At the end of the 2007/08 ski season in Norway, I take a vacation to Malta with some coworkers from Kvitfjell: Ditte Krogsgaard Pedersen (DK), Tasja Nielsen (DK), Nicklas Lindqvist (SE) and myself (US) meet Clayton Borg (MT) in his homeland, where his family offers us the use of their condominium overlooking Mellieha Bay. Clayton doubles as a tour guide extraordinaire by spending the next eleven days driving us around his small three-island country, exploring sights both on and off the beaten path, introducing us to his generous family and friends, and connecting us to a culture that has been a crossroads of civilization for thousands of years. DAY I (Saturday, April 26): I travel by train from Ringebu to Gardermoen airport in Oslo, where I meet Ditte and Tasja, who have just returned to Norway after a quick stop in Denmark. We board our plane and are soon soaring over the Alps, the Italian coast, and Sicily. When we arrive at Malta International Airport in Luqa, Clayton escorts us across the island to our condo and on to Mdina to experience the country's medieval capitol by night. We pass by the ruins of a Roman villa, where Clayton's brother, Alvin, is producing a light show. From there, we wander through illuminated orange groves and quiet cobblestone streets until arriving at "The Medina," a restaurant partly owned by Clayton's father, John Baptist Borg. After relaxing with Clayton's youngest brother, Darren, to sweet martinis on the house, we make our way back to Mellieha for the evening. DAY II (Sunday, April 27): We stop by Malta's longest sandy beach just down from our condo on our way to Marfa Ridge. We head southwest for a stunning view of Gozo, Comino, and Malta's western cliffs from Qammieh Point. We then take a jaunt to the northeast until we are absorbing another remarkable panorama from Dahlet ix-Xilep. As the sun goes down, we await the Borg family and friends for a barbecue on the beach. DAY III (Monday, April 28): We are on vacation, so we all take a break. Clayton enjoys a day off from babysitting, and the three of us walk to the beach to soak in the rays and test our endurance in the cool sea of the early Spring. My Sanyo Xacti "waterproof" camera succumbs to exposure, opting to take an everlasting vacation under the waves of the Mediterranean. DAY IV (Tuesday, April 29): Clayton drives us to the modern day capitol of Valletta. I do some camera shopping while Clayton patiently follows the girls to shop for other things. Though they resist temptation, I am unwilling to let the rest of the trip go undocumented. By the time we rendezvous at Freedom Square, I am the poor new owner of a Sony DCR-SR35. DAY V (Wednesday, April 30): I vote to return to Valletta so that we can capture the city on video and explore beyond the markets of Republic Street. Clayton likes the idea of taking another day off, and the girls are easily convinced, so we hop a bus into the city and traverse across Valletta. We peek into the Grand Master's Palace on our way to Fort St. Elmo, which greets us with a view over the Grand Harbour toward the Three Cities and invites us to follow the southern waterfront past the Siege Bell Memorial, Lower Barracca Gardens, St. Paul's Shipwreck church, and the Upper Gardens. We catch our breath while climbing Valletta's famous stone stairways back to the city center and sit down for a bite to eat in Pjazza San Gwann outside St. John's Co-Cathedral before catching the return bus to Mellieha. DAY VI (Thursday, May 1): The girls and I are on our own again and decide to stay a little closer to home. Instead of walking to the beach, we meander up to Our Lady of Victory cathedral, stopping by the underground Shrine of Our Lady of Mellieha. After visiting the cathedral, we find a small restaurant for lunch and our first taste of rabbit, the local delicacy. A stop into a local grocer for some fresh produce marks the end of our excursion before retracing our steps home. DAY VII (Friday, May 2): We decide to leave the island of Malta and catch a ferry with Clayton to Comino for the day. A relatively deserted island most appealing for its naturally beautiful lagoons, it's no wonder that movies like "Troy" and "The Count of Monte Cristo" have been filmed here - along with, of course, the critically acclaimed "11 Days in Malta." DAY VIII (Saturday, May 3): We have been looking forward to the arrival of Nicklas, and finally the day has come. Before we head to the airport, we spend the morning visiting the famous Hagar Qim and Mnajdra temples, peering over the Blue Grotto, and walking the streets of Vittoriosa. Nicklas receives a swift welcome as he joins us for an evening on the island of Gozo during their annual music festival. We are entertained by performances ranging from a local gypsy entourage to Alcazar, a pop group hailing from Nicklas's own Sweden. The evening is concluded by a spectacular fireworks display and a ferry ride back to Malta. DAY IX (Sunday,

• published: 10 Apr 2009
• views: 2665

No children, no partner, no work. But you still have to call and check in, of course, to confirm proof of life, your partner tells you with a certain sardonic tone. You obviously have to read emails too, just in case your office forecasts the apocalypse and you aren’t there to say ‘I knew it, I saw it coming’. The modern holiday has become a Living TV documentary, where you board a low-cost flight and head somewhere ‘warm’ to try and get business-grade drunk. There are only a few differences between business drunk and normal drunk: business drunk means it’s still acceptable to drive. Of course, even if you aren’t aiming for a tourist hotspot destination, chances are you will have to encounter the proletariat ‘on tour’ at the airport. Cue the whiskey and narcotics to dull the ache. So, how does one escape the confines of modern life when you are effectively off-grid, but still maintain some semblance of luxury. The team at Off the Map Travel have it all covered. Off the Map organise tailor-made adventure holidays to Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. They cater for families, couples, groups, honeymooners and, of course, three men in need of an escape into the Arctic Circle. The first decision was who to take on this adventure. And don’t be fooled: travelling into the Arctic Circle is an adventure. The first thing to consider is accommodation. In many cases, this would be tent-based, so you have to think long and hard about who you can bear to share a tent with. Dr Paul Farrow is my oldest friend, which means there is equal measure of laughter and arguments. When two people have known each other for 25-plus years, you really begin to develop a well-honed arsenal of put downs and snide remarks. Think of it this way: a friend will calm you down when you’ve been in a fight or you’re angry; a true friend will skip alongside you with a baseball bat singing ‘someone’s gonna get it’. Paul is that kind of friend. I imagined myself backed into a corner in a bitterly cold forest with a pack of feral wolves baying for blood, armed with nothing more than my camera and perhaps a well-scrimshawed knife. Who would you want there to back you up? Luckily, there weren’t many wolves around, our guide Fredrik told me. Only a few bears. Great. I expect most people like to travel with a group of friends, family, well-known individuals who you know you will have a great time with, and won’t grate on each other. I like to mix this tried-and-tested formula up. James Clarke is The Review’s design writer, arguably wetter behind the ears than a recently-graduated art student when it comes to travel writing. He is our official wood-botherer. A fine drinks’ cabinet, walk-in wardrobe, or perhaps that walnut desk, James is your man. He is also a thrill-seeker and all round weekend warrior. Someone who I know, when presented with a last minute exhilarating opportunity, will drop any and all to attend. Going aurora spotting in the forests of Northern Sweden seemed like it would be right in his grain. Nothing but wood as far as the eye can see, and a fully-charged iPhone with Instagram at the ready. To read all Peter Robinson's musings on the trip go to: http://www.thereviewmag.co.uk/the-arctic-circle/

• published: 07 Apr 2015
• views: 0