Valetta, Malta

The golden stone fortifications and buildings that surround Grand Harbor Malta make it one of the most impressive harbors in the world. We sailed in early in the morning, and it was a site not to be missed.

Grand Harbor Malta

Valetta is the capital of the democratic republic of Malta, a small island that rests in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea close to Sicily. It is a place rich with history—archeological finds prove that people have lived in Malta as far back as 4,000 BC. Temples on the island are older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids.

Tradition has it that in 60 AD St. Paul the Apostle, while being taken to Rome to stand trial, was stranded on Malta after being shipwrecked. He preached there for three months and is the patron saint of Malta.

Because of its location, Malta has been attacked, conquered, and/or  ruled by the Romans, the Arabs, the Sicilians, the Normans, the Knights of St. John, the French, the Italians, and the Germans. Pirates frequently invaded Rabat and enslaved its inhabitants. It wasn’t easy being Maltese.

After Napoleon conquered the island and robbed the churches of precious art so he could pay his soldiers, the Maltese people became so outraged they requested British assistance and together they drove out the French forces. Later the Maltese requested British sovereignty. During WWII, the island was bombed day and night, and it is said that more bombs fell on Malta than on London. In 1964, Malta became an independent state and a member of the British Commonwealth.

The result of all these invasions shows in the architecture of the buildings, Roman, Baroque, and Medieval, and in the customs and celebrations. With each invasion things changed: the Roman temples became mosques; the mosques became churches.  

We booked the Cunard tour that would take us to Rabat and Mdina. As we drove across the island, we could look out at the fields, separated by rows of stacked stone and at the hills and valleys. The island has no mountains, rivers, or lakes and relies on three seawater distillation plants to provide much of their water. Most buildings we passed had water storage containers on the roofs.

Malta is also densely populated and can only grow a portion of the food it needs, with major food imports coming from nearby Sicily. We could see lots of prickly pear growing along the road, which they apparently use it to make ice cream and liquor.

Countryside

On the way to Rabat, we passed the city of Mosta. The parish church there has one of the largest unsupported domes in all of Europe. The church has several altars dedicated to different saints, one German. During WWII when the Germans continually bombed Malta, a bomb hit the church during a service and failed to detonate. Ironically, other than piercing the dome, the only thing the bomb destroyed was the German altar.

Rabat has some of the finest Roman mosaics outside of Pompeii. It is also famous for its St. Agatha and St. Paul’s catacombs. During the Arab occupation, it was illegal to bury the dead within the city limits, so the catacombs were established nearby.

In Rabat, we loaded onto a trolley/train and rode through the winding and narrow streets of the small town. The streets, more like lanes, were only wide enough for the trolley to pass. The houses sat right on the edge of the street and the people who lived there would have to step out directly onto the street.

Rabat Trolley

Rabat Street

The people of Malta pride themselves on their doorknockers, which were quite distinctive. So much so that souvenir shops sold replicas of them and, of course, Maltese falcons.

One of the reasons this voyage appealed to us was because it stopped in Malta, which was the first place John had been posted while in the Royal Marines. He lived in a barracks built in 1819, in the small village of Mtarfa, located between Rabat and Mdina. Months before we sailed, he booked a Cunard tour, which he thought would stop in Mtarfa. It was only when we got to the tour bus that we discovered the tour would only pass by Mtarfa, and John would only get to see it as we drove by and again from a distance.

We talked to the tour guide about our leaving the tour near Mtarfa and taking a taxi back to the ship. The guide was quite sympathetic but said that the village was so small that it would be difficult to get a taxi from there. He had the driver slow down as much as he could so that John could get some pictures.

We continued with the tour. It was only later that we realized we could have gotten a taxi at the next town, traveled back to Mtarfa, and had the driver wait for us there. Or if we had taken a Hop on, Hop Off bus we would have had more options. Hindsight is so great. Now we have a good reason to return to Malta, which I would love to visit again. Lesson Learned: Read the description of the tours carefully.

Former Royal Naval Hospital at Mtarfa

Mtarfa and the Royal Marine Barracks from a Distance (using telephoto lens)

John said that some of his best memories of being posted in Malta included smelling the wonderful fragrances from the orange trees and flowers and looking out at night from his barracks and watching lightning out at sea.

Our next stop was in Mdina, called the Silent City or the Walled City because of the tall walls and moat built around it. It is supposedly one of Europe’s finest examples of an ancient walled city. The walls and the buildings within them were built using a golden colored stone, which blended in so well with the surrounding countryside. 

Our guide said that it was called the Silent City because at night you don’t hear anything there. An earthquake in1693 leveled Mdina, but it was completely rebuilt. From the parapet, we had wonderful views of the surrounding countryside and of Mtarfa. 

The Silent City or Walled City of Mdina

Entrance to Mdina

The bottom of the moat was beautifully landscaped. A sign, only in English, read “No dogs allowed on grass.”  Is it only people who speak English that let their dogs run off-leash?

Mdina Moat

Streets Within the Walled City of Mdina

Statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

A Small Chapel on the Street -- Only a Few Feet Deep

Throughout the morning we were buffeted by extremely strong winds that got worse when we arrived in Mdina. We nearly got knocked over several times, and we were glad that we had taken a jacket. We were going back into colder weather.

Later, returning to port, our tour bus dropped us close to the fortified city of Valetta so we could visit the city without first having to return to the ship. We walked through Valetta’s narrow streets lined with churches, public buildings, restaurants, bars, and shops. We could have spent hours wandering down the many side streets with all their attractions. The city had a festive atmosphere—as though everyday was an occasion to celebrate. A corner music grinder provided entertainment. It probably came alive at night. We wished that we could have seen it at night.

Music Grinder

Streets of Valletta

Vintage Bus Famous in Valetta

Changing of the Guard at the Grand Masters’ Palace (now seat of president and parliament) by Maltese Artillery Regiment

Valetta was within walking distance of the Grand Harbor, but it was a long walk. An elevator (lift) connects the harbor with the upper city, eliminating a long trek back to the ship.

Elevator From Port Area to Upper Barrakka Gardens and City Center

Upper Barrakka Gardens

View of Harbor Area from Barrakka Gardens

The people of Malta have a sense of humor. The movie Popeye was filmed there, and after filming was completed, the local people turned the quirky New England-style village movie set into a tourist site. It is so popular that after devastating fires destroyed it, they rebuilt it—twice.

The Maltese are very proud of their island, and it shows in how they care for it. They established a Malta heritage organization whose motto is: “Ensuring a future for our past.” The island is beautiful, and I fell in love with it.

Leaving Malta