Malta

Monday 7^th October

At least it was not quite such an early start to the day (meet at 9:15 for the tour), though I actually woke before 7am and just lay in bed until it was time to get up.

I had been to Valletta before and would have enjoyed wandering it again but decided I’d like to see Mdina, ‘The silent city’, so-called because so few people live there. It was the original capital of Malta, though the Knights of St John (Knights Templar) replaced it with their newly-built Valletta. Again, it’s built in the glorious local stone, though it did not gleam as golden as on my last visit, as the sun was not shining.

A guide took us around for an hour. I was the one at the back of the group taking photos after everyone had got out of shot, with the staff member waiting for me. The ship’s photographer was with us and we often spotted the same angles. He gave me a few tips about photographs. I enjoyed the camaraderie more than I would have enjoyed hearing information that I would have forgotten 5 minutes later!

We were given 25 minutes to wander on our own. ‘Just follow the main street and you won’t get lost’ said our guide. I followed the photo opportunities and wandered off the street into what I thought was a parallel one and ended up leaving the walled city by another gateway. I asked some women in a coffee stall for the main gateway and they pointed me back the way I’d come. I knew that was wrong. I then mentioned ‘coach’ and they showed me where the coaches park. Ours was not there! I spoke to a local bus driver and he was able to point me in the direction of the main gate. I was late back but by no means the last person!

From Mdina we drove to a Palazzo that is open to the public. We were shown around the wonderful rooms (with me last again, along with the photographer) and then given a cup of coffee and a slice of dry cake before being allowed to wander the house and garden by ourselves.

(This is a mirror, so you are seeing the reflection.)