Day eleven: Saturday, September 1: Valletta, Malta

Today we did a self-guided tour of the small Island nation of Malta.  Our first stop was St. John’s Co-Cathedral, which is an excellent example of Baroque architecture.  The church is ornately decorated and features haunting Caravaggio paintings.  Our next stop was the Casa Rocca Piccola, a 400-year-old estate that is still owned by the descendants of the original family.  The elegant home even features a WWII bomb shelter.  We then meandered around and did a little shopping, followed by lunch at a local restaurant featuring traditional Maltese cuisine.  Malta is a mix of British, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern culture.  My lunch consisted of a platter of sun-dried tomatoes, ratatouille, hummus, olives, cheese, salad and bruschetta.  Malta is clean and beautiful.

The evening’s entertainment was Dixie Longate, a very funny drag queen who integrates a Tupperware demonstration as part of her comedy act, mostly used as props during her routine.

Malta port 3

Malta steps

Matt, Jared, Kevin and Bill, Malta

Jared, Matt, St. John’s

St. John’s altar

St. John’s altar close up

St. John’s altar, side view

St. John’s candles

St. John’s Cathedral

St. John’s Cathedral, Malta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. John’s interior arches

St. John’s looking toward altar

St. John’s looking toward altar 2

Tomb, St. John’s

Casa Rocca Piccola ceiling

Casa Rocca Piccola china closet

Casa Rocca Piccola hand carved table

Casa Rocca Piccola hand carved table 1

Casa Rocca Piccola Murano chandelier

Casa Rocca Piccola Summer dining room

Casa Rocca Piccola Summer dining room close up

Casa Rocca Piccola, portable ‘fold out’ altar

Jared, Casa Rocca Piccola WWII bomb shelter