DAY 9: Valetta, Malta

I’d never heard of a country called Malta before this trip so I was expecting its capital, Valetta, to be a small town without much going on.  I was way off.  Valetta is a huge sprawling metropolis that bares a resemblance to Paris.  We decided to take the bus into the old city which was a very small part of the city as a whole.  The bus ride was an adventure in and of itself.  Not only do they drive on the opposite side of the road in Malta but the bus drivers are very aggressive and seemed not to be the least bit concerned with whether or not there were obstacles in the road (like other cars!)  We were just happy to reach the old city alive.

By the time we got there it was time for lunch so we went to Burger King.  Not the most glamorous place to dine but you’d think it was for the $25 we spent on our food.  The dollar doesn’t stretch very far in Europe these days.

Valetta is another beautiful city filled with cathedrals and old world architecture.  The old city was high up on a hill so the views from the top were magnificent.  We didn’t really have a game plan for Malta so we just wandered through the streets to see what there was to see.  We soon came across St. John’s cathedral which seemed to be a tourist attraction so we decided to go inside.

 St. John’s was truly spectacular inside.  It has the same stunning arches that stretch into the heavens that are standard in the churches of Europe but in St. John’s every arch and wall and ceiling was covered in golden carvings of cherubs, flowers, and Maltese crosses.  Most of the grounds of the cathedral had been converted into an art museum so we were also able to see some important artwork of the Baroque era by the legendary Caravaggio.

After St. John’s we did some souvenir shopping and returned to the Westerdam.  The evening’s entertainment was a lesbian comedienne by the name of Suzanne Westenhoefer.  She was very funny and it was interesting to hear her perspective on the differences between gay men and gay women.

That night we were lucky enough to have not one but two main stage performances.  The second performance was a talent show by a few of the passengers on board.  I was impressed by their bravery.  The first 3 men were passable but the last guy was phenomenal.  He sang show tunes while he played the piano. I was surprised that he wasn’t one of the acts on the ship.

Continue reading RSVP Mediterranean Odyssey Day Ten: Salerno, Italy