Malta

Yesterday was spent entirely at sea hence there were no ports to visit. So, the itinerary for the day went something like this: Sleep late, eat breakfast, take a nap, eat lunch, take another nap, grab a latte, relax in stateroom, eat dinner, see the evening show (not a very exciting performance) work on web page, sit on balcony, go to bed.That about wraps up yesterday :).

Today we toured the ancient city of Malta. So mnuch history here with buildings dating back many centuries. Not enough time here to even do justice to the history of this strategically located island nation but it really would be worth your time to read up on it. Basically, due to its proximity to both Tunisia and Sicily, this area has been fought over, controlled and freed from many world powers. Most recently it had been a colony of Great Britan until 1964 however the last of the British ships pulled out of the Grand Harbour in 1972. Therefore this country celebrates two special holidays each year, one being Independance Day in September to commemorate gaining independance from Great Britan and the other being Freedom Day in August to celebrate the day the last of the ships left the port. Veiwing the city from our balcony, it is hard to imagine that behind these massive stone fortifications, lies a nation of many cities, farms, manufacturing plants and literally hundreds of cathedrals. Our first stop was a small area named Massalox where we shopped in the open-air market. I bought some beautiful locally hand-made table linens and some Olive Oil. As Malta is so small area-wise, yet so densely populated, the export very very little agricultural products. With Maltese Olive Oil not being available anywhere but here, I had to get some of that for my collection as well.

Oh, by the way, if the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear Malta is the classic movie The Maltese Falcon, it actually DOES have some historical significance. Not certain of these details as the tour guide spoke pretty quickly, but it appears that when the King of Spain granted the area of Malta to the Knights of Saint John he charged them the "rent" of one Falcon per year. This nominal fee was charged as a way to maintain ownership of the area in case he decided later to take it back from the Knights. As I said, some pretty cool stuff but definately need a bit more research to verify the facts. We also were told of the story which many in Malta believe to be a true "religious miracle". In this cathedral hundreds of worshippers were gathered during World War !!. Due to the island being a major British Naval stronghold, 3 times more bombs were dropped on Malta than were dropped on London! Anyway, this particular bomb was dropped during a service and although it penetrated the roof, the bomb did not explode. In fact, there were no injuries at all. Therefore it was perceived as a miracle. Even though later it was discovered that the bomb was actually filled with sand instead of powder and it contained a note saying "greetings form your friends in Chekoslovakia" many still hold to the concept of divine intervention. Another of the more pictureaque spots was what they call The Blue Harbour. From there it was on to the walled city of Mdina where once the royality lived but now it is an enclave for the very wealthiest of Maltese society.

Then it was back to the ship for lunch and a bit more relaxing. Dinner tonight was again top-shelf. Jim had Shrimp Cocktail followed by the Beef Stroganough and an Orange Chocolate Parfait dessert. I had some Harina Soup and the roasted Butternut Squash and White Bean Salad, Roast Pork Tenderloin served with Potatoes Gratin and Berrymisu for dessert. After an evening night=cap of White Chocolate Latte, and a bit of reading, we are turning in so that we are well rested for our trek through Sicily tomorrow! Until then, Caio.