We spent one very hot day on the island of Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea. Malta has a rich and varied history that is more than 7000 years old. In the year 60 AD Saint Paul was shipwrecked on the island and converted the population to Christianity. During World War II, the island, which occupies a strategic location in the central Mediterranean, was heavily bombed by German forces. In fact more bombs fell on Malta in two months during 1942 then fell on London throughout the entire blitz. The Maltese, however, refused to be conquered.

The town of Valetta, Malta’s capital, is filled with beautifully preserved buildings and overlooks the sweeping Grand Harbour. This is a place I definitely want to return to for a more thorough visit.



For now Malta still has it's own currency, however next year it will be replaced by the Euro. I was lucky enough to get my hands on some of these beautiful coins.


Malta is a very popular tourist destination.

Jack and I having a quiet lunch and coffee in Malaga, Spain.

My favourite place we visited in Europe was Taormina, on the island of Sicily.

The ship actually docked in Messina, almost an hour away by train.

But a few of us got up after hardly any sleep and made the trek, which, as I’m sure will be clear, was well worth it.


After getting off the train, we had to take a taxi up the steep and winding mountain that is topped by the town of Taormina.

Surrounded by the sparkling Mediterranean and with Mount Etna, a very active volcano, nearby, the views from the top were absolutely breathtaking.

Beautiful stone streets and buildings seemingly carved out of the mountain itself are constantly accented by little curiosities, if one takes the time to look.






We visited the Greco-Roman theatre, which was built in the 3rd Century, AD. They still hold shows there today, and the acoustics are said to be amazing.



This is still Italy.









This was a beautiful shop full of handmade pastries, candies and other treats. The town was full of places like this.
As real as they might look, they are actually candy.



We found a little restaurant with an amazing view and had an excellent Italian lunch, including several bottles of wine.


Silly boys got drunk and acted like clowns.

We all promptly fell asleep upon getting settled on the train to go back to the ship. Well worth the loss of sleep though, what a beautiful day!

Roma

I arrived in Rome after a long and mostly sleepless overnight flight, but the sight of the amazing sunrise over the clouds and mountains was enough to get me excited. I checked into my hotel around 8 am and made the 40-minute trek into downtown Rome.

When I first arrived, I found myself trembling, probably from a combination of exhaustion, hunger and anticipation.

It was an overcast day, but I was so floored by the sights that it didn’t matter. I wandered through the city, seeing only a small portion of the ruins and buildings that make the Eternal City famous. It is a reputation well earned.

Breakfast
You must need nerves of steel to do this job. I was scared just to cross the street. I learned in my first few minutes that the craziness of Italian drivers is not to be underestimated.

Palazzo Bonaparte, where Napolean's mother lived until her death.


First glimpse of the Colosseum.

Arch of Constantine, built to commemorate the victory of Constantine’s army over the much larger army of Maxentius in 312 AD.
Detail from the Arch.


The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.





Trevi Fountain. Ledgend has it you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the water. Which of course, I did.