April 22, 2017

We arrived in Malta, an island nation between Italy and Libya in the Mediterranean, early on Saturday morning.  Neither Pat or I really knew what to expect when we got there, but we were very pleasantly surprised.  As we opened our stateroom door that morning, we were treated to a view of medieval buildings, fortresses, and stone cliffs that was breathtaking. 

This place started to immediately interest both of us.  After breakfast, we started the trek off the ship to explore downtown Valletta, Malta.  We decided not to purchase a tour from the ship, but found a man named Christian and his horse Trigger (yes, Trigger!).  They took us on a horse drawn tour of the Maltese capital city that I don’t believe anyone else experienced.  Christian showed us sites and told us stories that weren’t on the map or in a book.  Stories that only a native could relate.  

We discovered that Malta is a historical marvel that has been defending itself from Turks, Moors, Romans, Napoleon, even modern day military forces during two world wars.  Christian explained about the Knights of Saint John and the Knights Templar that were charged with defending the Christian faith in medieval times.  The Maltese are very proud of their history and their independence, which was secured from Britain in 1964.  We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Malta and are already talking about a return trip.  This was quite a place.  

After a day at sea, the next stop on the itinerary is Rome.