Malta

We are all settled into our Sliema (pronounced Sleema) Malta apartment.  It's a couple blocks slightly uphill from Balluta Bay.  It was overcast and drizzling when we arrived, but when we awoke the next morning, the sky was robin's egg blue, the sea was deep blue, it was 68 degrees (a vast improvement over Spain), and there was only a slight breeze.

The first day, after feeding ourselves, we bought tickets for the "big red bus" - the double-decker tour bus from the "Original tour Hop on Hop Off" company we've used in London, Madrid, Cadiz, and Barcelona.  We've found that this tour gives us a great overview of the sights to see in the area.  We learn a lot about the history of each place from this tour and we can use the information to decide where we want to apply our free time.

So, over a couple days, we "did" the north side of the island: Sliema (where we got on and are staying), Valletta (the national capital), Mosta, Mdina (the ancient site of many civilisations), Buggida (pronounced Boojeeda, on the far north shore), St. Julian's (where the nightlife is found), and many other fascinating places.

The most fascinating facts that I remember from this trip:
1. Malta has the dubious honour of being the "most bombed country in the world".
2. The church in Mosta had a bomb drop through the roof among 300 parishioners during a service and it did not explode.  They now have a fake bomb residing in the church as a reminder.
3. Mdina was badly bombed during WWII because it was the site of a military installation and the site of many ancient fortresses.  After the war, a glassblower set up shop a remaining hangar and an art community developed around it in other buildings and Quonset huts, which still exists today.
4.  There are Ficus trees 60-70 feet tall lining streets in Malta.  In Tacoma, we keep them in pots.
5.  St. Paul is said to have been shipwrecked here when he was being taken back to Rome for trial.  He ended up organizing the early Christian church in Malta, making it one of the first Roman colonies to convert.

So, here is what Malta ooks like.

The shoreline along Balutta Bay in Sliema, just down the hill from our apartment

The water changes colour around the corner in the area where the ferries leave for the other two islands.  Further along, are the salt pans that were built in the 1400s and are still used today to make salt from seawater.

This is one of the Hop on Hop off buses that we took to learn about the area.  

The church in Mosta where the WWII bomb dropped through the domed roof, in front of 300 parishioners, and didn't explode.

The Glassblowing business in Mdina, the ancient site of a fortress  much of which was destroyed in WWII.

The Sliema Strand where you can take the ferry across to Valletta, the capital of Malta.

One of the ancient entrances to the walled city of Valletta.

Those fascinating Ficus trees that line some of the roads 

View from the Sliema Strand

Huge Ficus trees in a little plaza across from the Strand

One of the walk-on ferries.  Maltese boats come in many beautiful colours.

Sliema's other side near the Torri (an ancient watchtower).  The shore is solid rock tapering down to the water; no sand or  small stones like we have on the Washington coast.

The view today (while it rained a little) of the Spinola Bay at St. Julian's, just down the coast from Sliema.  This is more of a party area than Sliema - St. Julian's and Paceville and everything in between are the party areas.  The beautiful casino is on a jutting peninsula to the left.

We've been here about 5 days and now we are getting serious about finding a more permanent apartment, at least for a month, while we look into the legalities of staying longer.  We would like to get through until Spring, so we can hit a few more of our dream stops before coming home.  More to come...