The dotted g and the h with a slash are
definitely Valletta. The dotted g has a sound like a j or
zh, as in the temple of Hagar Qim [ha-zhar-eem],
familiar to those of you who've also watched too many of
those World's Strongest Man competitions. The h with
the slash is a barely perceptible h, for which I have
no good examples.
Speaking of Malta, I'll add
one book to the earlier thread of summer reading
suggestions -- V., by Thomas Pynchon.
I don't know the
Fleming question, though he seems to be quite a popular
guy in northern Spain. Apparently bullfighting deaths
have declined significantly since the introduction of
penicillin.
--Raj Dhuwalia