Valletta - Day 10 Friday February 6

We awoke to this balcony view.

Our goal today is to visit Mdina, a fortified city in the northern region of the island of Malta. Mdina is known as “The Silent City” and has been described as “frozen in time.” At present, it has some 250 residents. People have lived on Mdina’s land since ancient times. After the fall of the Roman Empire, a city wall was erected to make the town smaller and easier to protect. Mdina served as Malta's capital until the Arab period in the 9th century, when the capital was moved to Valletta. The town initially languished, but made a comeback around 1049 when a Muslim community moved in and built a city that resembled a traditional Arabic city (medina), hence the name Mdina. OK, enough history... let's check it out.

We took an Uber and were dropped off outside the city walls, as only residents can drive within.

Our entry through Mdina Gate felt very familiar - you may recognize it as Kings Landing from Game of Thrones. The gate is entered via a bridge over the large moat.

All the roads and buildings were constructed with local stone, which gives Mdina a very distinctive and unified appearance.

The first thing that one sees is the Dungeons Museum (which I felt could be perceived as mildly threatening). It has been described as gruesome, so we passed, even though the dungeon master looks a little like Yul Brynner.

The Museum of Natural History is housed in the former Palazzo Vilhena. And, yes, there will be a lot of Maltese crosses.

Here is the Metropolitan Cathedral of Malta, also known as St. Paul’s Cathedral. It’s said that this cathedral was built on the spot where the Roman governor Publius met St. Paul after he was shipwrecked on Malta around 60 A.D. Here is a little Catholic nugget: After Paul healed Publius' sick father, Publius converted to Christianity and became Malta's first bishop, which established a strong Christian tradition on the island.

The cathedral was badly damaged in the 1693 earthquake, so it has a brighter and more modern appearance than many of the European cathedrals.

The marble floors are particularly stunning. Somer mark burial spots and others are memorials.

Here is the main altar area.

The painting that celebrates the Annunciation was striking in its simplicity.

I think that you will agree that these are some very impressive side altars!

Next door is a museum, which contains the usual church art, lots of silver...

...and (unexpectedly) more than 60 prints by Albrecht Dürer. Here is just one (the annunciation).

I was fascinated with the fine detail on these "altar stones" (which are actually tiny).

We have seen these before in Europe, but this display was particularly vivid. Known as the Neapolitan crib, the tradition traces its origins to Naples as early as 1025. It is much more than a seasonal display, and has been described as, "a theatrical masterpiece of sacred storytelling"

Kappella ta’ Sant’ Agata was built by a noble family in the 15th century. After being destroyed by an earthquake in 1693, it was rebuilt the following year.

The Carmelite Priory and Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady is a beautiful place. We spotted evidence of early Catholic graft: There was a sign that informed us that reciting a Hail Mary in front of the statue at the entrance will provide 40 days of plenary indulgence...and today, we did not even have to PAY for it.

The elliptical-shaped dome depicts the Assumption of Mary, from which the church takes its name. Above the main altar is a painting titled “The Brown Scapular," an item that holds a special significance in the Carmelite faith.

Palazzo Falson was once home to Olof ("I like warm hugs") Gollcher, a collector who filled his home with things he loved. It is now home to the Fontanella Tea Garden, said to serve the most delicious cakes in Malta. (I'll bite.) We had a slice of yummy carrot cake with dates.

The Tea Garden has the highest vantage point in the city, and leads to Bastion Square, where on a clear day like today, you can see Valletta…

… and the Mosta Dome in the distance from the ramparts.

The Pjazza Mesquita, with its distinctive well, served as Littlefinger’s Brothel in "Game of Thrones."

I am a lover of doors. There may be some deep psychological reason for this, but please enjoy these. I will start with a door that is an Instagram star according to my research; check out “blue door of Malta.” (PS There are even more in the Photo Gallery!)

Let’s not forget door knockers.

I loved this place so much that I cannot resist posting these photos. Feel free to just pass them by.

The Greek's Gate was the only Mdina gate that provided entry for slaves, and it was our exit gate.

You may be finished, but we were not.

We then walked to Rabat, a town of over 11,000 residents, which is about a ten-minute walk from Mdina. The word "rabat" is Arabic for "suburb."

There, we visited St Paul’s Grotto: the first part of a complex that included a church (which I entered through an open side door and was promptly informed that the church was closed)… I had taken one interior subpar photo.

Then, we explored the catacombs. First, we visited the chapel that leads to the cave where Saint Paul was imprisoned after his shipwreck.

We may have to accept that we are getting too old to be climbing through catacombs.

There were also bomb shelters below.

Our ticket also included admission to the Wingnacourt Museum. We moved through quickly, but I loved this sculpture of Dante’s Inferno.

And how about this coffin?

We walked a block to St Agatha Crypt, which was brightly decorated.

But, at this point. with 14,000 steps and one catacomb climb, we did not take the tour.

Time for a stop for a very late lunch in a charming little restaurant. These sandwiches are typical for the area, and too big to finish (unlike the local wine and beer).

We took an uber back to the ship, stretched out on the bed, and then went to a grilled dinner on the pool deck. High marks for the lobster tails.

Super Day!

Photos are tagged Star, Mdina, Rabat and Valletta_26