4/14: On to Malta, Sicily, Aeolian Islands, and Southern Italy

I didn't really finish my New Zealand chapter, but I just uploaded the last one I wrote before starting this. No photos. I thought I would finish when I got home, but immediately got locked into the California ejection seat with only 3 weeks to pack and orchestrate the move. This time I won't have an excuse..... 

I am now on my next adventure, traveling with OAT again, but without a friend this time. I arrived mid-day yesterday and put a few photos on Facebook. Today was the first full day of touring. 

Malta's unique honey-colored stone look is limestone, the primary rock on the island. There are several varieties, some more sturdy than others, and some prone to 'weeping' which can lead to a build up of gunk on the rock.

We headed out to the old capital of Malta, Mdina, a walled city with maybe 200 residents and then went next door to Rabat, where the real action is. We watched the end of a political rally led by the current prime minister (whose crowd blocked our way to the museum we were going to visit) and a couple view points. We ended up with a VERY filling and delicious lunch, followed by a demonstration of how to make a couple of minced tuna appetizers.

The entrance to Mdina. This was a set in Game of Thrones.
There was another entrance to the left for 'regular' people.
This one was for the more lofty types.

The back side of the gate features
3 saints. The middle is St Paul who
was supposed to have shipwrecked
here and was beheaded when he
finally got to Rome. The one on the
right is St Agatha who refused to
marry because she was married to
her faith. Her reward was to have
her breast cut off and that is what
is in the 'tweezers' in her hand.

St Paul's Cathedral. Note the two clocks on the
towers. They don't match. One tells the actual
time, the other is deliberately wrong to confuse
Satan so he misses the mass.

Notice the 3 flower boxes on the
balcony railing. They advertise that
there are 3 mariageable daughters
in the house.

The window features are called pregnant windows and
were available in 3-, 6-, and 9-month varities. This is
a 9. They were used to allow plants to be cultivated there.

There are a lot of colorful doors and
this was one of the most attractive
door knockers I saw.

View from the Belvedere overlooking the surrounding
area. Mdina was built on a high point for the best defensive
position.

This side gate was added when the
trains came as a shortcut to get to
the train station. There is a ramp
that leads down to the left.

Typical narrow medieval streets

One branch of the tree grew in a loop.

Is it whimsical or just ugly????

The Prime Minister who was speaking in Maltan. The
crowd clapped and cheered, so I guess they like him.

Inside the Wignacourt Museum.

The main focus of our visit was underground. There is a grotto, a system of WWII air raid shelters, and catacombs, all layered on top of each other.

This is the grotto which was closed off
when too many people were scraping
the flaky limestone off to sell it as
a cure or religious wonder.

Part of the WWII air raid shelter system. They had little
time to build this and it was done by hand, mostly pre-
electricity in Malta, so niches were carved out for oil
lamps. We could see water seepage on the ceilings
as we walked along.

Example of a family room. Mostly
these were used for hours at a time.
The longest use was 2 days of
continuous shelling. Some families
tiled the floors.

This is the remnant of an ancient Roman burial. Nothing
really left to see.

The walkways were all tiny like this
one and curved all over the place.
The map above ground shows that
the catacombs were huge. I got a
bit claustrophobic and left early,
wondering if I would remember the
turns I took to get in. Fortunately,
there was an extensive system of
exit signs!

Back on the bus, we drove toward the coast to another overlook and then the village of Dingli for lunch.

Beyond this little rocky island (which was a lot bigger
until the British used it for target practice) is Tunisia,
hidden by the coastal fog.

Lunch was a yummy rigatoni (big enough for two) followed by a HUGE pork chop with roasted potatoes and veggies. Then we got a demonstration using minced tuna, 'tomato sauce' (which might have been ketchup) and various greens and spices to create the two dishes you see below.

The rest of the day (after 4pm) we were left to our own devices. I contemplated napping, but read and then got to work on email and this blog. More tomorrow????