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What a great day of sight seeing!!!
I went to bed at 8 pm last night, and had a wake up call for 6 am (why???). Slept in until 7:30. Got my gear together and headed for the old town of Valletta just a few blocks away. I opted out ot the expensive hotel buffet breakfast and got an ok "ham roll" from the street vendors for one euro.
First stop was the Cathedral in the center of Valletto (main town, walkable). I found it last evening on my 4 hour "walk of the lost." I had a map but somehow I ended up at every end of the town except mine! (My great uncle Walter Williams said: "If you have a tongue in your head and money in your pocket, you can go anywhere." The tongue was invaluable... everyone here speaks English and is willing to help dumb tourist!) Finding the Cathedral was simple this morning after seeing it 5 times yesterday. I enjoyed the building, religious symbols, ornamentation, etc., but I sat and gawked at the 2 Caravaggios in the museum area. Caravaggio spent 2 years in Malta after he fell into disfavor in Itlay
Tarxien
MD at Tarxien, approximately 3000 bc due to his bad habits. What a treasure!!!
After that, I headed to the bus "station." It is a circle where all the buses arrive and depart. I jumped on bus 12 for the Tarxien (x is pronounce sh). I was surprised: most "ruins" I have seen in my life have been out in the middle of nowhere; this one was in the middle of town! The entrance looks just like a door to any home. These megalithic structures are thought to date to 3500-3000 bc. I found the carving partiularly interesting. (There is also the Hypogeum, a fabulous underground necropolis temple, 3600 bc, but when I asked for a ticket, they said the first availabe was June 26! Only 50 people a day can go in for preservation purposes.)
I caught a bus back to the bus terminal, and caught another to Mdina. (The Italians don't know how to line up. All of the rest of civilization was orderly, lining up at the end. Some Italians, however, just stop in the the front of the line and start their own..... you know how much I hate that... and I won't go any farther.)
Mdina
View of the Gates of Medina, walled city LOVE MDINA!!! If you have ever been to San Gimignano, Italy, it is very similar. It is a walled city (no towers), medieval, beautiful architecture, alleys to explore, great restaurants for lunch! What a great photographic experience 😊. I spend several hours there, then moved out to Rabat, the outer town, to see the Catacombs of St. John, a sculpture by Bernini, and a Roman House with frescoes; and a wedding in a local church with an adorable 3 year old flower girl.
I returned late afternoon, sat by the pool with a beer, read my Malta novel for a couple of hours. They were preparing for a wedding, which looks like quite the event.... I know those diamond necklaces were real!! They just played "Summer Time... and the living is easy." Yeah, love that song.
I walked back to the old town of Valletta for dinner. I ate at an outdoor cafe near the Cathedral. I enjoyed a glass of Maltese wine and handmade spagetti pasta with RABBIT SAUCE. Rabbit is quite popular here... I thought it tasted just like chicken!
Tomorrow: up early for the Sunday
Bus
Interior of Malta bus line fish market, then to Gozo, a different country/island, for some archeology, beaches, museums, etc. Good night!
More Photos below:
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Betsy
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2 Caravaggios without me!!
I am so sad I don't get to see them! Enjoy!