MALTA

January 8-13, 2023

First of all, I wasn’t feeling all that great. I must have caught a bug in Venice because I was full of mucus and coughing. Ultimately, I did not explore to the depth that I would have liked.

Malta is an island country in the middle of the Mediterranean. It has been inhabited since 5900 BC. It is strategically located as an important stopping station for trade traffic on the way to India. Because of this, it has been fought over for centuries. In 1813 it became a British colony. During WWII the Allies used Malta as a base to launch attacks against the Italians. In return, the Germans and Italians bombed the crap out of it because it was an Allied base. It was the most heavily bombed locations in WWII. The Maltese people fought valiantly, unfortunately, over 7000 soldiers and civilians were killed. King George VI awarded the people the King George Cross to show his appreciation of their heroism.

After the war, they banded together to clear their destroyed buildings and began to rebuild. Although they had been asking for independence for decades, it was only now, that the British granted it. At one museum, the guide summed it up nicely, “It was going to be expensive to rebuild, so the British simply cut us loose. It didn’t matter that we were bombed to smithereens because of them.”

So there is the history in a nutshell. They got a medal for heroism, but no money to rebuild.

I landed in Valletta in the evening, so I took a taxi to my guesthouse and was greeted by the owner. WOW! The place was magnificent! The bedroom was as big as a living room, with a bathroom to match. I had full access to the kitchen, which was well stocked. The host informed me where the nearest grocery shop, bus station and restaurant are located. All were within a 5 minute walk. I went to the Kebab Factory that night because it was close and I was hungry. Well, it turned out I ate there every night after that. The food was excellent, and the price was reasonable. A big kebab dinner with fries and 3 side salads cost 12 Euros. I was always full and it was delicious.

The next day I walked to the touristy old part of town. It wasn’t exactly a short walk, but it was pleasant and I quickly figured out how to stay off the busy highway path. I passed through the Portes des Bombes, an old gate into the city. The walls on either side have long since collapsed, leaving the gate looking like a triumphal arch today.

Walking along Triq Sant’Anna I found I could go under the street, through the metro, in order to cross. I got sidetracked by a beautiful park.

turned out it was a cemetery, with memorials to local heroes and war dead. None the less, it was beautiful.

Across the street from the Mall was St. Publius Parish Church. It was locked tight so I could not enter.

However, in the plaza in front of the church were mysterious footings. I thought they might be the foundations of some sort of outdoor pavilion. A passerby informed me that they were actually underground silos used during the siege. He did not explain which siege, though. And there were a few.

Back on my original trail, I passed by the Triton Fountain. It stands just outside the City Gate of Valletta. It has three Tritons holding up a large basin. Built between 1952-59, it is a fairly new addition to the Malta landscape.

The present Ponte La Valletta (City Gate) was built between 2011-14. It is the 5^th to have stood on this site. The original gate was built in 1569. It was built to protect the city from the only landward approach. Until then there was only a watchtower on the peninsula. (More on that later.) Today it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is an intimidating structure. The walls leading away from the gate are certainly an imposing sight. I spent quite a bit of time wandering along the walls.

Further into the old city were steep, narrow streets leading down to the water’s edge. In some places the sidewalk gave way to long, flat steps – the passage was so steep. The Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel dome dominated the skyline ahead. I was almost level with the dome at my end of the street. The sun could not make its way past the buildings that crowded in. Every building had balconies that barely jutted out from the side.

In my attempt to find the entrance to the Basilica, I came, instead, to the Anglican Cathedral of St. Paul. What a pleasant surprise! It was absolutely austere. Instead of ornate frescoes covered in gold, this church had a humble simplicity to it that was rather appealing. I was fortunate that the Deacon, herself, showed me around. She said that she met the Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip twice in that church. (Remember, Prince Philip was stationed on Malta and it held a special place for both of them.) She said the Queen was as delightful as imagined, and that she was pleasantly surprised that the Deacon was a woman. I never did find the doorway to the Basilica.

I came across numerous monuments and statues on my walk to the water’s edge.

I also took a short tour of Casa Rocca Piccola, a 16^th century palace of a noble Maltese family. After successfully fighting off the Turks in 1565, he entire city was dedicated itself to building a city with the prestige and beauty of Paris and Venice. Admiral Don Pietro la Rocca built a house with a garden! Valletta houses were not allowed gardens.

The original house boasted 50 rooms, two libraries, two dining rooms,

many drawing rooms and their own private chapel. (I can’t remember if it was the chapel or just another room, but there were huge windows facing the church across the street where they could just sit in the comfort of their own home and still “partake” in the service without actually going.) Today the house has a huge collection of the family’s art, jewelry, clothing and original legal contracts. Every aspect of the artifacts scream of opulence. The dining room chairs are ornately carved. The chandeliers are Murano glass.

The cabinets have finely detailed inlays. There is an invitation to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The huge house was divided into two smaller houses in the 18^th century. The family still lives in the upper floors.

I went out into the garden to meet the resident macaw.

It was also from the garden that I had access to the air-raid shelter that was built from an existing water cistern. There were actually three shelters – one for the family and two more for nearby residents, which, no doubt, saved many lives during the WWII bombings. I cannot imagine the horror of hiding in a dark and damp underground cistern while listening to bombs go off above my head.

Carrying on, I went to Fort. St. Elmo, where The National War Museum is located. The Fort was built in 1552, after the 1551 unopposed raid by the Ottomans. The 1488 watchtower didn’t quite cut it as a defence. There was a brief movie that showed the history of Malta. Exiting the cinema, I walked along the walls of the museum and where they had lots of old cannons facing the water. I wasn’t too excited about the old anchors, chains and other artifacts,

but the view was incredible.

Inside the defensive walls were the barracks and other administrative buildings that were converted into a timeline of Maltese history and battles. Built in 1488, St. Anne’s Chapel also resides inside the walls, being incorporated into the later built fort. It was here that the Knights of the Order of St. John made a last stand, but doomed battle, against the Ottomans (again) in 1565. All the knights were killed.

I am not sure of the significance of the giant eye over the entrance to the fort.

The next day I headed back towards St. Elmo’s Fort as I did not have time to explore the surrounding area. I passed by some old churches and administrative buildings that, although VERY old, still looked grand. A lot of buildings had statues on the corners.

The day before I had seen the Siege Bell War Memorial from a distance. It was built for the 50^th anniversary of receiving the King George Cross for heroism. It was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth. It is a simple rotunda with a heavy bronze bell hanging from the centre. The base is covered in commemorative plaques.

Jutting out from the rotunda lies “the Unknown Soldier” with a plaque that reads “ At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.” It was a haunting scene the the soldier lying of a slab of marble, suspended over the sea, with a weathered old fort in the background.

A stone’s throw away from the Siege Bell War Memorial was the Lower Barrakka Gardens Terrace. It was a lovely place to stroll, sit and look out at the harbour, and simply relax. It had statues, monument structures and a huge terrace.

Exiting the area, I had to walk through the Lower Barakka Gardens. The gardens have a view of the Grand Harbour and the breakwater.

It includes the Monument to Sir Alexander Ball, a British naval officer who was sent to Malta in 1798 to help the Maltese rebels in the blockade against the French. He became the first Civil Commissioner of Malta. He was widely loved and respected by the locals.

I stopped at the Saluting Battery. It wasn’t a planned stop, but as usually happens, a delightful sidetrack. It was built in the 17^th century on high ground overlooking the harbour. Although fully armed with cannons, its role diminished to ceremonial gun salutes and signals. WWII saw its strategic military location once again pressed into service. The museum aspect was quite small, relegated to a few Plexiglas displays. However, the guide, dressed in appropriate era costume, was very good and he managed to make those few displays come to life through his stories.

At 4:00 p.m. this same guide was to set off one of the cannons. Earlier on he had explained exactly how he was going to do it. Two bags powder had to be taken, very carefully from the powder room and marched across the parade grounds. Two bags were taken in order to load two cannons, just in case the first one didn’t fire. He comically explained that if that were to happen it is generally the fault of the guy loading and firing the cannon, and if he screwed up, his buddies would never let him live it down. He thoroughly explained exactly how the entire loading, safety and firing of the cannon takes place. I don’t remember everything, because I have no intention of ever needing that information. It was a spectacular flash of gunpowder mixed with flour, to give it more of a visual impact, and a loud boom.

There was a statue that was inspired by novel Les Miserables. It depicts three street children apparently trying to flee. The statue was cast in 1904, but blends perfectly with the sieges and wars that this small island has seen in its past, and also into its future, during WWII.

One day I went to Mdina by bus.

The island isn’t big and it only takes a short time to get from one side of it to the other. Mdina can be traced back to the 8^th century and has always been a fortified area due to its location. It was the capital of Malta until the arrival of the Order of St. John in 1530. It remained the centre of Maltese nobility and religious authorities, but never regained its status. It is locally called the “Silent City” because no cars are allowed. The entire city is confined within its walls and has a population of 93. It covers 0.9 sq. km (193 acres).

Property is largely passed down from generation to generation within families. Many of the former palaces are now private homes. Approximately 750,000 visitors arrive annually. I’m not sure about you, but I wouldn’t want 750,000 visitors walking across my lawn every year…. maybe this is another reason for the “Silent City” nickname, there are signs all over the place to respect the local privacy.

The first thing I saw after I entered the gates was a Dungeon Museum. I went in and was once again mystified at how horrible one human could treat another just because of their beliefs. Interestingly, there was a decree by Napoleon Bonaparte that abolished the inquisition. There was also a notation that Christians inflicted all kinds of horrific punishment on Muslim slaves. Whereas the Muslims simply used Christian slaves as domestic help. Fact or fantasy? Either way, it certainly challenges the common mindset.

I went into the Cathedral Museum in order to buy a ticket to see the actual Cathedral of St. Paul.

It housed many treasures of the cathedral. A few pieces that struck me. One was the silver statue of the Virgin Mary. It was stunning!

Another was a quilled picture where the quilling looked like gold. Knowing the catholic church, it probably is.

Yet another piece was a wooden inlay table.

The Cathedral was built in the 12^th century it is supposedly where the Roman governor Publius, who later became the first Bishop of Malta, greeted St. Paul after his shipwreck.

Publius was sick but St. Paul healed him. It is the dominant feature of the skyline of the fort, from a distance. The thing that stuck out about this church was that most of the walls were covered in red and gold fabric. I peeked behind and the walls were your typical marble and fancy stone work.