At this time of year many of us long to get away to somewhere warm and sunny, such as Florida, the Caribbean, the Costa, or Mexico. Been there, done that? How about Malta, a peaceful English-speaking Mediterranean island, generally unknown on this side of the Atlantic, but of supreme importance in the history of western civilization.

Malta is an independent (1964) republic within the British Commonwealth and the European Community (2004). It's located about mid-way between Italy and Tunisia, sort of like a pebble that's ... (more)