Malta

We were not able to go onshore in Split, Croatia due to high winds and rough seas. The one advance tender that tried to venture to shore was tossed around pretty badly and it took a lot of maneuvering to ultimately get it returned and safely secured to the ship. No one complained about not being able to get to the city after watching the tender’s struggle. So we pulled up anchor and headed to Malta. Malta replaced Libya on our itinerary after we were denied clearance from the government. How fortunate for us, as Malta proved to be an exceptional port to visit. Malta has had a long history of conquerors from Salaman the Magnificent during the Ottoman Empire, the Romans, the Knights of the Holy Crusade, and the British to name a few. They have been independent since the early 70s. It is a prosperous and thriving country with many impressive castles, palaces and churches left from each of the conquering nations. The most magnificent site and a must see for any visitor is St John’s Co-Cathedral. It was built in the late 1500’s and the floor is lined with marble slabs, beneath each is a tomb of a knight. Each slab is decorated with designs and phrases identifying the knight’s life and personality. The church is adorned with the Maltese Cross which was representative of the Knights of Malta. The 8 point cross represents the Knight’s values of “live in truth, maintain faith, repent sins, give proof of humility, love justice, be merciful, be sincere and whole-hearted, and endure persecution”. Goods words to live by indeed! There are elaborate paintings and sculptures throughout the cathedral, including 2 major paintings by the famous artist Caravaggio. This church is in the current capital city called Valleta, which is also the port city. The old capital is called Mdina and is a walled city called the “silent city”. The streets are narrow and the buildings are medieval looking. Walking through the streets is like going back in time, at least until a car or truck tries to pass through the narrow street. Mdina is still home to a few wealthy families, but is now composed of a hotel, restaurants and shops. Horse drawn carriages can take you through the city as well as anywhere on the island for that matter. Malta has an old world charm but also offers a modern and safe environment. We had a wonderful lunch at an outdoor café across from the Cathedral with Maltese pizza and the local beer. The night before we dined at an outdoor café next to the pier called Casanova’s and had great Italian food. The official language is Maltese which is a combination of Arabic, Italian, Latin and a little Spanish which shows how the country has incorporated the languages of the cultures who ruled the country in the past. I'd come back to Malta again!!!