Triana established it's name for Spanish Ceramics. The clay soils of the Quadalquivir are a particulary good source for making pottery. Ceramic Tiles (azulejos) are just everywhere & the modern buildings use them as well. The Ceramics began here in the Islamic period then the Spanish-Muslim ceramists contributed the glazing techniques to architecture, in facades, sunrooms, baseboards & ceilings. Since then the Mudejar adopted oriental techniques that formed the basis of the local style. Then came the Mosaics & tiles usually hand painted with popular motifs. Eventually came an industrial process of wooden moulds. And being made in Triana the Plaza de Espana is covered in tiles too! And so today consisted of a walk to the incredible Plaza de Espana. Built in 1929. 50,000 sq metres, gates are open to the public free. Amazing!! The ... read more

Well! we were awake before our 3am wakeup alarm! Breakfast at 2.30am is sure to upset the Cicaydia rythyms. Even our Transfer ride was early. An uneventful transfer all the way to our apartment in Seville. Leaving Malta which isn't too far away from Sicily, we could see the top of Etna through the clouds on our way out. Then over the top of Africa to the South of Spain. We are in the Marcarena area of Savilla. We strolled for awhile through the old town of Marcarena & were finally able to book into our place in the afternoon. An amazing apartment of the 19th Centuary highly decorated with 19thCentuary tiles. We've got the huge ceiling fan going instead of aircondtionining...yae!!! Very organised city & reasonably quiet approach to life. A little supermarket on the ... read more

A choice to go to Marsaxlokk fishing village today before we run out of days. Bus via Valletta then another to the coast. Good start with hardly any stops so just over an hour to get there. We disembarked early to walk the shoreline & the point before Marsaxlokk itself. An enormous Container Port across the Bay. On our side it was all set up for swimming. Although no one was swimming...all the sensible people were still inside. 9am 30° & 89% humidity!!! Marsaxlokk was gorgeous as expected. Markets & Restaurants starting to setup. Souvieners duluxe. Not many out fishing today...alot of boats in harbour. Just a cruisy day. Working out the buses & where to catch them is a feat in itself! Midday back home humidity dropped down to 74%...how nice of it!!! off to ... read more

A quiet day we decided with an early walk round the streets in behind the waterfront. Lovely Maltese homes designed for the weather with their 'galleries' out front. Soft but bright pink, blue, red, green, yellow, stand out against the limestone. As in any Country beside the seaside the weather is harsh the homes & need constant attention. We sat in Ballutta Bay square at the waterfront in the shade & a nice sea breeze for half an hour...just heaven....& watched everyone swimming. A parasail has been on the go out on the point everyday since we have been here. Yacht's & launches in & out the bay...masses of swimmers. No thunderstorms this time. The bus system has improved imensely!!!...or we have. And so it is Independence Day here...a public holiday. Although most places appear open ... read more

Up really early to get a seat on the bus...which we did achieve. Nothing like standing on the bus for over an hour! 8.30am to 'Il Rabat' outside of Mdina (imdina) which was originally the Capital of Malta before Valletta up to the Medival period. Fortified 300 residents & Rabat was a suburb of Mdina which now has 3,000 residents. 70mins on our Tillinja transport card to Rabat. Super view of Malta, Valletta out towards the coast. Mdina appears to have had a moat type senario although we find that a bit odd giving the climate with not much aqua. Still it definitely would have been difficult to traverse without the water anyway. Not many people to start with but that soon changed. Very tall buildings made for narrow streets & quiet. The walls absorbed most ... read more