Part of our travels took us to Malta. My family spent a few months there and got to be embedded in Maltese culture. Hard to do as a tourist because while the Maltese are nice they are not inviting to strangers. Since the Crusades they've been a softball between Eastern and Western empires, coming in and telling them what's what.

I was just a fly on the wall but what I learned is Malta is a mix of old world families and familiarity and new world, EU, business rules. Where even billionaire megayachts get duty-free fuel smuggled in from Libya through a series of handlers. It's also something I really enjoyed about that island. The big box stores were on equal footing or disadvantaged to local, small shops. Everyone had a friend or family member who dealt in one speciality or another. The rock bottom price wasn't reserved for friends or family. Little haggling was even necessary. The price you paid was the best price you were going to find. Whether that be sailboat parts, limes, or rabbit.

I really miss it and look forward to going back.