October 15 - Malta

Malta

Our ship docked at Valletta, Malta early in the morning.  We met our tour guides and traveled by bus to see several sites on the Island.

Before leaving the ship we enjoyed the sunrise.

Malta has been occupied since approximately 5900 BC and is located 50 miles south of Sicily, and about 180 miles from Tunisia and Libya.  It is a member of the European Union and has a population of about 500,000.  Because of it's location it has been the focus of many occupations and battles.  During World War II more bombs were dropped on Malta than on London.

Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked on the island around 60 AD as he was being sent to Rome to appear before Caesar.  The the journey and events are recorded in the bible in Acts 27 and 28.

Mdina

Our first stop was at the walled city of Mdina.  This city was founded around the 8th century BC.  Today the city is one of the primary tourist attractions on Malta.

Hagar Qim

Our next stop was at the ancient temple of Hagar Qim.  This site is among the most ancient religious sites on earth.  This complex is dated between 3600-3200 BC.  In recent years the site has been covered due to weathering over the centuries.  The site includes altars and a variety of ritual symbols.

Countryside

As we traveled from place to place we were impressed with the beautiful countryside.

Valletta

Our final stop was in the city of Valletta where we toured St. John's Cathedral.  This Cathedral is dedicated to St. John the Baptist.  It was build in the 16th century and considered one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in Europe.

We returned to the ship in the evening and watched as we left the Grand Harbor of Malta.

Our next stop is Marseilles, France