Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1435356
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 DECEMBER 2021 7 CHRISTMAS Christmas magic in Buskett with the Magical Illuminated Trail walk-thru Enchantment for children and adults alike this Christmas at the Magical Illuminated Trail at Verdala Palace in Buskett THE Magical Illuminated Trail is back, this time as a walk- through experience at the en- chanting Verdala Palace in Bus- kett. The magical after-dark adven- ture for families now has loads of new attractions. Join the fun between 3 December till the 9 January at the Verdala Palace in the Buskett woodland. Following the success of the last year's Magical Illuminated Trail Drive Thru edition, this year the event will be held as originally intended with a majes- tic Walk-Thru experience at the magical Verdala Palace. A spectacular walk-about jour- ney through the walkways of one of Malta's national historic gems, the Magical Illumniated Trail features hundreds of new, larger-than-life lantern illumi- nated sculptures, light instal- lations, projections and much more. Bring your family and your loved ones to see these fantas- tic glittering structures like the Huge Winged Dragon, the Mid- night Express Train, the Arctic World, Candy Land and lots of other marvelous creatures. Walk through the light tun- nels, twinkling with thousands of fairy-lights and the mesmer- ising Palace gardens awash with colourful lights. The route will also include some incredible show-stoppers, amazingly illu- minated paths, irresistible selfie scenes, as well as an impressive projection on the Presidential Palace. Ticket information As per current regulations, all events in Malta are currently re- stricted to vaccinated attendees only. All tickets must be booked in advance: due to current Cov- id-19 regulations, there will be no tickets available for sale at the door. Entrance tickets are valid for their specific time and not transferable. Families, individuals, and groups may pre-purchase their entrance tickets online. The trail has been designed to allow only a few guests at regular scheduled intervals. The trail takes approx- imately about 45 to 70 minutes, depending on how many photos one takes. Book your tickets for only €8.50 for children (3-16yrs) and €15.00 for adults (17+). Infants under 2 years of age are free of charge – but still require a ticket from the booking system. Time slots are available start- ing from 5:20pm, with the last admission at 9:40pm. Online tickets will be scanned on arrival and can be presented on mobile phones or printed. Given the event is all outdoors, it is recommended you dress appropriately, with comfortable walking shoes with good grip, as well as a suitable jacket, and bringing along an umbrella just in case of inclement weather. The Illuminated Trail Malta is supported the Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protec- tion, The Malta Tourism Au- thority and Arts Council Malta. The event will once again be held in aid of the Malta Commu- nity Chest Fund Foundation. Il-Ħalfa tad-Destin – Bint De Valette fl-Assedju l-Kbir Book review IT is a known secret that Grand Master Jean de Valette, togeth- er with his vows of chastity, had also his own illegitimate chil- dren. The author of this book was inspired to write this novel after reading an interesting newspaper article, researched by Dr Giovanni Bonello about the love-children of this Grand Master. Cini's imagination al- so played an important part for the creation of the ficti- tious part of this novel, which blends in well with the events of the Great Siege of 1565. While venturing through this novel, the reader will take part in daring escapes with the Order's Cavalry sol- diers along the moonlit coun- tryside, among the long lost hamlets, down in dark valleys, over perched cliffs and also onto the deep waters across the perilous channel between Malta and Gozo. Moreover, this exciting ad- venture will even lead the reader to explore a number of underground secret passages below Fort St Angelo, Mdina and also Gozo's Citadel. This novel includes a num- ber of pictures, maps, draw- ings and paintings about the Great Siege, including Matteo Perez d'Aleccio's frescoes. As the story unfolds, one will also enjoy reconstruction sketch- es of various fortifications by Dr Stephen C Spiteri, such as Mdina, Gozo's Gran Castello, Fort St Angelo, Fort St Elmo and the Post of Catille during the Great Siege, adding more value and presence to the reader. Scattered along the chapters, one will also come across parts of Dun Karm Psaila's poem Il-Għanja tar-Rebħa, to com- pliment the patriotic atmos- phere. The story is recounted in the first person with the use of short chapters, specifically to help the reader become better acquainted with the characters and with the flow of events. As this romantic novel un- folds, the reader often feels as if he/she is taking part in the story itself, with the urge to discover even further what will be taking place next. This will certainly make it more dif- ficult for the reader to put the book down. The author insists that these ingredients help him reach his primary goal, which is to en- courage more and more poe- ple to read in Maltese. The use of idiomatic expressions and flowing language, togeth- er with an occasional touch of humour make his writing more entertaining and literary useful, for anyone who seeks to enjoy reading a good book in Maltese.