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
