Valletta, Malta

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Kathryn

Malta’s capital city, Valletta, is laid out grid style on a small and hilly peninsula. If the hills don’t bring San Francisco to mind, then you’re obviously not on foot. Walking through the streets, the first thing I noticed were the ubiquitous window boxes.

 

I usually try to pick up a few words of a local language, but that didn’t happen in Malta. The population is generally bilingual in both Maltese and English. Plus, Maltese, which developed from the Sicilian variety of Arabic and is the only Semetic language to officially use the Roman alphabet, was just too tricky for me without some guidance.

 

As I’ve mentioned in earlier Malta posts, the country was pivotal to the Allies success in WWII who used the island in its fight for North Africa and against neighboring Italy. King George was so impressed with the heroism of Malta’s people that he awarded the George Cross, Britain’s highest civilian honor, to the entire county. Malta is extremely proud to have avoided surrendering to the Axis during the war, despite being on the brink of starvation in 1942, and displays the cross in the upper left corner of their national flag. The kind words American president Roosevelt used to express his gratitude to Malta are commemorated in a plaque on the Grandmaster’s Palace.

 

The Grandmaster’s Palace serves many functions as it houses the office of the president, the House of Representatives and is a museum.

 

St. John’s Co-Cathedral looks relatively unassuming from its exterior but inside is a flashy example of Baroque art and architecture. The church was commissioned and completed in the 1570s, shortly after emerging victorious against the attacking Turks in the Great Siege of 1565.

 

There are 8 chapels within the church, each one ornately decorated.

 

The marble floor is made of the tombs of hundreds of Knights and officers.

 

The main hall is jaw dropping with its vaulted ceiling, paintings, sculptures, and golden walls.

 

As St. John the Baptist is the patron saint of the Knights of Malta, the cathedral is dedicated to him. Caravaggio, having fled Rome in 1606 after killing a man, eventually found himself in Malta where he was made a knight and commissioned to paint for the Order. Two of his works, “St. Jerome Writing” and “The Beheading of St. John the Baptist,” are on view in the church. Completed in 1608, “The Beheading of St. John the Baptist” is considered one of Caravaggio’s greatest works. His use of dramatic light and the arrangement of the characters, combined with the massive size of the piece, make it undeniably striking. Unfortunately for Caravaggio, he soon found himself in serious hot water once more, this time having seriously injured a high ranking knight in a fight. He was arrested in August 1608 and escaped from prison a few months later. He stayed in Sicily and Naples while on his way to Rome where he hoped to obtain a pardon from the Pope. Details have been lost in history, but Caravaggio was reported dead in 1610. His body was never found.

 

Just outside of Valletta is the Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni. Built 5,000-6,000 years ago, around 1,000 bodies were buried in mass graves over a millennium. The 3 underground levels were discovered at the turn of the 19th century by builders who accidentally broke through into the middle level while building a well. The ancient chambers were carved out of limestone and red hexagons containing swirls were painted on walls and ceilings.

 

Tiny Valletta is a great representation of Malta itself. Warm and friendly, the city is rich in centuries old history yet never feels stodgy or dated. The limestone that has formed Malta’s history, whether it be ancient underground architecture, impenetrable forts, or traditional houses, is everywhere. And of course the importance of the sea, which has helped protect the islands of Malta and shape their culture, cannot be overstated.

 

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3 Cities, Malta

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Kathryn

Across the Grand Harbour from Malta's capital are the 3 small cities of Senglea, Vittoriosa, and Cospicua (also known as Isla, Birgu, and Bormla respectively) on 3 neighboring peninsulas.

 

Like many Maltese towns, you'll never get lost strolling through the gridded streets since here you're guaranteed to hit the Mediterranean before too long.

 

Sandwiched between mainland Europe and North Africa, Malta's location made it a vital asset to the Allies in WWII. British ships refueled, resupplied, and were repaired here. Consequently, Germans and Italians routinely bombed the harbor. The war ships are long since gone, but some of the damage remains.

 
Cafes and restaurants have sprung up along the harbor and the government has invested in revitalizing the area.

 

On a Sunday morning in Birgu, actors reenacted the departure of French troops from Malta.

 

Enormous bastion walls still encompass parts of Birgu. Its layers of walls helped to hold off a Turkish invasion during the Great Siege of 1565.

 

The Maritime Museum, pictured below with its clock tower and blue windows, has a great collection of maps, cannons, and other artifacts documenting the country's seafaring history.

 

Rowing is a proud and competitive tradition in Malta and many towns have their own rowing club. Pausing to admire Senglea's boats one evening, my friend and I were invited into the Senglea Rowing Club's headquarters to see the overflowing trophy room which, our host proudly boasted, was not big enough to hold all of their trophies.

 

Birgu's main cathedral is a national showpiece. When Pope John Paul II visited the island in May of 1990, the Collegiate Parish Church of Saint Lawrence was among his first stops. Seventeenth century painter Mattia Preti's largest painting, measuring 4 x 5.5 meters, hangs here.

 

The auberges once used by the different knights who centuries ago called Malta home dot the 3 Cities.

 

There are fewer tourist attractions in the 3 Cities than in Valletta, but life here is authentically Maltese which made it my favourite place to wander around while in Malta.

 

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Mdina & Rabat, Malta

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Kathryn

Mdina lies almost in the center of Malta high on a hill. The walled city is so immaculately preserved that it almost feels a little like a movie set! With only a few hundred residents, the Silent City as it is also called, is a peaceful and lovely town.

 

The view from the walls.

 

St. Paul is said to have spent time here after a shipwreck and the main cathedral is named for him.

 

Mdina, which means “fortified place” in Arabic, is so small that it's impossible to get lost and it takes no more than probably 15 minutes to walk end to end. This is great news since it has so many quiet and inviting streets to explore.

 

Historically, those who did not live in Mdina lived next door in Rabat, “suburb” in Arabic. Today, Rabat has far surpassed Mdina in size and population. I had a great time visiting the Wignacourt Museum which includes St. Paul's Grotto, catacombs, and a WWII shelter.

 

When St. Paul shipwrecked on the island, he was taken prisoner here for about 3 months. It is said that he was allowed to wander around in the day and always returned at night. He is thought to have founded the first Christian community in Malta.

 

The WWII shelter and catacombs are located in the same complex as St. Paul's Grotto. Comprised of 2 principal corridors with 50 rooms, the shelter kept the local population safe through more than 3,000 air raids between June 1940 and August 1944.

 

Just off the shelter is the catacombs. In Roman times, the dead were buried here. My photos will absolutely fail to do the catacombs justice! I was one of the only people here when I visited, but I occasionally heard the voices of others echoing through the halls, setting an eerie scene. The passage ways were so narrow at times that I had to turn sideways to fit through. The chambers seemed sporadically built and there were plenty of odd nooks and crannies. It was completely surreal and spooky, just the way I like it.

 

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Mellieha & Mosta, Malta

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Kathryn

Mellieha is a relatively young city by Maltese standards. Located at the northern end of the island of Malta, the area was sparsely populated for hundreds of years due to its vulnerability to pirate attacks. Under the British, settlement was encouraged in the mid 19th century and town Mellieha is home to around 8,000 people.

 

While in Mellieha, I couch surfed with a wonderful couple who kindly showed me around. Our first stop was the WWII shelter. Unlike the south, northern Malta was rarely bombed by the Germans and nearby Italians. Over 1,000 refugees from badly damaged parts of the island fled to Mellieha, bringing the population to 5,000. Digging the tunnels began months before the war broke out as everyone knew it was imminent. The complex includes about 500 meters of tunnels with corridors measuring 2 meters wide and 2.1 meters tall.

 

During air raids, the siren wailed and residents scrambled to find the nearest entrance to the shelter. Each person was initially allotted 2 square feet inside the shelter, though wealthy families could pay to dig a private cubicle 6 feet wide.

 

There were little signs with some information throughout the tunnel on my visit, but I still had many unanswered questions which my host and I posed to the ticket taker afterwards. It turned out he had been a young boy during the war and we spent a long time listening as he told us several vivid memories about the noisy, crowded conditions in the shelter. They would press their ears against the limestone walls and could tell from the vibrations and sounds if the plane passing overhead was Italian or German. Since Mellieha was of little strategic importance, it escaped much of the bombing but the population suffered from hunger as there was minimal food available.

 

Just up the road from the shelter is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieha. This site had always been an important pilgrimage destination, even when Mellieha was virtually unpopulated. The entrance gates were built long before the city.

 

The present church was built at the end of the 19th century, though a church has stood here since the 16th century. Inside is a painting said to be by St. Luke, who ended up in Malta with St. Paul after a shipwreck, though evidence suggests it is actually from the 12th or 13th century.

 

Across the street and down 2 long flights of steps is the Grotto of Our Lady.

 

Since the area around Mellieha was a popular spot for pirates and other unsavory characters, the Red Tower, also known as St. Agatha's Tower, was built in 1647-1648 to protect merchants traveling between Malta and Gozo.

 

The tower usually has a commanding view of Malta, Comino, and Gozo, but during my visit, there was a huge sandstorm blowing up from the Sahara, so it was unusually hazy and incredibly windy.

 

Inside, a wooden floor has been laid to protect the original, uneven stone floor which is still visible through glass panes in parts of the floor. There was formerly an additional floor where about 50 soldiers would sleep, but today that floor has been removed. The flags hanging are from the various Grand Masters of Malta who ruled during important times in the tower's history.

 

Head down from the Red Tower's hilltop location and you'll eventually find yourself on Malta's biggest beach.

 

Just 12 kilometers south of Mellieha is Mosta where the Rotunda of Mosta stands. The church was built in the 19th century and was based on the Pantheon in Rome with an unsupported dome among the largest in the world.

 

Taking a closer look at the dome reveals a clear break in the design.

 

The reason for this is not due to oversight. Instead, a German bomb crashed through the roof here on the afternoon of April 9, 1942 as a full congregation awaited mass. The bomb turned out to be a dud and did not explode. Word of the Mosta bomb miracle spread quickly. Today, a replica of the bomb is in the church.

 

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Comino & Gozo, Malta

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Kathryn

By far the smallest of Malta's 3 islands, Comino is just 3.5 square kilometers. What it lacks in permanent residents (the number varies between 1 and 3 depending on your source), it more than makes up for with hotel guests and day trippers when the sun is shining. The island is reachable with a quick ferry ride from both Malta and Gozo.

 

Comino's Blue Lagoon has that turquoise colored water that instantly comes to mind when you think of an exotic beach.

 

The island, formerly busy during the World Wars, has only a few buildings including a police station that overlooks the beach's camp ground, a church that opens only on the weekends when a priest is brought in from one of the other two islands, and a defunct bakery.

 

As far as I could tell, there didn't seem to be a paved road on the island, not that one would be needed.

 

When you catch the ferry leaving Comino, the route will often take a short detour to give passengers a close up peek at the cliffs and caves of Comino.

 

Also worth a day trip is Gozo, Malta's northern most island. Since I'm not a driver, my only convenient option for getting around was to take one of those hop on-hop off buses I usually try to avoid!

 

With just 30,000 people in all of Gozo, its main city is Rabat but it also goes by the name Victoria since it was renamed for Queen Victoria when Malta was still a British colony. The centerpiece of the city is the Citadel. With Victoria plunk in the center of Gozo, the outer walls offer a 360 degree view of the island.

 

Inside the bastions is the cathedral with its floor completely covered in beautifully decorated tombs.

 

At the western end of Gozo is Dwejra. Here is the famous Azure Window, a massive and natural arch.

 

For a small fee, local fisherman will shuttle visitors to and from the Azure Window for a better view.

 

Just around the corner is the inaccurately and sadly named Fungus Rock. The brown flowering plant, which is actually not fungus, growing on this isolated rock was incorrectly thought to have special medicinal powers hundreds of years ago. Any unauthorized person caught on or near the rock was sentenced to demanding physical labor for several years!

 

To give you a sense of scale of the looming cliffs, note the tiny red kayak in the bottom left corner.

 

Overlooking Fungus Rock and the dramatic cliffs is the Dwejra Tower, built in the mid 17th century to protect the coastline and monitor Fungus Rock.

 

I stopped off in Xlendi (pronounced Shlendi) for lunch. With nearly 100% of its population Catholic, Malta is a very devout country. And since nuns have to eat lunch, too, I had a great time nun-spotting in Xlendi.

 

Xlendi also has some great scenery, in addition to a plethora of nuns.

 

Between 3600 and 3000 BC, the two temples at Ggantija were constructed. They are virtually identical in layout, though one is larger than the other. The temples were likely used for life and fertility ceremonies for about 1,000 years when they suddenly and mysteriously fell into disuse.

 

Hopping back on the bus to Mgarr Harbour to catch the ferry to Malta, the largest of the country's 3 islands, completed my tour of Gozo.

 

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Ljubljana, Slovenia

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Kathryn

Small and friendly, Ljubljana is so cute I wanted to cuddle it and put it in my pocket for safe keeping. The main square, Prešernov Trg, features a statue of Slovenia's beloved poet, France Prešeren, standing underneath his muse. Across the square is a small statue of a woman looking out of a second floor window. She and Prešeren, who were kept apart in life despite their love, can now eternally look at each other.

 

A bright pink Franciscan church stands in Prešeren Trg.

 

A huge earthquake struck Ljubljana in 1895, leveling much of the city west of the river. As a result, many of these buildings reflect their time and are art nouveau, unlike the eastern side of the river.

 

Because the Romans traveled just about everywhere, they were in Ljubljana, too. There are several ruins sites throughout the city. Parts of the old city wall and a watch tower of Emona, as Ljubljana was known under the Romans, are still standing.

 

Kongresni Trg is home to the Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity, the main university's administrative office, the Philharmonic, and popular cafes. In the 1990s, Slovenians gathered here to protest for their independence from Yugoslavia, eventually becoming independent in June of 1991.

 

I was fortunate enough to visit St. Nicholas Cathedral when it was closed. That may sound odd, but the bronze doors of this 18th century baroque church are best viewed closed. They were installed in 1996 for Pope John Paul II's visit. Rather than sign his work, the artist included his face amidst the scene! You'll find him in the lower right corner (specifically, his nose which is shiny from so many people rubbing it in hopes of good luck).

 

Perched high on a hill and dominating the city's skyline is Ljubljana Castle. This spot has been inhabited for at least the past 3,000 years due to its strategic location overlooking the area below.

 

The castle has been rebuilt and remodeled numerous times. Today it is a collection of buildings, most of which date back to the 19th century, surrounded by a thick wall.

 

As expected, there is a great view of the city from the tower.

 

The spiral staircase leading to the tower is certainly worth a mention, too!

 

The castle was used as a prison during WWI.

 

A few parting shots of Ljubljana's famous dragon to conclude my Slovenia posts!

 

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Black & white Ljubljana

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Kathryn

Along the river, tourists and locals can be found wandering and enjoying the cafes at all hours. But just by turning a corner, especially at night, I would suddenly find myself the only person around in a dead quiet street. It felt quiet and peaceful, never spooky or lonely, so it just seemed like a good time to switch to black and white.

 

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The bridges of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Kathryn

Of the dozens of bridges that cross the Ljubljanica River as it winds its way through the heart of Slovenia's capital, four in particular are noteworthy.

 

The Triple Bridge wasn't always a triple bridge. A stone arch bridge connected the two sides but became too congested with horses and people over time. In 1929, Jože Plečnik, a Slovenian architect responsible for much of the city's design, added a pedestrian bridge on either side of the original bridge. The entire area has since become pedestrian only.

 

Heading east, the next bridge is the Butcher's Bridge. This is among the newer bridges in the city and features several delightfully grotesque sculptures and a few chopped off fish heads for good measure. The bridge is glass for about 5 feet on both sides, allowing pedestrians to see the river pass below their feet and also giving a unique view to those who work at the dock underneath the bridge! A modern tradition in European cities like Helsinki and Riga, couples snap shut a lock engraved with their names on the bridge and throw the key into the river.

 

Continuing away from the center is the Dragon Bridge. In fact it was intended to celebrate 40 years under ruler Franz Joseph I, but was renamed Dragon Bridge less than 20 years after its completion. It was the first reinforced concrete bridge in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so that just in case it collapsed, Vienna's citizens would be spared.

 
The dragon is the main symbol of Ljubljana. Legend states that Jason and the Argonaut passed through here with the Golden Fleece after getting lost on their way back to Greece. Jason encountered a dragon on a marshy lake and slayed him. The dragon is now considered the city's protector and Jason the first citizen of Ljubljana. A different legend has it that the dragons will start to wiggle their tails if a virgin crosses the bridge, but I didn't see them move an inch.
 
At night, the bridge is under lit with an eerie green light and the dragons take on a much more sinister appearance.

 

South of the Triple Bridge is the Cobbler's Bridge, another of Plečnik's creations. Various bridges have stood here since the 13th century when the king apparently paid to have a butcher's shop relocated further away and cobblers moved in.

 

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Maribor, Slovenia

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Kathryn

Maribor, in the northeast, is the second largest city in Slovenia after the capital.

 

The Town Hall is located in the central square alongside a nice looking monument. Upon closer inspection, the column monument turned out to be the Plague Monument, dedicated to the memory of the 1/3 of the city's residents who died in the plague in the late 17th century. The monument today is a baroque replica built in 1743.

 

Just down the street and near the river bank is the Judgement Tower. A tower in one form or another has stood here since the 14th century but they either burned down or otherwise completely rebuilt during the past several hundred years. The tower's purpose has always been defense, despite its ominous name.

 

If you've ever wondered where you might find the oldest living grapevine in the world, look no further than Maribor. The Guinness Book of World Records has certified the grapevine growing on the Old Vine House to be about 440 years old, making it the oldest in the world. The vine still produces enough grapes for up to 100 small wine bottles annually. The mayor then gets to give out the rare wine. Inside the Old Vine House is a small museum about the history of wine in the region and, predictably, a wine store. The museum features maddeningly vague tidbits of curious information, like that there was a 300 year wine war between Maribor and the nearby town of Ptuj.

 

The Water Tower is one of the only features of the old city wall still standing.

 

Maribor had a significant Jewish population beginning in the 14th century, reaching its heyday in the mid 15th century. At the end of the 15th century, Emperor Maximilian I forced the Jews out of the city. A small Jewish population resurfaced over the centuries but during WWII, they were sent to concentration camps. The synagogue is among the oldest in Europe and one of just two remaining in the entire country.

 

A church has stood in this spot for hundreds of years. The current Franciscan Church dates to the turn of the 19th century.

 

Appropriately enough, there is a castle in Castle Square. As is often the case, the castle has been rebuilt and remodeled multiple times due to destruction, decay, and defense.

 

The castle houses a museum with many different collections, ranging from apothecary tools to antique furniture.

 

There is also a large collection of tin soldiers posed according to different battles through history.

 

My favorite aspect of this collection is that they've also included a more modern variation of tin soldiers.


Ah, Lego, is there anything you can't do?

 

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Lake Bled & Vintgar Gorge, Slovenia

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Kathryn

I had seen enough photos of Lake Bled and the picturesque island nestled at its far end to be really excited to arrive there. I was hoping to go whitewater rafting in the emerald green Soča River, take a long hike in Triglav National Park, and maybe do some rock climbing, too, except that it rained and rained and rained some more, so these excursions were no longer an option. Someone suggested I visit Vintgar Gorge, just a 4 kilometer walk away, so off I went.

 

It was only raining a little when I set off but of course that quickly changed and I was drenched in no time.

 

Once I finally got to the park entrance, it was still another 2 or so kilometers to walk through the gorge. It was beautiful but the rain meant I had to put my camera away before too long.

 

I was hoping someone would give me a ride back to town like had happened at Predjama Castle, but no such luck. When I got back to Bled, I decided not to change into dry clothes, figuring they'd dry faster with my body heat than in my damp hostel room. Ah, the joys of backpacking!

 

Eventually, the rain let up a little, and then a lot, and then completely, so I pounced on the chance to walk the 6 kilometers around the lake.

 

Two hours later, the rain was still holding off, so I pushed my luck and headed up the steep hill to Bled Castle. The original castle dates back to at least May 1011 when it was first mentioned in a written document. The castle has been renovated several times over the centuries and today bares little resemblance to its predecessor. There's a small museum inside with artifacts from the local area.

 

The best part about Bled Castle has got to be its view of the lake below. The rain started up again, but I stayed put, content to watch the clouds drift over the trees and the rowers practice on the lake.

 

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