10/15/2015 Malta (Cruise to Mediterranean & Israel)

After cruising at sea for 12 days, we finally arrived at our last destination, Malta, before heading back to Rome.  Malta is a very small island country in the Mediterranean Sea just off the coast of Sicily, Italy.  Because of its strategic location, it has been sought after and occupied by a succession of rulers, including Romans, Moors, Knights of St. John, French, and British.  The island state covers only 122 square miles and has a population of merely half a million.  Giving its small size, it is hard to imagine that the island is the location of two UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Our cruise ship arrived at Valletta, the capital of Malta, early in the morning.  The view from our cabin immediately told us this would be an interesting place to visit.

We joined a private tour arranged by a fellow cruiser Bev from Canada.  There were many cruisers joining Bev today that she had to arrange two buses to accommodate us all.  We were on the first bus with Bev and her ultra-friendly and helpful husband Peter.

Our first stop was Mdina, a medieval walled city built in the 14^th and 15^th centuries.  Mdina, situated on a hill in the center of the island, was founded as the fortified capital of Malta.  The city lost its status as the capital in the 16^th century but continues to serve as a place for the elite class to live.  It has a tiny population of only 300 and most of them live in palaces located along the narrow streets around the city.  With a few exceptions, cars are not allowed in the city; therefore the city is nicknamed “the Silent City”.

This is the main gate of Mdina. It was designed by a French architect in 1724.

A close-up look of the main gate.  The details are striking.

This gate was used as the main entrance into King’s Landing in the first season of Game of Thrones. In this scene (picture from the web), Catelyn Stark rode into King’s Landing to investigate the attack on her son Brandon.

The other side of the main gate.  Notice the thickness of the wall. 

After entering the main gate, immediately to the right, there is another gate leading into a courtyard.

On one end of this courtyard sits the Vilhena Palace, originally served as a summer residence for the Grand Master of the Knights of St John.  It is now a natural history museum.

Thick limestone walls tower over narrow passageways in Mdina.  This one is the main thoroughfare and is the widest street in the city, and it is narrow.

Many houses are palaces still inhibited by city’s 300 residents.  Many have decorative exterior and intricate balconies.  Most palaces were rebuilt with Baroque elements in the 18^th century.

From the balcony of the House of Notary Bezzina on the left, Mdina’s citizens threw the island’s French commander to his death in a 1798 uprising.

At one street corner, Madonna & Child watched a horse-drawn carriage passing by.

St Paul’s Cathedral, the main church of Mdina.



Mdina is protected by a wide moat encircling the perimeter of the city.

This is Joe from Arizona sitting by the moat.  He started the online forum about our cruise so people could exchange ideas about excursions and form private tour groups.  He is also one of the nicest and friendliest persons.

Mdina is very much like the medieval city you get to see in Disney Land, except Mdina is real.  It is very beautiful and we consider it one of our most favorite cities to visit.


After Mdina, we went to the Blue Grotto, a cavernous rock formation on the coastline.  The water around the cave has different shades of blue depending on the time of the day.  Boat trip to the inside of the cave is popular.  On the day of our visit, the wave was too high for such an adventure.

Another rock formation in Malta that we didn’t get to see is the Azure Window.  In the first season of Game of Thrones, the 50-meter high rock arch, known as the Azure Window, was the backdrop for Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo's Wedding.  The popular TV fantasy drama came to Malta during the filming of its first season.  


Hagar Qim, the ruin of a megalithic temple, has existed since 3600-3200 BC.  It along with four other Maltese megalithic structures are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 




We then headed to Valletta, the capital of Malta.  The heavily fortified city was built by the Knights of St John following the Great Siege of 1565.  The whole city of Valletta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The bustling shopping area.

The National Library of Valletta.

In front of the library is a square filled with tables of outdoor cafés.  We had our lunch here.  

The Grand Master’s Palace at Palace Square, aka St George’s Square.

On one side of the square sits the Main Guard Building.

The office of the Prime Minister of Malta is housed in Auberge de Castille in the center of Valletta.  This is Valletta’s finest Baroque masterpiece.  This auberge was a hostel used by knights of the Knights of St John.  In later years it was also the headquarters for the French occupation forces and the British army.

St John’s Co-Cathedral, the main church of Valletta.

A commanding view of the Valletta harbor from the Upper Barrakka Gardens.


The last stop of the day is a small seaside fishing village Marsaxlokk Harbor.  We arrived late in the day and most of the vendors on the promenade were already closing their shops. 



After leaving Malta, our ship cruised one more day at sea before it reached Civitavecchia on 10/17/2015.  Our 14-night cruise started at Civitavecchia on 10/3/2015, and we had finally come back to where we started.

This cruise has been nothing short of excitements, wonderments, and enrichment.  We visited many World Heritage sites.  We gained a new understanding of the once mighty Roman Empire, the enlightening Ancient Greece, and their enduring impacts on the civilization.  We also learned to appreciate the history of Christianity and the devotion of the faithful.  During the cruise, we made many friends with people from various countries, all with different backgrounds, and all getting along very well indeed.  This has been an extraordinary cruise.


Postscript: After dropping us off at Civitavecchia, the same cruise ship was going to pick up a new group of passengers and, following the same 14-night itinerary, to visit Mediterranean and Israel.  But the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continued to deteriorate.  One day before our arrival back at Rome, Celebrity announced that it would cancel all future calls to Jerusalem.  Sadly and fortunately, we turned out to be the last group of Celebrity Cruise passengers having been able to visit the holy place.

-Joe