Events of Monday 25th November 2012
Ann decided to relax in the hotel in the morning, so Dean proposed that he and I visited Mosta followed by Rabat. It didn't take long to drive to Mosta and Dean managed to park near the famous 'Mosta Dome', more properly called the Rotunda of Saint Marija Assunta. This Roman Catholic church was consecrated in 1871 to replace an earlier church on the site. It is famous both for the size of its dome and the fact that a German bomb which fell through the dome during a service in 1942 failed to explode, an event called 'The Bomb Miracle'. There's more information in a Wikipedia article.
The church is certainly impressive, so I include the obligatory shot looking up at the inside of the 122 feet diameter rotunda.
We set off for Rabat but, remembering we'd pass near the Aviation Museum at Ta' Qali which neither of us had visited, we changed plans and headed for the museum. The museum was very impressive due, I am sure, to the dedication of the volunteers and the European Union funding.
The original museum building (formed from two Nissen Huts side-by-side) has been supplemented by both a large building able to display a number of complete aircraft and a slightly smaller building called 'The Air Battle of Malta Memorial Hanger'.
The range of exhibits is impressive and the access exemplary. In most cases, you can get up close to exhibits and view all sides. In addition to a wide range of complete aircraft, aircraft engines and accessories, there's a complete Link Trainer - the first aircraft simulator used for training pilots. There's a large collection of detailed models of aircraft.
There's a complete cockpit and forward door section of a BAC 1-11. Access is via the aircraft's airstairs. I've flown as a passenger in BAC 1-11s a few times but never ended up in the P2 (co-pilot) seat until this visit.
My pictures don't do justice to the items on display. There's more information on the Malta Aviation Museum website or, preferably, make a visit.
In the afternoon, we all went to Saint Julian's by car. Ann had an appointment at the Spa at the Hilton Hotel so Dean and I explored the area on foot. On my first visit to Malta, I'd stayed at St. Julian's but the changes since then have been so massive, I recognised nothing. Dean found the hotel where he and Ann had stayed some years before but he was amazed at the changes. The Hilton Hotel is possibly the tallest building in Malta - it certainly gets my award as the ugliest, beating off fierce competition from the surrounding developments. We walked downhill to the sea and a small, rocky cove. Moving on, we passed The Westin Resort. At least they'd retained the limestone wall and triumphal arch of whatever was before. Slightly inland, we came to a multi-level shopping mall with a number of "Gentlemen's Clubs" nearby in a fair imitation of London's Soho. Returning to the sea, we came to St. George's Bay - much nicer. It even had a sandy beach (although I suspect this was man-made).
By the time we'd walked back to the Hilton, Ann was ready for us so Dean retrieved the car from the multi-storey underground car park and took us via Sliema to various parts of Valetta. The most incongruous sight was visiting cruise ship 'Pacific Princess' moored almost at the side of our road opposite traditional three-storey buildings of stone.
'Pacific Princess' had only berthed that morning and, when we saw her, she was preparing to leave. I'd noticed the ship was berthed with three radar scanners working. That puzzled me although imminent departure seemed the most probable reason. The useful website MarineTraffic.com confirmed the ship's movements.
As we left Valetta and headed back to Golden Bay, we saw Cunard's 'Queen Elizabeth' arriving. Afterwards, MarineTraffic.com confirmed the ship's arrival from Limassol for a brief stay of just under one day.
Photographs:
Malta.
[Revised 27-Nov-2012]
