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| We start our day by taking a bus to Valletta from Marsaxlokk. Behind us is the beautiful fountain just outside the main gate to Valletta. |
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| The main street with its throngs of tourists and residents. |
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| The dome of St. Francis of Assissi church - everything in Valletta has a Maltese Cross in it somewhere! |
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| A painting on the ceiling of St Francis church - every surface is decorated! |
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| Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, hanging out in the entrance way to a group of shops. This just tickled me. |
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| A view down one of the side streets - Valletta is built on a hump-backed peninsula with the main street running down the center and cross streets up the hill from the bay on one side and down the hill to the bay on the other. No photographer can resist taking shots down the vistas - Thankfully, I've edited out the other nine vistas I took.... |
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| In addition to coffee shops, jewelry shops make up the majority of businesses and at least 10 of them seem to be owned by this family - the Azzopardi clan. They all have amazing jewelry! |
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| Well, one of those vista shots crept back in.... this one looking east along the ridge of the peninsula |
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| Saints adorn the corners of buildings, and not just churches but residences and business buildings as well. And, where there is a Saint there is bound to be a pigeon.... |
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| A monument to surviving the Siege of Malta in 1558 in the main square - the three-branched tree and the three figures really caught my attention. |
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| The back wall of St. John's the major Cathedral in Valletta and the best example of the decorative mania that is Baroque in Europe that I have ever seen. Every conceivable surface is adorned. This was the church of the Knights of St. John, the founders of Valletta and the protectors and benefactors of Malta. It was also the repository of the gifts the Grand Master of the Knights were obliged to give to commemorate their election as the leaders of the order. |
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| The altar - there's closeups coming but this gives a sense of what the congregation looks at during Mass. |
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| Tapestry one - made by Flemish artists after drawings by Rubens depicting events in the life of Christ. Photographs were not allowed but I did not use flash.... |
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| Tapestry two - Christ's entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The detail is exquisite. |
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| Close-up one of the altar as promised - statues of St. John baptizing Christ |
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| A solid silver lamp above the altar. |
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| The front of the altar. Checkout the detail carving along the front facing. |
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| A 17th Century Crucifix - made of wood |
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| The Maltese Cross is everywhere... This time in a painted ceiling vault. |
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| The floor of one of the chapels |
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| We've moved now to the Church dedicated to St. Paul who shipwrecked in Malta. Again, the Maltese Cross. We loved this church because everything was so accessible. There was a magnificent statue of St. Paul which is carried in processions during Easter week and a genuine relic - the wrist bone of St. Paul in a gold case. There was also the pillar that was used as a chopping block when Paul was executed. |
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| The organ loft in The St. Paul church |
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| And the dome of the church. |
Wow! Absolutely beautiful! Even the floors are magnificent. Looks like your vacation from your vacation is working out well. xoxoxoxox shelley
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