Our surprise on arrival of our ship in Malta this morning became very apparent with an 8 cannon salute from the top of the fortification ramparts and followed by a marching band that played while the passengers made their way to their Malta tours. This honour was provided by the city as this is the first time, the Ocean Princess ever called upon the Port of Valletta. Faye and our friend Lorna caught all the action from Deck 10. Malta is a surprisingly small island with less than 500,000 people and very few natural resources. There are no rivers, lakes or mountains here. Water comes from the sea using reverse osmosis to desalinate. Our journey begins at the Mdina or the Silent City which is located at the midpoint of the island. Here you will find the Cathedral of St Paul who was on the island for 2 years in 60 AD. Next stop is a Glass Works factory where you can find intricate and very nice but expensive blown glass. We made our way to a souvenir and crafts area that was recreated from Quonset huts formerly used by the British Army. There are also gold and silver filigree shops where one can find ornate and nice jewellery. Next stop was the Tarxien Temples - a prehistoric site with the oldest known construction by man on earth. The island is very barren and lacks water and soil nutrients and it is believed the site served religious purposes for good crops and strong fertility for the survival of the peoples. This is older than Stonehenge or even the Pyramids. Lunch was at a restaurant whose name translates into Old Farm and we enjoyed Mediterranean chicken, couscous, olives, sun dried tomatoes along with wine and small cakes made from dates, almonds and dark bread pudding. The trip continued into Valetta where the Auberges of the various orders of the Knights of St John can be found. These medieval building have been turned into government offices, museums and stores. Republic Street is where you can find all of the shopping you will ever need. Next was the Cathedral of St John which is the principal church in Valetta. It is plain on the outside but gilded with gold, old masters paintings, frescoes and painted ceils. The high light of the tour of the cathedral is the painting by Caravaggio of the Beheading of St John the Baptist by the Romans. It is quite poignant and unfortunately pictures are not allowed. As a famous paint, we thing it ranks with the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt in St Petersburg and the Mona Lisa at the Louvre.
It was a very full day and much more could be explored but time did not permit. This would be a great place for a return visit.