Today the ship docked on the island nation of Malta. I didn’t know what to expect, because I knew nothing about Malta. Mark told me that it “used to be British” (oh, weren’t they all?) and that it was an important player in WWII. Its location between Sicily and northern Africa was convenient, no doubt.
But Malta’s history goes back thousands of years. The town where we docked, Valletta, is a rocky pile of fortifications that rise up out of the sea and completely surround the oldest part of the city. Within those walls, the narrow streets and crumbling buildings reveal influences of many cultures.
I saw Italy in the decaying charm of the stonework. I saw Morocco in the wooden balconies that project from every building. I saw Croatia in the tiny lanes with equally tiny shops. And Mark, of course, saw Britain in the form of Marks & Spencer. Malta’s position at the junction of ancient sea-lanes means it’s been conquered numerous times, but it’s independent now. Apparently theirs is the only Arabic-based language that uses the Roman alphabet.
Anyway, it’s a great place to wander, and I loved it. Mark was interested in finding a geo-cache, and I waited in a scenic plaza while he went down a side street in hot pursuit. There he met another cacher (some Dutch dude) and they rounded the corner together and the Dutch guy waved at me. Just wanted proof that nerds do marry, I suppose.
We bought sandwiches in the Marks & Spencer food hall, and ate them on a park bench. I dragged Mark into a couple of jewelry stores and bought some silver filigree earrings. Malta is famous for filigree work, and we got to watch one proprietor make the tiny curls with nothing more than tweezers and swift, skilled hands. He complained that it’s a dying art because young people don’t want to learn the craft. I believe him, and understood his sadness… but I wouldn’t want to do that work either!
Malta is also famous for glasswork, so we bought a pretty paperweight for my mom, and almost bought one of these cute pigs. But we snapped out of it and settled for a more tasteful little glass tray thingy. Not sure it’s any more useful than a pig, though.
Time to head back to the ship, so we emerged from the walled city and found ourselves on a big plaza where all the buses converge. Apparently Malta is famous for one more thing: orange buses. And once a bus is shipped to the island, it’s maintained to run forever. We saw all eras of bus manufacture represented. Check out the tailfins on this one.
It was starting to rain as we got back on the ship, and just as it got dark we had a dramatic exit from the port. We had to slide sideways into a small basin and rotate 180 degrees before we could weave back out through the narrow opening between the breakwaters. The catch? Our ship is 900 feet long. There was another large ship in the harbor, and at one point we were perpendicular to it, with little room to spare. It was a slow-moving feat, but incredibly thrilling. Another fancy bit of navigation by our captain.
Today the ship docked on the island nation of Malta. I didn’t know what to expect, because I knew nothing about Malta. Mark told me that it “used to be British” (oh, weren’t they all?) and that it was an important player in WWII. Its location between Sicily and northern Africa was convenient, no doubt.
But Malta’s history goes back thousands of years. The town where we docked, Valletta, is a rocky pile of fortifications that rise up out of the sea and completely surround the oldest part of the city. Within those walls, the narrow streets and crumbling buildings reveal influences of many cultures.
I saw Italy in the decaying charm of the stonework. I saw Morocco in the wooden balconies that project from every building. I saw Croatia in the tiny lanes with equally tiny shops. And Mark, of course, saw Britain in the form of Marks & Spencer. Malta’s position at the junction of ancient sea-lanes means it’s been conquered numerous times, but it’s independent now. Apparently theirs is the only Arabic-based language that uses the Roman alphabet. 
Anyway, it’s a great place to wander, and I loved it. Mark was interested in finding a geo-cache, and I waited in a scenic plaza while he went down a side street in hot pursuit. There he met another cacher (some Dutch dude) and they rounded the corner together and the Dutch guy waved at me. Just wanted proof that nerds do marry, I suppose.
We bought sandwiches in the Marks & Spencer food hall, and ate them on a park bench. I dragged Mark into a couple of jewelry stores and bought some silver filigree earrings. Malta is famous for filigree work, and we got to watch one proprietor make the tiny curls with nothing more than tweezers and swift, skilled hands. He complained that it’s a dying art because young people don’t want to learn the craft. I believe him, and understood his sadness… but I wouldn’t want to do that work either!
Malta is also famous for glasswork, so we bought a pretty paperweight for my mom, and almost bought one of these cute pigs. But we snapped out of it and settled for a more tasteful little glass tray thingy. Not sure it’s any more useful than a pig, though.
Time to head back to the ship, so we emerged from the walled city and found ourselves on a big plaza where all the buses converge. Apparently Malta is famous for one more thing: orange buses. And once a bus is shipped to the island, it’s maintained to run forever. We saw all eras of bus manufacture represented. Check out the tailfins on this one.
It was starting to rain as we got back on the ship, and just as it got dark we had a dramatic exit from the port. We had to slide sideways into a small basin and rotate 180 degrees before we could weave back out through the narrow opening between the breakwaters. The catch? Our ship is 900 feet long. There was another large ship in the harbor, and at one point we were perpendicular to it, with little room to spare. It was a slow-moving feat, but incredibly thrilling. Another fancy bit of navigation by our captain.
i love that old bus. Malta seems like it was a worthwhile stop.
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