A couple of weeks ago I had my niece and her husband and daughter over on a short holiday. It wasn't their first holiday to our sunny isles, but usually they go straight over to Gozo. This time was different though and they were staying in Birżebbuġa, and my wife and I were determined for them to see some of the sights and places of interest in Malta.
Both of us took days off work to be able to spend more time with them, and on one of the prescribed days, we picked them up at 9.30 a.m. and slowly drove from Birżebbuġa to Siġġiewi, allowing them to take in as much of the scenery as they wanted. We planned to make our first stop at The Limestone Heritage and apart from driving straight past the opening to the entrance on the first pass (my mistake as we were playing a game to pass the time and I was looking across the road just as we passed the direction sign) we had no problems navigating down the twisted lane to the reception area at the head of the quarry.
It was like entering a top class hotel foyer. Clean and quiet, but with an air of business about it. After being met by extremely cheerful and helpful staff we first of all went into a small cinema area and were shown a film (with 12 language possibilities) explaining what we were about to see in the quarry itself. This was a wake-up call as I never realised just how versatile our local limestone is. Then, each of us was given headphones attached to a modern, compact translator and we headed out on the tour of the quarry. It seems as though no expense has been spared to produce a top class tourist attraction, with clean, clear exhibits and excellent diction coming over the translator giving one the impression that you have travelled back in time and are actually present in a live, working quarry.
We found that we were dragging our feet to take in every aspect of the tour, from the primitive tools to the modern, electric machines, from the bell-shaped bir (well) carved in the quarry side to the garigor and xorok used in the old style houses and still visible today in some of the rustic or character houses so popular with tourists and Maltese alike. Then on to the cafeteria where we spent a good half hour just expressing to each other the sheer enjoyment we had felt with the whole visit. It was a pity to leave but we thought that this was just the beginning to a fantastic day. From there we headed north to Mellieħa and Popeye Village, as a birthday treat for my niece's daughter.
What a contrast! Apart from the woman who sold us the expensive entrance tickets, smiles were few and far between for all of us. Dilapidated and run-down is the only way to describe what is advertised as a tourist "must-see". The film show is grainy, and hardly visible; everywhere was covered in dust as works were carried out and the areas were not sealed off properly. We had to wait ages for my niece and her father (asked to pay an extra €2) to take a "mini" ride on a big dipper as the attendant was painting somewhere else.
The restaurants were non-existent (one cafe was open with just one person seeing to the cooking, tending the bar and waiting on tables, where we waited for over 20 minutes just to try and get something to eat, to no avail I might add). The attractions, apart from Popeye and Olive Oyl occasionally appearing in person on the main road of the shanty village, were conspicuous by their absence. I know it isn't the height of the tourist season, but if you are going to take my money, I do expect something in return. Unfortunately, at Popeye Village this was lacking.
In the future, I know where I will tell my relations to go on their regular visits to Malta, to get their full money's worth out of an attraction. It will definitely be the Limestone Heritage where we were asked to pay a fair entrance fee for an excellent production. Popeye Village won't even get a mention until I know for a fact that it has improved both the quality and quantity of attractions on offer, and brings the price of entrance tickets down to a more acceptable level for what is actually on offer.