Today we were going to walk down to the end of the bay and check out the Olympic Park and the nature preserve. We also see from our terrace an aqueduct near the park that I wanted to check out. I don’t think it is Roman, but nonetheless, it is a cool-looking aqueduct.
We did odds and ends around the flat until mid-morning. Showers were in the forecast for later so we knew we needed to get moving. Unfortunately, we waited a little too long before heading down the hill. Although there was blue sky and sun looking southwest, the sky in the northeast was ominous.
We made it to the Olympic Rings in the park. I don’t really know why the Olympic Rings and a faux cauldron are there. Malta does have an Olympic Committee and sends a couple of athletes to both the summer and winter games. I think the little park commemorates the Olympic Spirit.
Just as we got to the park, the rain started. At first we took shelter in a public bathroom. We then decided to stand in a bus shelter. Eventually, we decided that since the sky was dark and it looked like it would rain for some time, we ran across the road to the opposite side bus shelter where we could get on a bus going towards Valletta. At the bus stop were two young women from Holland who had been standing at the stop for more than 30 minutes. They felt like a bus was never coming. One of the women was running out into the street stopping each car or truck asking if they were going to Valletta and could they catch a ride. Of course, no one was going to Valletta; it is about a 45-minute drive and we were on a street in St. Paul’s Bay that heads into the town. Eventually, a bus came, the 49 to Valletta. We thought that riding the bus on a rainy day was an activity that seemed feasible. And the 49 bus went in a direction that we had never been, so it was interesting to see new countryside and ride through new, to us, towns and villages.
We arrived in Valletta and just as we departed the bus, it started to rain. We quickly walked over to the portico of the newly renovated Phoenician Hotel, as did lots of other people. We thought of having lunch in their restaurant, but after looking at the menu, we didn’t want to spend that much money. The Phoenician is a 5-star hotel, and it is pretty swanky. We wandered around the lobby lounge area and looked at the artwork displayed. We learned about Edward Caruana Dingli, a Maltese painter, who made his fame by painting primarily portraits of the rich and famous, however, he also painted really great scenes of the Maltese countryside and people.
The rain let up a bit and so we headed into Valletta past the Triton Fountain. As we were walking down Republic Street it started to rain hard and so we ducked into a building’s hallway. Come to learn we were in Palazzo Ferreria, used as an office building now, but was built in the 1870 and was the second largest palace in Valletta. On the first floor was an art exhibit and so we looked at the wonderful paintings of Maltese scenes. The palace had a 4-story inner courtyard that was beautiful. The place must have really been something in its day.
Again the rain let up and we decided to get to Cafe Cordina down Republic Street near the bibliotheca, Christine’s library when she was a child. Cafe Cordina has been in operation since 1837 and is famous for its delectable pastries. It also runs a large catering business specializing in weddings. Fortunately, we found a seat in a side room. Everyone visiting Valletta today was scrambling to find a place to get out of the rain.
We enjoyed our lunch and especially liked the room we were in. It had mirrors on each side of the room so you got an infinity view in the mirrors. By the end of our lunch, the rain had stopped so we walked back to the bus terminus and found a bus back to Xemxija. You may not think riding around Malta on a public bus is much fun, especially in the rain, but it was the perfect thing for us to do. But, we were glad to get back to the flat. I will admit that the ride home seemed extraordinarily long, but again, I do so enjoy seeing everything through the window. I love the architecture, seeing daily life on the streets, enjoying the rubble walls around the countryside, and just generally being in Malta and doing something as mundane as riding a public bus.