Senglea, Birgu & Vittoriosa

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We thought we'd have an easier day with a short bus ride to Valletta & then another bus to the Three Cities. Early start once again rewarded us with seats....we are learning!

Well there was some nice big fluffy clouds but they weren't anywhere near the path of the sun! We started off in Senglea which is one of the three Fortified Cities in the Grand Harbour which also sits high above sealevel. Today it was dwarfed by a cruise ship...
4 of which were in the Harbour.

Nice quiet stroll down the lovely narrow streets. The Three Cities are protected now from demolition & high rise apartments. We popped into a wee museum & were told the history of Malta & the many who tried to Conquer it:
The houses were strategically built that from a part of every one of them they could view for Pirates or Invaders. Also my theory for shade & breeze in the heat were correct.
The Maltese language has Semitic origins being Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic & some ancient ones such as Phoenician & Akkadian. 8 countries made up the Knights Hospitaliers of St John of Jerusalem 1126. Over time the 8 points of the Maltese Cross (which is our St John ambulance cross) came to symbolise those admitted to the brotherhood. Being: Auvergne, Provence, France, Aragon, Castille & Portugal, Italy, Germany, and England (with Scotland & Ireland). All built their own palaces & ironically the German one was destroyed by their own hand in WWII.
The Sacra Infermeria in Valletta was the foremost hospital of Europe in its day.
The Order of St John left Malta & Napoleon Bonaparte then occupied the island. The Maltese rose up against the French in1798 & the French surrendered. The British took over in 1800 & the Maltese gained Independance finally in 1964. 21 Sept tommorrow!
Back to Sliema & the aircondioning...all in all ended up being a longer day than yesterday....so much for a shorter day...so much to take in.

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