Here’s why you should visit Sicily this Christmas

Oct 11 2021

Now that summer is over, Christmas is right around the corner and whether you’re thinking of clever present ideas or scouring the internet for the perfect Christmas sweater, the festive season is upon us and we are ready. However, after what has been a relatively timid summer, a holiday is just the change of pace we need right now and thanks to Virtu Ferries, a Sicilian Christmas is as accessible as can be. In between traditional activities and great prices, here’s why you should visit Sicily this Christmas.

Change of Routine

Like we said, it has been a relatively calm summer in terms of organised activities and trips, which is why a change of routine and a step into the unordinary is precisely what’s needed during the Christmas holidays.

Pack your bags and head to the gorgeous island of Sicily for a traditional Christmas celebration unlike any other and delight in the fact that you got a huge bang for your buck with Virtu Ferries’ great deals!

Great Food

What is culture without food? Exactly. The Italian island of Sicily is well-known for its traditional delights, more so during the Christmas period with everything from fantastic fish dishes to finger-licking desserts.

One of our absolute favourites is the iconic Pignolata, a stack of fried dough balls dipped in honey and tossed with sprinkles which tastes even better than it looks. Not to mention the all-time classic Sicilian cannoli which are worth a trip on their own any time of year!

Sicilian Tradition

Sicily and its people are wholeheartedly-rooted in culture, where tradition is celebrated in a grand way and this is as prevalent as ever during Christmas time.

From the abundant religious displays to the popular & vibrant Christmas markets, Sicily is bursting with seasonal activities, entertainment, craft and gastronomy and it would be a shame to miss out on an experience such as this!

Value For Money

Well-known for providing the best deals all year round, Virtu Ferries are providing the ideal December Super Offer which allows you to enjoy a pleasant holiday whilst also having enough cash to throw around for Christmas presents.

The offer is also eligible for Christmas and New Year Weekend and passengers can travel for as little as €49 with the return fare included! Time is of the essence and planning in advance is essential so don’t forget; book early, save more.

So Many Benefits

Going on a Christmas or New Year holiday with Virtu Ferries does not mean that you have to shell out all of your hard-earned holiday savings. Quite the contrary, Virtu Ferries are not only offering a €49 passenger ticket with return fare included, but a motorcycle ticket costs a mere €59 and car ticket €69.

To top it all off, kids travel free and the tickets are refundable, making it the ideal holiday for anyone wanting to change up their usual Christmas celebrations.

The offer is valid until the end of October so think ahead to benefit from the best prices for your Christmas Holiday.

Tag your travel buddies!

#MaltaDaily

Sicily-Malta inter-connector use limited as prices surge in Europe

Oct 11 2021

Enemalta has avoided using the Sicily-Malta inter-connector over the past few days during peak Horus as energy prices across Europe have surged dramatically. Despite Malta so far managing to avoid the sky high energy tariffs hitting the continent, Enemalta has drastically reduced the use of the inter-connector. Times of Malta reports that the inter-connector was switched off for 11 hours on Wednesday, 18 hours on Thursday and 17 more hours on Friday.

With Enemalta’s price for electricity from the inter-connector being determined by a daily auction on the open market, the Eurozone consumer prices rose at their fastest pace since 2008 in September. Eurostat, the EU’s official statistics agency, claimed that eurozone inflation reached 3.4% on an annual basis, with energy prices increasing by 17.4%. Malta saw the lowest prices increases in the entire eurozone.

A spokesperson for the Energy Ministry informed the newsroom that wholesale prices in Italy, from which Malta imports over the inter-connector, have reached a record 37c per unit. The prices on the European grid are expected to stabilise in the second quarter of 2022, according to the spokesperson.

As the inter-connector was being used less and less, one of Enemalta’s older power plants (Delimara 2) was given new life. Running on gasoil, a polluting type of diesel, the use of this plant was inquired about by the newsroom. The spokesperson said that this power plant is intended to serve as backup.

This comes after Energy Minister Miriam Dalli announced plans to build a second Sicily-Malta inter-connector. Despite the rise in prices, the spokesperson confirmed that the government still planned to go ahead with the project. This is because a second inter-connector would fit in with the government’s decarbonisation vision and increasing the island’s diversification of sources.

#MaltaDaily

Photo Source: Miriam Dalli FB, Enemalta

Sex Education praised for inclusive and revolutionary intimacy scene

Oct 11 2021

Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’ has already established itself as the series out there challenging norms and providing viewers with knowledge on the nuances of sexuality. One particular scene from the third season is however being massively praised for the way it handled intimacy sensitively and being well-written and inclusive. Spoiler alert before you read on… Many were left furious with Isaac (George Robinson) at the end of season two after he deleted Otis’ love message.

And yet, the third season, which quickly made fan favourite characters out of many in the show (Ruby? Adam?), quickly won viewers with Maeve and Isaac’s intimacy scene. The filming of the young couple’s sex scene and its writing were immensely praised, being a rare instance in which persons with disabilities were represented onscreen in such a way.

Robinson, who plays Isaac, suffered from a spinal cord injury and is thus tetraplegic. The injury occurred when he was playing rugby at the age of 17. His role on the series continued to expand the roster of characters which shed a light on a variety of lived experiences and sexual orientations. Whatever your feelings on the ensuing drama and who you ship, this one scene was deemed revolutionary by many, showcasing why the series is so beloved.

#MaltaDaily

Photo Source: Heart Radio, Teen Vogue

Metro studies fully accessible to public announces Infrastructure Minister

Oct 11 2021

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Ian Borg has revealed this morning that the plans for a proposed Malta metro have been fully published. This follows the government’s launching of the idea on 2nd October, which revealed a metro system with 25 stations and three lines. The project would take between 15 and 20 years to complete at the cost of around €6.2 billion.

The Minister has now revealed on Facebook that the complete studies have been made available to the public. This also follows a freedom of information request by Green Party ADPD on Sunday which demanded the publication of all the data.

Borg said that after a positive week of national discussions, Transport Malta informed the minister that for the second week of conversations, the studies by Arup experts have been published. He reminded the public that these studies were done by experts and are therefore their positions on the matter, not the Maltese government’s. He acknowledged that the project brings with it a massive challenge but Borg knows that people believe in them to carry out the project.

You can access the studies here and here.

#MaltaDaily