Our Guide Neville picked us (Ann, Ellie, Cathy, George Geary and I) up at the port and we toured Malta. Our day started with a perimeter drive around the walled city of Valletta, Malta's capital to see the fortifications and harbor. Next we took a walk about to see the Grand Harbor view from the Upper Barracca Gardens, the highest point in Valletta. Our next stop was the St. John's Cathedral just in time to see the Palm Sunday processional with the Arch Bishop of Valletta. On our walk down Republic street, we passed the Grand Masters Palace and the office of the President. Next, we visited the Tarxien Prehistoric Temples. These megalithic temples are 3 archaeological sites from 3600 BC. We made our way back to Vittoriousa located across the harbor from Valletta. The driver dropped us at Fort St. Angelo, the first fortress built by the Knights of St. John overlooking the harbor. We walked through this fascinating and ancient city that had been restored since suffering damage during World War II, taking in all the architectural gems. We also visited the St. Lawrence church before stopping for lunch in Vittoriousa. Next on our agenda was a stop at the picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk on the south east side of the island. We stopped to see the colorful luzzu fishing boats and the browse the waterfront market selling local handicrafts, fresh produce and souvenirs. On our way to Mdina, we stopped at the Blue Grotto for the amazing views of the pretty fjord. We arrived at Mdina, the oldest city in Malta and began our walking tour of this old living medieval walled city. We visited the beautiful Church of the Annunciation and made our way through the winding narrow streets intended to confuse the enemy. This island traces its' history back 6000 years, boast a rich past but also had suffered great destruction. During WWII many buildings were lost during air raids but has bounced back due to its; picturesque location, rich culture and, regal architecture. We covered a lot of territory in one day and only scratched the surface of this intriguing country. We thoroughly enjoyed our interesting and fun day. This part 2 of a 3 part blog.
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