Valetta!
Trip Start
Jun 18, 2006
1
12
18
Trip End
Jul 02, 2006
Valletta, Island of Malta, Malta
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
I awoke early.... 5 a.m. ... Wide awake. SO o grabbed the lap top and headed up on deck to write (I'm working on more than this travelogue) and watch the sun come up. I lasted about 45 minutes, then headed back to bed! HA! I did see the Dawn break, the sky lighten, but didn't wait for the sun. Bed and snuggling lasted all of 10 minutes, and then I headed back out and to coffee. I was on deck to watch us sail into Valetta. What a beautiful city... massive walls that stretch down to the sea, some of the stone cliffs have tenements dug right into the sandstone faces. It was beautiful.
Bob, Carol and Michael had a tour planned, and I planned to sun and workout while they were gone, and maybe catch a nap now that I was up at 5
At dock in Valletta
. I saw them off from the promenade deck with promises that we'd meet up at one when they returned to go shopping and see the city. I wandered around, had breakfast next to the Lido pool, stopped by and checked e-mail again.... and finally made my way up to deck 10 and the sunning area.... I am not golden brown by any stretch of the imagination, and although I was hoping another hour or so in the sun would turn me into a ad perfect tan man. It was pleasant. Nice and quiet aboard ship, with 1600 of the 2000 passengers ashore. I never did nap, or read, or stay still long. I ended up wandering around deck, keeping my good side to the sun and watched the comings and goings on shore and in the water around us. The little taxi boats that ply the water are kinda cool looking, with their Venician prows and colorful canopies. And there were a few people aboard to watch as well, one or two under 500 pounds and actually attractive to look at.At 1230, I showered and grabbed a light snack from the Lido Café (very light) and waited for The Almonys to return. Right on schedule, I saw Bob waving from shore so I headed down to join up with them. To my disappointment, Carol and Michael chose to go aboard and have lunch, etc, complaining it was too hot to walk around. Me in shorts, baggy shirt and straw hat was raring to go, so Bob and I headed off to the center of town in a taxi (the four wheeled Mercedes kind)
Maltese streets
. What a beautiful city, a main pedestrian way was our destination. Bob wanted to show me a shop he had bought a few things at on their last stop, and he wanted to go into the St. Johns Cathedral. We stopped in a Mac Donald's ( I know, I know) to get bottles of water and headed to the shop first, where Bob bought an amazing Globe Desk set made of semi precious minerals form around the world. At least he paid for it for we were off to the Cathedral which was only a block or so away.
What an AMAZING building, the floors are all marble, intricate panels of prayers and such all made of various colors of marble. It was incredible and ornate. Every surface of the church is covered with carving or painting. Beautiful. We wandered around there for 45 minutes or so, seeing the Caravaggio they have there (I even snapped a photo (w/o flash) not realizing I wasn't suppose to). We visited the gift shop on our way out and then wandered around snapping pictures and Bob giving me a history lesson about Malta and Valetta. The Palace was amazing on the inside courtyard (what we could see of it) and the narrow streets leading down to the sea picturesque and inviting. Unfortunately, we had to go back to the shop to pick up Bob's treasure and head back to the ship. Which we accomplished, but not without me buying more than I should myself along the way. I figures it was worth it. How many times do I get to Malta.
Back aboard, we just made it to trivia, where we promptly lost by one point (I'm beginning to hate this game) and lost getting a Holland America signature mag-lite. Not that I needed one, but it woulda been nice
Awesum church!
!After that, the afternoon was a blur. Michael and I were zonked out for the better part of an hour, and then it was time to get ready for the evening and head down to the Ocean Bar for tid bits and a couple of gin and tonics before dinner.
I met up with Bob around 730 in the sports bar, but walked down to the Explorers Lounge to listen to the string quartet, but they were engaged elsewhere and we had to listen to a pianist while we had another round of drinks (G&T for me, a virgin Pina Colada for Bob). We made it to dinner about 815... Michael and Carol were already seated.
Can you tell I'm getting to the end of the trip. Dinner was, well, dinner. Wonderful and appetizing. I had a lobster bisque, and a steak with fries... very French. I had orange sherbet for desert, and then we parted with Michael and Carol going to play cribbage in a lounge some place, Bob to bed and me to the cabin to relax with a Movie. I did pop in to see who had replied to the contest. . . but was in bed watching Braveheart shortly there after. Michael came in around 11, we watched the movie together then went to sleep.. tomorrow is a busy day. Our last aboard ship, and we are docking in Messina, Cicily early with a tour of the Tindari Ruins waiting for us. I took sinus meds and was out before Michael could even begin to snore..... dreams of the past few days making a smile dance across my face.
