Today we switched time zones – from Greece to Italy as we called it – and so we got an extra hour’s sleep. Of course we still went to be early because we were knackered and we still slept through until 7ish am. While Frank continued to saw logs, I snuck up to the gym for another erg workout (a ladder piece: 6 minute intervals with 45 seconds rest at 22, 25, 28, 25, 22 stroke rates). The gym was much more crowded this morning – maybe because the ship wasn’t due to dock until 1pm. Nevertheless, the bros and the treadmill queens were out in full force. And only once in the course of the half hour that I was there did I see anyone wipe down their equipment.
Travel tip #17: wipe down your gym equipment first because it is highly unlikely that the person who used it before you bothered to do so.
I confess that it amazes me that an organization that seems fixated on preventing the spread of germs doesn’t do a better job encouraging (forcing?) people to wipe down their equipment. But I digress…
We breakfasted and then took the cards on deck for a few rounds of cribbage while we waited for the ship to pull into port. (BTW, I won.) We pulled into Valletta harbor where another cruise ship was already docked and the ship spun and backed into a berth. Let me say that again: a 93K ton cruise ship that’s nearly 1000 feet long SPUN in the harbor and BACKED into the dock. As new coxswain, I can barely get an 8 person skull to spin in the Erie canal without anxiety so I am completely in awe of the captain’s ability to make it happen for this ship. But of course, that’s why they pay him the big bucks.
Once we were cleared by the local authorities, the race to leave the ship began. I confess that I still find it jarring to have to wait in a large crowd for 15 minutes just to leave but we eventually got past that and were on shore. As has been the case in other ports, we have litte, okay really no, interest in organized tours so this stop was no different. We knew we wanted to visit Mdina and my meager pre-trip research indicated which local busses went there. So off we went to the local bus station where we caught the number 52 bus (for 2 euros each) to Mdina – the “silent city”: a walled city that served as the country’s capital through the middle ages and is now home to a mere 250 people and almost no cars (hence the moniker “silent”)
It was a rabbit warren of a different kind. No cars driving by, no souvenir shops, no cafes with hawkers trying to appeal to tourists. In fact, there were very few things open at all. It is Sunday and Malta is a country that was basically founded by the Catholic church as a respite for knights of the Crusades. Why NCL thought that stopping here on a Sunday makes sense is beyond me. We managed to find a lovely cafe on the edge of the city walls for lunch where we were able to sample some Maltese dishes: GF pasta with traditional Maltese rabbit sauce and pizza with Maltese sausage – also made from rabbit. Can’t say that the local wine and beer made much of an impression unfortunately.
While in Mdina, we visited the Metropoliat Cathedral of Malta – a Baroque cathedral built in medieval times but rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake.
Travel tip #18 – have a scarf or shawl handy at all times as you never know when it will come in handy. I had a large scarf in my backpack that I have used as an impromptu “dress” in Mykonos and as a wrap to enter the cathedral in Mdina.
After admiring the lovely town, we hopped the next bus #52 back to Valletta expecting to find the advertised cultural and commercial heart of Malta. And what we found was a lovely city that was essentially closed. There were a handful of tourist attractions and shops open but even many of the historical exhibits and museums were closed for the day. Because we didn’t get back to Valletta until after 5pm, even the places that were open for tourists were starting to close. And yet our ship would be in port until 9pm. Why? Made no sense to me.
Back on board, we found our way to the Irish pub where we joined a group from Toronto that we dined with on our first night. After several drinks, it was time to shower and make our way to dinner. Tonight the kitchen was right on target: Frank’s linguine with clams was fabulous and my corvina with dill was amazing. After dinner we made our way to the Bliss Lounge for a nightcap and take in some karoke. And then it was time to turn in and prepare for our early arrival in Sicily tomorrow.
Dubious data for today:
22,244 steps and 37 flights (Malta is NOT flat)
34 freighters passed on our way into port
1 other ship in port
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