Last Sunday, I wandered around the first Malta Artisans’ Market hypnotised and enchanted by the blissfully mellifluous sounds of a duo playing music that sashayed into golden-stoned Couvre Porte in Vittoriosa. Bunting bobbed in the breeze and shone in the sunshine. Beneath, dipped heads of local and tourist folk who meandered... gazing, perusing, choosing and tasting… honey, preserves, olive oils, cupcakes and muffins, dips with dash and chutneys with chutzpah! Loquats and lemons waved the flag for Qrendi. On this day, villages in Malta and Gozo gathered to fly the flag for local food and age-old customs were king and queen.

Well behaved and leashed pooches mosied around and were rewarded with home-made dog treats to-go. However, like the grown-ups, good old-fashioned “scoffing” was the order of the day! Here was a fairground without the rides but with such gorgeous gastronomy that there was no need to go home for lunch or for tea!

All manner of creativity was to-buy-for! All the offerings were hand-created celebrations, bringing quality and presence to Vittoriosa to enjoy in this Sunday-special moment. And so great that it gave the World War II museum a great opportunity too!