Marvelous Malta

We were scheduled for a full day at La Goulette, Tunisia on April 25^th.  For some reason the Tunisians decided they didn’t want us.  We’re probably more trouble than we’re worth.  Anyway, the schedule was altered to give us a day and a half in Malta instead of the original half day.  That was a lucky break.  It’s a mystery to me why there would have been only a half day allotted for Malta in the first place.  Everyone agreed that it was absolutely wonderful, a true European feel.  I took more photos here than I did of the pyramids.  I need to do some winnowing.

We arrived early and were the only ship in port until the huge Norwegian Spirit pulled in around 10 AM.

Our excursion, “A Taste of Malta,” took us to a fishing village, a glass factory, and a winery, 

followed by a scenic bus ride around the perimeter of the old fortified city. 

The fishing village of Marsaxlokk was just a photo stop.  Not too much fishing goes on anymore, as waters are over-fished and farming has proved to be more profitable.  They do have a rich fishing history and steeped in superstition.  The Maltese “luzzus” are very colorful and all have eyes painted on the bows, supposed to protect fishermen while at sea.

Onward to the shopping stop, Mdina Glass Factory.  Because of the plentiful supply of sand, this factory was established here in 1968.  Not such a rich history, but an important product of Malta.

Next a winery visit.  We pass fields of grapes.  Not the usual hilly terrain I’d expect for grape vines.  The winery is in a colonial home that has a view of the walled city of Mdina.  We go up to the rooftop veranda for a tasting of three good wines, served with some wonderful goat cheese.  We buy a Merlot to take back to the ship.

After the bus ride back to the ship, we head out on foot to the very accessible old city of Valletta on the hill.  There is a lift that ascends from the port level to the city level, one euro to go up, free to go down.  Bob is still suffering with the heel spur so, armed with walking stick, we opt for the lift instead of the hundreds of stone steps.

At the top are miles of narrow cobblestone streets, historic buildings, panoramic views, outdoor cafes, and bustling activity.  I could wander for hours, and I did.

Malta’s claim to fame is the Order of the Knights of St. John.  The knights were noblemen from important European families that were tasked with protecting the Catholic faith from attacks of the Ottoman Turks.  After they held off an attack in 1565, they established Malta as a fortress and soon after built a cathedral in honor of their patron saint, St. John the Baptist.  We weren’t going to visit the cathedral because, you know, “if you’ve seen one….”  Anyway, our friends talked us into going and I’m glad they did.  I think it’s the most opulent example of Baroque architecture I’ve seen, really flamboyant.  We followed the narrated recording until we overdosed on gold leaf and left to continue exploring the city. 

Beheading of St.John the Baptist by Caravaggio

We probably should have stopped at a local cafe for a rabbit dinner, a Maltese specialty, but we headed back to the ship for dinner.

The next morning, I got up early for another look around.  Bob needed to rest his foot.  This time I took the steps up and the lift down, making an effort not to get lost before it was time for all aboard.  I would have wandered farther afield if we had more time.  It’s a wonderful place, really worth a visit.  A good plan would be to go to Italy, take a ferry to Sicily and then take a ferry to Malta.

Sailing away.