Valletta 18

valletta18

Photo: Mitchell Bennett

The Malta Independent on Sunday 20 May 2018

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The new CITY SLICKERS We began to see Valletta in a new light, years before the current hype, but now the imagination of a cosmopolitan, younger generation is making things happen.

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few decades ago new home seekers flocked to the villages, seized whatever crumbling ruin they could find and converted it into the must-have home of the time – the house of

character.

As Sliema and other seaside residential areas grew to dangerous levels of both height and density, this seemed a natural response. Hardly anyone would have considered moving to Valletta; that over-populated city with its dark, narrow streets and suspect housing estates, certainly not a place to bring up a family was the general opinion. Valletta was somewhere to shop, go to the theatre or its one and only cinema. There were not even many places to eat. In fact, by night there was very little sign of life at all.

How different it is now. Slowly and subtly Valletta has been transformed into a des-res area. Its buildings are being seen for the glorious creations they are, by people who can not only see their potential but are prepared to tackle the extreme efforts of making their visions a reality, despite the seemingly impossible task of carrying out such monumental transformations in some of the most inaccessible areas.

Narrow streets of steps, terraced houses with not an arm's length between blocks, collapsing ceilings, damp clusters of cellars, dingy, metre thick walls with tiny windows as their source of light are certainly an acquired taste. Few of the residential blocks of flats have lifts installed. Regulations on listed buildings, of which there would be many, will affect how you can install air conditioning, deal with a dampwarped wooden dance floor in an ancient palazzo, or ensure peace and quiet by fitting double-glazing or sound proofing.

Beautiful and interesting as it is in many ways, in all honesty the layout of the city may not be for the faint-hearted or unfit. And let's not even mention where you might leave your car, Valletta residents' priority parking or not, the number of spaces or garages do not yet come close to the number of people who need them.

And yet they come. Who are they?

Foreigners, of course, always the first to spot what we simply took for granted for so long. They have no preconceived perception of where is, or is not a smart place to live. And they probably wouldn't care if they did. But they will soon decide when it's worth a bit of extra effort to live somewhere so attractive. They are looking for an apartment in the centre of things, perhaps with a good view and certainly with some private outdoor space. Then there are those who like the convenience of having commercial and entertainment facilities on their doorstep. They may work in Valletta and enjoy having no commute and the marked contrast when the city sheds its suit and becomes a lively place to socialise, wine and dine after work.

The project hunters play a huge part in the revival of Valletta, with their ambition and appreciation of its precious buildings. Impressive

escaping the confines of a previous life to embrace a rewarding new one. They may even be people who grew up in the city, who now see it in a whole new light.

Whoever makes up the population of Valletta in future owes it to the city to remember what it stands for, what it means to the men, women and children whose families were born and still live there. It has something different, that's it appeal.

The joy of restoring or transforming a 16th or 17th century building into one for the 21st century, that fits its surrounding without destroying them,

Interesting streets and harbour views are a huge attraction

staircases, rooms that can be restored or adapted into homes or boutique hotels, courtyards and terraces with an impressive panorama over the city or harbour are on their wish lists. And if there is a garden or a pretty park just outside, all the better. These residents are the ones who will be filling the museums, galleries, theatres and churches; and will probably eat out the most as well.

And judging by the masses of cafes, lunch and wine bars, takeaways and restaurants almost literally on every corner, the next group of Valletta people are well catered for. These are the city singles, imaginative, creative, energetic and a product of the universal habit of leaving home, even if you are not getting married or seeking work, which took so long to reach Malta. Here are people who have travelled to or from Malta; professionals who have seen what is out there and want the same for themselves at home, plus those who are

and the delight of living in a unique space, on which you have lavished all your ambition and creativity will be nothing if this city is allowed to lose the very essence of its identity.

Valletta has stood over 500 years. It has risen from the ashes of World War II, earned itself recognition for its heritage, re-awakened our interest in all it offers. Are we going to be the ones to witness its destruction? Or are its current residents, original and new going to defend it against all comers as they have always done?

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Join the Orfeo & Majnun Project by participating in a Shadow Puppetry workshop, to be showcased during the Orfeo & Majnun music theatre performances in October 2018.

Be your own SHADOW PUPPETS puppet master rfeo & Majnun use dance, music and puppetry to pass on legends from the Middle East to Greek mythology, and local people can take part through local workshops.

Performances comprise the retelling of enchanting legends combining the Middle Eastern tale of Layla and Majnun and the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, and involving multiple art forms including dance, music and a narrative that interweaves Maltese, English and Arabic.

But what makes this project particularly interesting is the

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way anyone can become part of it, through creative workshops and collaborations with people of all generations and backgrounds. Under the artistic direction of Martina Winkel and Airan Berg, students, choirs, musicians and artists will participate in a co-creation and then present their work for the first part of the Orfeo& Majnun performance.

The co-creation involves an association with the aforementioned legends and a cast of animal puppets created during workshops. And the whole programme promises a truly unique, exciting and moving illustration of many emotions in stories that have a reference to current social and cultural issues that have a universal relevance.

Join the workshop and take part in a performance

Shadow puppetry is an ancient form of theatre, originating in Asia. It could even be credited as the forerunner of today’s digital animation. Orfeo & Majnun uses some elements of this traditional art form on stage.

The general public is invited to learn more about this theatrical technique through an introductory workshop offering a first step into the story, the tools and the technique of shadow puppetry.

In addition, this will allow you to develop your own shadow puppetry story dealing with the

love story of Layla and Majnun or Orfeo and Eurydice, and subsequently take part in the performances.

To take part in the workshop and performances

The workshop takes place at the University of Malta Valletta Campus on Saturday May 26, from 10am and 1pm and they are free.

Anyone who wishes to take part in the workshop or performances needs to apply by 12 noon on Wednesday, May 23.

For details log on to ://valletta2018.org/events/callfor-participation-orfeo-majnun-

shadow-puppetry-workshop/ and fill in the Google form that will appear with the information.

Follow-up workshops and rehearsals for those young adults and adults, who want to participate in the stage performance, will be announced.

Rehearsals will take place at end of August and beginning of September, during the last week of September and in mid-October.

Performances will be in the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, on October 19 and 20, with a parade on October 27.

This project is a part of the event for Valletta 18 and would make a delightful summer activity for all the family.

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Gorgeous

GARDE All cities have their serene spaces, gardens that provide somewhere to wander, away from the energy that feeds their bustling commercial appetites, and to revive both residents and visitors alike.

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alletta is no exception and what the gardens in our charming capital lack in number and size, they make up for in history and heritage. Events are commemorated, artistic works displayed. And numerous plants and trees provide shade, shelter and beauty in all of them.

Each one is worth visiting. Each one will always have something to offer; whenever or why ever you go there.

For everyone who has promised themselves proper visits to these rich locations, ‘one of these

A cannon in Hastings Garden looks out over the Triton Fountain

Les Gavroches

An ‘unknown soldier’ rest in peace at the entry to Grand Harbour, from Lower Barrakka

The monument to Francis, Marquis of Hastings

days’, here are some reasons to keep that promise. You will be glad you did.

Perhaps the most well known is the Upper Barrakka Gardens, the wall of which became a familiar sight to seamen regularly sailing in and out of Grand Harbour. These gardens are extremely popular with tourists, not only for their stunning views across the harbour and over to the three cities and beyond, but as access to the Barrakka lift which carries passengers up and down from Lascaris Wharf.

However, in the evenings and at quiet times of the day it is not impossible to imagine how the area would have looked when it was first built, on the upper tier of St Peter and Paul Bastion. That

Armoury Garden

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Upper Barrakka

was in the mid 16th century when the terrace arches, built by Fra Flamino, an Italian knight, were roofed over. The roof came down about 15 years later as the result of an uprising by Maltese priests. But that’s another story.

This garden was built as a place of recreation for an administrative division of the Knights Hospitaller, but at the end of the French occupation of Malta they were opened to the public.

Just below them is the Saluting Battery, an artillery battery built in the 16th century by the Knights of St John. Used in a military blockade from 1798 to 1800 and during World War II, its purpose today is purely ceremonial and the public can enjoy the twice-daily firing of gun sig-

Lower Barrakka, Monument to Sir Alexander John Ball

nals from working replicas of the SBBL 32 pounders, flank defence cannons from the late 19th century.

As is fitting for such a place, there are many monuments and memorials to prominent people, including Sir Thomas Maitland, Sir Winston Churchill and Gerald Strickland, A replica of Maltese sculptor Antonio Sciortino’s charming statue of Les Gavroches stands in a corner, a poignant reminder of all the little street urchins who would have played there long ago.

During spring and summer strolling through these wellcared for gardens, under the arches and round the pool, perhaps stopping at the kiosk for a cold drink and a snack, or simply gazing out at the scenes round the harbour, is a welcome way to spend a quiet break in the middle of a busy day, or some peaceful time over the weekend.

Further along the bastions, and looking out to the Grand Harbour entrance, are the Lower Barrakka Gardens. Here too there are spectacular views.

Across the breakwater stand the four forts: St Angelo, Kalkara, Ricasoli and Rinella. It is also a perfect spot from which to see the creeks, Senglea and Upper Barrakka Gardens from a different perspective.

Lower Barrakka has pathways and plants, of course, and it also has a fair share of reminders of Valletta’s history and victories.

These have appropriate references to sea-faring heroes such as Vice Admiral Sir Alexander John Ball, who was chosen by the Maltese to lead them against the French, and subsequently spent several years here as an English government commissioner and

Governor of Malta. He was greatly admired and respected for his charisma and sympathy for the local people and his magnificent monument was paid for by public subscription.

By the way, there are refreshments available near these gardens too.

Coming back further into the Grand Harbour area are the gardens formally known as Kalkara Gardens. In the 1990s they were renamed Herbert Ganado Gardens after the famous writer, lawyer and politician, from Floriana. And, strictly speaking, these gardens seem to be on the verge of Floriana. But as they are so close to those of the Upper Barrakka, they can be enjoyed as part of Valletta’s green spaces.

Early in the 20th century, British military servicemen lived in a purposely built settlement in these grounds, and during the war they provided shelter for residents from Valletta who had been bombed out of their homes.

Now, these pretty gardens, with a rockery, herbs and flower beds, are the most ‘inland’ gardens in the Grand Harbour area.

From their many seating spaces they offer a stunning view of Senglea’s Gardjola, and the St Peter and St Paul Counterguard and the towns that edge the harbour on the other side.

In the middle of Valletta, through a door in Old Theatre Street, behind the Grandmaster’s Palace, is a tiny Armoury Garden which still has all the atmosphere of the days when the Grand Master and his household would have strolled around it, enjoying the peaceful contrast with the city streets outside. Just don’t take too much notice of the 20th century glass lift extension.

It probably can’t be helped.

And way over on the other side of the city is Hastings Garden, built on St John’s Bastion and St Michael’s Bastion, and looking out to Manoel Island, Marsamxett Harbour and Msida Creek, this attractive garden is well worth a visit at sunset.

Adriano DeVina, one of the architects, must have been very impressed if the local legend that the gardens were built in only four hours, because the Maltese people are such hard workers, was true.

It has a neoclassical design and is divided into North and South wings. And it also has its monument. Built by the Hastings family, and consecrated to another former British governor of Malta, Francis, Marquis of Hastings, who died at sea in 1827 and is actually buried within the monument.

Also in its pretty grounds is a bronze khachkar, an Armenian cross-stone. This was erected as a token of friendship between the Maltese and the people of Armenia. It bears the message ‘In token of friendship between the Maltese and Armenian people. Armenia thanks Malta for its support to Armenians who found refuge in this island in the tragic years of 1375 and 1915.’

What happened during those years? How many of the descendants of those people are here today?

This is the thing about visiting Valletta’s gardens; they prompt questions, stir memories and invite us to explore their histories.

And they contribute to the heritage of this special city that will always have so much to offer, as long as we strive to protect it, as it was built to protect us.

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The Sacra Infermia

Pallazo Francija. Photo: Ilaria A. Lanfranco Mousù

Between valour and VALETTE

By Comm. Salvator Mousu A Maltese saying goes: If stones could speak, every one would tell you a story!"

his undoubtedly refers to the local millennial history based mainly on the seemingly inexhaustible supply of our honey-coloured, soft globigerina limestone. For well over 5,000 years this sedimentary rock has forged and moulded our pre-historic, as well as historic, monumental past.

Compared with such a long passage of time, Valletta indeed seems to be a ‘modern’ development that does not match the rest of the Island’s rich millennial heritage, especially in stone.

But the vicissitudes of the 1565 Great Siege saga and its aftermath germinated, and eventually brought to fulfilment, the idea of a beautiful, prominent and impregnable fortress-city on an erstwhile barren peninsula. So, what was once a battle-ground for one of history’s most gruesome and hard-fought sieges was trans-

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formed into the Knights’ most enduring monument: Valletta – aptly named after the heroic, quasi-mythical, leadership of Jean Parisot de la Valette!

There are no qualms about it; the fame acquired by the Knights of St John, through this great siege, had set the ball rolling on their hitherto becoming known as the ‘Knights of Malta’. But this may well be attributed to their attachment and subsequent enrichment of ‘their’ city; which also contributed to the acquisition of their present nomenculture – known as such worldwide.

Although nobody seems to know exactly who coined the maxim that Valletta is a “city built by gentlemen for gentlemen” such an expression harks back, albeit romantically, to the time of the Knights. That some, if not several, were anything but the ‘gentlemanly’ type is quite obvious. But, once their regal lineage was a pre-requisition for their admission into the Order, the ‘flower of Europe’s nobility’ considered them, on paper at least, as gentlemen par excellence who, in

their hundreds, once roamed the street of Valletta, up to the very end of their stay on the island. This was on the last days of the 18th century, when Napoleon bundled them off the island most unceremoniously!

The city’s planning When plans, discussions and procurement of funds were, quite expeditiously one should say, concluded the Knights, through their ‘Commissione‘ (the Planning Authority of the times) laid down strict rules for the streetscapes, the individual building plots, drains, water provisions and all that was required for an ‘exemplar city.

While the reverberations of the Renaissance were still throwing their shadow all over Europe, the Tuscan Renaissance maxim that the roads had to be ‘aptae’, ‘rectae et pulchrae, was always at the back of the mind of Valletta’s chief planner, Francesco Laparelli, Michelangelo’s helper. So, for the time, the Knights did indeed want and managed to build what eventually came to be known as “the city built by gentlemen for gentlemen”.

The Knights, pertaining to a religious and military order,

Castille Palace, from Merchants Street.

Photo: Ilaria A. Lanfranco Mousù

had to have their ‘convent’ which they had to expand into an area reserved solely for their Collachio. But when they came to inhabit this newly-built city, they felt that this was ‘their’ city, so they discarded their centuries-old tradition of living in a separate enclave. But going, up to a certain extent, a step further they caused their different langues to erect their particular auberge. This they did, each with evident gusto not shorn of some patriotic pride on the part of the Knights, who hailed from all national and ethnic groups of Europe. The sole exception was the English langue which was caught in the turmoil of England’s women-lover Henry VIII, who destroyed, despoiled and murdered all the English Knights that he could lay hands on, so the English Langue had become practically non-existent.

The other seven, however, built lavishly and enriched their particular auberges which, up to the eve of World War II, had graced Malta’s capital city; excluding the German Langue which Queen Adelaide caused to be pulled down in 1860 to make place for the erection of Saint Paul’s Anglican

Pro-Cathedral.

Unfortunately, during the terrific bombing of 1942, the Auberge de France and the Auberge d’Auvergne were totally demolished, being replaced by two mammoth, totally dissonant buildings that today host the headquarters the General Workers’ Union and the Law Courts respectively.

Thus today only five auberges, pertaining to five languages, have survived: Aragon, to the north in Independence Square; Provence, in Republic Street, now housing the National Museum of Archaeology; Italy, in Merchants’ Street, aimed to house the Museum of fine arts, and the finest of them all, the Auberge de Castille which serves as the administration centre of Malta’s Prime Minister.

It goes without saying that the Order of the Knights had other more important business to take care of than just the homes for every langue. Its raison d’etre was military, with the ever-present dream of re-conquering the Holy Land. But, on an equal footing, stood their other avowed duty i.e. that of providing solace for the sick and needy. And, let no one for-

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Auberge d’Italie

The church of Saint Jacob.

Photo: Ilaria A. Lanfranco Mousù they managed to set up in a most efficient manner. So, it’s no wonder that their ‘hospital’, for the times, was indeed considered as Europe’s unparalleled hospital venture; the Sacra Infermeria (the Holy Infirmary) which today has been transformed into the newly-labelled Mediterranean Centre, a complex that has preserved what’s left of the original structure that, even today, can boast that it has the longest unsupported hall Europe.

The ‘super’ Monuments Saint John’s Cathedral altar. Pallazo Francija.

Photo: Ilaria A. Lanfranco Mousù get, that until this very day they are also known as the Knights Hospitallers. For such an important undertaking they also had to cater for a hospitalising organisation and, quite naturally, its building which

The chief of the Knights and the Islands was then known as the Grand Master, elected for life by the Knights themselves and in corroboration with the various langues, he too had to have his princely abode, and it had to be, of course, more impressive and prominent than the rest of the langues. So a palace was born in Valletta’s heart, that took several decades to complete until it achieved the splendour we can witness

nowadays. If today we can marvel at the palace building and its riches, as well as admire the official functions performed therein, we can only imagine what a spectacle it used to present with all the Knights’ paraphernalia in full regalia on several festive occasions and diplomatic exchanges.

But being a religious Order the Knights had to have, above everything else, an enduringly magnificent temple for their devotion, liturgical functions and the severe ceremonials of the novices that, after some really tough training, had to undergo, especially the most gruelling ‘Knight’s Vigil’. So, the building of an imposing church, lavishly decorated and enriched with dazzling sculptures, paintings and décor, was of prime importance for the religion itself as well as the aggrandisement of the Order.

And this gave us the unique treasure that all Malta is so rightly proud of: the Co-Cathedral of Saint John.

Impressed by such munificence a church-building spree also gripped the people, who vied with each other to create something ‘better’ and more beautiful. The result was a proliferation of churches and chapels where in an area of less than two square kilometres no less than 30 were erected. Endearingly loved by the people, the churches, following the example of the Order’s Conventual Church, were embellished beyond compare or restraint; and Valletta today is regaled with several artistic, architectural gems such as those of Saint Paul, Saint Dominic, and

There are no qualms about it; the fame acquired by the Knights of St John, through this great siege, had set the ball rolling on their hitherto becoming known as the ‘Knights of Malta’.

Saint Augustine. Others like those of the Franciscan Conventuals and the Carmelites, followed suit and even in smaller churches and chapels one can always detect some peculiarity that is not to be found in any other one.

It has already been hinted at that the Church authorities were not found wanting in their care of the souls of the citizens of the City, especially through the erection of superb edifices for the religious and devotional needs of the faithful.

Very little remains of the original main churches because by time the example of the Knights’ main church transformation was eagerly followed and the populace, together with their pastoral leaders, wanted to have its fair share of rebuilding on a scale that was much grander and, of course, more beautiful!

Running parallel to their ‘supposed’ religious zeal the knights had, as their main and original aim, the care and succour of the sick – which, as we have said, is the principal ‘raison d’etre‘ of the Knights of Malta today. And the ‘Holy Infirmary’ became a beacon of light for the medical cures and cares for all sanitary-minded persons to look to and follow.

Not to be outdone in the academic field, the Knights even created a renowned Medical School of Surgery that eventually invented and discovered original ways of surgical interventions that were later adopted all over Europe.

At a time when most of Europe was still, in most cities, a terrible mess of drainage difficulties and problems, the Knights had constructed and adopted an enviable system that, even nowadays, makes us wonder at its efficiency, some three or four centuries ago! In less than half a century of its foundation the provision of water, from quite far-off springs, became a reality for all inhabitants, in the first decade of the 17th century.

This brief overview has merely touched on the major monuments left by the Knights.

But, of course, there is more, much more that they have left on this city. Many Knights built their own personal houses there and many, in spite of the terrible onslaught of the last war, are still standing. On the other hand, the local Church authorities, as much as the inhabitants themselves, were not found wanting in their quest to emulate the Knights and have their say as well.

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AT HOME IN THE CITY Home is where the heart and here are some of the kind of homes you could find in the heart of Valletta hether you are staying for a few months, years or planning to make a permanent home in Valletta there are all kinds of intriguing places you can consider.

Just how you may be able to install or your furniture and fittings in an apartment reached by a narrow staircase, is a problem relating to many a house of character and is always solved one way or another. And a home in a street of steps may not appeal to older, less agile people, but for others the possibilities creating somewhere intriguing and unique are endless. Leave no corner unturned in your search. You'll be amazed what's out there.

Living in Valletta puts you at the centre of everything and because the city is comparatively small, it doesn’t take long to get from A to B. However, when you want to take the time to explore everywhere in detail you will find ancient areas filled with curious corners

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and buildings from the 16th to the 20th century fitting together cheek by jowl.

Three sides of the city are surrounded by sea, so a sea-edge home with harbour views will remove you from an environment of streets and commerce to one of cool tranquility; for when you need a bit of quiet.

Here are some examples of the type of apartment, town house or palazzo you might, one day, find you call home.

A fully furnished, beautifully located, one bedroom apartment with unobstructed sea views, a spacious living/dining room, fully equipped kitchen/breakfast area, large double bedroom, shower room, traditional wooden front balcony and, a back terrace. There is also a lift. Oh, and the price is over six and a half thousand euros.

A little more modestly priced but every bit as lavish and grand there's a magnificent palazzo which could be your fairy tale forever home. Set on a corner, it has an impressive frontage, a remarkable central courtyard, unique wooden apertures and a large basement. There are four floors, the rooms have very high

ceilings, and it has its own roof. It comes ready with plans and cost valuations for returns on over 20 rooms, in the form of a boutique hotel. So at just €200,000 less than €4,000,000, it could also be a family business. One can but dream.

More modest would be a free-standing, three bed town house at circa €380,000, situated near the lower Barrakka. It has four storeys; one good-sized room on each floor and its own roof. There is plenty of natural light (something of a premium in houses in this town) and each floor/room could given its own bathroom and cooking facilities, effectively transforming it into a studio flat At something well over €1,000,000 per bedroom a two storey villa, with six bedrooms, a large living room on each floor, terraces all round – privacy assured, a roof of its own, including airspace and, to top it off, stunning views of Grand Harbour. And, there is potential for this building also to become, you've guessed it, a boutique hotel.

And for when you win the lottery and need a place to hide away, there is 175 square metres of luxury living in a duplex penthouse reached by an elevator

and looking out over Valletta, both land and sea. Entry is into a large hall and living area, off which are two bedrooms.

The main one overlooks the street and has a beautiful bathroom with an open jacuzzi and a private traditional balcony.

There is a terrace off the second bedroom and a shower room next door. The open plan kitchen/living/dining area, with a terrace on either side, is reached by a magnificent steel and glass staircase. on either side. The kitchen incorporates Molinari and Vitra and a Renzo Piano design. Beautiful marble finishes, the wooden touches and high end bathrooms, joinery and fittings make this wonderful space a bit special.

Finally, coming right down to earth, in one of the quieter streets you could find a charming studio maisonette with high arched ceilings, Maltese tiles and two balconies. At about €255,000 it could be a good a rental investment. Or it may very well be your starter home, somewhere to continue or begin a love for life in a city which, although it has been standing against multiple odds for generations, is just beginning to find its feet as a chosen destination for today's generation.

VALLETTA CARD

The first card to include access to places of interest as well as travel We began to see Valletta in a new light, years before the current hype, but now the imagination of a cosmopolitan, younger generation is making things happen. alta’s capital city is a true historic gem.

With the Valletta Card you can now travel to and from Valletta with ease, whilst also exploring the unique cultural sites that are available.

With the Valletta Card, you can travel by bus to Valletta from anywhere in Malta and

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you can travel back by bus to any location in Malta. The Card includes two trips on the ferry service, which you can use to travel to Valletta from Sliema and from Cospicua, and back.

Finally, you can get around Valletta by bus on Route 133 – The Valletta Circular. The Card also includes free access to the Upper Barrakka lift when

travelling by ferry from Cospicua.

With the Valletta Card you can visit any three of The Palace State Rooms, The Palace Armoury, The National Museum of Archaeology and Malta 5D. Whether you feel like visiting the Presidential Palace, situated at the heart of Malta’s World Heritage capital

city of Valletta, observing one of the world’s largest collections of arms and armour, viewing a spectacular range of artefacts, dating back to Malta’s Neolithic period up to the Phoenician Period, or discovering 7,000 years of history, thanks to an audiovisual experience, it is completely up to you!

The Valletta Card is endorsed by the Valletta 2018 Foundation and is valid for 24 hours from first use. This Card may be purchased for €19 from any one of our sales outlets in Valletta, Malta International Airport, Buġibba, Sliema, Mater Dei Hospital and Rabat Gozo for immediate use on the bus.