island of Malta. Malta is located 57 miles south of Sicily and 186 miles
north of Libya, lying strategically between Europe, Africa and the New East.
Malta is one of my favorite places to visit. There is so much history here,
and so much to see. Monuments pre-dating the Stone-age and fortified towns
with cobblestone streets lined with churches, shops, cafes and homes that
have been in the same family for more than 500 years. The capital city of
Valletta was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being "one of the most
concentrated historic areas in the world". For the movie buffs out there, if
you look closely you will recognize many places that have been used in
films.
As part of our tour today:
-We drove around the Valletta Bastions
-Took in the views from the Upper Barrakka Gardens overlooking the
Grand Harbor and Three Cities
-Visited St. Johns co-Cathedral
-Saw the remains of the Stone-age Tarxien Temples
-Explored Vittoriosa, once the capital of Malta with a marina below
that was filled with yachts from around the world, some the size of a small
cruise ship
-Went to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk and walked through the
Sunday Market
-Stopped above the Blue Grotto to take a photo of the rocky arched
entrance
-Visited Mdina, a historic, fortified city that when one crosses the
bridge and enters the city, one feels like they are stepping back in time.
This medieval walled city has been beautifully maintained and I hope one day
to spend some time at the hotel here.
Out of time, we headed back to the ship, getting a few pictures of the
waterfront before boarding and sailing away.
A big "thank You" to our wonderful guide - Neville (jnevillebejer@gmail.com)
for making this such a special day - he and his wife had just returned from
celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary in Venice. If you are
lucky enough to visit here, be sure to look him up. He was a pleasure to
meet, and he knew so much about the home he loves.
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