Today we went to the island of Gozo. The drive to the northwest tip of Malta island took a little over an hour. As the crow flies it is only about 10 miles, but we were following the coastal road that winds in and out of the numerous inlets that grace the island and make it so picturesque.

Outside Valletta, the buildings are scattered in and amongst farmland and raw land. The raw land looks much the same as Sicily, except with more agave plants. We wonder if they make tequila here. We are told that Sicily produces blue tequila, but we didn’t try it. And yes, we saw agave plants in Turkey and Greece, too, but they were few and far between. Other than grapes and olives, we couldn’t tell what the farmers produce locally. We like this shot because it gives you a good idea of what some of the vegetation looks like, not just in Malta, but Sicily, Crete, and Bodrum, although the assorted plants aren’t normally quite so close together. It is arid, so the plants need space between them. The cactus in the foreground of this shot is dominant in Sicily and Malta.

Anyway, between the nice landscape, the stunning ocean views, and the occasional adorable little town, it was a beautiful drive. The ferry runs every 45 minutes. We found out that motorcycles Continue reading →

Continued from yesterday”¦ Once we finished at the archeological museum, we went to St. John’s Co-Cathedral, the official house of worship for the Knights, and adjoining Cathedral Museum. The cathedral was completed in 1577, and as you can see, the exterior “has the character of a fortress reflecting the sober mood of the Order”¦”

When the cathedral was first built, the inside was just as plain as the outside. The layout is simple — the center is the main church area and altar, devoted to St. John the Baptist, and on each side are four little nooks, called chapels. Each chapel was devoted to a specific language group and their patron saint. But, later the baroque era began, and ornately decorated churches were the rage. The inside was updated to reflect the style of the times.

We walked in and were immediately overwhelmed. True baroque churches are covered with elaborate décor, and this is a true baroque church. The floors are made of marble, and are loaded with colorful tombs with pictures of crests and angels made from assorted colors of marble. Here is one of the many, and every tomb is different.

Some sections of the walls have paintings, scenes from the life of John the Baptist using fairly bright colors. Every single inch of space not devoted to paintings is Continue reading →