Istanbul, Part 2

Istanbul, Part 2

OK…back to our entertaining dinner. One of the dishes on the menu is baked in a clay container with a narrow top and wide bottom. Our host put the container in a fire, took it out, tapped it all around cracking it, and voila—there was dinner! After dinner, Dan and I went to the very top of our hotel for a final nighttime view of Istanbul.

On our last day we visited the Blue Mosque, which is immaculate—beautiful clean Turkish carpet…(reread my blog on the visit to the mosque in Alexandria, which by comparison is a zoo with garbage! ) Tourists are not allowed in the prayer area, but we could see all of it. There were only about 4 worshippers as it wasn’t prayer time. I love to listen to the Muzzenine (have no idea exactly what the word is) the men who sing the call to prayer. It’s possible to hear one after the other from the different minarets at prayer time, which occurs 5 times a day. Many of them, however, are now outsourced—recorded!

We then took a tram and a funicular to the new section of Istanbul, which Rick Steves gives 3 stars. I give it ½ star. It’s just the modern part of town with Starbucks, Burger King, etc….neither quaint nor upscale enough to be interesting. Dan and I had an overpriced so-so lunch. We saw our friends from the ship who were staying at the Intercontinental. It’s a beautiful hotel, but when they asked the front desk for a converter, they said they could buy one. (In Barcelona our hotel gave us one to keep!) Breakast and lunch were over $70 for a buffet. . I’m so glad we stayed in the old part of town!

Note on the Turkish people: Dan and I have traveled a lot and are now ready to give Turkey the award for the friendliest, most helpful, and most hospitable people. (except at Intercontinental) Wherever we went, —whether at our hotel, a restaurant, the Grand Bazzar, or just asking directions on the street—the Turks could not do enough to help us. Two small examples: our host at the restaurant “treated” us to our tea, coffee, cappuccino. At my hotel, when I commented how much I liked the decorative, ceramic coasters in our room, the young man at the desk gave them to me. We were often stopped by people just so they could talk to us. I think of the Turks of yore—the ferocious Turks conquering everyone. Their descendants certainly don’t take after them.

On the ride to the airport, we drove along the seaside through a beautiful area with colorful flowers and trees. The airport was clean, modern, and efficient.

Cleanliness: Debbie asked me if Turkey is clean. The answer is an unequivocal “yes!” We have seen almost no trash or graffiti. Even the bathrooms in the tiniest places are immaculate. I saw many workers picking up trash and sweeping the streets. Shop owners in the Grand Bazzar were washing down the street in front of their stores with water. Contrast this to Egypt…

A funny comment….I asked the young man at our hotel if he had ever been to Egypt. He replied, “I’m afraid to visit an Arab country.”

Women: The Turks pride themselves that when Ataturk came into power (1920’s, I believe), Turkey became a secular state, and women had full rights, which they continue to have. What surprised me is that so many of them still dress traditionally. We were told that this is a personal choice.

I think it’s an odd choice. Although we have been lucky with the weather,

high 80’s. many of the women wear long, heavy coats over their dresses/skirts. I asked one woman why they didn’t wear something modest but cooler—such as a black, cotton covering. She said that cotton clings to the body and is too revealing.

Istanbul, Part 1

Istanbul,Part 1

We arrived in Istanbul at 12:30 in the afternoon. Sailing into the port is spectacular with the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, overlooking the Sea of Marmara. 6 of us took a tram to the old section. Dan was in heaven because the tram is modern and very user friendly. In order to get to our destination—tour boat—we had to go under 2 tunnels filled with street vendors selling everyday items and wall-to-wall people. We were on a 2-deck, large boat that took us on a 90 minute tour of the Bosphorus. What a gorgeous ride past mansions along the waterfront! The homes were spectacular mixed in with mosques, parks, playgrounds, and an old fort. I know it sounds odd to get off a ship just to get on a ship, but the cool breeze on a hot day with a beautiful view was perfect! Afterwards, we toured the spice bazzar, which has beautiful displays of colorful spice.Duh! The smells are delicious.

The next day we abandoned ship. I had chosen our hotel from Trip Advisor. While many on our cruise were going to the Intercontinental or Four Seasons or Hilton, we’re in a small, boutique hotel with 7 rooms and no elevator. Of course we’re on the top floor! The room is large with 3 windows, a comfy chair, a bureau, and a modern bathroom. The best part is the AC. One floor up with there is a terrace (where they serve breakfast) from which you can see the water. It’s a delightful place to sit and relax. We met a young couple from Sausalito doing just that. The staff at the hotel couldn’t have been nicer. The young man, Fati, 23, who manned the front desk brought a computer to my room when mine wouldn’t work. When we left, I told him how much I’d admired 2 small tiles in the room—he gave them to me.

We walked to the Grand Bazzar. It is a HUGE covered shopping mall dating to the 15^th century ( I think) with many permanent stores with windows, air conditioning, etc. in addition to permanent stalls. The main items for sale include gold and silvery jewelry—tons of it everywhere—leather jackets, boxes and perfume bottles made from camel bone, ceramics, fake pashminas, fake name brand purses, evil eyes, and carpets, carpets, carpets. The best shop for me was one selling antique Judaica from pre-revolutionary Russia. The pieces were made of enamel—somewhat like Faberge without the jewels. I could have bought a mezuzah ($1100) or a menorah ($1600). My favorite was a piece of jewelry—a Jewish star in a circle. The salesman started it at $650 and came “down” to $550. I resisted. all, but they were beautiful. The 2 Sephardic (Spanish) Jews we met have volunteered that their families have been in Turkey since 1492 (the inquisition).

I love the Turkish people. They bargain in a good natured way. I tried on leather jackets in 2 shops bantering with the salesman. We were both full of &*(^! Dan voluntarily let himself be dragged into a carpet shop. I think the salesman knew we weren’t interested, but he did his best and didn’t mind that we didn’t buy. The Turks are the friendliest people I have ever met. We had some wonderful encounters.

On the way back to our hotel, we were looking for a place to have a cool drink and found the ideal place. A man on the street was handing out ads for “happy hour” on a terrace. We took us up in a hotel elevator and then we walked up 2 flights to a beautiful terrace café overlooking the Blue Mosque. We sat under an umbrelled table, enjoyed a cool breeze, and a cool beer. Perfect. When we got back downstairs, the man asked if we liked it, we said, “yes,” and he kissed my hand!

A woman at our hotel asked to join us for dinner. Of course, we said yes.

On the way to dinner we walked through the Four Seasons Hotel, went to an art gallery opening, checked out small shops. We’re staying in the old town of Istanbul, which is obviously becoming gentrified-- Many restaurants and nice shops. We had dinner at the top of a building overlooking the Sea of Marmara. Many of the buildings here are narrow with 4-5 stories. They all seem to be topped with terraces with views.

The next day we went to a small but very interesting Jewish museum, went up a famous tower for an incredible view, and visited Topkapi Palace, which is huge made up of many different buildings. There are 3 treasure rooms , one of which contains the famous Topkapi dagger (a movie was made about a supposed theft of the dagger). Next to the dagger was a 68 carat diamond. One building had “Islamic” relics: the staff of the prophet Moses (right!), the sword of the prophet David, the sandle and footprint of Mohammed or maybe his son? While we were looking at these “relics, a man with a beautiful voice was in the room chanting the Koran over a loudspeaker.

The walls of many rooms are covered with exquisite tiles primarily in turquoise, red, royal blue, bright green, and white.

On the way to dinner, we ran into some people whom we knew from the ship. Along with Phil and Allie we had a fun evening and a delicious dinner.

The street behind our hotel is filled with outdoor restaurants and little shops. Each restaurant has a barker, each one competing for your business. It becomes a game and is very entertaining. After much discussion (I went to stand across the street until a decision was made) we chose one billed as a family restaurant. The business card says, “Mom does the cook.”

Kusadasi-Ephasus

Kusadash—Ephesus—hot!

Kusadasi is a beautiful port town that has become a major tourist center. It has changed dramatically since we were here about 10 years ago. There are beautiful, new buildings at the port. I had arranged a guide ahead of time via internet . He was a delightful 31 year old man, who owned the company While all previous cars/vans were adequate with good A/C, he had a new, very large, high domed van with seats for maybe 16-18. Since there were only 4 of us, we had plenty of room. The ride from Kusadasi to Ephesus is fairly short—maybe 15 minutes tops. I think the only ruins that surpass Ephesus are those at Pompey, and Ephesus has many that are unique.:

*the famous communal toilets—about 30 toilets side by side where the men would sit and do their business. There was running water beneath the toilets with a pool of water in the middle. The Roman amphitheater is very large carved into the rock and is supposed to have excellent acoustics. The best part was the section they had excavated since we had been there 10 years ago: the terrace houses consisting of about 7 houses of the rich people of the time with beautiful frescos and mosaic floors covering a HUGE area.

The most fascinating part for me was watching the archaeologists restoring

Large jars by putting shards of pottery together like a jigsaw puzzle. They are continuing to excavate Ephesus—only a small percent has been uncovered, yet it is huge.

Our guide drove us by his apartment: 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1 living room, and kitchen for which he paid the equivalent of $65,000.

He knew we were Jewish and took us to a beautiful, old building with a patio of shaded trees and introduced us to one of the ubiquitous carpet salesman—only this was no simple carpet salesman. He is a Sephardic Jew who owns half of downtown Kusadasi. His daughter goes to Pepperdine College n CA.

He let me use his computer, gave us iced tea, and took us around and introduced us. He said all the Jews of Turkey were very “comfortable,” and they look out for each other. He said that most of the Spanish tour guides are Jewish. Even though they have been living in Turkey (one of the few countries to take Jews during the Inquisition) since 1492, they still speak Spanish and Ladino. I asked him to say something in Ladino—it sounded exactly like Spanish to me.

Israel Part 2

Israel, Part 2

Jerusalem revisited. Editorial: What amazes me about Israel is the juxtaposition of the religious and secular Jews. As we were leaving the port, at a bus stop there was a young Israeli solder in uniform complete with gun and a religious Jew with a long black coat, pantaloons, and wide brimmed hat.
The religious Jews are as much an oddity to me as they would be to any Christian. I saw young women either wearing wigs or head coverings ,with long skirts and long sleeved shirts although it was hot and humid. Many of the men in addition to the outfit described above have beards and peous (don’t know the spelling) These are the long curls coming down on either side of their faces.
The children are miniature versions of their parents. While I am respectful towards them, I don’t respect them at all. They don’t think I’m Jewish, and I think they’re following a Judaism out of the Middle Ages-Nineteenth century schtels. Even my grandparents from Eastern Europe looked at them as something foreign and strange. As my cousin Alison said, “Rather than repairing the world (one of the basis of Judaism, they are splitting hairs as to what is the right thing to eat, to wear, etc.” As to the soldiers, there are so many young, handsome soldiers (men and women) throughout Israel, you get used to seeing guns everywhere. I feel completely safe in Israel more so than in Oakland, parts of SF, or even parts of San Jose.

Editorial 2: Israel vs. Egypt Egypt was filthy dirty with terrible roads. We saw many villages that looked probably the same as during Biblical times with men on donkeys, using primitive farm tools. Israel is extremely modern, clean, with a great infrastructure. The desert has been turned into beautiful farmland. Yesterday we saw groves of bananas and other kinds of fruit. At historical sites, Israel has excellent movies, videos, signs telling about the history. Egypt doesn’t.
There are 5 million people in Cairo alone. There are 7 million people in all of Israel. Why can’t the Arab states let this tiny, wonderful nation exist?!!!


Haifa 80’s

Our relatives picked us up. We drove around Haifa to see the sights and then spent most of the day in Caesaria. When we were in Caesaria 17 years ago, it was a beach with Roman monuments sitting in the sand. Today it is a complex of restaurants, shops, swimming beaches, and centers explaining the history. The presentation was one of the best I’ve ever seen with dual screens showing the present and the past simultaneously. We had lunch outside overlooking a multi-blue colored Med. We then drove to a small town on Mt. Carmel. Our cousins’ one son, Dror lives there. It has a tourist street with little art shops and restaurants. From there we drove through the mountains to our cousins home in Haifa, where one of their 2 daughters, their son, daughter-in-law, and 4 of their 11 grandchildren came to see us. They had a lovely garden, and we had a great visit.

There is an intestinal virus that has hit the ship. Our cousins Phil and Alison had it pretty badly, Dan mildly, and I am on board ship today instead of in Cypress because it’s my turn. I feel fine—just want to be near a nice, clean, modern “john.” I know, TMI……!

Jerusalem

Israel 80’s

I LOVE Israel. No matter what your religion is, it’s an incredible country!
It is an ancient, yet very modern city. The entire country is an archaelogical dig. There have been amazing changes since we were here 17 years ago.

Yesterday, we splurged on a private guide to Jerusalem. Three days prior to disembarking, Israeli officials boarded the boat to check each of us with our passports face-to-face. When we arrived at Ashdod, and disembarked, our guide was no where to be seen. Fortunately we had his cell phone and the port authority called him. They told us to take a shuttle to Gate 2. We got on the shuttle and waited 10 minutes while the driver argued with an Israeli guard. Finally, we took off—first stop Gate 5. When we got to Gate 2, our guide wasn’t there. They had told him to go to Gate 5! We finally got together for the beginning of an unforgettable day.

He took us on the back roads to Jerusalem. We went through a beautiful forest and stopped at a fascinating sculpture called the Gates of Fire. That depicts the Holocaust to redemption in a metaphoric way. We visited the grave of Dan, where we saw religious Jews praying—then on to En Kerim, a small hillside village with a Carmelite monastery. We arrived at Yad Vashem, which is totally different from the way it was 17 years ago. I thought it was the best representation of the Holocaust possible. Our guide said that it overwhelms people, so he took us to the highlights, which still took over 2 hrs. Two of the most moving sights were Shindler’s original lists and videos of 2 Lithuanian Jews who as children survived being taken to a pit to be shot. They fell on top of a pile of dead bodies before they were shot and managed to survive.

We had a choice of going to visit the Knesset (parliament) or a large market and neighborhood. You may think we chose the Knesset, but we’d been there before and went to the market. The food stalls were all beautifully displayed and immaculate. The smells were wonderfully good because of the spice stalls. Our guide knew everyone there and it was a kick. We had falafel and schwarma at a small restaurant and walked the neighborhood which has small, colorful houses around a large garden or small park. There were tiny synagogues next to some of the houses each one with a story.

We headed to the hold city to visit the City of David Archaeological Park, which contains the excavations far below the level of the western wall. My 3 favorite sites were a stone with the carving saying something to the effect of “stand here to blow the shofar.” There was a grand staircase leading up to the temple mount, and a pile of large stones that remained where the Romans destroyed the temple. Our guide felt these 3 places were more significant than the western wall, which was just part of an outer wall.

Next we went into a tunnel that goes beneath the western wall. It contained ancient streets, an extension of the men’s wall, a large cistern among other sites. We excited the tunnel next to an Arab shop, with a Jewish boys’ school on top, across from a Christian church. Our guide pointed out that
Although books say that the old city is divided into 4 parts, Armenian, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, they really all are together.

Right in the old Arab quarter, we went into the Austrian Hospice. From the outside, it looks like nothing special, but you go up some stairs to a gate and enter a large, beautiful garden with a Viennese coffee bar. We had apple streudel and coffee. From the roof top, we got a spectacular view.

We briefly walked thru the Cardo, the Arab quarter, the Armenian quarter, and the Jewish quarter before heading back to Asdod.

Put Israel on your bucket list. We only scratched the surface yesterday.

Crete and Egypt

Crete 80’s

Lovely island….many parts look like California with brownish hills, olive trees, oleander—just more rocky. We shared a cab with a charming couple from South Africa via Germany—an hour drive to Knossos (you pronounce the “k” and the “o” is long. We were in a group of 7 with an English speaking guide as we toured. It was packed with tourists from all over especially Germany and Italy. We had a pushy guide, which turned out great for us. She went around “shushing” people and moving them out of areas if they stayed too long.
The line to view the palace room had a gadzillion people waiting; she went up to the front, told them we had a plane to catch, and we got right in. Most of the groups were huge! The grounds are quite extensive. Although the Minoan civilization is over 4000 years old, it had toilets and a plumbing system, skylights, and an aquaduct and water filters. They had gigantic (taller than a human) pots/vases, used as storage containers. Evidently they had potting wheels. The palace is known for its frescos, which use 4 colors: yellow, blue (lapuz lazuli), red (sea snail) and black. Women were portrayed in white and men in a rust/reddish color. They were similar to Egyptian paintings as humans were shown in profile.

Unfortunately we had limited time on Crete 8 Am-1:30 and we were unable to get to the museum, which is supposed to be outstanding.

Alexandria—80’s, humid, nice breeze

Alexandria is a very cosmopolitan city with a population of 5 million people.
Most of the women wear head coverings; many wear a burka with their faces exposed. A few wear the complete covering with only an eye slit. One of the funniest sights was a woman in a complete burka with sun glasses over her eye slits. Unlike many Muslim countries, women have the choice as to what they wear. Many of the men had on the long kaftan—I’m sure it has a special name, but I don’t know what it is.

Alexandria has a very long seashore. Today was Friday, which is like our Sunday. The beaches were packed. There are public beaches where both men and women wear clothes rather than swimsuits. We saw women in burkas in the water. On private beaches, swimsuits are worn. There is even a nude beach!

We visited the oldest mosque in Alexandria, an amazing experience. The outside is filled with men, women and children and GARBAGE. There is a men’s entrance and a women’s entrance. Of course, I was able to visit only the women’s side. After taking off our shoes, (I need to disinfect my feet)we walked inside on a carpet to see a chaotic site. Some women were praying with their heads bowed to the floor; others were sitting in chairs just talking to each other. On one side, a family sat on the ground eating a picnic. Throughout children were running around and playing. I was careful not to interrupt the group of women at prayer, but kids were running in front of them and all around. Two groups gestured that they wanted to take a picture of us with them so we 3 American women will end up on some Eyptian’s photo album or computer. I was wondering how they would feel about us in their place of prayer, but they were friendly and enjoyed watching us as we watched them. There was a wood divider with decorative slits separating the men’s side from the women’s. The men’s chanting sounded like davening (Jewish praying).

Our guide tried very hard to get us into the synagogue, but was unsuccessful. We did see it from the outside. There is a large, beautiful garden in front behind a gate. It looked as if someone took excellent care of it. The synagogue looked quite large and was very attractive, which is surprising since there are only 20 Jews in Alexandria. We were not allowed to take a picture of it.

The biggest tourist attraction In Alexandria is the Great Library, which opened about 8 years ago. It won the award for the best building (architecture) in the world, and I can understand why. Across the front is a large façade with 20 samples of ancient writing. One side faces the sea and consists of a partial globe to represent the sun and learning. It is incomplete to represent that knowledge/learning is incomplete. A huge, shallow turquoise pool lies in front—not filled with water but with some chemical solution to protect the library from the wind and sea. Inside, the library houses 8 million books—the largest library in the world surpassing the Library of Congress.

We also visited a beautiful garden with brightly colored red flame trees. We drove by a section of many little houses consisting of a single room maybe 10 ft x 10 ft. These were used to house King Farouk’s dogs. He also built a small palace just so that he could go and drink tea overlooking the water. Madame Sadat lives on the grounds and we were right outside her house. Our guide said she is often out on the balcony—but not today!

We went to the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria,whose remains can be viewed by tourists if they dive under the sea. Nearby we went to a restaurant that had a panoramic view of Alexandria. One of the waiters was a friend of our guide. This waiter had served coffee to Begin and Sadat when they worked out/signed the peace treaty. He showed us a coin with the portraits of Cleopatra and Mark Antony—a gift to him. Our guide, who majored in archaeology, thought it was authentic and believe the only other one was in the Alexandria museum.

I cannot afford to download pictures to show you until I get to free internet probably in Turkey, but Dan has been taking a lot!

Cairo 90’s (it was 102 the day before we arrived!)

Well, I’ve seen the pyramids along the Nile (except they’re not along the Nile. I don’t need to go to Mumbai because I think Cairo (at least the part we were in) has more garbage! We were a van of 7 on a 3 hr 40 min. drive to Memphis. For a third of the way we were in a caravan of buses and other vans with armed guards. I’m not sure why as I never felt in any danger. However, as we went thru different checkpoints after leaving the caravan, I heard our guide tell the guards we were English. When I asked, “why,’” he said they would put an armed guard in our van if we were Americans Outside of Pt Said, there were groves of mango trees, many fruit stands selling mangos and watermelon artfully arranged-mangos in vertical boxes and watermelons (small round) in pyramids. We could see the ships passing thru the Suez Canal altho’ we couldn’t see the canal itself. Raising pigeons is a popular hobby. They live in very tall conical shaped concrete structures with holes in them
As we got closer to Cairo, we entered a third world country. There was much more traffic, no traffic lights or signs. We saw many people on donkeys or driving donkeys pulling carts. Most of the men were in the long dress (I think it’s called galibayah) and most of the women were in burkas altho’ their faces were uncovered. We crossed the Nile and then drove along a canal from the Nile. I have never seen so much disgusting garbage in my life! Many egrets were standing in it picking out morsels. There is also a very large section with homes that are left in disrepair with large parts missing. Our guide told us that taxes were based on the façade of the houses so they kept them that way.

Memphis had many statues found in situ. It was the least interesting of the 4 places we visited. We went to the step pyramid, which was the first pyramid in the world. There was a picture of it in the sixth grade text I used when teaching so it was thrilling to see. The pyramids ARE amazing. We climbed up a short distance. Dan and I went on a camel ride compliments of the tour company owner, my boyfriend, Geroge. It was on my “bucket” list and was lots of fun. Our camels names were Charlie Brown and Moses. On our camel ride we went to an overlook from which you could see all of Cairo. Behind us was a wonderful view of all 3 pyramids. It was hot, dusty, dirty, sandy, but a wonderful experience. Finally we visited the Sphynx, which was smaller than I thought but very lovely. There’s so much more to tell, but it’s been along day. Tomorrow is a full day in Jerusalem so Iwill see if the satellite Is up to send this, and then I’m going to go to sleep for the next big day.

tunisia

Tunisia 90 degrees

Had a great day in Tunisia. our first port after leaving Barcelona. While the ship tour for what we did was $100 plus tip/ person with a busload of people, we got a van with 9 of us for a cost of $27/person including tip and entrance fees. Delightful guide, Mohammed, who has 4 daughters. I wonder if Muslim men have a difficult time if they have no sons!
First went to the ruins of Carthage, which are in the most upscale area of town. We could see the home of the president of Tunisia from the ruins. The homes in the area are white with blue trim, and multi-hued bougenvellia cascading everywhere. Carthage was once the commercial center of the Med, possibly founded in 800 BC by the Phoenicians, destroyed by the Romans in the third of the Punic (or as one of my middle school students wrote on a test) Pubic Wars. The Romans rebuilt it. The Arabs destroyed it. It had a small museum with an exquisite white marble urn. I thought it less beautiful when I learned that it contained the bones of babies, which the Carthegians sacrificed. Not too far away were the remains of the Roman baths, a HUGE and very beautiful site overlooking the Med.
We were fortunate to get into the President’s mosque, only 8 years old but magnificent with colorful tile work, glass chandeliers, immense wooden doors with a traditional-sized smaller door in the middle. Our guide showed us the room where the men wash before prayer. At the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, they wash outside sitting on small, low benches using faucets from the wall. This one was very modern with divided compartments almost like urinals, paper towel holders, soap dispensers.

We next visited the Santorini of Tunisia, the town of Sidi Bou Said. Again we lucked out with our tour. The large buses had to park far from the main area. In our smaller van, we drove right up. The town again consists of white houses, trimmed with blue with winding streets up to a panoramic view. Many small stands selling Tunisian ware (pottery, tiles, leather goods, fake purses, silver) line the streets. There were a zillion variations of “The hand of Fatima,” which looks exactly like a hamsa (a small hand worn by both Arabs and Jews).

On the way to Tunis, the capital, we drove by the American cemetery, which looks like a smaller version of the one at Normandy, and a Roman water system, unlike any I’ve ever seen with covered humped shape structures over the water.

Tunis is a bustling, modern city with a wide tree lined boulevard, which reminded me of Nice. Women are allowed to wear modern dress as long as it’s not too bare. Probably 2/3 of the women wear the head covering The Medina houses the souk, which is a large bazaar. I bought 2 gifts after a lot of bargaining. The shop keeper told Dan that he had a “tough” wife. Dan said, “I know. I know.”

In general, Tunis is much less third world than I expected. I had heard the economy is poor, but there is a tremendous amount of construction going on and a lot of new buildings.

Tuesday...Malta high 80’s, humid. Beautiful. Reminded me a lot of Dubrovnik. Very old civilization beginning around 5700 BC. Colonized by Phoenicians, then Greeks, Cartheginians, Romans, Byzantines,Arabs, Normans, Spanish, French, British. Important strategic site for the NorthAfrican campain during WWII. Received heavy bombing. Valletta, the capital, is a walled city. We walked straight up to see some gardens that had a beautiful view, visited St. John’s Cathedral known for its 2 Caravaggio paintings, including his famous Beheading of John the Baptist. Caravaggio was a painter’s painter, influenced the other major artists of his day. He was known for chiarscuro (not sure of spelling)his use of light. We watched an excellent movie on Malta’s history, went to the Archaeological Museum, and wandered the streets. I would definitely come back here! At sea tomorrow. Next stop: Crete







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