Blogs from Malta, Malta, Europe - page 16

Today we travel back to the UK to spend one night there before we head off for Hong Kong for our final four nights. We were hoping for a bit of sunshine today to top off our tans but it is rather overcast, as was yesterday. The car had to be back by 10.30 am so we finished packing our parcel to mail back home which was 19kg. It cost us €81.00 send back which is considerably less than excess baggage. After w got back from taking the car, we had a few hours just to finalise packing until we were picked up to take us to Luqa for our flight to Heathrow. We have had a really great holiday in Malta and it’s sad to leave. We have seen so much, yet there is still ... read more

Today was going to be a quiet day after our day long trip to Gozo yesterday but it didn’t turn out that way. We were even going to get an early night before our 4 am start to go to Sicily tomorrow but ended up watching World Cup football as England suffered a humiliating draw with the USA. We had to go to Valletta to collect my new sunnies so as part of the trip decided to see a few more of the Heritage Malta sites before we leave on Tuesday. As the glasses were not going to be ready until 12.30 we headed to the markets on Merchant Street and bought a few thing that we had seen when we were last here. The good on sale are reasonably priced, although not quite as good ... read more

Today we set out in search of history and ended up a little disappointed, although we did have a good day. We headed off to Birgu, which was renamed Vittoriosa after the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. Birgu was where the Knights settled in Malta after they were kicked out of Rhodes by the Muslims in 1530. To protect themselves they turned the town into a fortified city to protect against further attacks from the Turks, which in the end turned out to be very beneficial. On entering the city we walked down towards the main square and on the right we visited the Inquisitors Palace. This building was originally the Law Courts of the Knights but after they moved to Valletta in 1571 it became the Inquisitors Palace, administering religious law for over 160 ... read more

Today we are going to do a bit of catching up places we have missed on previous days. We had a good day but both our cameras batteries went flat today even though they were showing full charge before we left home. Maybe got something to do with all the flash photography today. We firstly caught the bus to Mosta Dome, which has the third largest unsupported dome in the world. This local church is certainly something to see as the dome is enormous. Like the other churches we have seen, the internal decoration is rich in red and gold. The most amazing thing about this church is that it probably should have been destroyed during the war. During an air raid in 1942, a bomb pierced the dome and landed in the church below without ... read more

"Lena Blitzkieg-Schicklgruber has won the Eurovision Song Contest", says the radio as we're on our way to the airport. I don't care much about mindless pop music, so I switch channels. "...first German victory in at least 100 years..." Switch. "...her light-hearted song 'Cum on my face, Robbie Williams' has won the hearts of the brainwashed masses..." Switch. "...finally Germans can be proud of their country again, the dishonour we suffered in WWII has been remedied..." I use the convenient pocket hatch I always carry with me to smash the radio to smithereens, screaming hysterically in the process. "Thank you", says my dad, flipping off the driver of the car he overtakes, as is his custom. J. and I arrive at Luqa Airport after an easy two-and-a-half-hour flight, exit the terminal, where the bus to Valletta ... read more