The economic downturn has had minimal impact on Tigne Point, one of the highest profile Malta property developments, according to the senior sales and marketing manager behind the mixed-use project.

James Vassallo says that sales at Tigne Point have remained steady despite the fact that residential prices have not been reduced, amid adverse housing market conditions and a fragile economy, which he believes is testament to the strength of “the higher segment of the Malta property market.”

Vassallo adds: “We have managed to retain our [property] prices and still achieve a reasonable and steady stream of sales notwithstanding the adverse market conditions.

“It has not been easy and, of course, we are not through it yet, but our ‘steady-as-she-goes’ approach has paid off and we have continued to sell our properties throughout 2009 and 2010 to date.”

Tigne Point, located near the capital Valletta features a wide range of different homes, from ‘loft style’ studio apartments to four bedroom villas, with prices starting from £360,000.

The opening of several new air routes to Malta within the past year, including easyjet flights from Newcastle and weekly Ryanair services from Bristol and Edinburgh, have helped to attract property purchasers who may not have otherwise considered buying property in Malta before.

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It was the ultimate girlie weekend – three days of spa heaven, with best friends Anna and Georgina, spent in an unbelievably beautiful place. I met Anna in rather bizarre circumstances seven years ago when I first went to Hollywood to film Pirates Of The Caribbean, in which I played voodoo priestess Tia Dalma.

I was dropped off at The Plaza, a fabulous apartment block close to Sunset Boulevard where all the British actors stay when they come to Hollywood. Usually when you arrive for a filming job there’s someone to welcome you, show you around and explain how things work, but because I’d arrived so late there was nobody. Nor did I have any food and since I was filming the next morning I thought I ought to go out to get some.

So there I was, wandering the streets of Los Angeles in the dead of night looking to buy a pint of milk and a loaf of bread. I later discovered-that in LA people don’t go out walking, particularly after dark but, amazingly, I bumped into another crazy person. It was Anna Leigh.

I asked her if she knew where I could buy food in the area, but instead of directing me to the nearest grocery store she invited me to join her at a restaurant where she was going to eat with a friend. It turned out that Anna was a development producer staying in the same apartment block. We became firm friends and have remained so ever since – she came to Florida to stay with me, for example, when I was filming there.

It was Anna who organised our mini-break to Malta with her best friend Georgina Miles who I’d met at Anna’s wedding last year – it’s all a bit Sex And The City, isn’t it?

The purpose of the Malta trip was to celebrate Georgina’s engagement. Anna chose Malta because she had been holidaying on the island since she was a child – always returning to the Fortina Spa Resort (her father still stays there regularly). She loves the place so much she wanted Georgina and me to experience it for ourselves. So she went off and organised the whole trip.

I’d never been to Malta before but I’d heard a lot about it, particularly from fellow actors as a number of movies – Gladiator, Troy and Clash Of The Titans, for example – have been shot there in recent years. Certainly I can see why movie-makers use the place so much. In many places it has the look of a film set – you feel as if you are stepping back in time.

I was also surprised by how much remains of the British rule; you’ll see the classic red telephone and post boxes along with British shops such as Marks & Spencer, BHS and Next.

The Maltese are proud of their British heritage. It was nice to be in a place where people openly love the British so much. The islanders are incredibly welcoming, really very nice people.

Malta is a place where you always feel totally safe walking around. As three girls on our own we never felt threatened in any way. It’s a place which really comes alive after dark – at midnight everyone is ready to go clubbing. And, in the Mediterranean way, people love dressing up to promenade around town in the evening. I love that. At the Fortina I was lucky enough to stay in one of the top spa rooms. I’ve never seen a hotel room like it. It was mind-blowing, full of all sorts of spa equipment.

What I don’t normally like about spas is all the rigmarole you get at the reception, all the awkward chitchat and the endless hanging around to fill in forms. We had none of that – we had our own spa right there in my bedroom. You’ve heard of do-it-yourself? This was S-I-Y – spa-it-yourself.

My favourite piece of spa equipment was what I called ‘The Pod’. It was a piece of science-fiction-style technology that looked as if it had come straight from the movie Barbarella. You covered yourself in a clay-like gel, got into the The Pod with your head sticking out of the top, where it was fanned by cooling breezes while your body steamed inside the machine. Then the whole thing started vibrating. It sounds bizarre but was actually incredibly relaxing.

I also sampled one of the hotel’s new spa rooms at the top of the hotel which had lots of modern touches: a magnetic bed, a Power Plate machine and an air purification system.

We girls just loved it. We whiled away wonderful hours in my bedroom spa: someone would be in The Pod, someone else would be in my shower, which turned into a steam room and a third person would be relaxing in one of the two Jacuzzis. Utter bliss.

The Fortina is really into the whole health and beauty thing; it even has its own dental surgery and plastic surgery departments.

We didn’t need to leave the hotel to eat since it offered no fewer than eight restaurants (each part of our all-inclusive package) serving a different style of cuisine: Mediterranean, Indian, Thai, Chinese. Georgina loves sushi so had to have her daily fix every lunchtime and we joined her.

Most of our time was spent either eating or relaxing in the spas so I’m afraid sightseeing took a bit of a back seat.

However, we did visit the old walled city of Mdina in the centre of Malta. If, like us, you’re only on the island for a few days then this is the must-see place to visit  -  wonderful historic buildings and quiet cobbled streets circled by ancient walls from which you can enjoy fabulous views of the whole island. Come here at night when they light the streets with lanterns and people wander around dressed in costumes At the end of three days we felt refreshed and renewed and agreed that we will definitely return. To read the full article and see the photographs click through to the article at the Daily Mail here

For Malta hotels visit yourmalta.com

Florida was awarded to Britain as part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris, and marked the time when Britain moved her focus from Europe to a more global domination.

When the British landed in Florida they found it unpopulated, and Dr. Andrew Turnbull, a Scottish doctor, took advantage of the treaty which offered easy terms of settlement to those who desired land grants.

The doctor felt that people from the British Isles might have found it difficult to adjust to the heat in Florida. Instead, he went to Greece hoping to find colonists. The Greeks were accustomed to humid, hot conditions and he felt they would do a good job of cultivating olives, cotton and tobacco.

Dr. Turnbull acquired land near Ponce de Leon Inlet near present day Daytona. He planned to have 500 Greek settlers from islands like Crete and Corfu to come back with him and would call his new colony New Smyrna. He arrived in June of 1767 at the port of Mahon on Minorca.

There he chose to delay his trip to Greece and vied instead for the attention of Italians in Leghorn Italy, of whom he heard some were interested in migrating to the New World. Sure enough several Italians males signed up to become inhabitants of New Smyrna, encouraged bu the thought that the climate would be similar to the Rome weather.

Alongside the Italians, a few Greeks from Levant joined the voyage.

As the doctor collected his new immigrants he sailed back to Mahon in February of 1768. There he found the Italians he had recruited had married Minorcan women.

On April 17, 1768 he sailed from Minorca with eight ships carrying a total of 1,403 settlers. This doubled the number he’d originally hoped for and then some. Unfortunately, 148 of the colonists died during the voyage from Minorca to Florida.

New Smyrna Residents Arrive

Upon arrival, the colonists’ met with rough conditions in New Smyrna. The land had yet to be cleared of trees and thick bush.

Two of the biggest obstacles were Indians and alligators. Food had to be gathered, hunted or caught by fishing, and they had to work the swamps for their very survival. Malaria from the mosquitoes quickly took its toll on the new settlers.

Settlers had several options to get food, but little time was allotted to the people to forage. They were forced to spend much of their time building homes for themselves.

These conditions led 300 of the colonists to revolt. They seized a ship and sailed south. A British Frigate found the ship and captured its passengers; taking them to St. Augustine. Most were returned to the colony, but two were executed.

In the first year, 450 colonists perished. Despite many of the hardships New Smyrna was one of the better colonies in North America at the time.

What to Expect in New Smyrna Today

The indentured Greek and Italian servants, who through their blood, sweat, tears made the colony successful are honorued by The Odyssey Monument. Every year on the first Saturday after Labor Day there is a commemoration in their honour at the monument.

In St. Augustine Florida, the St. Photios National Shrine honours the settlers. There you will find exhibits that adjoin a chapel. The stories of the people and their plight are told in wonderful detail, and the connection between today’s Florida and Minorca is evident.

For more details about Minorca including holidays in Minorca visit yourmenorca.net

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Majorca Blog

Often family holidays can centre around the beach, and finding a good one near to your hotel or villa is an important part of having a good time – and getting it wrong can mean the whole trip is a bad experience.

So where are the good beaches in destinations ideal for a family holiday?

For Majorca, the most popular European vacation island, the answer is Playa de Muro, according to a recent leading quality British newspaper’s travel section.

Playa de Muro is located in the north of the island when looking at a map of Majorca, and the closest holiday resort is Alcudia, popular with both German and British tourists.

The travel section reports that the goldensands are ‘never ending’ and that the beach has earned Blue Flag status, with a number of good hotels located along the beach, offering a good choice for those wanting to be near a beach and searching the internet for Majorca hotels.

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They advise that you can wade out quite a long way in the clear water before getting out of your depth, so this is a great option if you have small children. You can hire a pedalo, try all sorts of watersports or take a boat trip.

It’s often a bit breezy, so good for kiting too. If you need a bit of peace and quiet while enjoying the great weather in Majorca. Paths lead to the Albufera nature reserve, which is the largest wetland area on the island.

There is no shortage of bars and restaurants according to the report, whether you want paella, patatas bravas or pizza. If you walk along far enough, there are quieter parts of the beach with picnic areas in the shade of the trees by the dunes.

And for those about to go on their holidays in Majorca they even give some advice about how to find Playa de Muro:

From Alcudia, drive along the bay, past the S’Albufera Nature Park. There are lots of free places to park. You can also get there by bus.

Internet versions of national newspapers are a rich source of good information for tourists to read about destinations – The Daily Telegraph in the UK being one example of quality journalism. In Europe and North America travel journalists write about diverse but related travel topics, and subscribing to them is money well spent, but many are still freely available. Social media also has independent reviews, such as Yahoo Buzz.

Siggiewi. 2 bedroom house of character.  Sitting room, kitchen/diner, shower room and guest wc.  Includes airspace that allows for expansion subject to normal planning consents.  135,000 Euros  ref: 11402  * 3 photographs available by email *

Siggiewi. 2 bedroom house of character.

Zebbug. Expertly converted 3 double bedroom house of character.  Guest wc.  Sunny central courtyard.  195,000 Euros  ref: 11405  *4 photographs available by email *

St Julian’s. Brand new 3 bedroom 2 bathroom 195m2 first floor apartment, in a quiet area but close to amenities.  Master bedroom en suite.  207,000 Euros  ref: 11499  * 2 photographs available by email *

Ibrag, penthouse apartment.

Ibrag. 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom partly furnished spacious penthouse apartment.  Good size terrace.  Master en suite.  Utility room.  2 car garage.  222,000 Euros  ref: 11481  * 3 photographs available by email *

To request full current availability for Malta property for sale visit maltaproperty.info

For Malta holidays information visit yourmalta.com