I mention that there are a multitude of Zampa jewellery stores in Valletta. \u201cThey are all my relatives,\u201d he exclaims. His family started opening shops in Valletta back in about 1830. Renato said he had no choice, it was the family business. His father now in the business for 73 years, started when he was 14 years of age because his father had died. Most of the family shops are located on St. Lucia street. During World War II, the area was flattened and they had to rebuild their stores.<\/p>\n
Some of his fondest memories of growing up here include swimming at the Valletta Waterpolo Club.\u00a0 People sometimes used to say that he was born in the pool. His father used to play on the Valletta team. The club is still there and is located on the Marsamxett side of Valletta.\u00a0 When he was 18 years old, he met his wife \u201cjust down the road\u201d on St. Paul\u2019s Street just next to the church.<\/p>\n
It was a big deal to say you were from the city. They were and still are very proud.<\/p>\n
He spends 11 hours in Valletta, arriving at 8am and departing at 7pm. We he wants to go out to eat, he will often come back to Valletta for dinner. \u201cWe are so proud of it, I love it\u201d, he says.\u00a0\u00a0 He moved from Valletta at the age of 25 to Gzira where he still resides to this day. I point out that Gzira is maybe about an 11 minute drive to Valletta so why all the fuss? He loves all of the activity in Valletta. Renato points out that back in the 90\u2019s there were about 20,000 people living in Valletta. Nowadays there are 6000 or so people living her. \u201cThey left in those days because everyone wanted to go out from Valletta. Now everyone wants to come into Valletta.\u201d<\/p>\n
I ask Renato about his hobbies.\u00a0 He said before it used to be water polo, football, politics and the like. But now it\u2019s \u201ceating and drinking wine\u201d.<\/p>\n
Excerpt from: \u201cValletta – A Personal City Guide by 8 tourist guides from Malta\u201d Midsea books<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Renato was born in Valletta on Merchant\u2019s Street in front of St. Dominic’s Church.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t live in Valletta anymore but I joke with his wife that \u201che wants to move back\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":180,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n