We had both done some reading yesterday about today's port and at first glance it seemed small enough (just 20 miles long) to do several things in 9 1/2 hours, but the reality of being here is quite different. The roads are narrow and winding, the speed never more than about 30 miles per hour and the traffic in towns is heavy (though there are supposedly fewer than 10000 residents). We decided to pick one major thing for the day and spend the remainder of our time here exploring the walled city of Valletta. It worked well.
As we walked off the ship, we were immediately given information on the Hop on Hop off (HOHO) bus that comes right to the port. There are two different companies running HOHO buses; we chose the CitySightseeing Malta bus for 10€ per person for the entire day. As further proof that to do the entire island in one day is too much, the HOHO bus company has split their routes into a northern route (the medieval town of Mdina and several other stops) and the southern route (we chose to stop at the fishing village of Marsoxlokk and the caves of the Blue Grotto). Though we caught the first bus of the morning, we did take a brief lunch break at the Blue Grotto and returned to Valletta around 3pm, allowing just enough time to explore the walled city.
Our weather today was perfect but sticky. We both wore slacks not knowing if we would venture into any churches or temples but shorts would have felt very welcome. We sat on the top deck of the HOHO bus and plugged in the ear buds they supplied to listen to the narration about the various sights we were seeing. Malta was first settled in 800BC by the Phoenicians and many structures and walls here date back hundreds (even 1000) of years. What is believed to be the oldest free standing structure on Earth is in Malta. Never have I ever seen so much stone! There are multiple huge stone fortress walls surrounding Valletta, but even more all around the island. And there are miles and miles of stacked rock wall fences...everywhere! They divide crop land and vineyards and properties and exist for who knows what reason. And all the walls and stone are the same honey-colored rock that is found in quarries around the island.
We got off the bus in the fishing village of Marsoxlokk simply to walk around and take some photos of the colorful fishing boats bobbing on the water, and then reboarded the next bus 45 minutes later to go to the Blue Grotto. This is one in a series of caves set into the island's southeastern rocky cliffs right on the ocean with luminescent blue and blue-green water. After we disembarked the HOHO bus at the Blue Grotto stop, we walked down steep ramps and stairs to a somewhat protected cove where we boarded small wooden boats holding about 8-9 people each. Tickets were 8€ per person, which seemed a bargain but I wondered, as I boarded this sharply rocking little boat, if this was going to be one of our more ill-conceived ideas. Once we were seated, it was bouncy but not horribly, and we made our way out of the little cove into open ocean and around the tall rock cliffs into the first of the series of caves.
It was very beautiful, and not claustrophobic because there were large openings out to the ocean so I never felt trapped. This was supposedly best done in the morning light and by getting an early start, we had perfect light. There were probably 7 to 8 caves in all, and lots of water crashing on the rocks which, to us sitting in this little boat, seemed thunderous. I started feeling a little green on the return but stayed strong because I knew I had to climb back up out of that rocking boat onto the dock. Luckily I had no issue with that but others weren't as fortunate. Of course, as soon as my feet hit the dock G wanted to climb steep steps through a tunnel back up to the top of the cliff and that I could have done without, at least immediately, but I even managed that too, feeling green and dizzy and a smidge winded by that point.
We had a little time before the next HOHO bus was scheduled to arrive, and stopped at a little cafe called Il Grotto and G had a local beer (Cisk) and I had a local wine (Pjazza Regina) and the consumption of wine immediately following the rocky boat ride and the climb back up the cliff made me positively light headed G must have felt the same, because when the next HOHO bus arrived, we waved it on and ordered a second round and little cheese pies and settled in for another 45 minutes until the following bus came.
The most astonishing thing about Malta was not the walled towns nor the castles nor forts nor churches, it was their use of rabbits as a main source of their food. I thought I heard the words 'spaghetti with rabbit sauce' when I was listening to the audio tour while on the bus but felt certain I was mistaken. Spaghetti with rabbit sauce? It couldn't be! But when we stopped at the cafe I saw for myself that I had not misheard. Rabbit is used in several dishes on Malta. And all I could think of was the three darling dwarf (because I was allergic to them and couldn't tolerate anything larger) bunnies we've had during our marriage: Louie, Lou 2 and Lou Too. I would die of starvation a hundred times before I could eat rabbit anything, and especially spaghetti with rabbit sauce. To add insult to injury; the gift shops even sold dish towels with rabbit recipes printed on them. Outrageous!
Say it isn't so!!!!!
And speaking of gift shops, we stopped at several until G found a cap he liked (for only 3,50€), because the 321 he already has are simply not enough.
When the next HOHO bus arrived, we boarded and once again rode on the top level back to the port. We had time then to take a glass elevator (thankfully) up to the top of the Valletta city wall for 1€ each and spend an hour exploring up there. This wall is huge and there is a maze of tunnels and bridges and steps around and through it and, in some ways it's like Dubrovnik but looks even older and is a completely different yellow-ish color. Malta reminded me not so much of Italy, not even southern Italy, from which it is not very distant, but more like Morocco or Tunisia, which are even closer. It seemed a lot more North African than European, and very medieval and reminiscent of Crusades and knights and Ottoman Empire battles.
But, oh the stones. I've never seen so much stone!
We reboarded the Pacific Princess around 4:15pm, hot, sweaty and tired. Showers went a long way toward reviving us and we were on the Panorama Terrace for our gorgeous sailaway out of the walled harbor.
We were starved by dinner time, but there were no really special regional items to choose from on tonight's menu. (Have we exhausted them? I wonder...). Instead I had the gazpacho, a garden salad and the always available salmon which is very much like my favorite embarkation day salmon on other ships. For dessert, a new (to me) Norman Love coconut mousse with dark chocolate was offered and I simply couldn't resist. It was incredible and I wish I could have ordered that mousse by the gallon and enjoyed it every night for the rest of the cruise. I felt entirely righteous ordering it, too. I had totally obliterated my daily fitness targets: steps, cardio and flights of stairs. It wasn't hard to do in Malta. Sunset was on our side of the Club Restaurant tonight, and we had just sailed past the neighboring 32-square mile island of Gozo when it occurred. I'm so happy we once again have sunsets to enjoy!
Tonight's entertainment included production show Cinematastic in the Cabaret Lounge (loved it) and we followed it up with TV theme show trivia with Deputy Cruise Director Mike in the Pacific Lounge. We didn't compete, of course (we disqualify ourselves because we cruise enough to know at least some of the answers simply due to longevity), but TV theme show trivia is always a lot of fun. Like G says, spend a weekend watching MeTV and you'll catch a majority of them.
At 10:30pm, I am tucked into bed. G is still out and about but he knows I am waking him at 7am tomorrow morning. It's a sea day and he could sleep in, but the next day's port is Livorno, Italy. We have a very early excursion and I am not going to let him backslide. It the absence of Douglas Pearson, I have to be G's conscious and roust him early.
And, finally, I have to share with you my stupidest mistake of the week. Yes, I know it's only Monday but I really doubt this one will be topped. After formal night two nights ago, G asked me to send his formal shirt to the laundry. So last night, after I took my contacts out and was ready for bed, I filled out a form and grabbed what I believed was his shirt he had left on the chair in the cabin, placed it in a laundry bag and handed it to our steward Ionut. When G stepped out of the bathroom, I told him that I had sent his shirt to be washed. He asked if I had removed the studs? Studs? I didn't recall seeing studs, and I told him he must have already removed them. He opened the closet door and pulled out his formal shirt with the studs still attached. "What did you send to the laundry?" he asked. I was at a loss. What had been in that bag? I thought it was his shirt. At that moment there was a knock at the door. It was Ionut with the laundry bag. Earlier in the day he had left mistakenly left two pillowcases on the chair in our cabin. With my contacts out I assumed they were G's shirt and sent them out to be washed and had even checked the 'starch' box. Ionut asked if we were certain we wanted our pillowcases starched. Um...never mind.
How soon before I'll be allowed to forget that one? Not soon enough, I'm betting.
Welcome to my world. ;-)