Grand Harbour Hotel Valletta

... with a whopping population of 400 people. It's not completely small though since a larger city called Rabat pretty much surrounds its ancient walls dating back to 1000BC when the Phoenicians settled here. After walking around the old churches and buildings I headed on to Valletta, the capital. I liked being able to see an entire town in 20 minutes. It's a very efficient use of my time actually. I would have lingered a little longer but about ...

... a nation that explored the world back in the day get reduced to telling its people how to cross a road?? I don't know you Richard, but you are my hero for agreeing with me here.

Tomorrow I will post a pic I took of two charming people waiting for a flight. The guy had on a t shirt that said he was a "Fatty Magnet" and right next to him evidently his charm had attracted such a woman. It was worthy of a discreet pic and you will like it.

... br>Aber auch die vielen historischen Gebäude machen Malta wirklich attraktiv. Schließlich ist hier das vermutlich älteste Gebäude der Welt gefunden worden (Tarxien Tempel ca. 3250 v.Chr). Die Geschichte ist wirklich spannend und auf keien Fall langweilig. Den größten Einfluß auf das heutige Malta hatte auf jeden Fall die britische Kolonialzeit (1815-1964). Das fängt bei der Amtsprache an und geht über den Linksverkehr bis zum Frühstück (bääääh).

Und zum Schluß die vielen ...

... to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk which is where most of the fishing industry of Malta is based. It is also known for it's sea food restaurants where you get fish caught that morning. We had a meal of swordfish and sea bass.

After our lunch we went to the ocean where we were able to ride on a small boat to see a number of grottos ...

... with my mum and dad for years, I think we were all slightly concerned about how it would go. But it was just great. We staying in a huge 3 bedroom apartment right on the water, where we could watch the people and boats coming and going from the sunny balcony. Dad was eager to show me all the sights, where he grew up and the church he used to go to.One day we went on a boat tour to the Blue Lagoon and I went swimming in the most beautiful clear blue water I have ...

... I grabbed a map and off I went to start exploring. My first stop was to be the Upper Barrakka Gardens. There I found some well dressed soldiers who informed me that in a few minutes there would be the firing of the noon-day canon. My timing was perfect! They also informed me I could purchase a combination tour at a discount for the Saluting Battery (noon-day gun firing ...

... day so our scenic tour basically consisted of peeking out the bus window, with occasional photo-taking hops outside. The island is full of handsome houses built of locally quarried limestone. Huge churches and mammoth fortifications are found along every harbor passable by ships. Even between small cities surrounding the capital ...

... a large admixture of Italian and other European influences, not surprising since everybody, literally EVERYBODY, speaks English, in a post-colonial situation not dissimilar to that of the Philippines or Malaysia, all with distinct national languages but anxious not to lose their English. More than a few speak Italian also. Where did the Arabic come from? It probably started developing slightly B.C. with the first historical inhabitants, the ...

... by a religious order, but the main church is St John's Co-Cathedral. This is one of the most ornate and beautiful churches I've seen, and I spent about an hour there. Carivaggio fled to Malta after killing a man in Itlay, and the knights took him in. There are several of his paintings here, including a cruxifix. As this is the Christmas season, each church has a nativity scene. The ...

... during WWII. I only went inside a couple but I was glad I did. The St John's Co-Cathedral is without doubt the most beautiful church I have been in and despite having to pay each time, I would visit again and again. Built in the centre of a newly founded capital after the Great Siege of 1565, in which much of the island was laid to ...