The Grand Harbour of Valletta, Malta is a natural, deep sea port. We had read that it is one of the most spectacular ports in the world, thus we were up on deck early to witness Malta's magnificence.
While we were indeed awake, we certainly weren't presentable as you can see from Nic's well-slumbered bed head:
The city of Valletta is a UNESCO world heritage site and our excitement grew as the ship sailed closer to Malta. It was very windy up on deck but we didn't want to miss this once in a lifetime experience.
This hidden mickey is a welcoming sight:
Almost five centuries ago, the Knights of St. John built the city which now stands proudly as a living museum.
The Baroque architecture is breathtaking:
Awe-inspiring line of fortifications:
Valletta is the smallest capital in the European Union:
Modern civilization slips away:
Contemporary cruise ship sails by castles and limestone battlements:
Malta has 7,000 years of fascinating history.
Sailing into Malta was every bit as beautiful as we had anticipated. It was almost like sailing back in time. Standing up on the deck with Michael and Nicolas was a memory that I'll never forget.
After our arrival, we returned to our stateroom. Since it was still very early, Nicolas and I decided to rest while Michael got ready and then went ashore to check on some work emails. Free wi-fi at the local cafes located right off of the ship.
Yes, I crawled back in bed and read my book! It's vacation after all!
Later, we all went ashore to see Valletta.
Next, join us as we step off the ship into a contemporary culture that was first inhabited in 5000 B.C.
What a gorgeous place...looks like something straight from the pages of a book. You're more adventurous than I; I fear we would never have made it up to the deck that early. So rock on with the bed-head. :)
Posted by: Darcie - Such The Spot | 10/09/2010 at 06:36 AM