WE STEP from bright Maltese sunshine into the church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Mosta, and our eyes struggle to adjust to the half-light.

Gradually we become aware of the murmuring faithful, old men who have gathered in the semi-darkness.

Some seated, some standing with the aid of sticks or leaning on chair backs, these grey-haired townsfolk in glasses and hand-knitted cardigans are chanting as they tell their rosaries and gaze reverently towards the pulpit.

They are remembering another afternoon long ago, when disaster threatened this landmark church and its enormous 60ft dome.

On that day in 1942, these men, young then, may well have been in the congregation when a German bomb pierced the dome, crashed to the ground, rolled along the aisle and came harmlessly to rest among 300 worshippers.

They instantly hailed their escape as a miracle and prayed in gratitude.

Mosta's church dome has long been repaired but the village continues to remember the events in prayer.

A visit is a highlight of any trip to Malta, and throws into relief two characteristic Maltese traits; piety and national pride. The sort of pride that won the entire island the St George's Cross.

Piety tinged with pride created dozens of magnificent churches across the island as devout villagers strove to outdo one another in the grandness of their places of worship.

It created the dozens of religious town and village fiestas that cram the calendars of Malta and its beautiful sister island of Gozo.

And it founded Valetta, the historic jewel in the island's crown, where the Knights of St John stood firm against invaders.

The city is a baroque gem on San Francisco-steep slopes, with smart shops and elegant open spaces such as Republic Square, the number one coffee haunt of the Maltese.

Here citizens come to gossip and unwind beneath the stern gaze of Queen Victoria, whose statue harks back to the days when this plaza, too, bore her name.

Malta seems wistful about relinquishing its British links - the Maltese still call Republic Street Kingsway, they still post their letters in bright red pillar boxes and they still get about in Hillman Minxes and Hunters, in Ford Anglias and on ancient and crumbling Leyland buses, all driven on the left-hand side of the road.

The love affair even extends to Oliver Reed, who died in Malta during filming of the hit film Gladiator and whose last hostelry, The Pub, Valetta, remembers him in pictures, postcards and T-shirts, all for sale.

Thankfully, older traditions hold sway when it comes to food and wonderful family restaurants such as Valetta's Rubino, founded in the nineteenth century, are packed daily by locals catching up with the news and wolfing down delicious local specialities such as (aubergines, olives, capers); bigella (broad bean puree); Bullito misto (mushrooms); couscous, rabbit and roast local lamb.

In all honesty, not everywhere in Malta is picture-postcard pretty, and parts look so neglected as to be positively bleak.

But centres such as Mdina, a walled city whose quiet interior houses lovely squares, arched streets and orange trees, make up for thoughtless developments elsewhere.

And a ten-minute ferry ride from Malta lies Gozo, a tiny, stunning island with a beautiful landscape and 14 charming villages, each with its own distinct character.

Gozo's peaceful atmosphere has made it a secret haunt of the rich and famous.

Richard Branson's mum is said to have a home, Madonna is rumoured to be a fan, and Microsoft's top European team were, it is claimed, cloistered in a farmhouse here to make key decisions for the company's future.

They probably needn't have been so private. The entire team of Gladiator, Russell Crowe and all, is said to have eaten al fresco at a restaurant on Gozo with curious locals being satisfied to hear they were simply a team of divers.

Malta and Gozo are worth a visit any time of the year; but the islands are trying to promote their year-round attractiveness to visitors.

We visited in December, when piped carols and tinsel-decked streets lent a surreal charm to the Mediterranean atmosphere.

While the weather was not always perfect, it was certainly an improvement on rain-lashed Britain and when the sun shone, it was gloriously warm.

Perfect walking weather in fact, and walking is one of the activities Malta is targeting, with five new routes drawn up for Gozo alone.

Painting is another pursuit being promoted. Malta Art, run by an Ampleforth College old boy from his 400-year-old village house of golden stone, is attracting plenty of interest from English tourists keen to hone their skills on its specialist sketching and watercolouring holidays.

Fact File

Malta Tourism Authority: 280 Republic Street, Valetta CMR 02, Malta, or visit www.visitmalta.com

Gozo Tourism Association: 5 'Ta' Mliet Court' Gorg Borg Olivier Street, Victoria, Gozo VCT 111 Malta, or visit www.gozo.com/gta

Flights to Malta: contact Air Malta, Malta House, 26/38 Piccadilly, London W1V 9PA

Francine Clee stayed at hotels including the Riviera Resort & Spa, Marfa L/o Mellieha, MLH 02, Malta (visit www.riviera.com.mt)

Malta Art can be contacted at 85 Triq Tan Nofs, Siggiewi QRM 12, Malta GC, or visit:

www.malta-art.co.uk

Updated: 09:58 Saturday, June 29, 2002