Travels thru Life: 4/15: Explore Valletta

We set out for a walking tour of Valletta and I free-lanced in the afternoon, walking to the end of the peninsula to visit Fort St. Elmo and the National War Museum. Then I walked back to the hotel and out to dinner, accumulating over 18,000 steps for the day. I needed a nap before dinner, which is why this was not posted on the 15th. The end of the day, we walked to a nearby restaurant that focused on seafood. Not realizing that, I was one of 2 folks who chose chicken. Oops! There was also a yummy plate of local appetizer favorites. It was all very tasty and I collapsed in bed as soon as we got back.

The entry gate is notable because there is no closure,
which I wondered about on our visit our first day. It is
supposed represent openness to everyone.

This is what the original gate looked like. It
guards a different entrance to the city.

The next two photos are of the new Parliament Building, which is just inside the non-gate gate. It was designed to represent a honey comb because of the importance of bees and honey to Malta over the ages. The residents think it looks more like a cheese grater, and they have a point.

This building is owned by a family and consumes the
entire block. The enclosed balconies allowed the Muslim
women who were not allowed out on their own to have
a view of the folks outside their window. Kind an old-
time Facebook our guide suggested. Note the two arched
decorations on the front of the top floor.

The one on the right features a camel. This one has a
chicken on an apparent keg. Our guide said her birthname
was Buttigieg and the second 2 syllables mean chicken.


This bust of Winston Churchill is in the Upper Barrakka Gardens, which overlook the Grand Harbor and sit above the British WWII Maltese headquarters. It was sent to Churchill and a gift and he hated it so he sent it back.

View toward the Mediterranean from the gardens

From the same vantage point, the view inland toward
the Three Cities and the shipyard.

Obvious dietary differences with the U.S.

The photo above shows a shaming post. The shamed person would be held on the lower ledge with his hands cuffed to the short pole. People could come along and yell and throw things at him. At the top of the building, the square opening also allowed him to be doused with whatever people had to discard.

Our main objective for the day was a visit to St. Johns, the cathedral found by the Knights Hospitalier or Knights of St. John. To join, you had to be noble by birth to parents who were noble by birth. The Maltese Cross with its 8 points represents the 8 nationalities they came from. Each nationality had a different responsibility, for instance the French ran the hospital and the Germans were the accountants.They managed to amass alot of wealth and much of it is on display in the Cathedral. 36 Kilos of 24 carat gold leaf was used gild the surfaces in the building.

The real Maltese Falcon

The ceiling is divided into 7 sections,
each representing a story about John
the Baptist, the St. John of the name.

In addition to this showy display, there is a Caraveggio painting of the Beheading of John the Baptist.

We also took a walk on the 'wild side', going downhill to Strait St where there were of lot of entertainment establishments (not including brothels -- they were elsewhere) in the old days. Now it is mostly bars and restaurants.

Near the end of the tour, we were treated to a pastry (with ricotta inside -- tasted like bread-stuffed bread -- not bad but not good enough to spend the calories on) and a bottle of the local soda, a Kinnie which is bittersweet orange and wormwood concoction that I passed on. We got suggestions of where to spend the afternoon and I chose the one recommended by a friend.

It was a LONG walk to the Fort, after a morning that was a lot of walking. The fort itself was pretty dull, though there were some interesting displays, like ancient and modern cannons, and this jolly group of warriors. The war museum was very well done and spread among 7 buildings, each emphasizing a different period. I discovered I am not that interested in war stuff, though I could see the quality and thought put into its development.