Malta - 2/4/2009

Our dear friend "Noneck" told us that Malta was his favorite spot in the Med and we can certainly see why. We would definitely love to go back and just chill out for a week or so. There is just something about the place. It's a little bit of Italy, North Africa, Spain, the UK and a great deal more. Yet at the end of the day it has its own unique style. It's full of history, beautiful, graceful, clean and fresh. We loved it!
The Grand Harbor is probably one of the most beautiful natural ports on earth. Valetta, the present capital of Malta, was built from scratch upon the order of the Grand Master of the Knights of St John shortly after the Knights narrowly defeated the Turks during the Great Siege of 1565. It is situated so as to command the entrance to the harbor.
The Knights came from Europe's richest noble families.
They spoke eight different languages, and they all had their own altars within St. John's Co-Cathedral. The eight points of the Maltese cross are symbolic of these eight groups of Knights.
Caravaggio's masterpiece, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, is there, as well as one of the finest collections of tapestries in the world.

Mdina, the former capital, is now called the "Quiet City." Very few people live inside the walls, but it is definitely worth a visit.
Our last sunset aboard the Jade was one of the best, and as you can see we had exhausted our wine supply by then, being left with only a "vintage" bottle of Lancers finest rose to share. Here's to our next adventure! Cheers!!