Today, our ship visited the island of Malta. This is Fort Rinella and is one of the fortifications we passed as we entered the port of Valletta.
It was immediately apparent that there was a lot of history to this island.
This appeared to be bomb damage to fortifications, probably from WW II.
Malta, which calls itself "The Gate of the Mediterranean" due to being halfway between Gibraltar and Cyprus, has fishing as a means of commerce.
More fortifications.
Lynda is waiting to go ashore.
A shopping district with restaurants on the pier where we docked.
A typical building in the business district.
A war memorial in the downtown district.
An entryway to the old part of town.
Like most European cities, there is a clock tower present.
One of the main avenues through the city.
Their fishing boats are painted with vivid colors.
All their boats have eyes painted on the bow which is supposed to help look out for the devil.
Lynda does some local shopping.
Then its time for sampling the local cuisine.
A food vendor along the docks.
Many plots of land on the island are divided by rock walls for gardening purposes.
This is the famous Blue Grotto that is major tourist destination on the island.
This one of the megalithic temples on the island. Built around 3,500 BC, the island has been inhabited since 5,200 BC.
We visited a small church on the coast, the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene.
The coastline from behind the church.
While we were at the church, some local residents came there with falcons.
One of the residents getting ready to release his falcon.
The president's palace, Verdala, which is surrounded by the only forest on the island.
The city of Mdina (the Silent City) from a distance.
We visited the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, or the Masta Dome church.
It has two clock towers on the front.
The one on the left is actually a calendar.
Like most churches in Europe, it is adorned with numerous statutes.
The inside of the church.
This is the Rotunda of Masta and is the third largest unsupported dome in the world.
A look at another part of the ceiling.
On April 9, 1942, during a German air raid, a bomb was dropped that pierced the dome and fell on the congregation during evening mass. It did not explode. This is a replica of the bomb.
The event was considered a miracle through the protection of their patron saint. This display documents the event.
A cannon located outside the church.
Driving by the old city fortifications on the way back to our ship.
The shopping area on the pier next to our ship.
Lynda is headed back to our "floating home".
This is truly a charming island.
Back on board, its time for reading the Kindle.
As the sun goes down, the island lights up.
Some of the old fortifications lit up at night.
The port area as the ship is leaving.
1 comment:
The dome and ceiling of that church is beautiful! :)
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