Shhhh! The Silent City: Malta, Day 9, Mdina (3/11/2017)

Cathedral in Mdina

Our last day in Malta - Urvi's Birthday - we took a one hour bus ride to the old capital - Mdina (The Silent City).

Old capped Well

Main gate from inside

Streets ready for Lent

St Paul's grotto.
St. Paul shipwrecked off the coast of Malta.  And when rescued, was brought ashore.
He is said to have preached beneath the city in this grotto.

Catacombs

Catacombs

Large bronze seal from the weird museum

Mosaic on the floor of a Roman House

I, Claudius, have no nose
in the sitting room of the Roman villa

Fontanella Tea Garden

In the Tea Garden with a Erdinger Dunkel on the bastion of Mdina overlooking most of Malta

Shields and whatnot

We had a birthday dinner at the Westin's fine dining restaurant - Quatro

Gozo Rose and dessert!

Beer vs. Wine: Malta, Day 8 - Back to Malta (3/10/2017)

There is now a ferry involved -
Heading back to Malta

Friday we left beautiful Gozo to return to the island of Malta.

Last views of Gozo on a rave run -

Then on Malta -

View from Hotel room - St. Julian's

Dragonara Casino where I lost 20 euros and Urvi lost 10 (and I paid 8 for a Belgian IPA)

Then we finished up the night with  Beer vs.Wine dinner.  Each course had one wine and one beer paired.

Amouse Bouche with Belgian wit and Provencal Rose

Mediterranean shrimp over scallop ceviche with dry stout and Gerwurtstaimer 

Pork Duo - belly and cheek - with IPA and Lagrein Cantine Terlano

Baked Cheesecake with Winter Ale and Port

In the end wine won but all of it was great.

Cittadella: Malta Day 7, Gozo Citadel and Lord Chambray (3/9/2017)

Life Size picture frame - Ghajnsielem, Gozo

Today, Urvi and I walked to the Cittadella in Gozo's capital - Victoria or Rabat (about 6km).  Then visited the museums etc.  On the way back we stopped at Lord Chambray - the local craft brewery.

Gozo grain fields

Bronze Age grain silos, Cittadella

Urvi in the stocks

In jail without the Bail

Lunch at Ta' Rikardu

Drum at Folk Museum

model of fishing boat - Folk Musuem

Toward Ramla Bay from the Cittadella walls

Urvi on the Cittadella Walls toward Ghajnsielem

Cannons to the right of her

Its the Popa!

Lord Chambray

Taps at Lord Chambray

Easy Gozo's It: Malta Day 6, Gozo Bus Tour (3/8/2017)

Fungus Rock

Wednesday morning, we walked down to the harbor to catch the double-decker hop on hop off bus for a tour of Gozo.  The first thing we were told was that in the previous night's storm, the Azure window had been destroyed.

Ggantija temple

Ggantija Temple

Ggantija Temple

Ta' Kola Windmill - last of the Knights' era windmills

Interior of Windmill

Interior of windmill

Ramla Bay from Calypso's Cave

Fountain in Rabat

Ta' Pinu National Basilica

Interior - Ta' Pinu

How the Azure Window looked on Tuesday (not my photo)

Azure Window today :(

It's a little windy...

View from my morning coffee