Thursday and Friday

Whichever page of the blog opens, you can start at the beginning using the list (right)

Wednesday

Passing the mid-point of our visit, I felt a rising urgency not to miss out on anything possible to see. At the same time, the steadying voice of my sister helped me recognize the reality, that one week just wasn't enough!

There was a nice pink glow when I woke up, but clouds as well as sunshine in the sky.

We had decided to take the free walking tour of Valetta to start our day, and this fountain was the assembly point.

 However, we were mad early (we still didn't realize that we were staying just over five minutes walk away from the bus-terminus.) so we decided to explore the area and found another nice little park close by. This is one of several we were to see remembering those who died during the two world wars.
This one shows a somewhat stern Sacred Heart.



and underneath a figure in deep mourning.

I apologize for the cropping at the top of this image. I offer no excuse, just poor composing.

I'm particularly disappointed because I really liked this statue which to me meant something like rising up despite difficulties.

This kind of palm tree obviously does well in the Malta climate, and we saw numerous specimens.

The pillar with the eagle on top could be called a cenotaph. Around the base there are dozens of names of people who died during the war.

We made our way back to the meeting-place, and sat on the edge of the fountain, looking towards what we knew now is the new gateway into the city.

Near where the buses would come in were food-stalls, and these surrey-type vehicles which would take tourists around the town, though how they managed the steep and slippery streets, I'll never know. Now that I come to think of it, I don't believe I remember ever seeing any of them as we walked around.

 I include this image because I just like the repeat pattern made by the wheels.

 Our walking tour guides were excellent - and gave us many gems of information not included in the leaflets and other literature we had collected.

One place we went with her was to the president's palace, and here are the guards on duty outside.
Somewhere I read the in Malta the Prime-minister is more important than the President. Maybe it's a bit like Ireland.

Again I enjoyed looking through the arches to the inviting sunny interior

Up this narrow street, our guide led up to the workshop of a man who worked in gold-leaf. I found it very interesting to see him working, though we weren't there long enough to learn any secrets.

Some other interesting items in the gold-leafer's workshop.

Most places we went there were balconies. I especially liked the one on the right because they had managed to grow something on it.

Yet more door-knockers

and in the same street, I believe this might be kohlrabi for sale.

Another unknown statue on a street-corner.






I love this view - one of the many which confuse me, not knowing which stretch of water it might be.

One of the things I really like about most of these door-knockers is that they are well cared for, and seem to be frequently polished.

This odd little gate is called a wicket gate. It lets people in and out, but not big animals.

 An external letter-box - I have to say I find it had to understand why people would make the post vulnerable to rain leakage, and even to possibly unobserved theft instead of the conventional protection of a slit in the door.

Artichoke outside a shop.

Sunlight and shade.

Door-knocker showing Maltese cross.
and

almost ordinary door-know, just fancy enough to be very attractive.

Think this might have been a charity-shop.

 I wanted to see if the grass (which we didn't see very often) was a coarse heat-tolerant variety as I saw years ago in Texas. But no, it looks very ordinary indeed.

One of the places our guide brought us was back to Upper Baracca Gardens, where now the fountain was splashing.

 The cannons on the lower level of Baracca sound out to mark mid-day. This dates from the early days of the chronograph, and sea-captains relied on this cannon shot to correctly time their device.

Preparing for the cannon blast.

Tourists on the upper level, also waiting for the blast.

I thought I was already to photograph the smoke of the shot, but my aging reactions were too slow. Should have used video.

There were other famous people commemorated at Upper Baracca, including Albert Einstein

 Other garden views, including a bed of dianthus.

In the afternoon we went to the town of NAXXA (pronounced 'Nash-a') to visit Palazzo Paradaiso which is just across the road from this statue and church.

The clock on the left show our arrival time correctly as shortly after 1430.






Our visit to the palazzo included a tour of the house which belongs to one of the old Maltese gentry, even before the Knights came in the 1600's

 On the first staircase there was a crib in a glass case, beautifully crafted.

 The Grand Ballroom was lined with gilt mirrors, presumably gold-leaf, and not just paint!

 The angel (left) is holding up one of the lamps over the billiards table.

The lovely ceramic piece (right) is situated in the back hall, downstairs.

Another lovely piece of iron-work (left)



a more prosaic use of metal! (right)

And then we went out into the gardens.  Only two of the gardens are currently on view, but what we saw was pure delight.

The metal chairs in the gazebo cast their shadows.
The giant cheese-plant in the orangerie, wasn't actually as big as my own, but it seemed to have the beginnings of FRUIT. I was impressed.

This little lady in her grotto was also in the orangerie (Orangerie is a fancy name for a greenhouse in which you might keep delicate plants permanently sheltered.)

I love the fancy litter bin - it would be a shame to put anything in it.

I think these are bougainvillea (I had to look up Google to find how to spell it!)



I was very envious of this great pot, until I discovered that it is just a light!

 I think this statue is a relative of the owner. Nearby is a plastic playhouse, as if children sometimes visit the gardens.





little fibrous begonias in bloom, even so early.

 The vista into the second garden which is mostly fruit trees.

A nice pot with possibly a goat on it.

The lake has goldfish in it.

 Not sure if these are daffodils or jonquils - must learn the difference some day!

Think these are probably domestic cats. They looked very friendly anyway.


Was surprised at how low growing their calla's are - already in bloom and only about six or eight inches high.

Angel's trumpet was in full flower.

I thought this might be the ordinary oxalis we have at home, but now I think it might be Oxalis violacea (Violet Wood Sorrel)

I thought it was lovely seeing all those oranges ripe on the tree. Reminded me that I was in a 'foreign country.

This was all we got to see of the third garden - well, here's to if we ever come back this way again.

A poinsettia bush - a bit mangy, but amazing just the same.

I found this little gate very inviting. It's a good job the pile of clippings was in my way!




See the man on the ladder. I think it's the bougainvillea he is cutting.

What a glorious colour they are.




No idea how I missed this chap just inside the door to the garden.



This old chap was the last sight we had as we left the palazzo after a truly inspiring afternoon.

We weren't sure where the bus-stop was, and our wanderings took us to a cafe where we feasted on shepherds pie - from the sublime to the ridiculous!

Having been redirected towards the bus-stop, I photographed the church again - just loved the colour of the sun on the stone.

This time, the clocks on the right tower of the church were somewhat astray as it was only 1447 according to the camera

These roses were in an ordinary garden right beside where we were waiting.
Apparently at one time there was legislation forbidding people to grow flower-gardens on account of water being so scarce.

Back in Valetta, I photographed this statue in front of the library I think.





It was too early to head for the hotel, so we wandered down Republic street again where we spotted this rather odd display of baby-clothes.

When I said I would like to go back to the Dominican Church, we quickened our pace.

We found how to get into it by watching  a woman ahead of us. She just pushed aside the heavy leather-type 'screen', and we did likewise. What a great way to keep draughts out, and also to reduce noise.

I loved the statue of St Dominic inside - he looked so young and enthusiastic.

Mind you, his little dog who carries the torch of the Light of faith around the world looked a bit mad - I think St D has his foot on the globe in case the dog runs off with it.


I liked the statues of our Lady and St Joseph too.





By now it was very dark in the church, but my little camera managed to photograph St Vincent Ferrer OP, a long-time favourite of mine.




Lights were starting to twinkle as we made our way back to the hotel.

THURSDAY

This is the day we went to Mdina and Rabat, actually we first went to Rabat since that is where the bus left us.

Lots of homes have a religious plaque at the door, mostly of the Blessed Mother. This is the first one I saw of St Joseph.


The shoemaker shop reminded me of the gold-leaf artist we had met, and I would really have liked to go in to see the place and smell that smell.


I think this statue is outside the church of St Paul, but I'm not quite sure.

Yet more metalwork. I love the way art and security are combined!

We didn't actually see much what you would call poverty in the areas where we went. However, some places the bus passed through didn't look great.


A shrine near a busy road crossing.

(right) what I think are wild snapdragons, though the leaves are narrower than in Ireland.



Outside the church of St Paul.

This part is under the current church. Note the fresco on the wall.

We had only just begun to look around when there was a power-failure, and staff led us back up to the surface again.



This shows the staff-person and her LED torch - we were very glad to see her.




While we were waiting for the power to come back on, we explored some of the museum.




These are models of some of the supposed 365 churches in Malta.

I don't this these are very ancient but are items from when the building was used to house people during the war.





Here again is the emblem of the knights of St John who seemed to have ruled Malta for about 200 years or so.

I think this is called a 'bier'. It was used to carry a deceased cleric from where he died to the church for his obsequies and burial. Funeral candles can also be seen.

I found it sad to see these items that were once so much a part of people's devotion, now just kept in a store-room.



I found it interesting to see how this holy water stoup would have been built into the wall, presumably near the entrance.

I think this little figure is what is called in Italy a 'bambinello' - the figure of Jesus which would be placed in the crib each year.



This is a gold-leaf reliquary for a morsel of the True Cross.
Although there is a very strict procedure for validating relics, frauds can happen.

This lovely staircase led us down to the art-gallery section of the building.

An early painting of the Blessed Mother.





This little 'scene' of the annunciation is similar to the crib we saw yesterday at the Palazzo Paradaiso

I thought this item was fascinating. It is a chaplain's order used at sea.
The close-up (left) shows the device to prevent the chalice overturning in stormy weather. The ring device swivels to keep the chalice upright.


I took this picture to remind myself that the mission of the nights was to take care of sick people. Fighting
battles to save Christendom came later in their history.





We had heard thunder, and a glance out this window showed it was pouring with rain also. But we were safe inside, so it didn't bother us.


More lovely metalwork on the way down to the crypt.






This is the cave where St Paul might have spent time after his shipwreck. See here for another traveller's more detailled account.

We didn't go into the big church ourselves!






The lamps

(right) Think this is the passageway to the catecombs.






yet another statue of the Blessed Mother, clad in silver silk, with more of those wax flowers that were around the image of the Bambinello

The catecombs were fascinating.

They even made slight indentations for the skull to rest in.

Here you can see where someone scratched a cross in the soft stone.

Below the catecombs were shelters dug out during World War II.
Some people lived down here, and tiled the floor and painted the walls to make it a bit homely.

I was glad they had rails as we climbed those stairs.


It was bright sunshine when we emerged from St Paul's Church, but then we got caught in some rain so I got to use my Malta umbrella.







Leaving Rabat, we passed more ditches, but these were laid out like gardens.

Through these walls is the city of Mdina.




More great door-knockers!

We stopped for a quick break in the cafe at the end of this square, and met a couple from Malahide - the only Irish people we bumped into during our trip.




Love the oggee, but it's not a door?

(right) Elegance and security combined yet again.








And more Door-knockers!

And more decorative security - just love that metalwork.


Think the dolphin is an emblem of Malta

The old as well as the new.

Streetscapes - and a tiny garden in a corner.

Interesting that the knocker on the right has a Star of David as well as the Fleur de Lis.

These Maltese crosses seem to be ventilation bricks - what a nice idea if they are.





I should have taken a full view of this plant which has reached the second-story. Fairly unusual for Malta.

Pity this place was locked - it would have been nice to see inside.













Views from the Mdina walls, showing that there is some agriculture in the land - small fields like in the west of Ireland.






Trees and greenery high on the walls.

A hidden garden we passed on our way. Nearly everything growing in pots and planters.

I didn't see many of this kind of spanning between buildings.

We just went in to pray in the Cathedral - co-cathedral to St John's in Valetta, but not so oppulent.
The skull has a wreath, not a wig as I first thought.

There seems no end to the variety of door-knockers.

Narrow streets in Mdina are no problem to the horse-drawn 'surrey'.

What a nice no parking sign -


and more lovely iron-work

These gardens were where our bus for Valetta would stop


Sunset clouds, and Pizza Hut where we ate our evening meal.