Last Minute Changes

When we looked to see if our flight home was still a go we discovered that it had been moved forward an hour. So, we decided to alter our plans. We found an inexpensive hotel near King's Cross, found a cheap train into London today, Monday. Bid a fond farewell to our kind hosts in Eastbourne and headed for the big smoke.

We now are about 2 1/2 blocks from the tube with a direct line to Heathrow tomorrow. We can have breakfast around 7:30 and be at the airport by 10.

We had a great afternoon. We dropped off our bags and went down to Leicester Square and got great seats at One Man Two Govners playing at the Royal Haymarket. We then spent the late afternoon at the National Gallery, walked over to Chinatown for supper and enjoyed an hillarious play.

Off to Canada tomorrow. Can't seem to put on the pictures.

Back In Britain

Our flight from Malta to London was smooth and on time. We had to really hustle to get to Victoria Station to get to Eastbourne. It felt like Amazing Race. We had a couple of wonderful days with Jan and Brian and the boys. Pictionary was wild and wooly. It is great to see Tim and Matthew, these two fine young men doing so well.

To avoid a repeat of the stressful run to the train, we have decided go up on Monday and spend the night at a King's Cross hotel to make the trip to Heathrow easier.

Canada on Tuesday.

Our Last Day On This Little Rock

What brings people to this little rock? Our current landlady asked this question this morning at breakfast. I have been thinking about it all day as we visited the ancient walled Maltese capital of the Arabs called Mdina.

I think a lot of people mistakenly come here for warm weather at this time of year. It isn't really warm. People go about in jackets. Now if a person from Edmonton Alberta was to land here at this time of year they would say it was warm, but the locals think it's really cold. We think it's cool. In the afternoon it gets to be shirtsleeve out but as the sun sinks it gets to be jacket weather.

The history is very strong. In spite of the destruction during the war there are lots of very old buildings including one that is supposed to be the oldest man made structure on earth. You can see the work of the Arabs and the Normans. There are fabulous churches everywhere. But yes, history is the big draw.

It's cheap. Compared to other European places it is very cheap. Gozo is really cheap.

It is very restful. Sliema is trying to reverse that, but it is very restful.





We came mostly for the first reason. We thought that it would be warm, but we have come to enjoy this little rock for all sorts of reasons, and we will be a bit sad tomorrow as we fly away to England.

Around Valletta

Brief history of the Knights of St John. The Order was founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century and is the oldest Order of Chivalry in existence. After the Ottomans captured Jerusalem, the Knights moved to Rhodes in 1309. Again, they were ousted by the Ottomans in 1522 and were given the islands of Malta by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1530. For a third time, the Ottomans came calling in 1565. This time they were defeated and the Knights ruled Malta until 1798 when Napolean arrived. The Knights gave up Malta without a fight. After Napolean was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, Malta becomes part of the British Empire. The British didn't let the Knights back because they didn't fight Napoleon. They are still in existence and still stateless.

All of the above because Valletta, the capital of Malta, is all about the Knights. It was built by them after their first capital was destroyed in the Great Seige of 1565. The stunning St John's Co-Cathedral is their church, the floor of which is covered by their marble tomb stones. Their eight pointed star is the symbol of Malta. It is a tiny capital still bound by the walls and the two busy harbours.

Dorian and I toured one of the Knight's palaces, Casa Rocca Piccola and the Cathedral and St Paul's Shipwreck Church and the streets. We walked our feet off.

The Journey Draws To A Close

We had mixed feelings today as we sat on the ferry for Malta. We are excited to be heading for home. At the same time we have really enjoyed ourselves in Gozo. As Sheelagh said this morning, only a year ago we really didn't know that Gozo existed. Now it is a very familiar place with lots of wonderful memories attached to it. The goats coming down our street, the kind bus driver who stopped to pick up a wounded pidgeon, pizza by the beach, the lace stores and Sheelagh getting to ride every bus on the island.

We arranged to have Joey the cab driver come at about 8:30 to take us to the ferry. He was very quiet after having worked and celebrated almost all night. The crossing was calm and the bus took us very close to the Comfort Inn guest house. We enjoyed a good lunch by the harbour and then settled for some quiet strolling along the water, and back to our digs. Most things are closed here today. As Dorian said everybody should have a closed day today whether they know it or not.

The last one, bus 308

We hope to visit Valletta in detail and visit Mdina in the next two days before we leave for England and Dorian for Scotland.