SAMANTHA BOND: In the heart of the Mediterranean,
an island nation sparkles in the sun.
Malta.
We are a small little island full of wonder.
It's a haven for Brits.
Just thought, "Yeah, this is a place for me."
One million of us go every year...
..for azure seas...
It's one of the nicest harbours in the world.
..sun-kissed valleys...
Fire!
..that goes with a bang.
SPEAKS MALTESE
Come with us as we enjoy Malta's tranquil days
and glittering nights...
Cheers. Cheers. Cin-cin.
..feast on local delicacies...
Food, to the Maltese people, is life.
WHISTLING ..and make new friends...
..in this jewel of the Mediterranean.
This time, we're with Malta's most skilful boat pilots
as they navigate the challenging Grand Harbour.
One whistle for the boat.
HORN BLARES
An operation with incredible risk.
So, now is the critical time. We are very close to the jetty.
We visit the English pub that's dedicated to the British Navy.
Every time they turn up, we get a cap tally -
either a ship they've served on or someone they knew served on,
because, ultimately, it's their pub.
We're invited to one of Malta's most luxurious hotels...
..where the ballroom was frequented by royalty...
We have Princess Elizabeth's signature,
and that's her photo when she used to come and dance.
And His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales. Now King Charles.
..and discover the historic connection
between Malta and chocolate...
Praline, salted caramel. Just one of these? Yes, sure.
..at the country's most delicious festival.
Maltese people love chocolate.
I'm a chocolate addict, and I think most people are.
As a small island
strategically placed in the middle of the Mediterranean,
Malta has always been a seafaring nation.
Traditional fishing villages and harbours
are dotted all around its coastline.
Many ports became heavily fortified as protection from invaders.
Others grew into commercial ports,
the most important of which is Valletta's Grand Harbour,
a notoriously tricky harbour to navigate.
Situated on the east coast,
this ancient port has been a safe haven for ships
for thousands of years.
It's 6:20 in the morning at Valletta Port.
These days, it's huge cruise ships and cargo vessels the port welcomes.
While most of Malta sleeps,
maritime pilot Walter arrives for work.
Good morning. Good morning, Captain. Buongiorno.
We are heading out to you.
It's Walter's job to help vessels navigate safely into the port.
So, there she is.
He's heading out to the huge cruise ship MSC World Europa
so he can go on board
and instruct the captain how to steer the ship into the harbour.
Its narrow entrance
makes the port one of the most difficult to manoeuvre.
We're lucky with the weather.
Part of what I do in the morning, obviously, is check the weather.
Once I'm on the bridge,
we have what we call the master pilot exchange,
and we confirm everything is fine and safe to make the approach.
The width of the entrance is around 415 metres,
and this vessel is 333 metres.
So there's not a lot of room,
especially once we are committed to the entrance.
At that time, all the other traffic has to stay out of the way.
They need to carefully dock alongside the cruise ship
so that Walter can board.
It's one of the most dangerous parts of his job.
'We communicate with the bridge sometimes.
'Then we head further out to board safely.'
And sometimes, we have to abort.
SPEAKS MALTESE
Once on board, Walter joins the captain on the bridge
and instructs him how to safely steer the ship into the port.
And guiding a wide cruise liner
through the particularly narrow entrance to the Grand Harbour
is a tight squeeze.
You have to make a very good approach.
The entrance was built for smaller ships at the time,
so nowadays, with the bigger vessels,
it's more challenging.
Walter also communicates with his pilot boat,
which goes ahead as lookout because this is also a busy harbour.
It's a highly skilled job.
We are local experts.
We get intense training of the harbours and the surroundings.
I've been at sea for 20 years, since I was 16 years old.
I love my job. I love my job.
I always wanted to become a maritime pilot.
I wouldn't do anything else.
The historic city of Valletta
has grown up around the natural deep-water harbour.
So visitors are within walking distance
of this UNESCO World Heritage City.
I can easily say it's one of the nicest harbours in the world.
Walter oversees the ship turning in the harbour,
ready for docking.
INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER
Perfect. Thank you, pilot.
The ship liaises with operations manager Robert,
who's overseeing the docking back on dry land.
I have just spoken with the pilot
to confirm the exact positioning of the ship.
A typical manoeuvre in good weather takes about 30 to 45 minutes.
OK, pilot, channel nine.
Now it's Robert's turn to look after the ship.
So, at the moment, we are finalising the position
so all openings have clear access.
And with almost 6,000 passengers on board who want to disembark,
organisation is key.
We'll have around 25 coaches
taking passengers on excursions this morning.
During the day, we'll have waste offload,
luggage offload, luggage loading, so it will be quite a busy one.
The man in charge of the baggage porters
is Malta man Alfred.
OK, now you can just put these things on.
He's been in the job almost 35 years.
All right.
And it seems baggage handling is a close-knit affair.
It's like, uh, inherited.
Like, this is my son, who will take my job after.
And this is Ray, which... He's here instead of his father.
It's more like a family thing,
so that's why the job gets done even better.
THEY LAUGH
And with as many as three ships in dock at any one time,
the job can get very hectic.
People can get mixed up,
so we have to be very, very, very, very careful not to mix the luggage.
OK.
But the job can be rewarding, too.
We are the first people that the passenger get to meet,
and, you know, they praise our port.
It makes you feel good, isn't it?
Because I'm quite proud to be a Maltese person.
So, yeah, makes me feel good.
I like the job,
and I hope I keep doing it for as long as God gives me health.
Stop engine.
And when we're back in port later, we'll join Walter
as he helps a trainee maritime pilot learn the ropes on a massive tanker.
Hard to starboard. Hard to starboard.
The most tricky part will be the berth approach.
Just southwest of Malta's capital, Valletta, is the suburb of Hamrun...
..where preparations are underway
for the country's annual chocolate festival.
The event was founded 15 years ago and is organised by Mario Camilleri.
Nowadays, we have quite a big festival.
It ranges nearly one kilometre in the main road of Hamrun,
and it is growing and growing and growing every year.
Malta's special connection to chocolate
dates back to the arrival of the Knights of St John,
the holy order of military monks
who ruled Malta for 250 years from 1530.
The Knights of St John brought hospitality, the religion
and, most of all, chocolate.
And the Knights needed somewhere to store their cocoa beans.
Through research, we found out that the Knights of St John
had stores here in Hamrun with cocoa beans.
So that's the connection between Hamrun and the chocolate.
Malta's finest chocolatiers are busy preparing for the festival.
For Tiziano Cassar,
it's an opportunity to showcase his skills.
The chocolate first needs to reach a certain temperature.
We need to get it up to 52.
Initially trained as a patissier,
he started working with chocolate five years ago.
I used to work on custom cakes for kids and for birthdays.
Then I went to a course about chocolate, which I liked,
and the tutor told me,
"Listen, once you're going to touch chocolate,
"you're not going to go back." And that's what I did.
Tiziano now specialises in making large showpiece structures
out of solid chocolate.
He mixes the chocolate with liquid glucose to make it pliable.
You have to work it out a little bit.
I'm kneading, and I'm removing the lumps.
It's not just chocolate that Malta excels in.
The country is also used
as the location for many movies and dramas.
From Game Of Thrones in medieval Medina...
..to The Count Of Monte Cristo at the Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar.
Tiziano's contribution to the chocolate festival
is a large sculpture combining the country's love of confectionery
with its movie heritage.
So, this year, I have decided to do Russell Crowe himself
because Gladiator was mostly filmed here in Malta.
Gladiator won Oscars. It's something good for our country.
And every detail has to be correct.
What I'm doing now is building his hand.
I heat it up, the dried chocolate,
so that when I put the new one, they will stick together.
In total, he'll use around 140 kilos of the finest chocolate
to recreate Malta's favourite gladiator.
According to my research, I found that he was 1.79 in height.
Erm, and I think I got the same height.
Today, Russell's head is about to meet his body for the first time.
It's good.
I need to get off a little bit from here...
..so that the head will go down a little bit more,
and then I will fix the head to the body.
And we will start to dress them up.
And once Russell's been dressed in his gladiator armour,
he'll be ready for the festival.
So, the chocolate festival, yes,
it's an important culture here in Malta.
I'm honoured that I was asked to do this great showpiece.
And next, we'll get another taste of artistry
at the chocolate festival...
They take hours to paint. The colours need to be layered.
..when 25,000 people descend on Hamrun.
And also coming up,
we visit the villa where a young Princess Elizabeth once lived,
and we keep lookout for her homecoming prince.
So, from here, you have a clear view of Marsamxett Harbour.
Prince Philip's destroyer flotilla
would have been stationed over there.
Malta's warm climate, elegant architecture
and stunning scenery have long made it a popular destination
for Brits hoping to soak up some sun.
There are more visitors from the UK than any other country.
And one Brit who was particularly fond of Malta was the late Queen.
As Princess Elizabeth, she spent two years in Malta
when Prince Philip was stationed here in the late 1940s.
The young royal couple lived in the suburb of Gwardamanga,
just outside Valletta.
They found a home on this unassuming street,
surrounded by Maltese neighbours.
This is a wealthy part of the neighbourhood,
so she wasn't living in a ghetto, but she did walk around.
She did say hi to people.
She was simply a naval officer's wife.
Giancarlo Azzopardi
is assistant curator of Elizabeth and Philip's home,
Villa Guardamangia.
This was a quiet area, and the people that lived here,
they were also prominent people, either Maltese and British.
So they would have been too surprised
that the Queen, or Princess at the time,
is opening a window to have a look out.
The house fell into disrepair after the royals left
but was purchased by the Maltese government in 2019
and is now undergoing renovation.
It will become a museum.
So, here we have the dining room.
You can see around the walls the painting schemes,
which have been covered through the years.
In the 1800s, it was very typical to have this form of stencil work.
The villa certainly wasn't like any of the Princess's other homes.
So, this is the kitchen.
Very small and basic, considering the people that lived here.
So, you have the sink still over here.
So, if the Queen was here and she felt like cooking,
she could have done so as well.
She used to go out shopping, and she'd go out and do her hair
with her friends.
Upstairs in her bedroom,
the Princess did have some creature comforts, however.
You have the bell, whenever she wakes up
and wants to have breakfast in bed,
her bathroom, and even a walk-in wardrobe over there.
And up on the roof terrace,
the view would have been particularly delightful
for the Princess.
So, from here, you have a clear view of Marsamxett Harbour.
Prince Philip's destroyer flotilla
would have been stationed over there.
But what really made the house special for the royal couple
was its garden.
Extending to a quarter of an acre,
it was laid out in a formal Mediterranean style.
And it was a particular favourite of the Princess's.
She was very fond of the fruits which the trees produced.
We have lemon trees and orange trees.
The renovation process is already underway in the garden.
It's being carefully excavated
to see what remains of its classical design.
Over here, we've just got a little bit of flower pot.
In charge of the dig is David Cardona.
Already, we're uncovering some nice pieces of pottery,
flower pots and containers
that would have been broken by use, and then literally chucked away
in this corner of the garden.
Each day, they find something that helps them understand
what the garden once looked like.
The most important thing we found today
are these two fragments from a statue hand.
Just before the royal family lived here,
we know that the central passageway in the garden was lined by statues,
so this might relate to one of them.
The 10-million-euro restoration still has a long way to go,
but once complete,
the museum will be dedicated to the royal couple's time in Malta.
While Prince Philip was based with the British Navy
around Valletta's Grand Harbour,
the port is also Malta's nautical lifeline.
The small island may produce high-quality olives,
but it can't produce everything it needs.
Many different types of cargo vessels come and go
during the average day.
I heard you.
Maritime pilot Walter is in charge of helping these large vessels
navigate their way through the narrow harbour entrance
and into the port.
These cargo ships are vital to Malta,
so, like, now, they are bringing cement
for the construction industry.
And we have all kinds of other foodstuff, for example, coming,
like grain, corn, which supply all the islands.
Working with such diversity of vessels is a highly skilled job.
So, speed, 6.5. Very good.
Today, Walter is assessing trainee Pierre,
who hopes to qualify as a junior pilot very soon.
I'm quite excited, you know.
It's a nice, interesting life, you know?
So, every day is different.
They are travelling a mile out to sea
to board a container ship full of cement
and guide her into the port.
'Make sure that's clearing the breakwater.'
But they need to berth alongside the moving vessel.
Once aligned, they can jump on board.
First line forward, spring line.
Spring line. Aft stern line. OK.
Final mooring, 2-1?
Yes. 2-1.
Safely on board, they liaise with the captain on the bridge.
So, Captain, today,
we have trainee pilot who will do the manoeuvre,
and assisted by us and monitored.
You're welcome.
They approach the narrow entrance to Valletta's Grand Harbour.
Our stern, chief.
First line.
Long line.
Midship. Midship.
The pilot is instructing the master what to do,
and the captain is steering and engine orders,
according to the pilot's advice.
Port five. Port five.
One whistle. One whistle for the boat.
HORN BLARES
Once inside the busy harbour, they have to be extra careful.
We have to monitor the vessel speed.
The vessel is fully loaded,
so it will take quite a long time to stop.
Part of our job is to preserve the environment around
and carry out these manoeuvres as safely as possible.
The most tricky part will be the berth approach.
Captain, because they're doing some, uh, land filling over there... Yes.
..keep a little bit on the starboard side.
Starboard side. OK.
I go a little bit to starboard side.
Pierre has advised the captain
that today's docking is more difficult than usual.
Stop engine.
Hard to starboard. Hard to starboard.
Bow thruster full to starboard.
1.5 speed.
Midship. Midship.
As you can see, we have ongoing works here,
so we have to keep safely distant enough for the manoeuvre.
So, now is the critical time
where he needs to keep concentration level high.
We are very close to the jetty.
We need to stop the ship in place at the assigned berth allocation.
It seems Pierre has everything under control.
He's doing very well. Textbook manoeuvre up to now.
Aft to port. Aft to port.
Stop bow.
Bow thruster half to port. Half to port.
After some delicate manoeuvring and instruction from Pierre,
they're perfectly in position alongside the dock.
Today, it went quite well, I think. Weather is fine.
I'm at the end of the training period,
so next week, I shall sit for my, uh, exam.
And after that, I should get my first licence as a pilot.
And with the cargo vessel safely docked,
how does Walter think his trainee has done?
My opinion, this was a very good manoeuvre.
Full marks to Pierre and our next pilot on board.
Here's wishing you all the best with your exam, Pierre.
Coming up... we stop off at the Navy's favourite pub,
which honours their presence.
Every time they turn up, we get a cap tally -
either a ship they've served on or someone they knew served on,
because ultimately, it's their pub.
And we visit one of Malta's most luxurious hotels,
where the ballroom was frequented by royalty.
We have Princess Elizabeth's signature,
and that's her photo when she used to come and dance.
And His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales. Now King Charles.
SAMANTHA BOND: Almost three million visitors flock to Malta every year,
and one of the main attractions is the capital Valletta.
On the edge of the city's 16th century bastion walls
sits one of Malta's most prestigious hotels,
the five-star Phoenicia.
First designed in 1930, World War II disrupted construction,
so it didn't open its doors until 1948.
Over the years, it's hosted the rich...
the famous...
..and the royal.
They flocked to its elegant Palm Court Lounge,
spacious ballroom,
and luxurious infinity pool for a touch of old-world glamour.
Today, it's run by 200 staff,
representing 37 different nationalities.
Namaste. Namaste.
Everyone OK?
It's 7am...
All right. See you later.
..and Australian-born general manager Robyn
checks in with all her departments.
Good morning, Neville. How are you? Good. How are you?
Any problems? Any issues? Any things we need to talk about?
Not really. Good. See you later.
See you later. Bye.
Morning, Dominic.
All OK with the dishwasher today? Good.
And when you're paying top prices, everything has to be perfect.
The details matter in a hotel like ours,
so that's why in the morning,
I come through and just straighten up
after the night before.
It's part of my rounds of a morning,
just to make sure that the hotel's ready for the day.
Robyn's domain also includes eight acres of landscaped gardens...
..which need a lot of care, especially in a hot climate.
I can't speak very good Maltese, and their English is not as good.
So the best way of communicating is for me to take photos.
Hey, Rod, I just sent you a photo of a shrub
and the area that's sort of closest to the bridge.
If you can have them just prune this tree.
It's just starting to sprout. Thank you.
So that's how we communicate.
Robyn's job is also to make sure the guests are happy.
And the hotel acts as a magnet for some.
Ninety-year-old Michael Hurst is a retired British architect
who's been visiting the hotel for 64 years.
Did you have a good night?
And is drawn back up to four times a year.
Taking it easy. Yes.
I will do a couple of hours down by the pool,
get a little bit of a tan,
then I shall come back and continue writing my memoirs,
which I have been writing for God knows how long.
Well, listen, I don't wanna take up your breakfast.
Have a great day. Will do.
OK. See you later. See you tomorrow. See you.
And while some guests never leave, nor do some of the staff.
Well, I've been working here for the last 30 years,
and I said I'd spend one year or two year and then move on.
It never happened.
I'm part of the furniture now.
Hopefully good furniture.
The hotel's ambassador, Neville,
is particularly proud of the names in his guest book,
from movie stars and politicians, to royalty.
And then over here we have Princess Elizabeth's signature.
And that's her photo when she used to come and dance in the ballroom.
Its, erm, history dates back to 1949,
when Queen Elizabeth used to live in Malta.
And there's the, erm...
His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales.
Now King Charles.
We also had, erm...
quite a few actors staying here when the Malta Story was filmed.
I had Alec Guinness, Jeffrey Hunter, Peter van Eyck.
The next book, we had Arnold Schwarzenegger
visiting one of the actors who stayed here as well.
But we also had...
..Brad Pitt staying here as well.
But it seems that Malta has cast a spell on Robyn, too.
She and her husband were living in Brussels
when he was offered a job in Malta.
We were like, "Mmm, Malta?"
Because we were going to go back to Australia,
but we thought, "OK, well, let's give it a go."
You know, "We'll see."
A couple of years living on a Mediterranean island
doesn't seem so bad.
And here we are 12 years later.
And we'll catch up with Robyn's team
when they try to woo a couple looking for a wedding venue.
Hi. Hello.
Welcome to the Phoenicia.
How are you? Very good thank you, and you?
But will the ballroom sweep them off their feet?
What do you think? It's amazing.
It's a wow factor, isn't it? Yes, yes.
With its deep, natural harbours
and strategic position in the middle of the Mediterranean,
it's no surprise that Malta was once home to a vast Royal Navy fleet.
Although the last British ships to be permanently stationed here
left in 1979,
it's still a regular stopping-off point
for the Navy when on deployment.
And when British sailors are in town,
there's one place in Valletta they head to...
The Pub.
Maltese man Nathan Brimmer has been owner and landlord for nine years.
You know, I came in here for a pint, and 18 years later, I own it.
So it's...
There is some magic about it.
They come in here, have a drink, tell me their life story,
tell me their biggest secrets and leave.
I feel like as bartenders, and as a landlord especially,
we are the keepers of secrets.
And the Navy's long and rich relationship with Malta
has certainly left its mark here.
Every time they turn up, we get a cap tally -
either a ship they've served on or someone they knew served on.
Anything related to the Navy that's donated to us
we stick up here because ultimately, it's their pub.
And here we are, the Navy Room.
And to honour the Navy's important presence in the area,
a whole room upstairs has been devoted to it
and an impressive collection of mementos.
Up on the ceiling, we have massive ship flags,
lots of them signed by the guys who have visited.
There's a massive one here, the HMS Argyll.
This is off the HMS Chatham in 2007.
That's the HMS Southampton.
The pub is so important to one sailor,
he even deemed it a fitting resting place for his dad.
His father was a sailor, and he was a sailor,
and he wanted to pour some of his dad's ashes in every single port...
..that his ship stopped at
to effectively give his dad one last tour,
which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
And I said, "Of course you can."
I said, "I'd love to do something for your dad."
So this is CPO Morgan Rattler,
born 1939, died 2014,
served with the Royal Navy from 1959 to 1994.
And that's Rattler's ashes, and Rattler holds...
a place of pride in our pub.
And there's another poignant story attached to the pub.
24 years ago, the actor and hell-raiser Oliver Reed was in Malta
to make the movie Gladiator.
On the day of his death,
he had a drinking session with some sailors from HMS Cumberland.
Half past two in the afternoon on May 2nd, 1999,
sat right there after a session with them.
And that was Oliver Reed's last session, right here at the pub.
And that's why we have little shrine dedicated to Oliver Reed.
Oliver Reed was particularly loved
because he was... just a man of the people.
And for Nathan, his pub is his pride and joy.
In Malta, we're born with an almost innate sense of pride.
I really love this place and everyone who drinks here.
Genuinely, everyone that comes in here has a story to tell.
It's 6.30pm,
and Malta's annual chocolate festival is underway
in the suburb of Hamrun, just outside Valletta.
It's said that the Knights of St John,
who ruled Malta for over two centuries,
stored their cocoa beans here.
Chocolatiers from all over Malta have gathered,
and the festival is already hitting the sweet spot for visitors.
Organiser Mario has a bird's-eye view.
I'm really excited because the streets are getting filled, filled,
filled with people enjoying chocolate, of course,
our culture and our entertainment,
which is going throughout the event.
Providing plenty of entertainment
is Tiziano's chocolate Russell Crowe.
A large crowd has gathered to watch the finishing touches.
Just the gladiator sword to add.
I'm really happy. I'm really happy with the result.
I know that people are enjoying. I'm happy.
And chocolate Russell Crowe is complete.
While no-one will be eating The Gladiator this evening,
there are plenty of delicious treats on offer.
Praline, salted caramel.
Just one of these? Yes, sure.
Self-taught chocolatier Gabriel paints chocolates by hand.
They take hours to paint.
The colours, they need to be layered.
But once you're here, it becomes kind of really, really worth it.
People get to appreciate them,
and that's what really matters at the very end.
Hamrun Chocolate Festival is really important
because it's an evening where we celebrate chocolate.
Maltese people love chocolate.
If I have to speak for myself,
I'm a chocolate addict, and I think most people are.
The Maltese chocolate addiction has resulted in burgers
and pizzas made by Noel.
It's his first time selling chocolate fast food at the festival.
I'm very excited. This is the tops for us.
We cannot be anywhere else better than here.
Malta is a very warm country because of the sun,
but mostly because of the warm hearts of the people.
Coming up, we meet a couple looking for the perfect wedding venue.
It looks even better in real life.
But will this five-star luxury hotel win them over?
I think we're very close to deciding.
SAMANTHA BOND: Just outside the capital Valetta,
on the edge of the city's 16th-century bastion walls,
sits one of Malta's oldest hotels, the Phoenicia,
which dates back to the 1930s.
It's steeped in history.
During the war, the ballroom even served as a naval hospital.
But today, it's the lap of five-star Deco luxury.
It's not just a hotel.
It's one of the premier wedding venues on the island.
Today, Robyn is briefing her team about some possible new clients.
Hi, guys. Hi, Anya. Hi, Neville. Hi.
So, I've had a call from a lady who is quite a regular guest
of our restaurants.
And her daughter, Christabel, is getting married,
and she really wants her to have her wedding here.
Christabel's mum, her mother got married here.
She got married here. OK.
And she wants to continue this tradition.
So she was really hoping that we could convince Christabel
to choose the Phoenicia Malta.
You need to show them the ballroom.
Give them a bit of an idea
of what a Phoenicia Malta experience feels like. Yeah.
Local couple Christabel and Rudy are getting married in a year's time.
A Maltese wedding tends to be a large, lavish event
with a stand-up reception.
They've looked at several locations but haven't found their dream venue.
My grandparents and even my parents got married here,
so I think it would be a nice tradition to...
It's family history, sort of. Yes.
With about 70 weddings a year, the hotel gets booked up early.
Hi. Welcome. Welcome to Phoenicia.
How are you? Very good, Thank you. And you?
OK, thank you. Very good. We're very excited.
First stop is the ballroom,
which not only holds special memories for the bride's family,
but many famous feet have graced this dance floor.
But will it sweep them off their feet?
What do you think? That's amazing.
It looks even better in real life than from the pictures.
So... Yes, it does.
It's a wow factor, isn't it? Yes.
And dancing is a major part of a Maltese wedding celebration.
The Art Deco-style ballroom is a magnificent 375 square metres
and still has its original features.
In actual fact, the late Queen Elizabeth
come and dance with her husband here.
So we'll be like a queen and king on the evening.
SHE LAUGHS
Very good. Yes. No, it looks really amazing.
But can the hotel cater for all Maltese traditions?
Maltese weddings,
some people like to do the cutting of the cake just before the dancing,
and we can also prepare some seating for your guest members
who are a bit elderly. Yes, amazing.
Let's have a look. Walk around. Yes, please.
So, for example, the cake would be set up around here.
You can also leave this place free for your first dance?
Oh, OK. Yes, definitely.
You don't want to try now? No, no, we'll save it for today.
Sure. Yes, 100%.
And the Maltese love their food,
so the couple want to get a taste of what else the hotel can offer.
We hope to have canapes and, like, a buffet station as well.
So a lot is riding on whether the chef
can deliver some winning canapes
after the couple have finished their look around...
Hello, good afternoon.
..and persuade them to hold their wedding reception at the hotel.
Over here, we've got a Parma ham, buffalo mozzarella tartlet,
a smoked salmon blini with some caviar
and tapenade and chorizo croute.
Amazing. OK. Thank you.
Please do take some pictures for your mum.
You promised her that we have to.
Are the canapes convincing Christabel and Rudy?
Neville's optimistic.
So, that means it's confirmed.
Since we prepared the booking form.
I think now that we've seen the hotel, we've seen the venue,
we tried a bit of food,
I think we're very, like, close to deciding.
Just decide by end of the week.
One of the best viewings we've had so far.
Compared to other venues we've seen,
I think they offer the whole package.
It's good that we've seen it in real life because you get
the full experience of it.
It's an amazing venue. Pretty much on top of our list.
Exactly. For now.
For this young couple,
it seems the grand old lady of Maltese hotels has worked her magic.
We'll leave them to enjoy their wedding and their future
in the beautiful island nation of Malta...
..where the sun shines, the seas are crystal clear and life is joyful.
I'm smiling now.
Where the most glamorous of palazzos and the simplest of fish markets...
MAN SHOUTS IN MALTESE
..happily sit side by side.
Wow.
..and glittering cathedrals...
This painting is one of our treasures in Malta.
..a part of the landscape steeped in history.
Fire!
A magical island where tradition matters.
Look how beautiful it is.
And above all, where nature triumphs...
..because this is Malta, the jewel of the Mediterranean.