Recently we read an online article listing the top activities for retirees visiting a new location. #1 was to ride the HoHo, the Hop on Hop off bus. We already knew this, as it is a quick way to see the new city, get oriented and also hear a few historical tidbits about the surroundings. Malta's HOHO has the longest routes we have ever taken. The red route lasts 2.5 hours and the blue route takes 3.5 hours, these are solid investments of time and too long to do in one "sitting." Our tour wound its way along the coast from Sliema to Valetta and then points south. Valetta was built in the 1500's by the Knights Hospitaller and all the buildings seemed to be fortified. The gigantic walls added to this feeling. We saw churches and decorated buildings at nearly every turn We kept on riding to the half way point and got out at the fishing village of Marsaxlokk.
We took the red path
Starting where the ferries take off
A absolutely huge dry dock
Floating baots
Out first big church
Thick with masts
Some of these walls are 30 feet thick
Gates to the city of Valetta
So many limestone monuments
Columns and spires
Huge metal sculpture
More ramparts
Valetta was a walled city
The arches are on the old quarantine building located on Manoel Island. This is where visitors would have to spend 2 weeks before being allowed to come to the mainland
The Knights of St. James were housed here
A tiny regatta
Block after block stacked on the walls
Very tall and thick
Two different coaches
Horse drawn
The city of Valetta
Guarded by stone
These are defenses dating back to the 1500's
Apparently the local limestone can handle a cannon shot and stay strong
Watch towers encircle the entire island
A tiny lighthouse
At least it looked small from a distance
Duo domes
The Maltese Cross
The flag has caught the breeze
I wonder which flags hang from all these flag poles?
Layers of battlements
Some housing is found outside the walls
As is to be expected on an island, the waterfront is densely developed
By the cruise boat terminal there are smaller boats for hire
Watch out low ceiling in the tunnel
Not everyone has been watching, the low spot has damage
The walls are built on top of a natural limestone cliff
None shall pass!
Within the walls there were many fine limestone gates
A stylized cross
One of many memorials
A Green Land Crane, not a bird unfortuantely
The polo grounds, the first in Europe
A traditional northern Europe style church
This is giant pile of metal. A whole car was not something I would have expected
Halleluiah
A large military graveyard
This tiny chapel was out in the middle of farm fields
Another grand church, they say it was not a competition but I am not so sure
Leaning statue of Malta
A blast of yellow flowers
A round about art piece
Two different times on the two clocks. This was to confuse the devil so he would not know when mass might be taking place
These extended balconies are so unique
The cross lights up, hopefully it does not flash on and off
Lovely carved figures adorn many buildings
The "Prison for Women"
A long row of balconies
Massive dry docks
Ferries, cruise ships and freighters are all getting worked on
A great way to personalize your property
Look up on the hill, two different time zones
Golden
The church clearly played an important role in these towns
A dirigible sculpture
The American University of Malta is in the background
A sea of local limestone
A sea of masts
The streetlights have an old timey feel
One of the seven gates into the old walled city
The major dome is hiding
There it is! The bells must be massive
Multiple bells
A tiny flag on top
Come up on the train, and ride it
The flag must stay up all the time as these folks will not be able to raise or lower it
A 2000 year anniversary for this church?
This is a serious gate
The sign in the foreground says "Caution Drive Slow Do not squash me please" and the picture is a cute hedgehog
Fantastic window
Working the field
Farm Fresh
A much older church
A different kind of cross
This church had four clocks!
So they all displayed different times! 6:00, 6:15, 1:20 and 1:15
Considered one of the loveliest churches in Malta
So many styles
Saintly
Residents love gardening
Klabb Bocci Zejtun, the Bocci Club of Zejtun
More of a fortress than a church
Even the dome was reinforced
Some soldiers hid out here during the French occupation in Napoleon's time
Descending into the harbor town of Marsaxlokk.
