Mdina, Rabat & Ta' Qali in Malta

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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 of the noise & we came to the conclusion the city must have been designed for the breezes (as it sits on top of the hill) to run through the narrow streets to keep it cool in such a hot country. Small windows & wide walls, narrow shady streets & nice breezes. St Paul was supposed to have recouperated here after shipwreck in 60AD & established the first Christain church here.
We made our way by bus down to Ta' Qali (te arli) Vilagg...an old air force base during WWII...to find it being totally transformed, most of the 'hangars' gone, new roading & paving & buildings. €13 million is being injected to upgrade the area for artisanary. The artwork that comes out of here is fantastic. Ceramics, glass, jewllery, filigree, olive wood, lace etc. I think the prices just went up!

Fluked a seat on the bus home & straight down to the beach for a swim. 32 & overnight of 28.

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Comments

[John & Mary]

Mdina, Rabat & Ta' Qali in Malta
It's like taking a holiday from my seat in front of the computer :) You say the Venetians and the Turks had been there. You missed out The Sutherlands :) 20 degrees here today...Had to dig out the shorts from the cupboard....same again tomorrow. Look forward to your next blog guys. xxx