I'm picking this back up on Apr 20 after many ports and many days of having no voice and not being well. I jotted down notes on each port and will post them today. Photos will be added after we get back on Apr 27 and update my text. Many to go through.......
Valletta, Malta - Apr 7
This is our second time to Malta, and we booked with Joan,
the same guide we had last time. She is professional and responds quickly. http://www.maltatourguide.com/malta-shore-excursions
She is
a wealth of knowledge and a fantastic person and tour guide. This time our
visit was on Good Friday meaning a few sites would be closed. (like the
archaeological ruins) Joan set out to put together an itinerary different from
our last visit and we had a great day. We were joined today by Cathy & Tom,
Horst & Mark, Bob & Phyllis, and Roberta & John.
Our
first stop was the Mosta Dome Basilica which was specially laid out for Good
Friday. There were services going on which set the tone for the ambiance of
viewing this beautiful Basilica. We could see that many of the statues were
prepared with long handles to be carried in the Good Friday Processional later
that evening. Downstairs was a Last Supper display. Even if you are not
religious it is easy to be moved by the sights and sounds of this Basilica that
were going on because it was Good Friday.
Next,
we took a scenic drive via Buskett, Dingli Ciffs and Girgenti Valley, ending at
the Blue Grotto where we took a boat ride into the limestone complex of seven
caves that comprises a massive and very impressive main arch, which is
approximately 30m in height, as well as a system of 6 other caves such as the
Honeymoon Cave, the Cat’s Cave and the beautiful Reflection Cave. It was a warm
day, and it was a fun trip into the glowing blue waters of the caves.
From
there we headed to the area called The Three Cities. The Three Cities is the
popular name given to the neighborhoods of Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua that sit
across the Grand Harbor and surround the Vittoriosa Marina. Each is known by
multiple names, Senglea or L’Isla, Cospicua or Bormla and Birgu or Vittoriosa.
This is due to their long history and Malta’s history of changing hands
repeatedly.
After passing
through Cospicua we tried to get to Senglea, but there were buses blocking the
only road in and out of the city. Joan immediately realized we needed to back
up before we were trapped in the mess losing time. So, we headed straight to
Birgu where we spent most of our time.
We had
our lunch in a restaurant by the water across from Vittoriosa Yacht Marina. The
food was very good. I had Tempura Prawns (and some of Phyllis’ delicious
ravioli) and Greg had Spaghetti Scoglio (Garlic, spring onions, octopus,
prawns, fresh calamari, vongole, cozze, cherry tomatoes and bisque). While we
waited for our food a few of us went for a walk to a bridge to see the
waterfront yachts and buildings.
After
our lunch we had a nice walking tour of the Maritime city of Birgu through
Collacchio, the Knights exclusive residential area, Main Square, St Joseph's
Oratory and finished back at the elegant Birgu waterfront with its yacht marina
and imposing Fort St Angelo at the tip. We also visited St. Lawrence’s Church.
Joan drove us back to the port and after more hugs goodbye we dropped our things and had a quick meal at the buffet before heading back out to Valletta to see the Good Friday Processional. We took the elevator from Senglea to Valletta to the Upper Barrakka Gardens where we had great views of the Three Cities. We then found the Processional and saw several of the statues as they passed by. We missed the evening Folkloric show on the ship, but seeing the Processional was very moving.
No comments:
Post a Comment