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Malta is a small island located in the middle of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia (N Africa). It has a Mediterranean climate with 5-6 hours of sunshine per day in its mild winters and 12 hours of sunshine in its hot, dry summers where daily temperatures range between 20C to 25C. Malta is less than 32 kilometres long but its' strategic location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, European and African trade routes has resulted in it being invaded by many of the world's greatest civilisations.

The history of Malta is a long and colourful one and it dates back to the dawn of civilisation. Artifacts from the Neolithic period have been found on Malta (see Malta 4) Following this period, the Phoenicians first settled in 800BC, when they set up trading posts on Malta. Later the Carthaginians used Malta as a base for their warships during their struggles with Rome. Other conquers of this tiny island include the Arabs, Normans, Germans, French and Spaniards.  However, in 1530 the Knights of St John, an order of Roman Catholic monks took control of the island as a refuge for injured soldiers during the Crusades. They built a fortified city out of the rock on the island in the 1500's. They carved out massive stone walls, deep moats and beautiful buildings such as St. John's Cathedral and the Grand Master's Palace which both still stand today.

Malta is steeped in history and testifies to having early Christ follower communities (name given to Christian communities in the first century AD) The apostle Paul lived for a short time on Malta after being shipwrecked on his way to Rome, in 60 AD. Acts q tells us that many of the islanders became Christ followers after Paul was miraculously healed when bitten by a snake. Paul preached to them about Jesus and his gift of salvation through faith in what Jesus did in his death and resurrection.

Malta has medieval towns built from limestone rocks and its grid of narrow streets and alleyways are either paved with large flagstones or pebbled with cobblestone walkways. It has quaint shops and cafes and vendors with wheeled trolleys, selling fruit and vegetables in its narrow streets and in contrast its main streets boast lines of larger international branded fashion, jewellery and music stores.

Throughout this ancient island a large number of archaeological sites provide some of our world's oldest structures.

 Malta's capital Valletta is set amongst spectacular seascapes, ancient pre-historic sites, dramatic cliffs, fortress walls and pretty cove swimming spots. Valletta is considered the most concentrated historic area in the world because 320 monuments have been erected within the capital city's 55 hectares. Almost every corner has an historical building and as a result Valletta is one of Malta's three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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 The Sea Princess sailed into Malta's fortified harbour at about 6.30 am. The early morning sun's rays reflected off the cliffs, rocks and walls of Malta's walled city and buildings which rise from the rocky outcrop of the island. The high walls of the town greeted us from our balcony where  we ate our breakfast, lest we miss " all that was happening" as Malta began its' day. We saw fishermen returning in small boats, people opening cafes and shop fronts and others heading to work on foot or by small cars which were parked along the waterfront.

Directly opposite our balcony we looked across at the public elevator (a caged lift) that we and the locals used for 1 euro to scale the walled cliff front to the upper town above.  It sure beats the several hundred steps that can be taken to reach the top of the ramparts along the walls.

As we left the ship we were greeted by some "ancient Roman soldier" who insisted that we have a great day on Malta.  Walking along the Valletta foreshore with its stone three-storey, glassed balcony residential buildings we passed an old Bedford bus, a throwback to a time when Malta was under British rule. This beautifully restore old bus is now a  mobile tourist souvenir outlet. Inside were samples of "every kind of trinket or memorbillia" that has ever been designed to meet the tourist market. It was astounding to behold. So glad we are in a decluttering mode at this stage in our life.

As we continue towards the lift we passed through an arched tunnel that had been hewn from the rocky outcroft of Malta Island and we gained some sense of the history of Malta. There was going to be so much to see and learn today so we headed for the Upper Barrakka Lift.

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Leaving the lift we alighted onto a beautiful stone parapet that look back over Malta's beautiful harbour and we had a 180 degree view across other parts of the walled island. We had heard about 'the cats of Malta' which are famous for gracing the steps that lead up to the upper gardens. However, because we used the lift we missed seeing this bevy of feline fluff and beauty so we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by one lone tabby cat snuggle-settled atop a limestone capstan at the exit of the lift. At first our Tabby was reluctant to accept a pat but after some encouraging words he enjoyed his under-the-chin being rubbed and seemed pleased of our attention. 

The ramparts were decorated with arched porticos, wonderful views over the harbour and other parts of Malta and rows of long abandoned cannons that once protected Malta from attacks and sieges. 

We stood and took in all that we could see from this 180 degree view over Malta's pretty harbour, towards the breakwater wall and its lighthouse and over the many stone buildings which crowned the islands'headland with domes, steeples and many-storey residential rooftops. It was amazing how many huddles of buildings had been jammed prop this island nation which has a population of about 7 million people.

The area around the parapet also had a small market square with tiny shops yet to be opened, since it was only about 9.00 in the morning and in general most shops do not open until 10am in Malta. 

We enjoyed the warm morning sun and the pretty garden that adorned the square around the rampart area before walking towards central area of Valletta.

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We walked past some museums that were not yet open and over to a beautiful fountain with concentric circular carved limestone base. The huge green copper figurines held a massive disc through which dual fountains flowed. Spouting from the pool below another 18 waterspouts arced water into the lower pool. This landmark fountain, named the Triton Fountain,  represents unity and co-operation which is a great symbol for the city. Adjacent to the fountain is Malta's bus terminal, an important public transport hub for people to meet up and travel all over this tiny island. The fountain too is a meeting point for many as it is so accessible and an easy point to find. 

We sat and enjoyed watching locals meeting up, rushing  to catch a bus or just relaxing on the marble seating around the fountain.

We then wandered down some  brick paved  pedestrian-vehicle walkways between tall buildings. By now it was quite warm but the shadow cast by the tall buildings kept us cool. Our only danger was the fact that we shared this thoroughfare with vehicles and at 9.30 in the morning, delivery trucks and vans were constantly backing or arriving hurriedly and it was almost like pedestrians were invisible. I don't know how many times Ken "prevented" me from becoming a statistic but it seems he was vigilant in warning me about near disasters. 

We came across a chapel and entered through the solid 5 metre high doors, to take some respite from the delivery trucks. It was cool inside and peaceful so we sat in a pew and pondered the beauty of this gentle Baroque-style building. It's soft aqua-blue walls, high ceiling droned with massive gilt-edged religious paintings, many graceful columns, graceful arches all blended together in such harmony that we could not help but admire this architectural creation. The light-filled central dome filled the chapel with illuminating light that enhanced the architectural features and drew our eyes to the simple altar with its tall slender white candles. Not usually accustomed to worshipping in an elaborate building we found ourselves appreciating that the creator of this building had sought to create a quite space for people to ponder, worship and thank God for al his provision to Malta - a melting pot in the middle of the Mediterranean which had experienced so many different regimes of rulers over the centuries and still acknowledged God as as central to all of life. We found ourselves spending some time in thanksgiving and prayer to God for his amazing love, care and provision to us. We prayed for the needs of our family and our church family back in Australia. Being still, knowing God's presence within was edifying. 

Wandering outside we continued down several streets, enjoying seeing tourists relaxing outdoor cafes, photographing various buildings and monuments and taking selfies with local vendors. We stopped to view so me local pastries like apple turnovers, croissants, biscuits and sweet looking slices. They were resemble priced but we weren't hungry so we looked and admired only. We were heading for The National Museum of Archaeology which is in Republic Street and was marked on our tourist map. It is housed in a very stylish Baroque building with a grand column entrance, high ceilings, exotic shaped glassed windows, a wide staircase and wonderful paintings on the ceilings and walls. 

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The building that the National Museum of Archaeology occupies was built in 1571 for the Provençal Knight's of St. John. The Knights were noblemen from them most important families of Europe. This building was the most advanced design of the finest Baroque building style that was all the rage in Europe at the time. The Knights mission was to protect the Catholic faith and Europe from the attacks of the Ottaman Turks. The Grand Saloon which we visited on the second floor was being restored by experts in cleaning years of open-fire smoke stains from the once richly-painted walls and massive wooden beam ceiling. The ceiling was decorated with carved design panels laid between each beam. The room is considered one of the noblest rooms in Malta because of its size, history and decorations. Today it is used  as a banquetting hall and for holding their business discussions. Even though restoration work is still in progress we were able to appreciate this unique bit of history. I trust the photograph does it justice as the only lighting in the room came from the experts' scaffolding spotlight and the natural light from the huge windows.

The archaeological displays that filled the many other large rooms in Malta's impressive National Museum of Archaeology included an overview of artifacts of Prehistory and early history relics, found on Maltese islands.

We marvelled at primitive tools made from bone, stone and wood.  The huge number of pottery urns, vases and utensils of various sizes and designs that have been unearthed in perfect condition was amazing. This is because many of the pottery artifacts were buried in tombs with the bodies of the deceased and thus were well preserved.

The intricate collection of jewellery created from pebbles, limestone,  shells and animal hair was  exquisite to see.

There were many examples of stone carvings as far back as 5000-2500 BC where people creatively expressed the appreciation of the world around them on monuments and edifices. One that we found remarkable was an animal-frieze motive design carved on stone with ancient tools. The deer design was sharp and distinct as if carved out yesterday.

In the Bronze Age sections the bronze dagger with a bone handle took our attention and showed how people adapted to new materials when producing craftwork and tools. 

The Phoenician Period (8th-6th century BC) highlighted the fact that trade with Egypt influenced life on Malta. The adult-size terracotta sarcophagus on display in the museum was unearthed in Malta. It replicated the way that Egyptians had buried their important people for thousands of years. Whether this sarcophagus was imported or copied from Egypt is not known but it does indicate that Maltese people traded with other nations. The Phoenicians buried their dead in a variety of coffins with lids and  fashioned in wood, terracotta, marble or stone. They often shaped the casket like a human figure, a pharaonic Egyptian practice which the Phoenicians either replicate or brought over from Egypt.

We spent about 90 minutes in this museum, learning much about the ancient relics of Malta. We found it hard to get our heads around the age of the artifacts on display and to try to imagine what life would have been like way, way back then.

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We decided to continue walking through the streets and look for somewhere to rest and have a snack. Having been in the cool museum for so long we hadn't realised how warm the day had become. It felt like 30C and probably was as the sun was high in the sky ad all the outdoor cafe areas had opened up their umbrellas over the table settings. People must have had the same idea as us because when we went to find a seat  in one of the outdoor cafes in one of the square's we'd wandered into, we found that there were only a few spare tables. We settled a sheltered table near the edge of the square so that we could watch the crowds pass by and  catch any cool breeze that wafted across the square. Breezes frequently blow across Malta's landscape because it is a small island In the middle of the Mediterranean.

We ordered a strawberry, pineapple and mango smoothie and a Maltese sausage roll. Let me describe the sausage roll - true to its name, a spicy Maltese sausage is wrapped in delicate flaky pastry, baked and served, hot. It was very filling and delicious. The smoothie revived our energy levels and we continued on our self-guided tour of Malta.

Following our relaxed time-out lunch break we took a tour of Malta's famous St. John's Co-Cathedral. This hot-tourist unique historical site was built by the Knights of the Order of St. John in 1577. Following the Knights' success during the "Siege of Malta" by the Ottamans, in 1565 the Knights decided to moved their headquarters to secure a more strategic base in what was then, the newly founded city of Valletta. From its outward appearance the Cathedral presents as a massive edifice with two large bell towers on either side. Its simple but strong fortress-like design reflects the sober mood of the Order following the epic events of the Great Siege. However, the inside is a jaw-dropping "over-the-top" extravagant artistic expression of the High Baroque decorative style. The Order spared no expense at decorating the interior with extravagant works of art, the latest opulent decorations and employed the most gifted and skillful architects and tradesmen known throughout Europe. 

The cathedral is made up of a wide nave with a barrel shaped vault and two aisle which lead into 12 smaller chapels. Originally the interiors decorations were simple but in the 17th century when Grand Master Cotoner ordered the redecoration of the interior the new flamboyant and demonstrative Baroque style was generously embraced. 

We had to sit and stare and taken in the all that lay before us. The high ornately painted ceilings, the gilded arches lining the two aisle, the glittering gold leaf embossed carved panelling and massive masterpieces by famous painters like Caravaggio, Preti and Michelangelo. All breathtaking in size and texture. 

But for us it was the inlaid marble floor that took our attention as the most splendidly creative, timeless and  practical treasure art piece. The floor consists of a collection of floor-tile made from strikingly bright and exquisitely designed, marbled inlaid floor-tombstone. The designs include Knights in armour, coat-of-arms, stories of battles, acts of chivalry, religious praise and recognition fallen heroes.

We were wowed yet again

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Next we headed a few streets away to the The Grand Master's Palace and Armoury. Built in 1574, this beautifully relaxing building was originally the seat of the GrandMaster of the Knights of Malta. Later it housed the Maltese Parliament and today it houses the offices of the President of Malta. The former two storey Palaces' many large and elegantly decorated rooms surround an internal courtyard area with graceful gardens, palm trees and a bronze statue. Sunlight and cool breezes from the courtyard filtered through the windows of the hallway-corridor and added light and coolness to the building. We admired the frescoes and portrait paintings on the walls and have included a photo of a fresco depicting Malta's harbour and the portico parapet we had walked along earlier today after taking the lift up from the waterfront.  It shows the type of sailing boats and strong stone buildings of the 1570's, many still standing today. 

We had tickets to visit the Palace Armoury Museum. 

It was Malta's first museum and opened in a section of the palace in 1860. Then in 1975 the entire collection of armour and weapons was moved to its present home, the original stone stable section of this former palace.  It has the largest collection of rare swords, helmets and spears from the 15th to the 17th centuries.

The collection includes not only the armoury of the common soldiers but it also includes a range of practical and elaborately decorated armour suits, worn by the Knights of St John after celebration brave victories. This extensive collection is displayed in chronological order and traces some of the development, changes and adaptations made to the helmets, armour and weapons over several hundreds of years.

Some of the weapons displayed included: a  of richly decorated firearms, cross-bows, sabres, lancers, swords, pistols, spears, swords and exhibits of canons of varying sizes together with a range of either stone-hewn or lead canon balls. We read that many of the weapons are still in working order and that the Knights arsenal held enough arms to equip several thousands of soldiers.

The Palace Armoury Museum display is historically associated with the history of Malta and its Order of Knights who so gallently defended Malta against so many invaders. In 1798 Napolean seized Malta from the Knights, on his way to Egypt. However, after two years of French occupation, the Maltese asked Britain for assistance and Britain responded by blockading the islands. Cut off from supplies, the French finally withdrew. Malta joined the British Empire in 1800 and remained a member until 1964 when Malta became independent and over that period the Maltese adopted the British systems of education, legislation and administration. Modern Malta became a republic in 1974, closed all foreign military bases in 1979 and joined the European Union in 2008. 

Just outside the Palace Armoury display rooms stands an impressive 200 year old carriage which was used by the Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of St. John. It has been well preserved, having been stored in the stone Palace Stable block and it would have made a grand sight and much noise as it passed over the Malta's cobbled pathways so long ago. The carriage was fashioned in timber with glass carriage windows and seating for six people within and a dual driver seat at the helm of the carriage. The huge wooden spoked-wheels carefully crafted by a master carpenter has a metal strip around each wheels rim to strengthen the wheel and prevent damage from sharp stones, ditches and rough terrain.

Malta is not a rich nation but it is rich in culture and history.

You may think that this blog is long and you'd be right, because Malta is SO FULL of history, around every corner, under every pebble and even under the beautiful tourquoise blue of the harbour waters, evidence of past tales await.

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Leaving our enjoyable Palace   visit we continued on our street walk around Malta. It was even warmer than we remembered having been inside the thick stone walls of the palace for an hour or so. Walking up alley ways and down steep steps we came to a small square where we saw a beautiful water fountain that I could not refrain from touching and though its waters were cool and sparkling I didn't risk drinking from it but I sure enjoyed the splashes created. Not from the fountain we happened upon an Anglican Church and decide to visit it. 

St Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral was built between 1839 and 1844. It was financed by Queen Victoria's aunt, Queen Adelaide the wife of King William lV. St Paul's is built in the Neo- classic style which is why it feels simple , refreshingly, airy, spacious, uncluttered,

open and full of light. It has been built with Maltese limestone, with Corinthian columns in the main area and six Ionic inspired columns around the portico area. It really is a delightfully pleasant building. It's spire being over 60 metres high can be seen all over Malta and has become a Valletta landmark.

The church has incredibly almost 'perfect' acoustics due to its design so very often the venue is hired for concerts, plays and operas. This income has made it possible for St Paul's to replace its aging and leaking roof. Next year the parishes planning to have the huge pipe organ retuned and cleaned. You will probably notice some flags of the Commonwealth of nations in the church which welcomes people from all nations and creeds. 

Ken spent some time talking to a local parishioner who volunteers at the church to welcome tourists to Malta's Protestant Church. Most people in Malta attend the Roman Catholic Services but there is a growing number of expats and some locals who attend  St Paul's and their weekly Bible Study sessions. We also visited the massive crypt which lies below the church building. It has been painted and 'modernised' and now provides a Sunday School classroom, a teen den area, a short video nook retelling the history of Malta and St Paul's and a coffee shop which is open to tourists. We were pleased to cool off in this cellar area and after watching the video we enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea of home baked Maltese apple pie and icecream and Maltise coffee-  yum!

We had just one last tourist attraction to visit before heading back to the ship. We had almost circumnavigated the Valletta area of Malta by about 3.30PM so we descended even more ancient stone staircases and found ourselves walking along the coastal walkway that passed through residential areas and small fishing shanty huts. We really enjoyed this leisurely stroll past multi-storey, narrow, stone houses,attached to one another, each with Maltese-style wood'n-glass patios. Invariably these patios displayed fluttering, colourful laundry motifs - so 'Maltese'. Sometimes when we looked up a narrow alleyway we'd see that the whole airspace between the rows of buildings was filled with the neighbourhoods linen, undies, shirts and dresses. Not something we see too often in Wollongong.

The breeze from the harbour was refreshing and every now and the a friendly face greeted us with a smile.

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From the top of the cliff road we spotted our final venue to visit. Malta's Fort St. Elmo complex built high on the headland rock platform above the natural Grand Harbour. We'd seen the Fort and harbour early in the morning as we headed for our mooring at Port Valletta. It looked solid, imposing and very golden yellow with the reflection of the morning sunlights' rays.

The Fort (and two others we could see across the harbour from one of the towers) is solidly built with thick walls, parapets, towers , mazes of tunnels, ammunition cellars and high walls.

The fort is strategically located at the harbour entrance so that any would be invaders were seen long before any attempt to enter the harbour could be made The height of towers and walls provided excellent vantage points from which to ambush ships below.

Malta played a unique role during both WW1 and WWII.maltese officers and soldiers fought alongside British and Imperial forces with skill and bravery. 

Malta's strategic position in the world and it's safe and "hidden" harbour has made it a military hub in different periods over the years. It became an essential fueling station and a defender of the Suez Canal route during the war years.

The French navy and some of Britain's fleet, used Malta as a base to patrol the Mediterranean with Maltese fishermen providing  important information of enemy ships they sighted on their fishing ventures. Many of Malta's women and older men played a significant part in providing labour and food production for those at war. Malta was almost flattened at different stagesi in the war but their resilient island war volunteers rebuilt and restored damaged areas as soon as it was safe to do  so and sometimes "over night" restorations happened without any observation - such was the cohesive unity of the Maltese islanders. 

Malta was also used as a Prisoner of War base for both German soldiers and some high ranking officers, in both world wars so we  have much to thank Malta for.

Then in 1956 when Egypt's .leader, Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal and Britain and France tried to stop him, Malta once again took a pivotal base for the largest fleet to have ever gathered to protect the seas and for Britain's airforce, Malta provided the perfect launching pad for patrolling aircraft and jet fighters.

Today the fort is a huge Military Museum. There are at least 16 different buildings housing military uniforms and weapons from various 'modern day ' wars.  Some other exhibits include:  interactive displays, films, models and timelines with photographs and descriptive narratives about various battles. The museums were very well organised in that each exhibition building covered certain war dates so that visitors could choose to cover aspects of interest or they could visit the fort over several days and not become overwhelmed with such an extensive and comprehensive amount of information.

As we were at the end of our one day in Malta we did not have the luxury of spending several days to explore all the exhibits but we did gain some idea of the very unique and lifesaving role that Malta has played in Australia having the freedom that we all enjoy today.

We spent about 50 minutes in this fort complex but hen it was time to get back to the Sea Princess before she pulled anchor for another port.

Leaving the fort we stood on the cliff top and looked over the harbour at the small fishing boats, tiny sailing skiffs, launches and yatchts flitting across the open waters. As we headed down the roadway we passed a tiny inlet where some tourists and locals were having a refreshing swim in the crystal clear greenish esters. We were feeling quite warm as we hurried towards the ship and we were looking forwarded to a long cup of tea on board ship. However it did cross our minds that we could go for a dip "in our sweaty clothes but it would have to be a quick dip" in the end we decided against this as it was thwart with all kinds of 'problems' - lack of time being the biggest. Problem. With one last glance at the gleeful swimmers we descended the pathway down to the shoreline and after entering the tunnel hewn out of solid rock we could see our ship just ahead of us.

Whew! We'd made it in time!

We had fitted SO much into this day on Malta. We'd learnt SO many new facts about life on Malta in the past and had SO many new cultural experiences that we were in overload. Our photo history would be a great way of recalling and reliving our marvellous Malta meanderings

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As the Sea Princess departed we stood on our vantage deck below the ships' bridge and as we sailed across the harbour it felt like we had been on Malta for a couple of days, for there was so much we had seen and done whilst here. We looked across at the stone buildings, stacked side by side, one upon the other. As solid as the day they'd been constructed. 

Looking ahead we were heading for the harbour exit with its twin manmade isthmus breakwater wall of rocks and its stately lighthouse standing tall. Around us small colourful boats called dghaJsa were returning from an afternoon's harbour trip.  Dghajsas are cute wooden boats that can carry up to six people. They are individually decorated in bright designs and colours and carry a single sail as well as a small engine so that tourists can enjoy both types of tripping a toss and around the harbour.

We could see the Remembrance Bell Tower, that we'd climbed on our return jaunt back to the ship. As the evening shadows were beginning to lengthen the Bell Tower was almost becoming silhouetted against the skyline and groups of people were gathered there, enjoying the panoramic view and watching for the setting of the sun.

The day was about to end but for two keen fishermen standing on the rock platform shore in the harbour of Malta, the night had just began. Behind them on the cliff wall, a large black horse motif reminded us that once horses were the main means of transport across this ancient island.

With one last look back we surveyed the spires, domes and solid cluster of ancient buildings crowding the walled peninsula of Malta's all glowing in the setting sunlight. Malta is a special place of history ancient and modern.