¬men raise their little triangular flags in salute. A kind of dolphin fish (nothing to do with dolphins!), lampuka is served grilled, casseroled with wine and herbs, in a pie (torta tal¬lampuki) or fried, then cooked in a pastry shell along with onion, tomatoes, cauliflower, spinach and perhaps olive oil and walnuts.

Octopus, squid (calamari) and cuttlefish are often served up as salads, spicy stews, or stuffed. Grilled swordfish (pix¬xispada) and tuna steaks are good standbys. Other fine fish may hide behind unfamiliar names: dott (bass) and cerna (grouper) can be excellent. Various types of prawns are popular and lobster, as in most places, is expensive.

Meat dishes in Malta

Carnivores can find a T-bone or a pepper steak on most menus, but it is worth looking for something more typically Maltese such as bragoli, a slice of beef rolled round a filling of bacon, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley and a touch of garlic, fried, then simmered in onions and wine. The islanders will often casserole beef and lamb with potatoes and onions in their homes, and that's what 'roast beef Maltesestyle' means on menus.

However, most local meat dishes braised pork, ox tongue in wine sauce and fric¬asse of meatballs and sweet breads rarely appear on the menu at all. The only meat dish most people, locals included, used to think of as typically Maltese was fenek (rabbit), which was either fried or stewed with wine and garlic. That's now changing, with the growth of interest in national cuisine and the opening of sev¬eral restaurants offering it. You'll find good veal (vit-ello) on Italian style menus, and the chicken is reliable. It's probably the British liking for roast lamb and lamb chops that make them a continuing staple. Salads and Vegetables Good fresh produce is always available.

No matter how bad the drought, ingenious irriga¬tion systems trickle water to the terraces and greenhouses. You should find good spinach, courgettes and tomatoes. Baby new potatoes in butter are deli¬cious and so are the chips (French fries) and baked pota¬toes. Other well-known Mal¬tese staples include stuffed green peppers and succulent aubergines, fried or baked.

Cheese and desserts in Malta

Here you're close enough to the source to get a variety of excellent Italian cheeses plus other imports from France, Switzerland and Britain. Look out as well for the different kinds of sheep’s milk cheeses (gbejna) made in Malta and Gozo. Mostly small and round, they can be dry and hard, but they are also available in brine and capers, or rolled in black peppercorns. Gozo specializes in goat'smilk cheese (gbej¬niet), which all comes in the form of roundels.

Desserts and Fruit The Maltese have a distinctly sweet tooth, so there's plenty of Italian-style icecream in many flavours, and cake shops and restaurants provide ice-cream cake confections. Various types of gateaux and torte (cakes and tarts) are on many menus. The best are mouth-watering but some ver¬sions on tourist menus can be dry and artificial tasting. Soft ricotta cheese is some¬times used in sweet cheese¬cakes with fruit or combined with chocolate, sugar and almonds to fill little cor¬nets called kannoli tarrikotta.

Helwa tattork is ultra sweet, made from sesame flour. Festivals bring their own special sweet things. At Easter you'll seefigolli in the shops, iced almond lemon biscuits cut in various shapes. Prinjolata is a combination of sponge fin¬gers, butter cream and almonds or pinenuts, and decorated with chocolate and cherries. And no festa is complete without the ubiquitous almond, nougat and doughnut stalls.

Fresh fruit makes an ideal dessert: peaches, plums, apri¬cots and figs in summer, then melons, followed by oranges and tangerines in winter. The strawberry season lasts longer and longer, with new varieties and techniques developed for the export business. And if you haven't yet tried prickly pears now's your chance, but beware of the tiny spines that cover them. Get them on your hands, or worse, in your mouth, and you'll itch for hours. Experts say they don't stick into you when they're wet with the morning dew!

Snacks in Malta

H's part of the local way of life to pick up a sandwich, pie or meat filled pasty at a tiny snack bar or a stall in the street. Pastizzi or qassata, various flaky pastry turnovers or pies with a filling of ricotta, peas and onion, or anchovies are es¬pecially popular. In local bars you'll see customers enjoying a plate of snails with their beer.

Drinks and Wines in Malta and car hire

If you are planning a night on the town in Malta, you may want to leave your airport hire car at the hotel, but the easiest way to get around the island when sightseeing is by car rental, which can be pre-booked to pick up at Luqa Airport before you travel.

The fruit juices are excellent, especially the fresh ones, of course, but also the cartons you see everywhere. Try the pear, peach, apricot, and exotic mix¬tures. The usual soft drinks are available: a local brand called Kinnie is rather like an orange flavoured cola. Maltese beer and lager are good and inexpensive: imports tend to cost about twice as much.
Imported fine or ordinary wines can be found both in stores and on restaurant lists, but Malta itself produces some very drinkable wines sold for a much lower price. The reds are quite full bodied, although the cheaper kind can be rather acidic. Four famous brands are Marsovin Special Reserve, Lachryma Vitis, Farmers and Festa. Look out for La Valette and four or five year old Mar¬sovin

Cabernet Sauvignon and wine in Malta

The same four brand names appear on white wines. They are mostly dry and fruity, and refreshing when well chilled. Sauternes, not surprisingly, are very sweet. The more respec¬table of Gozo's wines include Velson's red and white. The Ggantija wines, both red and white, are sweeter. Watch out for the high alcohol content of some of the local wines. Also beware of the mild to drastic laxative effect that drinking too much of them can have.

Wherever you plan to travel in Malta, check out the car hire options at Luqa Airport. You can hire a car and navigate your way around the island of Malta in just a few days, making the most of the attractions in Malta, including the beaches, the monuments and the museums. Car hire is inexpensive and comfortable, and although public transport is available, taxis can prove costly.

Towns and Villages of Malta and car rentals at Luqa Airport

The towns and villages of Malta can be easily explored by hire car from Luqa Airport. If you pre-book car rental at Malta International Airport you can save time and money when you arrive.

Xaghra, north west of Ggan¬tija, was inhabited in prehis¬toric times. It's a pleasant town with an exuberantly decorated, baroque 19thcentury church. Signs point to Xerri's Cave and Ninu's Cave, which you can visit if you would like to see odd shaped stalactites and sta¬lagmites. At the northeast corner of the Xaghra plateau, with its superb view over to Ramla Bay on the right, you come to Calypso's Cave, where Ulys¬ses, apart from the view, as the narrow stairs lead to a singularly supposedly dallied the fair siren. One wonders what either Calypso or Ulysses saw in this unimpressive and murky hole.

Ramla Bay Gozo

Ramla Bay itself is Gozo's biggest golden sand beach. It has a simple bar in summer, and plenty of space to sun yourself, despite its popularity. North-west of Ramla, Ghajn Barrani is accessible only by a primitive road which stops at the head of a cliff. After this you have to scramble down: the setting is lovely, however, and the rocks flat and perfect for sunbathing.

Just off the main road from Victoria to Mgarr, Xewkija is a rather plain town with an amazing church begun in 1951 and completed 30 years later. Built to a classical design in golden globigerina limestone, it is a typical Gozitan accom¬plishment, realized by sheer labour and the devotion of the town's 3,500 citizens. Here the dome rivals Malta's at Mosta as one of the largest in the world. The parishioners want¬ed the church so badly that they built it right over the old one, only removing the first when the new building could be used.

Xlendi Malta

Some of its features are preserved in a sidechapel. Xlendi is reached by a small road leading south west from Victoria. It is a lovely natural site, well worth the 3km (2mile) trip from the island capital, though it can be crowded. On the way, you'll see hilly pastoral scenery and, on the left, a massive wash¬house from the knights' time, adorned with the arms of the Order. X1endi stands at the sea¬ward end of a long and beauti¬fully terraced wied, or valley.

The pastel houses of the town are tucked away at the head of a narrow bay protected by two tall rocky promonto¬ries. High on the southern side there's a great growth of apart¬ments, but the shore is a fav¬ourite spot for swimming. The cliffs opposite are for walkers: follow the main path to its end, through a natural rock garden dotted with wild flowers in winter and spring, and you'll come to an old rockcut boat¬house. With hotels, cafes and restaurants, Xlendi enjoys its status as a favourite excursion haunt, where little shops sell lace, knitwear and other local products.

An adjacent road out of Victoria leads to Sannat, a tiny town well-known for its lace statue of Christ. Once a quiet fishing harbour, Marsalforn has become a popular holiday centre for its opportunities for diving, sailing, and swimming off the short, sandy beaches and inviting rock ledges.

Zebbug Malta

Walk or drive west along the coastal tracks to see strange sculpted saltpans, or head in¬land through rugged country to Zebbug, which has a tradi¬tional church and good views. (You can also take the wider road there from Victoria.) Ask anybody hereabouts for the house of Sebastian Axiak, a local farmer who turned his hand to sculpting and made a big diorama. He died years ago, but the family is happy to display his cre¬ation, a charming potpourri of Christian lore, village scenes and bell-towers from all over the world.

West of Victoria is Gozo's least populated and, some say, prettiest area. The latest part to have been settled, it was once known as the 'desert'. Hikers should aim for one of Gozo's less visited beauty spots the gorge of Wied el Ghasri ¬where it meets the sea.

On a side road between Ghammar and Gharb is a vast neo-Romanesque church, Ta' Pinu, built between 1920-36. The main attraction of this in¬congruous affair is the miracles connected with it. This was the site of a somewhat rundown chapel (built 1534), which had been cared for by a pious man called Gauci, nicknamed Pinu. On 22 June 1883, a peasant woman, Carmela Grima, heard a mysterious voice urging her to say three aves.

She heard a similar voice several times, and a friend of hers, Francesco Portelli, admitted he had heard voices too. The two prayed for his desperately ill mother, who recovered miraculously, and from then on the miracles mul¬tiplied. Ta' Pinu is still a shrine and place of pilgrimage.

A path opposite is lined with marble statues depicting the Stations of the Cross.Nearby, just outside Gharb, a little museum houses small objects and dioramas made by the pious Portelli and Carmela Grima. To see them, ask the priest at Ta' Pinu, who can arrange to open the museum. Gharb (Arabic for 'west') is the perfect peaceful Gozitan village, with a lovely baroque church on its main square, pas¬tel house fronts, a tiny village shop and little else to do but watch the women making lace.

The square is decorated with coloured pillars and lights at festa time in early July. Just south of Gharb, take footed small road through San id Lawrenz down to Dwejra for some spectacular sightseeing and bathing. As you descend you'll see a big outcrop in the water which almost entirely blocks the entrance to Qawra Bay. Named General's Rock, it's more often called Fungus Rock after a plant found there and prized by the knights for its curative powers.

Qawra Tower Malta and cheap airport car hire

The bay below is domin¬ated by Qawra Tower, which can be reached by cheap airport car hire from Luqa, and was built in 1651. The road ends near a chapel and an extraordinary rock promontory, where you can walk across a natural arch over the sea. Down a track to the right is the Inland Sea, a grandiose name for a saltwater lagoon linked by a natural tun¬nel to the sea. When it's calm, you can swim through in about

Places to go in Gozo and Fungus Rock

The plant growing on fungus Rock which the knights so valued is not actually a fungus at all, but a parasitic species called Cynomorium coccineum. Drawing nourishment from the roots of other plants, it pushes up orangered, leafless spikes. The knights discovered it had haemostatic properties (controlling the flow of blood and was useful in treating intestinal disor¬ders, a skill for which Malta was notorious almost until modern times.

The stuff was thought so precious that anyone found even attempting to raid the rock could be sentenced to death or a fate scarcely less dire the galleys. 10 minutes. Some boathouses are open in summer as snack bars or little shops. Fastgrowing Nadur, 5krn (3 miles) east of Victoria, is the second largest town in Gozo, and the richest. The people are proud of their church, built by G Bonnici in the 18th century, restored in the 19th, and elabo¬rately decorated. The town is at quite an altitude for Gozo ¬over 150m (500ft) above sea level (the name Nadur means 'summit' in Arabic).

For isolated rock bathing in a pretty setting, you can take a narrow road north of Nadur, then walk down past orange groves sheltered by bamboo fences to San Bias.Another branch of the same road from Nadur takes you to the charm¬ing, small fishing harbour of Dahlet Qorrot, where boat¬houses are carved out of the cliffs. Qala is a country town, its windmill is the last one working in Gozo. Further on are quarries which supplied the stone for the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool.

As in Malta, almost every¬thing is an excursion on Gozo. It's worth hiring a boat for a trip round Gozo and Comino. There are lovely bays, soaring cliffs, and Comino's popular lagoon where you can swim in limpid turquoise waters.

Things to do in Gozo Malta and car hire

In the local language, Gozo is known as Gliawdex (pro¬nounced 'Owdehsh'). Malta's smaller sister is only l4km (9 miles) long by 7km (4 miles) wide, boasts a population of almost 30,000, and its own distinctive charac¬ter.

Gozo can be reached by taking a boat from Malta and it is also possible to hire a car in Gozo once you reach the island. Gozitans are proud of their island and quite tolerant of Maltese jokes depicting them as country cousins.

They can afford to be: many have made it to the top in business, gov¬ernment and the Church, in Malta and the world beyond. Gozo is greener than Malta, with neat terraces, dry stone walls and big flat topped hills. In every direction, the towers and domes of churches are silhouetted against the sky.

The islanders are great church builders: many of the parish churches are big enough for a city of half a million people, not to mention the dozens of little wayside chapels. A day in Gozo is constantly punctuated by church bells ringing their various messages.

While 20th century traffic has taken over the few main roads, life still goes on much as it did a century ago. For one thing, big agricultural equip¬ment can't be delivered, and wouldn't be much use on the narrow terraces if it could. Gozo lives mainly on farming, with excellent crops of toma¬toes, potatoes, melons, oranges and figs. The fishing fleet puts to sea whenever the weather permits and, despite declining stocks, still manages to bring in a tasty and varied catch. Activity centres around the hub and capital, Victoria, al¬though there is much to see elsewhere. Gozo has not only interesting baroque and other churches, but beautiful here, but it's also simple: you won't find a sophisticated cabana setting.

There are few luxury hotels, but some of the small hotels and restaurants are delightful, and a growing number of farm houses’ are being converted into holiday homes. Gozo does not run to an airstrip, only a helicopter pad.

Comino Malta

However, you can reach the island either by ferry from Sa Maison, near Valletta, or from Cirkewwa, on a private boat or on an excursion from Sliema ¬whichever route you take, the short crossing is a pleasure. You'll pass Comino with its watchtower: the island's one hotel stands above a bay on the other side. The name Comino comes from the herb cumin, which once grew in abundance there.

The uninhabited islet of Cominetto partly shields Com¬ino's idyllic Blue Lagoon a magnet for excursion boats in summer and minutes later you’ve arrived. Mgarr is everything an island harbour should be, alive with bobbing luzzu boats and visiting yachts. The tall steeple on the hill above belongs to a 19th-century church, Our Lady of Lourdes. On the headland is Fort Chambray, built in the mid-18th century by a French knight.

The ups and downs of Gozo's history broadly reflect Malta's. First the builders of prehistoric temples at Ggantija, then the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs and Normans, Turkish raiders, the Knights of St John and finally the British all have left their mark. By the side of the road between Mgarr and Victoria, Gozo Heritage is a cleverly designed evocation of island history. You are led by sound and lights through a series of rooms, each one a dramatic tableau. (There's an admission charge.) In an adjoining shop you can sometimes has crafts¬people working.

Victoria Gozo Malta

The British renamed Gozo's bustling centre during Queen Victoria's jubilee in 1897, but Gozitans still use its old Arab name, Rabat ('city'). Just 6km (4 miles) from Mgarr, the town has a citadel standing high on a bluff: it's a landmark visible from most parts of the island. The broad main street is Republic Street (Racecourse Street) with the bank and post office. During the Feast of the Assumption on 15 August, nearby Rundle Gardens are the scene of a charming country fair. During the same period (and also on the Feast of St George, on the third Sunday in July) colourful horse and donkey races are run, when everybody turns out to see their friends race in sulkies or ride bareback up Republic Street: it can be hilarious.

It Tokk, the attractive tree-¬shaded square, with its war monument in the middle, is edged with little shops, tunnel¬-shaped bars and a bank. On one side is the 18th-century St James's Church, on the other a rounded building, dat¬ing from 1733, which once housed the Banca Giuratala: today it's an information office and a haven for locals wishing to read their newspapers.

During festival times, the square becomes a riot of colour with various religious statues: 'Judas' pointedly stands just outside the Inland Revenue Office and there are garlands everywhere. But any morning it's full of activity from the open air market. In the eve¬nings it swarms with people again, walking slowly up and down for the passeggiata, or social hour.

St Georges Street Gozo

At market times, you'll see a lavish display of fish, fruit and vegetables, and hear lively banter between shoppers and sellers. The old town behind It Tokk is charmingly picturesque, with narrow alleys, sim¬ple old houses, and women making lace in their doorways. In St George’s Street almost every house has a plaque of the saint slaying the dragon.

On its eponymous square, St George's Church is a fine example of baroque architec¬ture, elaborately gilded and decorated. The painting by Mattia Preti over the choir altar shows St George with his foot victoriously poised on the dragon's head, his white char¬ger by his side. The July festi¬val is quite a bash, and there is a good deal of rivalry between St George's Church and the cathedral, whose festival is the Assumption, on 15 August.

The cathedral stands with¬in the citadel. Behind the aus¬tere stone facade, guarded by two bronze cannons, is a sur¬prisingly elaborate interior. Built by Lorenzo Gafa be¬tween 1697 and 1711, it has a convincing trompe l'oeil dome painted by Antonio Manuele; the real dome was never fin¬ished for lack of funds. On the left as you enter is a modern statue of the Virgin in pale blue and white, her eyes and hands raised heavenward, posed on an ornate and heavy silver pedestal. It is carried all around town during the Festi¬val of the Assumption. The Cathedral Museum at the back houses collections of church ornaments, sacred vestments and paintings.

To the south of the Cathe¬dral stands the Bondi Palace, containing the Gozo Museum of Archeology built around an inner courtyard. Among the exhibits are Punic jewellery, amphorae Gars) from Roman shipwrecks, the 12thcentury tombstone of an Arab girl, Majnuna, with a touching in¬scription, and shards and relics from various eras, especially prehistoric phases. Steep steps lead 'up to the Cathedral within the citadel at Victoria on Gozo.
A model of Ggantija as well as a large phallic symbol from one of Ggantija's temples will provide a good introduc¬tion to the temples you can see at Xaghra.

The Folklore Museum Gozo Malta

Up a little street on theother side of the cathedral, you'll come to the Folklore Museum where some tradi¬tional implements and cos¬tumes are displayed in three restored old houses. Further up this alley, and also by practi¬cally every other path, there are steps leading to the ram parts of the citadel. In the 15-¬minute walk around them you will be presented with marvel¬lous views all over Gozo, with flat topped houses edging the meandering roads and a church on nearly every hilltop. The ramparts were strengthened after the brutal Turkish incur¬sion and kidnappings of 1551.

After failing in an assault against the knights in Malta, Dragut, the North African pi¬rate attacked Gozo, carrying off almost the whole population of 6,000 islanders to slavery. Gozo was invaded many times by the Turks in the 16th century and gradually the stone dwellings of the citadel were abandoned. Though the rubble where goats graze looks as deserted as Ggantija, there are plans for its restoration.

Ggantija Temples Gozo Malta

To reach Gozo's most important prehistoric site, take the road to Xaghra. Just south of town, inside a fenced enclo¬sure, you'll find the most im¬posing temple group in the Maltese islands. Ggantija was excavated at various times between 1827-¬1953. Like most prehistoric temples in Malta, the two here face south east: the older and larger is on the left as you approach them. It dates back to 3600-3300, during the period sometimes called the Copper Age (precursor to the Bronze Age), though there was no copper on Malta or Gozo then.

Typical of this type of temple, the facade is slightly con¬cave. The entry is flanked by two orthostats (upright stones), a big slab, and a concave stone where worshippers may have washed their feet. The left part of the facade is made of immense coralline limestone slabs which rise to a height of about 6m (20ft).The inside walls and decoration are of the softer glo¬bigerina limestone. Five lobe-¬shaped apses contain a number of interesting features, includ¬ing libation holes, an oracle hole and stones carved with swirling patterns. One stone block once supported the huge phallic symbol which now resides in the Gozo National Museum.

The three rear apses were probably re¬stricted to priests and the end apse has impressively high walls, which curve inward to make a semi dome. The altar, with holes perhaps used for draining animal blood, has blocks with pitted decoration, typical of the period. The smaller and later tem¬ple is less interesting.

Here the rear apse and altar are a mere niche. A walk round the whole site shows the skill of early builders. Some of the huge blocks of limestone measure 5.5m (18ft) long and weigh up to 50 tonnes. You can only marvel at the technical feat performed by a suppos¬edly knowing no mathematics, in raising these structures.

Things to do in Malta

Mistra Bay is an inlet with¬in St Paul's Bay, on the oppo¬site shore from the town and harbour. Reached by a road through the rural landscape and reed beds of Kalkara Rav¬ine, it has the attraction of a sandy, although sometimes weed covered beach. For some really fine views, walk the rocky tracks round the headland facing St Paul's Islands, and hike or drive up to Selmun Palace, the knights' redoubt on the hilltop.

Mellieha Bay, just under Marfa Ridge (the 'tail' of fish shaped Malta), is the biggest stretch of sandy beach in the islands, and likely to be crow¬ded in the high season. Perched on the commanding spur of Mellieha Ridge, the town of Mellieba itself has a superb view of Marfa Ridge and Com¬ino with Gozo stretching be¬yond.

Car hire from Malta International Airport at Luqa

Malta is a tiny island and the best way to see the fascinating cities and historic sites is to book a hire car from Malta International Airport at Luqa before you leave home. The stone church at Marfa stands like a reddish fortress on the promontory. It dates from the 18th century, but nestling with¬in is a chapel from the early Middle Ages, now a site of pilgrimage. A small chapel next to the church contains a paint¬ing of the Virgin said to be by St Luke. To drive or walk along et Marfa Ridge is almost like flying, the views in all direc¬tions are so spectacular. The knights' Red Tower (1649) is the most prominent of the de¬fence posts from various eras that dot the ridge.

On its northern shore, you'll find stretches of sandy beach and hotels at Annier, Ramla and Paradise Bays. Cirkewwa is the landing stage where you can take the car ferry for the 20-minute crossing to Gozo. Across the narrow neck of land from Mellieha Bay, rocky but beautiful Anchor Bay was so named because it once had large anchors on the shore. Children will be thrilled to discover the engagingly ram¬shackle Popeye Village, con¬structed there as the set for the film Popeye and retained as a tourist attraction. A small ad¬mission fee is charged, but you can then use the beach for as long as you like.

Golden Bay Malta

Golden Bay (Ramla Tal¬Mixquqa) is a broad crescent of sand, not always pristine clean, with a good selection of cafes and a big tourist com¬plex on the hillside just above. The much smaller Ghajn Tuffieha Bay just next door, reached via a long staircase, attracts (and can take) fewer swimmers than Golden Bay. Inland to the south, you'll find the interesting remains of an Omani bathhouse. Charming Gnejna Bay, with its colour¬ful boathouses cut into the cliffs, has a sheltered, calm sandy beach.

The Prehistoric Sites of Malta and car hire

Malta's prehistory is impres¬sive and enigmatic, and most of the sites can be visited by hire car from Luqa Airport. The settle¬ment by humans began with the arrival of agricultural im-migrants who came from Sici¬ly around the year 5000 BC. Futher waves of immigrants followed and the correspond¬ing phases of development have been classified and given names which you'll encounter both at prehistoric sites and in museums.

All prehistoric dates must be regarded as approximate. Those quoted here agree with the latest available research, which gives dates sub¬stantially earlier than the re¬sults from carbon14 testing that were accepted hitherto. The different stages of Maltese prehistoric civilization have been called after the im¬portant sites associated with them, such as: the Ghar Dal¬am period, lasting up to about4500 BC; the Skorba period, 4500 -4100 BC; the Zebbug period (3900 BC); the Mgarr period (3700 BC) and the Ggantija period (3600-3000 BC).

Temples in Malta

Outstanding in this latter are the temples at Ggantija on Gozo), Magar Qim, and an early temple at Tarxien. The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum is a remarkable complex poss¬ibly dating back to 3300 BC and continuing in use through the Tarxien period (around 3200-2500 BC), which left impressive temples at Tarxien itself, Mnajdra, Skorba and Borg inNadur. Then, around2500 BC, an unexplained sudden end came to temple building.

Drought and starvation, emigration, re¬ligious hysteria and mass sui¬cide have all been guessed at as reasons for this mystery. The next group of immi¬grants used Tarxien as a ceme¬tery from 25001500 BC ¬they're called the Cemetery People. Around 1500 BC, the Borg in Nadur (Bronze Age) period began with the last group of migrants to arrive ¬until the Phoenicians came in about 800 BC. Few hard facts are known about the religion practised by the temple builders. Phallic symbols and their female equi¬valent, triangles, the huge, fat and skirted figure at Tarxien (the original is in the Valletta National Museum) and various smaller versions would seem to suggest a fertility cult.

The temples' curved outer walls were usually made of hard coralline limestone with faces or edges of blocks alter¬nately projecting. Then came a packing of rubble and the inner walls, usually of globigerina limestone. Doorways and passages were erected on the trilithon principle resembling posts and lintel.

Most temples were built in lobes or apses around a central court or passage. Common fea¬tures included altars, possible 'oracle chambers' and hol¬lowed stones, perhaps used for collecting libations of blood from sacrificial animals. There was usually also a massive, concave front wall with an im¬pressive entrance. Early tem¬ple interiors and altars had a pitted decoration and later there were carvings, which must have been done with stone, since no corresponding metal tools have been found.

During the Bronze Age, sophisticated metalworking techniques came to the islands, but the new immigrants pro¬duced nothing comparable to the earlier achievements, many of which predate other ancient wonders such as the Great Pyramid and Stonehenge. Mal¬tese construction techniques are considered unique: it seems the builders invented every¬thing themselves.
Go early in the morning if you want to avoid crowds (and be cool) and go with a qualified guide if you don't want to miss a lot of subtle details. About 10km (6 miles) from Valletta, Ghar Dalam is an important cave site. The small museum there shows the types of animals that existed on Malta in the Pleistocene era.

The exhibits include hippo¬potami and dwarf elephants. At one time the sea covered Malta, then it receded greatly, probably leaving at first a land bridge to Sicily, by which the large animals crossed. As the climate grew drier and food became scarcer, the number of animals gradually dwindled, and dwarf varieties developed. Animal bones and later human remains were found in the cave, a short walk downhill.

Uncovered from the late 19th century on, the natural cave intercepts a wide, or rav¬ine, carved out of the hill by rushing water. Layers of detri¬tus, including bones of wild animals, were washed down the ravine and into the cave. Human bones and carbonized grains found in upper layers show that the cave was in¬habited in Neolithic times and that these earliest settlers were agricultural people. The cave is cool and restful, but there's not much to see except a few stalactites and stalagmites.

St Georges Bay Temple

Less than a mile away, on the way to St George's Bay, is Borg in Nadur, a village that was fortified around 1500 BC, with some remaining ruins of houses and 'cartruts' nearby. The strong defen¬sive wall includes stones from earlier temples. Skorba at Zebbiegh is the oldest dwelling site in Malta, with a wall built before 4000 BC, and the remains of farmers' and herdsmen's huts and two megalithic temples. Magar Qim and Mnajdra, about 13km (8 miles)from Valletta, can be reached via Zurrieq or Siggiewi.

The site . of Hagar Qim is spectacular high above the sea, with a view of Filfla island. You'll see the typical concave fa9ade of the main temple and a complex series of rooms. Unusually, this temple is almost entirely built of the softer globigerina limestone, so it is eroded and weathered.
Interesting details include tethering loops for animals in the stone near the entrance, various ‘mushroom' or 'tea table' altars in the second court, and other altars with the early pitted decoration. The lower half of one of the famous 'fat lady' figures was found in this temple, a skirted cult fig¬ure with piano legs now in the National Museum. Mnajdra is a five-minute walk down a stone causeway towards the sea, in an even more beautiful setting. The temples here are contemporary with Magar Qim and the two sites have many features in common, but at Mnajdra, the stone is particularly subtly worked and curved.

Look for the remarkable multiple door¬ways and the cleverly cut oracle holes and, for an overview, climb a short way up the hill behind the site. The Hal Saflieni Hypo¬geum (a Greek word meaning ‘underground') is in Paola, a southern suburb of Valletta. This eerie labyrinth, carved from soft limestone, is vast and overwhelming, not recom¬mended for sufferers of claus¬trophobia. It was hollowed out on three different levels, the deepest plunging to a depth of 12m (40ft), and was discov¬ered by accident when workers were digging cisterns for new houses in 1902. Professionally explored by archaeologist Sir Themistocles Zammit, it is one of Europe's most fascinating prehistoric sites.

The Tarxien Temples Malta

You descend by a modern spiral staircase into near darkness. The first level would seem to be the oldest and cut the roughest (around 3300 BC). The two lower levels were made aroundthe time of the Tarxien Temples (3200-2500 BC) and were carved out with increasing care and sophisti¬cation. The middle level has imitation corbelling, and doors and niches cleverly copying the features of the above¬ground temples. The Oracle Chamber has a hollow where men (and only men, it seems) can make an odd echo effect. In the Main Chamber, the 'sleeping lady' statuette (now in the National Museum) was found. Some rooms have red or black decoration in spirals or hexagons; one wall drawing is meant to be a bull.

The whole complex covers an area of 800sq m (8,600sq ft) and is estimated to have con¬tained 7,000 bodies. Sheltered from attack by the outside elements, this is undoubtedly ancient Malta's best-preserved monument. Only 400m (l,300ft) away, the Tarxien temples date from the same era as the lower levels of the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, but their garden setting makes a complete contrast. The temples were discovered by a farmer who was having trouble ploughing his fields with all the megalithic stones in his way: on hearing of this, the archae-ologist Sir Themistocles Zam¬mit jumped at the chance to uncover the site, which was excavated between 1915 and 1919.

The temples were built at different times, from about 3200-2500 Be. On the way in you'll see a plan of the area, some replicas of carved stones and another piano legged 'fat lady' statue. The first temple you come to has replicas of lively bas-relief carvings ¬spirals, sheep, goats, pigs, cat¬tle, and the lower half of yet another 'fat lady', whose vast thighs are an inspiration to any weightwatcher. The second temple is origi¬nal in having six lobes or oval bays off the main axis, instead of the more usual four or five. Part of the floor has been removed to show some of the hundreds of heavy stone balls used as rollers for the huge slabs they were left in place as supports.

The third temple of the group is the oldest with, a little further on, parts of the ancient Ggantija period temple. The legendary siren Calypso kept Ulysses enthralled here for seven blissful years, and Gozo still enchants people who like its sleepy pace and rustic charm.

Malta cities to visit by hire car

Rabat

Near the gates of Mdina, the Roman villa and museum is worth visiting. This small, col¬umned building made of pink¬ish stone, and garlanded with rhododendrons, has been built over the mosaic floors and out¬line walls of the Roman origi¬nal. Inside, you can see pottery from Carthaginian and Greek tombs as well as some superb Roman glass. Downstairs in the atrium you'll find the fine mosaics, some made of especially tiny tesserae, which allow for their particular delicately detailed pictures.

The adjoining Arab cemetery fortunately managed to just miss the mosaics when its graves were dug. Rabat itself is Mdina's twin city. St Augustine's Church, found on St Augustine Street, was built by Caesar two years before the cathedral in Val¬letta. The latter is foreshad-owed by the former, especially by its massive barrel vaulted interior. In the heart of Rabat, on S2 Parish Square, is the 16thcen tury St Paul's Church, which some think was at least partly the work of Lorenzo Gafa, in particular the big dome.

Next to the church (on the left, downstairs) is the entrance to 8t Paul's Grotto, where the saint supposedly took shelter when he was in Malta. Legend has it that no matter how much stone was extracted from the cave, by some miracle it al¬ways grew back. The catacombs (St Paul's and St Agatha's; signs point the way) are cool mazes of galleries and passageways. Their extent suggests that a large Christian community lived in the area in the 4th and 5th cen¬turies. The circular stone plat¬forms are thought to have been tables for funeral feasts where guests reclined in Roman-style, and some of the cham¬bers seem to have been used for prayer meetings. St Aga¬tha's catacombs show traces of frescoes depicting saints, doves and shell designs.

Verdala Buskett and Dingli Malta

Take the road from Rabat to Buskett, and Verdala Castle lies just east off the road, a few minutes from Rabat. It is open on Tuesdays and Fridays, with tours conducted by the curator, and is well worth a visit. Once the summer residence of Grand Masters and Governors, it is now an occasional retreat for the President and guests. Gero¬lamo Cassar built this square castle surrounded by a moat and pine groves in 1586 for the Grand Master de Verdalle, Cardinal Verdala. It has a mag¬nificent elliptical staircase and a superb view from the roof.

The Buskett or Boschetto (meaning 'little wood') is one of the island's greenest spots, where the knights raised their falcons for hunting. On 28 and 29 June, Malta's folklore festival is held here. These woods are also the setting for Gir¬genti, the summer palace of the Inquisitor, a good place to relax from his weighty duties. (It is not open to visitors.) At nearby Dingli Cliffs, a sheer drop of 250m (800ft) down to the sea gives a dizzy¬ing view. The islet in the dis¬tance is Filfla, made even smaller by the British who used it for bombing practice.

Between the Buskett Gar¬dens and the cliffs, signs to 'Clapham Junction' (a joke reference to the busiest London train station) direct you to one of the best areas to see prehis¬toric 'cart ruts'. A broad rocky slope is grooved in rectangles where great stones were quarried, and deep, curv¬ing double tracks lead down the hill. They were made by some kind of sled on which the stones were dragged away. Ghar Lapsi is a mere cluster of buildings under the cliffs, but it is one of the few ways down to the sea near here, so the tiny beach is a local favourite.

The Blue Grotto Malta

Further east, by the road to Zurrieq, is Malta's Blue Grotto not as large as Capri's, nor as crowded. The approach road offers some spectacular views and leads to a small car park, where you'll find boatmen in their colourful water taxis ready to shuttle you round the point and into the limestone caves. Try to go in the morning before 10 o'clock, when sunlight slants into the caves to reflect off the white sandy bottom. In some places your hand will glow turquoise blue if you drag it in the water. The 25minute excursion takes in several caves, where the limestone is tinted pink, mauve and orange by coral and minerals, especially in one called 'Reflection Cave'. In the best light, the Blue Grotto it¬self is a luminous, pure blue, and a square natural 'window' in the rock gives the effect of a fluorescent lamp.

Marsaxlokk Malta and car hire at Luqa Airport

If you want to see the best of Malta, and take your time to travel around, pre-book a hire car from Luqa Airport, where car rentals are reasonably-priced.While you're in the area, you could visit the twin temple sites of Hagar Qim and Mnaj dra, which are close at hand on the cliff top. Marsaxlokk, on an eastern arm of Marsaxlokk Bay, is the largest fishing village in Malta, colourful and peaceful, with bobbing luzzu boats, fishermen mending their nets, and a good choice of seafood restaurants around the harbour.

Within the larger bay, St George's Bay is the site of Ghar Dalam and Pretty Bay was once a favourite local holiday haunt industry and modern installa¬tions have made it less worthy of its name. Dragut the pirate landed in Marsaxlokk in 1565, and in the 17th century several defensive towers were built. This didn't deter Napoleon, whose troops disembarked here in 1798. In more modern times the bay was a seaplane base.

A small road running down to Delimara Point takes you past Tassilg Chapel, where there is a Carmelite Monastery, and the site of a Punic Roman temple. You can swim from the rocks at Peter's Pool but St Thomas Bay is shallow, sandy and popular with wind¬surfers. Between the two, at Xrobb Ilghagin are some ves¬tiges of a Neolithic temple. Marsaskala, at the head of its own narrow bay, is like a smaller Marsaxlokk, complete with pastel houses and colour¬ful fishing boats.

Rapid build¬ing in recent years has lined the inlet with apartments and villas and, where it meets the sea, one of Malta's biggest hotels. Although relatively fertile, this part of Malta was once difficult to defend, and so was under populated. Its sandy beaches are now a big attraction. As you’re heading this way, you will hardly miss one of the island's outstanding land d marks, the dome of the parish) church in the busy little town of Mosta. St Mary's was built with local money and by vol¬untary labour between 183360 to the designs of the architect Giorgio de Va sse, and the in¬habitants are justly proud of it.

The magnificent, enormous dome, whose 37m (123ft) dia¬meter makes it one of the largest in the world, was con¬structed without the use of scaffolding. Behind a classical facade, the impression inside is one of 'all dome', surrounded by apses. The geometrical mar¬ble floor heightens the effect. A bomb fell through the dome on 9 April 1942, sliding across the floor without exploding a miracle for those present. A replica of the bomb stands in the sacristy on the left.

St Andrews Malta

North-west from Sliema and St Julian's, St Andrew's was once a huge army base, now converted into civilian housing and holiday facilities. The road runs alongside the coast again at Bahar ic Cag¬haq, where there is a water park. After several headlands and old towers, you arrive at Salina Bay, with a small play¬ground, salt pans and reed beds. Further round the bay at Qawra (remember the Q is almost silent), big resort hotels and beach clubs offer plenty of water sports facilities.

Next, by rounding Qawra Point, where the knights' fort is now a restaurant, or by cut¬ting across the peninsula, you will come to St Paul's Bay. On its south side, Bugibba vil¬lage and the town of San Pawl il Bahar have grown together into a major holiday resort, with water sports and swim¬ming from the rocks or small sandy beaches. Hotels, apartments, restaurants, bars and discos have sprung up, but tra¬ditional life continues too, in the old parts of town and the fishing harbour. St Paul came ashore near here after he was shipwrecked in AD 60.

The legend goes that it was on the larger of the two islands you can see over the water. Ghajn Razul ('apostle's fountain') is said to be where he struck a rock, which mirac¬ulously brought forth water.

Sliema St Julians Bay and Mdina Malta

These are the liveliest spots in Malta for hotels, nightlife and shopping. Sliema, a thriving suburb, is a lot larger than Valletta. It's about a 5km (3mile) journey from Floriana to Sliema's Strand, passing by or through Pieta, Msida and Ta 'Xbiex, where yachts line the quayside. Sliema has grown fast in recent years and its general appearance is undistinguished, yet it has good shops, restaur¬ants and a range of hotels. The harbour shore is a con¬crete promenade, but the rocky northeast coast, facing the open sea, has suitable flat spots for swimming.

The peninsula facing Valletta was once a big military base, now being con¬verted to housing and leisure facilities. From the very tip, Dragut Point, the eponymous pirate bombarded St Elmo in the Great Siege. After St Julian's Point, with its fortified tower, now a cafe; you reach Balluta Bay, and then St Julian's Bay, an old fishing village that has sprou¬ted bars and restaurants. Be¬tween here and St George's Bay are luxury hotels, discos, and the Casino. The entire area is full of bathers on sum¬mer weekends. Inland to Mdina and Rabat Mdina is about 12km (7 miles) from Valletta, through busy Hamrun, an industrial suburb.

The road passes the aqueduct, built in the 17th century by Grand Master Wigna court and designed to bring water to Valletta. Off to the right from Attard, the San Anton Gar¬dens make a refreshing, shady retreat with subtropical trees and flowers, some giant ever¬greens possibly descendants of the islands' lushes past when plenty of rain and green¬ery supported abundant wild¬life. At the opposite end of the gardens is the official resi¬dence of the President; it was built as a sunnier palace in the 17th century by Grand Master Antoine de Paule. Further along the road, also branching off to the right, is Ta' Qali, a former airfield now converted into a crafts village.

Mdina Malta

This historic citadel is one of Malta's most beautiful spots. It may have been inhabited since the Bronze Age, and there were certainly Punic and Roman settlements here. The Romans called it Mel¬ita (honey); St Publius, the Roman governor, converted by St Paul and later to become first Bishop of Malta, lived here. When the Arabs fortified the promontory in the 9th cen¬tury they renamed it Mdina (the walled city) and separated it from its 'suburb', Rabat (another word for city). Also known as Citta Nota¬bile, Mdina was the first capital of Malta and later the Bishop's See and seat of the Universita, the government advisory body. Roger the Norman was greeted here as the island's liberator from the Arabs in 1090. When the knights decided that Val¬letta should become the capi¬tal, Mdina became Citta Vec¬chia (meaning 'old city').

The Silent City Malta

Now it is often called 'the silent city', intriguing and secretive narrow, practically deserted streets. Several of Malta's aristocratic old families still live here very dis¬creetly in enclosed palaces. Two main gates (both dated 1724) lead into Mdina. On the left is Greeks' Gate. Take the bridge across the moat from Howard Gardens and enter the town through Mdina Gate (the outline of an earlier gate is to the right of it). Just inside, Vil¬hena Palace is named after the Grand Master who had it built in the 18th century. It currently houses the quaint Museum of Natural History, whose most interesting exhibit shows the geological 'sandwich' of Malta and Gozo's rock formations.

Villegaignon Street is the main thoroughfare throughout, running through to the wall on the other side of town. To the right is the Convent of St Benedict, a blank walled building to which men are not admitted. The two churches are St Peter's and St Agatha's. On the left you'll see Casa Inguanez, the palace home of Malta's oldest titled family. Typically, the main entrance is in a side street.

The striking cathedral (the seat of the bishopric and 'co cathedral' with St John's in Valletta) is an outstanding ba¬roque work on an island rich in baroque art. Fronted by a pair of cannon, flanked by its two bell towers, it has three door¬ways with two different types of pilasters (Corinthian below and composite above), making an admirable facade when it is seen from the square. It was built by Lorenzo Gafa between 1697 and 1702 and is consid¬ered to be his masterwork. The interior, under an im¬pressive dome, is well propor¬tioned, yet very rich, and the marble mosaic floor covers the tombs of bishops and notables.

Notice the heavy wooden doors through the vestry are carved with snakes and other motifs. A lively fresco, The Shipwreck of St Paul, by Mat¬tia Preti, is in the apse, and to the left of the apse you'll find a silver processional cross, brought to Malta (according to tradition) by the knights from Rhodes. To the right of the Arch¬bishop's Palace, outside the Cathedral, the former seminary is the Cathedral Museum. Its fine coin collection will thrill any numismatist. Displayed in mirrored cases, it takes you from Carthage all the way to modem Europe, with stops at many historic moments.

Upstairs is a collection of paintings (Sicilian, Flemish, Spanish, 16th-18th centuries), superb Durer woodcuts, and delightful engravings by Rem¬brandt, Piranesi, Van Dyck and Goya. Some beautiful illumi¬nated choir books date from as early as the 11th century.

The oldest house in Mdina and airport car hire Malta

Just off the square in Ville¬gaignon Street, the Palazzo Santa Sophia's ground floor is reputedly the oldest house in Mdina, with a typical Maltese feature a 'stringcourse' of triangular corbels with balls attached to them. The upper floor was finished 600 years later to the original plan! The next big building on the left is the Church of the Annunciation. Its bells played an important part in the 1798 revolt against the French, who wanted to sell valuable tapes¬tries belonging to the church, but after an incident during which a young boy attacked the French Commandant Mas son, the bells were rung to call people from the neighbouring countryside.

After a good deal of brawling, the enraged Mal¬tese threw Masson to his death from the balcony of the no¬tary's house, in one of the first actions of the rebellion that lasted until the French were ousted in 1800. Mdina today is still a fascinating city to visit, and you can pre-book a hire a car from Malta Airport and explore the whole of Mdina and Malta within a few days.

Near to the end of Ville¬gaignon Street on the right is the Norman House, or the Pal¬azzo Falzon. The lower and earliest part of the house is a defensive facade with only slits for windows (14th-15th centuries). The later and upper section has attractive double arched windows. At the end of the street you will come to a large bastion with a magnificent view, ex¬tending to Mosta with its great dome and all the way to the spires of Valletta in the east.

Head for Greeks' Gate, divert¬ing along any of the narrow alleys on the way, and you'll see how the city was designed to create cool shade, as well as for defence purposes. Even if enemies penetrated the walls, they could be pelted with missiles from the rooftops, or cut off in deadened streets. At Greeks' Gate, you can see blocks of Roman masonry in the lower wall, and the out¬line of an Arab archway, illus¬trating the long history of this little jewel of a city.

Places to visit in Valletta Malta

If you head back towards City Gate, Fountain Street brings you to the beginning of Strait Street (also known as the Gut), a narrow lane which still has some of the bars and hangouts that once gave it a reputation among sailors for low life. It was also the only place where the knights were allowed to fight duels.

A slightly longer walk follows the fortifications, starting along St Sebastian Street with the English Curtain wall on the right and the rather rundown Auberge of the Bav¬arian langue opposite. After St Sebastian Bastion and its spectacular view over Marsamxett Harbour, if you turn up Archbishop Street ¬actually consisting of a flight of steps at this point you'll reach Independence Square. The Auberge d' Aragon here was the first auberge built in Valletta in the 16th century; the Doric porch was added at a later date.

The building of the neoclassical St Paul's Angli¬can Cathedral opposite was entirely paid for by the Dowa¬ger Queen Adelaide after she visited Malta from 1838-39. St Paul's 60m (200ft) high steeple makes a striking land¬mark, rivalled by the huge dome of Carmelite Church nearby on Old Theatre Street, an enlarged replacement for one bombed during the war in 1731 under the rule of Grand Master Manoel de Vil¬hena, is a gem, and one of Europe's oldest theatres still in use. It endured a period of decay after the larger opera house was opened, becoming at one time a doss house (the homeless could sleep in the theatre's boxes for a penny a night) and then a cheap cine¬ma.

The National Theatre Malta and car hire

Now restored as Malta's National Theatre, its neat, oval shape with tiers of gilded and painted boxes makes a splen¬did setting for both plays and concerts. The National Theatre and other places of interest in Malta can be reached by cheap car hire from Luqa Airport. Across the peninsula are several baroque churches: St Roque and St Ursula (both in St Ursula Street) and St Paul Shipwrecked in St Paul Street, an 18th century church with an ornate 19th century facade. Its treasures include a statue of St Paul by Melchiorre Gafil, a wrist bone of the saint, and half of the column on which he was beheaded in Rome.

The National Museum of Fine Arts is on South Street, which crosses Republic Street up near City Gate. The build¬ing is an attractive, white 16th century palace, built around a sunny courtyard. As Admiralty House, it served as the official residence of the Commander¬ in Chief of the British Mediter¬ranean Fleet, a post filled at one time or another by practi¬cally every famous British naval hero as the list inside reminds you.

The collection includes paintings from various periods of the Flemish, Dutch, French and Italian schools, notably some by Mattia Preti, who came to decorate St John's Cathedral and stayed. There are also some fine works by the 20th-century Maltese sculptor Antonio Sciortino. The exhibits in the base¬ment evoke the knights' hospi¬tal mission, with apothecary vessels vases and the famous silver are used to serve the patients. Look out too for the early models of fortifications.

Hastings Gardens Malta

Near City Gate (up to the right before you exit) are Hast¬ings Gardens, named after the Marquess of Hastings, who was Governor of Malta from 182426. His funerary statue stands here. From here there is a splendid view of Marsarnxett Harbour, Msida and Lazzaretto creeks, Manoel Island and Dragut Point. Floriana and St Publius Church are below you and Independence Arena is off to the left.

The mountainous bastions of two churches, St Michael and St Andrew, were built up here after the Great Siege and are 1821m (6070ft) thick. Walking back to City Gate, before taking a staircase down, you'll cross the fortifications of St James' Cavalier and St John's Cavalier (where the knights now have their Embassy in Malta).

Next to the tourist informa¬tion office at City Gate, steps lead down into the great 'ditch' that protected Valletta from landward attack. If you make the descent, you'll see the lower level bridge that once carried Malta's short railway, which went as far as Medina until it closed in 1931. The station here is now an un¬derground car park. Along the bottom of the ditch in Lascaris Bastion, the War Rooms have been preserved, complete with uniformed models plotting air battles and the progress of convoys for opening hours.

Floriana and cheap car hire Valletta

Any approach to Valletta by land inevitably goes through the spacious Floriana area, named after Paolo Floriani, the Italian military engineer who recommended that Valletta be protected by outer fortresses on the land approach. To make the most of this fascinating region of Malta, pre-book a hire car from Luqa Malta Airport. Here you'll drive under or beside the twin arches of Porte des Bombes, one built in the 18th century, another added later, in matching style of course, by the British. On St Anne Street are the British High Commission and the US Embassy.

Vitioriosa Senglea and Cospicua Malta

Just across Grand Harbour from Valletta are 'the three cities', which you can reach by bus from City Gate, by hire car via Marsa or, if one is operating, by dgnajsa (water taxi) from Lascaris Wharf. From the main gate of Vittoriosa, still known as Birgu to the Maltese, the main street carries on down to Vittoriosa Square. Halfway along you'll come to the former Inquisi¬tor's Palace, a gloomy warren now partly turned into a folk museum. Just to the east of the square in Majjistral (or Mis¬tral) Street is the pretty facade of the Auberge d'Angle terre. Below the square, the diminutive church is the Oratory of St Joseph. You can ask for a key at the 'museum' door round the corner though. There’s not much to see inside except for a sword and hat belonging to Jean de la Valette.

The Church of St Lawrence

Towards the waterfront, the Church of St Lawrence was originally the knights' Consensual Church before the move to Valletta. It was rebuilt by Lorenzo Gafa in the late 1600s and is richly decorated inside, with paintings and pink marble columns. Outside, a plaque records the death of Sir Nicholas Upton, who fell de¬fending Malta from the Turks in 1551. Another commemo¬rates those who died in the World War II bombing, when the church's dome was com¬pletely destroyed.

Below the church is a new Freedom Monument, unveiled on 31 March 1979, when the British Navy finally departed: it shows a British sailor shak¬ing hands with a Maltese dock¬worker. The buildings along the waterfront were first used as bakeries by the knights, then by the Royal Navy.

Now they house the Maritime

The site of Fort St Angelo had already been built on in Phoenician times with, it is thought, a temple to Astarte, followed by a Greek temple to Hera and a Roman one to Juno. During the Great Siege, the knights moored their galleys in the moat (now largely filled in) between the fort and the town, when St Angelo was their command post. It was also the Royal Navy's head¬quarters during World War II, and held up well, considering how often it was bombed.

Senglea and Cospicua and car rentals in Malta

Senglea and Cospicua were also heavily blitzed, and have been rebuilt in modem style as residential areas. Benglea, also called l'Isla, was named after the Grand Master who forti¬fied it before the Great Siege, Claude de la Sengle. Make your way to the little garden at Isola Point, where a lookout tower is aptly sculp¬ted with an eye and an ear. Cospicua (also known as Bormla), is ringed by the for¬midable multiple walls of the Cotonera lines, named after the 17thcentury Grand Master Cotoner.

Places to go in Valletta Malta

Some of the best places to go in Valletta are situated on and around Republic Street towards Fort St Elmo. Here you'll come to Great Siege Square with its power¬ful allegorical monument by Sciortino. Opposite are the Law Courts, an imposing neoclassical building on the former site of the Auberge d' Auvergne, destroyed during World War II.

Republic Street widens into Republic Square. Most of it is taken up by a spacious out¬door cafe and lined with little shops under the shady arcades. At the back of the square, the National Library, once the Library of the Order, was con¬structed in the late 18th cen tury to house the collection amassed by the knights, and the archives of the Order, which includes documents dat¬ing back to the 11th century.

From Palace Square, which adjoins Republic Square, you can go through a big archway into the first courtyard of the Grand Master's Palace, now the seat of the House of Representatives. In 1569 the nephew of Grand Master del Monte built here what was probably the first private house in Val¬letta. Later the knights com¬missioned Gerolamo Cassar to enlarge it into a palace. Today, some parts of the palace house museums, and some of the state rooms are used for Presi¬dential receptions and other na¬tional occasions.

Car hire in Malta

Visitors to Malta can take advantage of cheap car hire at Luqa Airport and take their time to look around this intriguing island, particularly Valletta, Medina and Sliema.

You'll find two cool, green courtyards nestled in the palace grounds, one of them called Neptune Court after its statue. In the other, Prince Alfred's Court, look up to see the clock installed by Grand Master Pin¬to de Fonseca (1741-73), with little figures who strike a gong on the hour. To visit the palace, take the staircase from Prince Alfred Court. In the council chamber, the meeting place of Malta's Parliaments from 1921-76, you can sit on one of the heavy bench seats and admire the beautiful Gobelins tapestries given to the Order by Grand Master Ramon Perellos in the early 18th century. Called Les Tentures des Indes, they repre¬sent all kinds of real and fanciful beasts and birds, with exotically clad Indians. The paintings depict the knights' naval victories.

The grandest of the public rooms is the Hall of St Michael and St George, or the Throne Room, with a beamed ceiling and frieze by Matteo Perez d' A1eccio. This is where the Supreme Council of the Order of St John used to meet. Scenes of the Great Siege fill the walls, and the carved gallery comes from the ship in which Villiers de l'Isle Adam sailed away from Rhodes in 1523. The damask curtained Hall of Ambassadors, or the Red Room, features heavy portraits of assorted monarchs: Louis XIV by De Troy, Louis XV by Van Loo, Catherine II of Russia by Levitsky.

The Armoury, upstairs from Neptune Court, is notable for its immense collection of suits of mail especially the one worn by Jean de la Valette and a gold inlaid ceremonial suit made for Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt. There is also some captured Turkish arms, including, it's said, the corsair Dragut's sword. Leaving the palace by the Neptune Court archway, you'll see the Greek Catholic Church on Archbishop Street unre¬markable except for a 12th¬century icon, called 'Our Lady of Damascus', which was brought by the knights when they came to Malta in 1530: it was well restored in 1966. Just a few steps away is the Gesu Church, built between 1592-1600, richly ornate in Italian baroque style.

The Mediterranean Conference Centre

Go down Merchants Street and you'll find yourself at the Mediterranean Conference Centre. The restoration of this former hospital is one of the finest achievements of inde¬pendent Malta. It was accom¬plished in' only a few months and the impressive inter¬national conference hall was opened in 1979. The centre has six well equipped conference rooms as well as a huge theatre and the beautiful 161m (525ft) vaulted hall that served as the Great Ward in the old hospital. A must for any visitor coming to Malta for the first time is the 45 minute multi screen docu¬mentary, The Malta Experi¬ence, shown at the centre several times a day. It's an excellent introduction to the history of the islands. Head¬phones carry the commentary in six languages.

Star shaped Fort St Elmo, so valiantly defended during the Great Siege though ulti¬mately lost occupies the whole of the end of the penin¬sula. You can enter the main part only if you have permis¬sion from police headquarters the fort is a police academy now. However, within the fort you can visit the National War Museum, reached by a separate entrance.

It contains mostly World War II relics, including Faith, one of the four Gladiator biplanes that were Malta’s air defence when Italy declared war in 1940. The jeep Husky was used by General Eisenhower and later by President Roosevelt during a visit. The George Cross, con¬ferred on Malta and the Mal¬tese in 1942 for their courage under bombardment, is one of the most treasured exhibits.

Where to go in Malta by hire car

Starting with Valletta and the suburbs, move on to Mdina and Rabat and then visit the southeast coast and the North West.

Visit Valletta by hire car

Valletta is a beautiful city which conjures up images of a noble and majestic past, and is a must-see town if you are planning to tour around Malta by hire car from Luqa Airport. The city that has been at the centre of Malta's turbulent history ... 'That splendid town, quite like a dream', wrote Sir Walter Scott. When you see Valletta, whether from the air, or from a boat, or in the glow of the late afternoon sun, you'll agree with him. The light turns the city's bright stone bastions and buildings to gold, making it a place of enchantment which seems to float on an indigo sea. It was not always this way.

Mdina or Medina Malta

Mdina, the walled inland city:as the capital of Malta from pre Roman times until the Great Siege of 1565. But the Grand Master, Jean Parisot de la Valette, saw the defensive possibilities of the Sceberras peninsula and his imagination was fired. After the knights' victory, plans were laid to build a capital there, with in¬vulnerable fortifications. The sharply hog backed ridge with its two great natural harbours, Marsamxett on one side and the Grand Harbour on the other, was the perfect place. So it was that in 1566, despite the enormous cost anticipated, work was begun by Francesco Laparelli, who had served as architect to Cosimo de' Medici and Pope Pius IV. Laparelli is said to have masterminded the entire city plan in a mere three days, and two years later, when he left, Gerolamo Cassar (his Malteseassistant) took over and kept to the original conception.

The new city was con¬structed quickly but intelli¬gently. Around the uniform grid shaped street plan, a solid line of stone curtains and bas¬tions was built, which made it virtually impregnable. Fresh water remained a problem until the 17th century, when Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt ordered the con¬struction of an aqueduct from springs near Mdina: this new supply even allowed gardens to be added near to the fortifi¬cations.

Valletta suffered merciless bombing during World War II, but it was a victorious and courageous Maltese people who wept with joy when the blockade was broken in 1942 They are proud of their city, and have kept its original charms intact.

The old town of Valletta Malta

The best way to visit Valletta is by hire car to the outskirts and then on foot, as the streets are narrow and many are closed to traffic. Sunset is a good time for a walk round, when the shadows are cooling the streets, and you can join strollers out for the evening social hour known as the passeggiata. From the roundabout bus terminal and Triton Fountain, a footbridge crosses the deep rock cut defensive ditch. You pass through the City Gate ¬rebuilt in post war style and into Freedom Square, with an arcade and complex of shops on either side. Directly ahead is Republic Street, which is closed to motor traffic for most of the day.

Parallel to it on the right is the second principal artery, Merchants Street. Both streets run on for 1.5km (al¬most 1 mile) to Fort St Elmo at the end of the peninsula. Opposite City Gate you'll see sad ruins of the classical old opera house built by E.M. Barry a reminder of the bombing in World War II.

To the right is Valletta's oldest church, the baroque Our Lady of Victories, completed in 1567 as a commemoration of the Great Siege victory (its front was remodelled in the 17th century). Next to it a crumbling reddish facade is what remains of one of the earliest houses built in the city. Opposite is the church of St Catherine of Italy, a domed structure originally designed by Cassar, but later rebuilt.

A few steps further on is the Auberge de Castile et Leon, most impressive of the auberges, now housing the of¬fice of the Prime Minister. The auberges (inns) are the build¬ings where the knights were accommodated. Each langue had its own Just beyond Castile Place are the Upper Barrakka Gar¬dens, built in the 18th . With green shrubs and trees, bright hibiscus and statues, the area is a pleasant retreat where the knights used to stroll and supposedly hatch plots, or where the people watched them set off on expeditions.

Among the statues you'll see today are a group of children, Les Gavroches, by Antonio Sciortino, the Maltese sculptor; a monument to Lord Strick¬land, Prime Minister from 1927 30; a bust of Sir Winston Churchill; and the tomb of Sir Thomas Maitland, 'King Tom', the peppery governor of Malta (and Corfu) from 1813¬-24. From under the colonnade here there's a stunning view across Grand Harbour. On the far left guarding the harbour mouth is the 17thcentury Fort Ricasoli; directly ahead is Fort St Angelo (Grand Master de la Valette's headquarters in the Great Siege) at Vittoriosa; to the right is Dockyard Creek, where the knights had their boats repaired. The next pro¬montory is Senglea , behind which rises the town of Cospicua, built later when the defensive walls were ex¬tended by Grand Master Co¬toner. Directly below you, on Lascaris Wharf, is the old Cus¬toms House, attractively built in Venetian style, and several well restored warehouses.

Parisio Palace Valetta Malta
Return to Merchants Street and you’ll see Parisio Palace, on the right, where Napoleon stayedfor a few days in 1798. Now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the palace is a sober 18thcentury building. On the opposite side of the street the Auberge d'Italie, built by Cas¬sar Mer¬chants Street to Republic Street via Melita Street. This thoroughfare is a hive of activity in the 16th century, was later modified and is now the General Post Office. Make your way from, lined with all kinds of shops, cafes and snack bars. The Church of Santa Bar¬bara (between South Street and Melita Street) is unusual for its simple decoration and oval shape beneath a soaring dome. This church was used by the knights of the langue of Provence. Today the Cath¬olic services are held here in English, French and German.

Conveniently nearby, the Auberge de Provence, on your left as you head towards Fort St Elmo, now houses the National Museum of Archae¬ology (for opening hours, This auberge, founded in 1571, was designed by Ger¬olamo Cassar. The museum's collection, begun in the 17th and 18th cen¬turies and reorganized in the 20th century by the Maltese ar¬chaeologist, Sir Themistocles Zammit, was brought here when the museum was inaugu¬rated in 1957.

It's essential to see this collection for a better under¬standing of Malta's prehistoric sites. Among the fascinating objects here are the celebrated 13cm (5in) long 'Sleeping Woman' statuette from the Hypogeum underground burial chambers, and the huge lower half of a 'fat lady' transplanted from Tarxien, where she was being eroded by the elements. Stones showing the early 'pit¬ted' style of decoration or the later spiral form have been brought here from Magar Qim, Tarxien and other sites (and re¬placed there by replicas) for the same reason.

There are also artefacts from each of Malta's prehis¬toric periods such as car¬bonized seeds and weapons, and a curious Tarxien plate engraved with bulls and goats. The shards of big bowls and vases from the Tarxien period have since been reassembled, and from the number found, it is thought that breaking ves¬sels may have been part of the ancient religious cult.
Upstairs, the museum has some interesting Roman and Punic (Carthaginian) pottery and jewellery, and a cippus (small pillar) with inscriptions in both Phoenician and Greek, which enabled scholars to find the key to the deciphering of Phoenician. Its twin was given to Louis XIV and is now in the Louvre in Paris.

After leaving the museum, if you turn again towards Fort St Elmo, you'll see St John's Square and the Cathedral just off to the right.

Valletta Market Malta

The street becomes a delightful open air market on weekday mornings (on Sundays it moves to St James' Ditch). St John's Co Cathedral (for opening hours, the knights' own church, was built between 157377 to the plans of Gerolamo Cassar. It is considered to be his master¬piece and was raised to its cathedral status in 1816 by Pope Pius VII, sharing the dis¬tinction with Mdina Cathedral (hence the 'Co').

The building's rather plain facade does nothing to prepare you for an interior that reveals a quite staggering display of baroque art. Sir Walter Scott wrote that he had never seen a more striking church nave. The barrel vaulted space is 58m (189ft) long, 20m (64ft) high, and 35m (115ft) wide, and flanked on both sides by chapels, most of which were built by the various langues of the knights and named after saints. Everywhere you look, this church is densely carved in high relief, gilded or richly painted with religious motifs.

The chapels of Valletta and car hire

Hire a car in Valletta or at Luqa Airport to full explore the chapels and sights of the city. To the right of the nave are the chapels of St James, St George, St Sebastian and the Blessed Sacrament. This last has an extraordinary screen and gates in solid silver, which, legend has it, were cleverly concealed by being painted black when the French were on a pillaging spree dur¬ing their occupation of 1798. The vault of the church is decorated with oil on stone paintings by the 17thcentury Calabrian artist Mattia Preti. They tell the story of St John the Baptist, and took five years (1662-67) to complete. The rich high altar (1681) was designed by the architect Lorenzo Gafa, and presents an elaborate array of marble, silver plate and lapis lazuli. The group behind the altar is of the Baptism of Christ, by Sicilian sculptor Giuseppe Mazzuoli.

Going back towards the main door you'll see on the right the chapels of St Charles (or of the Holy Relics), St Michael, St Paul, St Catherine and the Chapel of the Magi. Most chapels have busts or other monuments commemor¬ating Grand Masters. In the sacristy are paintings by Ste¬fano Pieri, Preti and Antoine de Favray. To reach the oratory and museum, take a door on the right facing the altar, third bay from the entrance.

The oratory's main feature is the monumental painting by Cara¬vaggio, The Beheading of St John, widely considered to be the finest painting in Malta. Commissioned by the Order to paint several works, the hot tempered Caravaggio ended up assaulting one of the knights. The details of the story are unclear, but the artist left the island in disgrace in 1608. The painting dramatically uses chiaroscuro and lively baroque composition well suited to its violent theme.

Napoleon the British and Malta

In 1798, with mastery of the Mediterranean his objective, Napoleon came to the same conclusion as many comman¬ders before and since: Malta would be valuable to him, and would pose a threat if held by his enemies. On 10 June he invaded the island, landing at Valletta, where he presented the knights with an order: they must pack up and leave. Where others had failed, Napoleon succeeded. Grand Master de Hompesch gave in, and, after 268 years of residence, the world's most famous military Order departed. Napoleon started energeti¬cally promulgating new laws, but then he too left, only six days after the knights.

Two years of French rule followed, in which the arrogant behav¬iour of the occupiers made them hated by both the Malt¬ese and the Church. A popular insurrection began, and lasted on and off for 18 months until troops sent by the King of Naples joined the Maltese.

With Admiral Nelson pat¬rolling the Mediterranean, the French position was hopeless, and they capitulated in 1800. In 1802 the Treaty of Amiens gave Malta back to the Order of St John, but subsequent Maltese protests prevented the knights from returning. Malta’s value as anaval base now came to the attention of the British, who had just relinquished Menorca. For the remainder of the Napoleonic Wars, Great Britain informally administered the islands, and her possession was formally recognized in the Treaty of Paris in 1814, and again at the Congress of Vienna. British rule was to last until 1964, and her forces continued to use baseson Malta until 1979.

The British Colony of Malta

In the early years, the British set about imposing some sort of uniformity with the rest of their growing Empire. In 1813, a year marked by a plague which killed off a fifth of its people, Sir Thomas Maitland arrived as governor of Malta. Nicknamed 'King Tom', he dismissed the traditional self governing Universita and in¬troduced sweeping reforms to bring the legal system into line with the English one though old practices often persisted. With this degree of stability and improving health stan¬dards, the population grew considerably, though the econ-omy had its ups and downs.

New crops were introduced, including potatoes, which all flourished. Water resources were better managed and more vineyards were planted. Cotton production, once all important, declined in the face of large scale competition from Egypt and America and attempts to start a silk industry failed. The building of bases for the Royal Navy, plus a harbour and ship repair facilities gave a boost to employment and prosperity. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 increased Mediterranean shipping and by 1880, Grand Harbour was a major port. Later, many rivals developed, with greater home markets and industries, thus diminishing Malta's import¬ance as a centre of trade.

The Modern history of Malta

During the 19th century, a successio