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Date: 07 Aug 2011 07:30:16
Title: 35 54.270N 014 29.894E Manoel Island Yacht Yard, Malta
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Mary is headed home to the children of Clay County. After pulling the boat out of the water at Manoel Island Yard, Mary and I checked into the Castle Hotel in downtown Valletta. We explored the down town area, bought a 'Top Ten' book on Malta. A day or two ago we took the tourist bus around the south end of the island so we had a decent survey tour of the place. We had topes and beers at a sidewalk cafe, walked around a lot, and then stumbled on a theater that had Harry Potter playing in English and elected to do the movie instead of the wine festival. We stopped in at the close of that day's wine festival for a couple of dances, rocking to 'Dancing in the Streets' to a live band overlooking Valletta's Grand Harbor.

The next morning after Mary read the guide book and planned up the day we started with the Co-Cathedral... one the most ornate baroque churches I have seen. (while not an expert... I have seen a lot of churches by now!) It was the church for the order of St. John Knights that rained here from 1535 to almost 1800 when Napoleon took over. They are the same guys that built up Rhodes and then were forced to move to Malta. Next we did the Grand Master's palace and present seat of government. Lots of armor, swards, and old guns to look at. Interesting display of cross bows. During the siege of 1535 it rained a lot making the use of open powdered guns ineffective at best. The Knights carried the day by using very powerful cross bows that were able to go through a shield and the armored guy behind it. the first Turkish shiskabob...

We ate and drank our way through the afternoon, did the museum, and ducked back into the air conditioned movie to see Cars 2. We went to that night's edition of the 10th annual wine festival at around 7 PM. 10 Euros bought you a glass and all the wine you could drink until 11:30 PM. We dined on roast suckling pig, potatoes, and big chunks of crusty bread and settled on several glasses of the local Maltese Shiraz... a little better than the Pizano if drink back home. We met a couple from the UK and ate and listened to the live music. At 8:30 PM we rushed to find a taxi... none-to-be found... to get Mary to the airport for here 10:00 to Madrid. Hope she made it. The rush to the airport made the goodbyes quick and more bearable.

I took the jammed bus back to the boat... missed my stop in the dark and had to back track about a mile. (ticket good all week for 12 Euros) Checked in with security and Michael greeted me as I went up the ladder. He had hooked up the power, scoped out the bathrooms, and ushered the first round of workmen who have already removed the prop, and uncoupled the shaft from the engine. Encouraging. It is Sunday today and I don't expect much to be going on today.

History... Politics... The Knights of St. John were formed during the first crusade in Jeruselham in 1100 AD. When Jerusleham was won by the Turks they moved to Rhoades and later to Malta. They were formed into groups like fraternities along national lines, French, Spanish, English, etc. Each had a 'house', and a chapel at the main church, each trying to out do the other. Only nobles could belong and these guys were rich. Their council elected a 'Grand Master' for life who functioned like a King or Pope. This was the height of chivalry and a religious model of society... the Catholics on one side funded by the Roman church and European nobility... and on the other side the Ottoman Turks seeking to spread their version of the one true faith. Judging by the fortifications around here... it was pretty real to these guys. I need to find out who really built all this stuff. I have a hard time picturing Sir Galahad with a shovel in his hands.

Malta was a hot spot during WWII as well and has the distinction of being the most bombed place on earth, having received over 6000 tons of bombs courtesy of the Italian and German air forces. Most of the harbor areas, like where we are now, were reduced to rubble.




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