Maltese Love Fest

Labor Day weekend marked not only my birthday (33 if you were wondering...I'm not ashamed!) but also my third trip to Malta.  Tom was in the midst of a three-week-long trip for work and we had decided the month prior that I would rendezvous with him in Malta so we could spend some time together and celebrate my big day.  Turned out to be a birthday weekend extravaganza and it was wonderful.  

Each trip to Malta has included a new adventure.  Our first trip together we explored several towns on the island of Malta, took a boat cruise, lounged around the Blue Lagoon and visited glass factories.  The second trip, which was in March 2010, Tom had to work so I did double-decker bus tours - exploring Gozo Island and new parts of Malta.  For the third trip I told Tom I wanted to do something special for my birthday - a day trip to Sicily.

I haven't really done a decent blog about our trips to Malta, minus my homage to heavenly hot chocolate, so I thought I'd make a bit of a collage of photos pulling from all the trips.  I will do a separate blog about our trip to Sicily.

During my first visit in late October 2009, we went on a three hour boat cruise.  All for the low price of 11 euros a person.  That ain't bad for 3+ hours of fun in the sun and water!

The start to a gorgeous day

We cruised past some caves and swung into Gozo Island's Mgarr Harbour and then moored at Comino Island.  It was here that we got to walk around and explore the island and take lots of pictures of the Blue Lagoon.  Scuba diving is very popular around Malta's archipelago.  I'm sure you'll see why.  Tom has been talking to me about getting certified.   

Our boat is in the foreground

Tom using his positioning and timer skills with our digital camera

Mdina is a beautiful walled city on the island of Malta and it is the oldest city on the island.  It is located on a rocky plateau and can trace its origins back to 1500 BC.  Over the centuries it has had a couple different names but the one it's had for at least the last couple centuries is Mdina, which is derived from the Arabic word for city - medina.  Mdina was fortified in the medieval times and is called the "Silent City" by locals.  This is the one city I have visited every trip to Malta.  I love walking the streets and ducking into the various shops. 

Mdina from the road

The view from Mdina's walls

The Silent City

St. Paul's Cathedral, Mdina

St. Paul's Cathedral is supposedly built on the site where governor Publius met the Apostle Paul following his shipwreck on the island of Malta.  To read about that look in the Bible - the Book of Acts, Chapter 28.  I went into the cathedral and its museum on my third visit to Malta. 

Here are some pictures from inside Mdina's cathedral.   

Interior dome

Decorated marble slabs marking graves of church leaders

I was surprised by all the skeletons

Cathedral Interior

The Virgin Mary being visited by the angel

Ceiling frescoes

On the northwesterly side of Malta there is a small island, supposedly where Paul washed up following the shipwreck.  There is a monument and small chapel on the island.  See them in the distance?

We've also explored Malta's capital - Valletta.  Valletta was built by the Knights of the Order of St. John in 1568.  It is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO - the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.  The city is surrounded by enormous stone walls.  Here we are sitting on the wall with the Marsamxett Harbour behind us.

 Behind Tom is St. John's Cathedral's blue dome.  The cathedral is one of the most popular tourist sites on the island.  We have never been inside though.

The day we traveled to Sicily we departed Malta's Grand Harbor at sunrise.  We got some good pictures that show Valletta's walls.  Here is the best one.

Valletta at sunrise

I did a bus tour of Gozo Island in March but Tom had never been so we went over Labor Day weekend.  Having the freedom of a rental car we took the ferry across and got to explore the island on our own. 

Here is the Mgarr Harbour - overlooking the harbour is Fort Chambray and the chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Here is what some of the landscape looked like.  We were on a back road at this point.

Doesn't this feel like Biblical times?

Behind me is the Dwejra Tower.  Towers like this are all around Malta and Gozo.  This tower overlooks Dwejra Bay, on the west side of Gozo.  The tower was completed in 1652 and was still in use in the 18th century.  It was also an observation post during World War II.  Restoration work began in 1997 and it is now open to the public. 

To the right of Tom is the Fungus Rock.  The rock formation is limestone and supposedly this very smelly tuber plant grows on it.  It isn't actually fungus but it is known as Malta Fungus.  Centuries ago doctors thought the fungus had medicinal purposes.  The Knights of St. John often gave gifts of Malta Fungus to VIPs.  (Gee...thanks?!?!?)

Honestly we couldn't have asked for a better day.  It was just gorgeous. 

The world's edge?

I'll wrap this entry up as it is getting fairly lengthy (my apologizes).  I'll try to get photos from Sicily posted soon because the trips are starting to pile up.  Tom and I just got back from a 9-day trip to Scotland and we are going to Italy this weekend on a wine tasters trip.  I also need to take you on another walk to show off the autumn colors. 

Stay tuned.  More to come.