World Cruise 2017 Day 94 Valletta, Malta

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Today the ship arrived at Valletta, Malta at 8 AM.  At 8:30 AM I left on a tour called "Malta's Capitals Old & New".  The bus headed out of town and headed on a scenic route to Malta's old capital of Mdina, one of the world's finest examples of a living medieval city.  We walked thru the town where we had a fantastic view of the valley and the surrounding areas.  We headed back to Valletta to view the present day capital.  This tour required lots of walking and we arrived back at the ship at 12:30 PM.  Tonight after dinner Jaz Danion who had a spectacular show filled with world class juggling and feats of strength and balance.  He balanced at about 10 feet of wine glasses (4 in a row) with one hand as he walked around the stage.

Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta, is a Southern European island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 80 km (50 mi) south of Italy, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia, and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya. The country covers just over 316 km² (122 sq mi), with a population of just under 450,000, making it one of the world's smallest and most densely populated countries. The capital of Malta is Valletta, which at 0.8 km², is the smallest national capital in the European Union by area. Malta has one national language, which is Maltese, and English as an official language.

Valletta is the capital city of Malta. Geographically, it is located in the South Eastern Region, in the central-eastern portion of the main island of Malta having its western coast with access to the Marsamxett Harbourand its eastern coast in the Grand Harbour. The historical city has a population of 6,444 (as of March 2014), while the metropolitan area around it has a population of 393,938. Valletta is the southernmost capital of Europe and the second southernmost capital of the European Union after Nicosia.

Valletta contains buildings from the 16th century onwards, built during the rule of the Order of St. John also known as Knights Hospitaller. The city is essentially Baroque in character, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture in selected areas, though the Second World War left major scars on the city, particularly the destruction of the Royal Opera House. The City of Valletta was officially recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980.

Mdina, also known by its titles Città Vecchia or Città Notabile, is a fortified city in the Northern Region of Malta, which served as the island's capital from antiquity to the medieval period. The city is still confined within its walls, and has a population of just under 300, but it is contiguous with the town of Rabat, which takes its name from the Arabic word for suburb, and has a population of over 11,000 (as of March 2014).

Rabat is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, with a population of 11,497 as of March 2014. The town is the suburb of the old capital Mdina.

This picture was taken at the entrance to Mdina, the old capital of Malta.

This picture was taken in Mdina.

This picture was taken in Mdina.

This picture was taken in Mdina.

This picture was taken in Mdina.

This picture was taken in Mdina.

This picture was taken in Mdina.  We were here on Palm Sunday and this is the priests leaving the service.

This picture was taken in Mdina.  This is the St. Paul's  Cathedral in Mdnia.

This picture was taken in Mdina.  This is the St. Pauls Cathedral in  Mdina.

This picture was taken in Mdina.  This is the St. Pauls Cathedral in Mdina.

This picture was taken in Mdina.  This is the St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina.

This picture was taken in Mdina.

This picture was taken in Mdina.  This is the area around Mdina looking toward Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken in Mdina.  This is the area around Mdina looking toward Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken in Mdina.  This is the area around Mdina looking toward Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken in Mdina.  This is the area around Mdina looking toward Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken in Mdina.  This is the area around Mdina looking toward Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken in Mdina.  This is the area around Mdina looking toward Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken in Mdina.

This picture was taken in Mdina.

This picture was taken in Rabat just outside of Mdina.

This picture was taken from the bus on the outside of Rabat looking toward Mdina.

This picture was taken from the bus in Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the bus in Valletta, Malta. 

This picture was taken on a walk from the bust to the old area of Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken on a walk from the bust to the old area of Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken on a walk from the bust to the old area of Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.   This is the New Parliament Building.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken from  the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the old part of Valleta, Malta.  This is a picture of the ms Amsterdam.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.  This is the library in Valleta.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.

This picture was taken in the old part of Valleta, Malta.  This is the New Parliament Building.

This picture was taken on the walk to the bus from the old area of Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken on the walk to the bus from the old area of Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken on the walk to the bus from the old area of Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to the port in Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to the port in Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to the port in Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to the port in Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to the port in Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the ship of Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to the port in Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to the port in Valletta, Malta.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to the port in Valletta, Malta.