VALLETTA, MALTA - THAT JUST SOUNDS NICE, DOESN'T IT?

This is one of the prettiest ports we have pulled into. Usually, the ports have a lot of industrial stuff all around but this was as you would imagine a city on the Mediterranean. Since its habitation dates back originally to 3000 BC, you can imagine the historical artifacts and buildings found here. We had found some information online before leaving on our cruise about a prehistoric temple unearthed in the late 1800’s. It has been preserved and a limited number of people are allowed to tour it daily. We were fortunate enough to get tickets online for the day we would be here so off we went once we had docked. We decided we would try out their city bus system since it goes all over the island and had read it was really the best way to get around. We took the bus from the cruise port into the city center of Valletta where we needed to switch busses to go to Paolo to visit the Hypogeum, the underground temple. Seems easy enough, right? Well, our tour was at a specified time and we had about an hour to find it. The bus station at the city center was a mad house. The busses look very much like old school busses. It was easy enough to figure out which bus to get on but there were no time tables to let you know how often the busses run or how long it would take to get to where we needed to be. Shortly after taking off on the bus, we figured out you pretty much have to know where you are going because there are no signs to let you know when to get off or where to get off. After finding a local on the bus who spoke English, but didn’t know where the place was we were looking for, he found another man who knew where the Temple was, so, the man would tell him when we needed to get off and he would tell us and stop the bus for us to do so. As it turns out, he was sending us to the wrong place, but once we got off the bus, we would ask the shop owners along the street where to go. We made it with time to spare. I was looking for this big open area with ruins all around but it turned out to be something of a storefront with HYPOGEUM across the door. Once inside, we find out this building has been built over the first layer of the temple to help preserve it since it is in the middle of this huge city. The temple was discovered in 1897 when a man, digging a cistern, broke through the ceiling of one of the chambers. It was soon discovered there are actually 3 levels with several chambers built on each level. It is estimated to have been built between 5000 and 6000 years ago using flint and animal horns as tools. That is truly amazing since it is all rock. It is believed to have been used as burial chambers with burial rites being performed in the large center chambers. Standing in these center chambers, you have the feeling of being inside a “regular” temple with the columns and ornate shelving along the walls with the domed ceilings. Some symbols on the walls in the deeper chambers have been preserved.

Following the tour of the hypogeum, we head out in search of a bus stop to take us back to Valletta to catch another bus to the Mdina, “Old Town”. All busses leave/return to Valletta. I think we have this figured out now so without too much trouble, we go back and switch busses to head out in a different direction. The Mdina is perched on a rocky outcrop with spectacular views in the geographical center of the island. It is a truly “walled city”, the entire city being surrounded by a wall. It consists of several squares with narrow, cobblestone streets leading out from the squares. Mdina has been a functioning city for over 3000 years and continues to have residences maintained inside the walls. The Mdina Cathedral is on one of the larger squares and like all the European cathedrals, is lavishly ornate.

We headed back to the ship to find we were just in time to catch some the “stongest man in the world” competition going on down by the Grand Harbour. At this particular time, they were pulling a semi truck across the parking lot. Pretty impressive but doesn’t hold your attention for very long.

Tomorrow – a day at sea which will give us time to pack up and get ready to debark. I can’t believe this is almost over, although, I will admit, I am ready to go home. This has been unbelievable but I miss everyone and it will be interesting to see what has been going on in the world since we really don’t get very much news. We still have Athens to go and are looking forward to that.