It’s a Long Way to Malta: An Irishman’s ’Gem in the Med’

Description

Malta is a feast to the eye and a tug on the heart. Pastel coloured rocks, dry stone walls, little farms of greenery, cute little inlets with multicoloured fishing boats, delightful baroque architecture, magnificent church domes, a perfect climate, a leisurely pace of life, charming people, all embraced by the warm blue Mediterranean. It has become my color postcard, but now I must share it with two million other visitors who come each year, lucky like me, to have discovered this little Heaven. Reviews for ‘It’s a Long Way to Malta’ “Paddy Cummins has created a gripping and emotional book that captivates at every turn of the page. Endlessly fascinating, tensely absorbing, with humorous anecdotes. This is classic travel writing – a brilliant read” Michael K Hayes. Renowned Travel Writer. BBC Radio. The Sunday Times. “Malta through Irish eyes” “In his new book, ‘It’s a Long Way to Malta’, Paddy Cummins reminds his readers that he is a proud Irishman, but he also instils pride in his Maltese readers by showing them why their little island captures the hearts of so many millions of people just like him. I found Cummins’ written Irish brogue to be very pleasant; you can imagine him speaking the words off the page as he wanders contentedly around Malta, describing with almost child-like wonderment, his favourite places, peppering his prose with historical details along the way. His admiration for Malta and all things Maltese is evident in every chapter. Of course, he doesn’t have the prowess of his literary heroes and fellow countrymen, W B Yeats and Oscar Wilde, but his stories are very sweet, engaging, and often humorous in their own amiable little way. Cummins is an enthusiastic people-watcher, happily observing the little idiosyncrasies of his fellow travellers and locals going about their business. As a result, the book features an assortment of colourful characters, many of whom will seem familiar, portrayed here in rich colour and humorous detail. All in all, I found this to be a truly enjoyable journey around Malta and Gozo, with a very agreeable companion. Patrick Cooke