Uncommon: Malta + Gozo

In this contemporary take on the travel guide, 36 contributors — whether native, resident or visitor — manage to strip off the cliché facet of the Maltese Islands and delve into its core through the narrow dappled streets and lazy corners.

Emma Mattei, Jon Banthorpe, UNCOMMON. Malta + Gozo , Malta, Progress Press , 2011. 217 pages, 25 euros.

Malta — an archipelago of islands located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, only 80km away from Sicily. Its enchanting scenery can be seen in blockbusters such as The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), Troy (2003), Munich (2005), Agora (2008) and The Devil's Double (2010). Somewhat less glamorous were the country's recent succession of appearances in the headlines of BBC and Sky News during the anti-Gaddafi uprising, as it proved a strategic destination for those fleeing the chaos of Libya. Yet, when I tell people I'm from Malta, the same old question bounces back at me: "Where is that exactly?"

Uncommon Malta + Gozo ably presents Malta and its neighbouring island, Gozo, in a refreshingly different way to the usual travel agency billing of sea, sand and sun. Jon Banthorpe's design of the book treats us to a stylish and minimalist publication, which alludes to the off-beat but well considered guide that it is. A plethora of striking photographs provide far more visual appeal than the usual arbitrary shots of landmarks, which only serve to make the more commonly composed books of this ilk painfully uninspiring. In this respect the book's title ties in brilliantly with the design, which not to any detriment, is (for a guide book) as uncommon as the advice within it.

Emma Mattei, Jon Banthorpe, <i>UNCOMMON. Malta + Gozo</i>, Progress Press, Malta, 2011. 217 pages, 25,00 euros — Emma Mattei, Jon Banthorpe, *UNCOMMON. Malta + Gozo*, Progress Press, Malta, 2011. 217 pages, 25,00 euros

Both the aesthetic and content of the book may not make it the ideal travel companion for first time visitors, in that it is far more a guide for travellers than tourists. This slightly informal approach to a guide is divided into four parts: RELATE, REVIEW, RECREATE and REROUTE. Each of these sections has the intention of offering another dimension to the Maltese experience, targeting the unconventional cultural visits, the local delicacies that aren't commonly served in restaurants, the various sections offer itineraries that veer from the GPS routes and are collected from the contributor's diaries. Whether native, resident or visitor, the 36 contributors manage to strip off the cliché facet of the Maltese Islands and delve into its core through the narrow dappled streets and lazy corners. Even Maltese native Gordon Guillaumier — an industrial designer who now lives and works in Milan — contributed to this book with images of his home town, Senglea.

The first chapter — RELATE — takes you 200 years back, when travelling to Malta meant voyaging on rough seas from Sicily. Maltese myself, I have fleeting interest in the 1700s and the plague checks that were infamously time consuming upon arrival at the bay, yet I found plenty of interesting facts about my homeland in this introductory section. Quirky facts such as the way the country was renowned for coffee-making, that the Grandmaster used to converse daily with local ladies while feasting on hot chocolate, and the discovery that Napoleon was offered ice-cream on the day his regime conquered the Maltese Islands served as a both intriguing and charming inauguration into Malta's past. We also learn that the Knights of St. John and Napoleon were not the only rulers on the islands, rather that the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs and British all left their trail in the architecture, cuisine and language.

As the book evolves, storytelling becomes more contemporary and deviant, noticing the dragons and skeletons that sweep the marble floors of St. John's co-cathedral rather than glorifying Caravaggio's The Beheading of St. John the Baptist

As the book evolves, storytelling becomes more contemporary and deviant, noticing the dragons and skeletons that sweep the marble floors of St. John's co-cathedral rather than glorifying Caravaggio's The Beheading of St. John the Baptist. Horse races, drag racing and bird hunting are among the unexpected yet captivating activities suggested by the various contributors, offering an inside track on the cultural practices endemic to the islands.

Representing the meat of the book, the RELATE and RECREATE chapters are an interesting mix of photo essays, abstract pieces like Chris Bianchi's Accidental Pilgrim's Log Book, and short written pieces which are also visually rich. This stew of elements gives the book a suitably discursive feel which embodies well the spirit of sometimes accidental exploration that will appeal to a good deal of travellers. The charm which lies in this casual and personable guide propagates a feel that is more akin to swapping travel stories amongst friends than seeking guidance from what can often come across as feeling like a strict itinerary in more commonly set-out counterparts.

The chapters in the REROUTE section are perhaps some of the most valuable in the book to the more intrepid explorers, leading you to secluded beaches and hikes amid the garrigue and prickly pears. Alternatively, you can opt for a ride on the seaplane followed by bar hopping for a Cisk (local beer) and a hobza biz-zejt, the Maltese bun with tomatoes, a dash of oil and sprinkles of salt and pepper.

This book is a refreshing and contemporary take on the travel guide, often a manual of well-researched yet uninspiring information. If you are contemplating a trip to Malta and like to come back from a trip having savoured what seemed like a "genuine" snapshot of the country and its people, you could do far worse than taking this visually rich, well compiled book with you.

Uncommon: Malta + Gozo

In this contemporary take on the travel guide, 36 contributors — whether native, resident or visitor — manage to strip off the cliché facet of the Maltese Islands and delve into its core through the narrow dappled streets and lazy corners.

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