We were up early to watch our arrival in Malta, and had breakfast in the Panorama Buffet. It was not cold, but it was very windy, which made it impossible to sit out the Panorama Terrace. We checked the weather for the day; just like yesterday in Messina, the forecast was for increasing clouds and rain by the afternoon. That worked out well for our tentative plan, which was to spend the morning outside and the afternoon inside.
Entering the harbor at sail in
Lighthouse at entrance to the harbor
The Destination Expert on board had shown photos and discussed something entirely unknown to us. In fact, in two prior visits to the island, we’d never heard of this. The Tarxien Temples consist of a complex of four megalithic structures built between 3600 and 2500BC, making them the oldest free standing structures on earth, even older than the pyramids. How had we missed this fact?
Underwater repairs underway
Gearing up for underwater welding
Traditional Maltese fishing boat called a luzzu
Fountain at Upper Barrakka Garden
Naturally, once we heard about the Tarxien Temples, seeing them became our burning desire for the day. For once; Maps.me failed us; it did not contain public transport information for Malta. Luckily, our cellular internet speed was more than enough to be able to use Google Maps to figure out how to get there using the local bus system. We left the ship, climbed up, up, up to reach the town of Valletta on top of the city walls, and found the main bus terminal. We had no idea that Malta had such a phenomenal bus system. There was excellent route information and signage at the terminal, though we already had the information we needed from Google Maps.
Valletta bus terminal
Excellent signage at the bus terminal
We paid €1.50 each to ride around the large harbor to the closest stop to the Temples, only a four-minute walk away. Unfortunately, just as we got off the bus, the skies opened and it rained heavily for a few minutes. Fortunately, a man selling flowers from the back of a truck let us stand under his canopy so we didn’t get any wetter than we already were. Eventually, it slowed enough that we walked the rest of the way to the Tarxien Temples, where there was a small building in which we bought tickets.
Tarxien Temples are located down a non-descript side street
Most of the complex was covered with a huge canopy, not to provide us refuge from the rain (which it did, very nicely), but because the rock on Malta is sandstone, which is easily weathered. It was far larger than what we had thought it would be. The oldest structure, the easternmost temple was built between 3600 and 2500BC. Only the lower part of its walls survive, but it is still possible to see its concave facade and five chambers.
The other three structures were built between 3150 and 2500BC. The south temple featured prehistoric art, including relief sculpture depicting spirals and animals and the remains of a large human figure wearing a pleated skirt. The large number of animal bones discovered in these temples, most of which were found stored in special niches indicates that animals played an important role in the rituals that took place in the Temples.
The complex was discovered in 1913 by farmer Lorenzo Despott, and the site was extensively excavated between 1915 and 1919. Small scale excavations have been carried out since then to the present day indicated that the complex was far larger and more complex than originally imagined. Most impressive is that these structures were carved and placed prior to the Bronze Age, without the use of metal materials. Bones and other rocks were the primarily means of carving, and the blocks were likely rolled into place using a series of carved stone balls, wedges and levers.
Door to a temple
Tarxien Temple complex
Intricate spiral carvings found at the site
Temple altar
Having seen the actual complex, we next wanted to visit the National Archaeological Museum. We walked back to where the bus traveling into Valletta would stop, checking out a couple of small grocery stores along the way. One featured only refrigerated and frozen food in long cases; another one, across the street, offered other types of packaged food and produce. The buses on the island are fantastic, running every few minutes. We traveled back to the main bus station and walked less than 10 minutes to the museum.
Neighborhood store selling just refrigerated and frozen food
Not only do they eat rabbits...
The National Museum of Archaeology houses a large range of artifacts dating back to Malta’s Neolithic period (5200 to 2500BC) up to the Phoenician period (8th to 6th century BC). It contains the best numismatic displays we’ve ever seen. The entire collection is housed in the baroque Auberge de Provence building, originally built for the Provençal Knights of the Order of St. John in 1571.
All of these dates are mind boggling when one comes from a country with about 400 years of recorded history!
Age of Malta temple complexes relative to other ancient sites
Museum info about Tarxien complex
Typical architecture
They are very big on door knockers for their very big doors
This was just the outside display at one store
Ornate door knockers
In the time we’d been away, Valletta’s streets became packed with weekend shoppers undeterred by the weather. Christmas decorations were already being put up, and we saw a large nativity scene that had, in previous years, been displayed in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City and in Bethlehem. It featured the usual manger scene with some extra Maltese characters.
Weekend shoppers in Valletta
Maltese manger scene
With a few extra characters
Maltese fishing boat
Sleeping off a hangover?
Haven’t quite figured this one out yet
Putting up Christmas lights in Valletta
It was raining gently as we made our way back to the Pacific Princess. We took the glass elevator from the Upper Barrakka gardens down to the waterfront to save time, and reboarded the ship tired and cold and wet. We stopped in the Panorama Buffet for some hot liquids and soup, then rested for an hour or so until dinner. The ship was staying in port tonight until 10pm, and a local group of musicians and dancers performed two folkloric shows, at 6:30pm and 8pm. We were so tired that we ate quickly and made it to the 6:30pm show.
The music performed sounded a great deal like polkas or Eastern European gypsy music (there were two accordions), and the other instruments included a bass made of a bucket and stick with a string, an oddly shaped guitar and a hammer percussion instrument. The eight female dancers wore traditional clothing. We had no idea what to expect, and came away thinking it had all been great fun.
Local folkloric show musicians and dancers
And then we collapsed into bed. I uploaded photos to this post until I was falling asleep. Captain Slight made an announcement that we were in for several hours of rough weather until we reached the Adriatic Sea, and we wanted to get some sleep while the ship was still docked and stable.