Events of Thursday 29th November 2012
Ann and Dean had made arrangements for the day so I decided to travel to Valletta on the Route 44 Arriva bus (see their website here). The bus left from a stop just outside the hotel at 08:50 and took about an hour to reach Valletta. The route took in a number of small towns where the streets appeared quite unsuitable for buses but we got through unscathed. The bus was fitted with a passenger information indicator showing route number, destination and name of the next stop. This was backed up by computer-controlled voice announcements. I was quite impressed that the displayed information changed correctly throughout the journey.
Valletta Bus Station
On my first visit to Malta, the buses (then individually owned) left from a series of stands arranged in a circle around the Triton Fountain. Now, the buses go around the fountain to a dropping-off point before moving into either a bus parking area or a series of new stands with a dozen or so stands angled to a concourse. Buses drive into the stand, pick up passengers and then back the loaded bus out of the stand, hoping to avoid all the other movements of buses arriving and departing. I had hoped that this type of bus station had been thoroughly discredited by now but apparently not. Each stand has a sign facing the bus driver reminding the driver (in English and Maltese) to check his mirror before reversing and seek assistance if in difficulty. One would have hoped such instruction would be redundant. The bus station at Valletta is clearly new and a series of ugly, bright orange kiosks set in a line along the concourse were still being fitted out by builders.
Entering Valletta
Valletta is built on a peninsula thrusting north-east with Marsamxett Harbour on the left and Grand Harbour on the right. The older buildings are 16th century, built by the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (the 'Knights Hospitalers'). The city lies inside massive walls and bastions (the sticking-out bits of wall with a pointed plan which improve the ability of defenders to resist outside attacks).
Most passengers arriving at the new bus station walk through the City Gate area, now a breech in the huge walls following demolition of the previous City Gate in 2011. Major building work is in progress to create a complex comprising a new Parliament Building, Open Air Theatre, Freedom Square and Gate all designed by Renzo Piano. This work is on the site of the former Royal Opera House destroyed by bombing in the Second World War. Once past the building site, you enter Triq-Ir-Repubblika (Republic Street), a wide pedestrian thoroughfare which runs through the centre of the city to Fort St. Elmo at the tip of the promontory. A grid of streets and passages extends on both sides of Republic street. Somewhat bewildered by the activity in the City Gate area, I made my way to one of the most famous buildings in Valletta, Saint John's Co-Cathedral.
Saint John's Co-Cathedral
The external appearance of the building is austere but inside redecoration has resulted in a riot of the Baroque.
In addition to its religious function, Saint John's Co-Cathedral serves as an important museum. Even the (highly recommended) Cathedral Website refers to the Cathedral as "one of the most popular cultural attractions visited by tourists in Malta". In the Oratory, two famous paintings by Carravagio are displayed together with other works of art. There are Galleries of Tapestries, Sacred Vestments and Choral Books.
Exploring Valletta
I was happy to explore on foot, walking towards Fort St. Elmo and then turning right to view Grand Harbour from the Siege Bell Monument which commemorates the victims of the Second World War Siege. I continued walking along the waterfront, past the Fish Market and then went up a series of steps behind waterfront properties leading to a sign to Lascaris War Rooms, with a modern apartment block and elderly offices on the landward side. It all looked rather improbable.
Lascaris War Rooms
I entered the offices which are now in use by various government departments but, I guessed, originally military. A photocopied sign to 'Lascaris' led me to the upper floor and a small square where a further sign confirmed that a pedestrian tunnel cut through the rock was the route.
Some distance down this tunnel, I found an open door on my left. I had arrived! Having paid my admission fee, I was ushered into an adjacent room where a small group of visitors were waiting for the tour to start. We were in a complex of rooms cut into the rock deep underground below Upper Barracca Gardens.
One room had been converted into a cinema where we watched a black and white newsreel film from the Second World War describing the convoys which just managed to avoid the collapse of Malta under the fierce Axis bombing. It was this bombing which led to the award of the George Cross collectively to the people of Malta. Our well-informed guide then led us through a series of rooms which have been restored to their World War II appearance, using original furniture and fittings.
In World War II, the defence of Malta and all Allied offensive operations in the Mediterranean was directed from this top-secret location which had an Operations Room for each of the services, supported by various offices and a meeting room. The accommodation was modest. Documents were produced by typewriter, communication was by primitive-looking direct-line telephones with a cord switchboard to handle other calls.
The highlight of the tour was probably the large RAF Fighter Control Room with its large (original) map table. As we stood on the balcony, looking down on the map table, we were shown another wartime film of the work of the Control Room.
Next, we entered the Naval Control Room, supervised from a curious glass-fronted wooden office on the balcony. Beyond this, there was a room holding small memorabilia. The original function of this room was not known, so it has been restored in 'bland museum' style. We saw a passage going on to other parts of the complex but water ingress may prevent these areas being opened to the public.
Post-war, the complex became Mediterranean Fleet HQ until 1967 and then NATO used it for ten years as a Strategic Communications Centre.
I found this a fascinating visit and followed up afterwards by obtaining the book and film listed below in 'References'. I left the War Rooms through the second tunnel entrance, climbing up to Upper Barracca Gardens near to the Bus Station.
Starting in 2009, the restoration of the complex was carried out by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna (the Malta Heritage Trust) which operates a number of heritage sites, described on their website. The Lascaris War Rooms website is not yet developed at the time of writing.
Casa Rocca Piccola
Based on Ann's recommendation, I visited Casa Rocca Piccola. This has a fairly modest frontage on Republic Street but inside opens out into a large private dwelling. It was built in the 16th century for Don Pietro La Rocca, a Knight of Malta. It is the ancestral home of the present 9th Marquis de Piro who describes it as "the only privately owned Palazzo open to the public in Valletta". Part of the frontage has been converted into a restaurant specialising in Sicilian cuisine called 'La Giara' and another part forms the Casa Rocca shop selling local craft and with an excellent selection of books on Malta.
I paid the admission fee in the shop and was told a tour would be starting in a few minutes. Shortly, I was directed to a charming internal courtyard with trees, statues and a colourful resident parrot.
There were just two of us for the tour - an English-speaking French lady and myself. We were joined by an elegant young lady guide who led us into the house and up the main marble staircase to the first floor. An elderly gentleman passed us and wished us "Good Afternoon". From his proprietorial manner, I correctly deduced that this was the current Marquis whose home we were in. I say 'elderly' but I realised afterwards that he was only one year my senior. We went into a pleasant sitting room overlooking the street. Next, we visited the private chapel, still in use today. To make the chapel appear larger, there is a trompe l'oeil painted on the ceiling giving the illusion of a large dome.
We passed through a series of rooms, part museum, part home. A small dining room with a heavily-carved wooden table and chairs appeared to be the present family dining room. Later, we came to the formal dining room, an impressive room filled with light from windows along one side overlooking the courtyard. The table was set for ten diners with the family's porcelain, cutlery and glassware.
The tour took us through a number of rooms, some large and formal, some small and intimate (like the family archives room) before we descended to the ground floor using the main stairs.
Finally, what else should a Maltese Palazzo with a private chapel have? Private air raid shelters, cut into the rock 100 feet below ground - a large one accommodating 150 people and a smaller one for the family. Having explored these constructions, a separate exit led us out to the courtyard, concluding a fascinating visit. See the Casa Rocca Piccola website
A walking tour of Valetta
I didn't manage the Harbour Cruise I'd hoped to do. I'd established that Captain Morgan Cruises operate the harbour cruise, starting from Sliema. But I was told that the public ferry from Valetta to Sliema had been cancelled 'due to bad weather'. I decided to explore on foot and descended the long flights of steps to reach the public ferry terminal where the Sliema Ferry docks. Although the waters of Marsamxett Harbour seemed calm, the timetable board carried a 'CANCELLED' sign. Of course, I could have taken a bus to Sliema but, looking across Marsamxett Harbour to the modern skyline of Sliema, I decided that I was becoming too tired and that it was time to return to the hotel.
I made my way back to the Bus Station where I found the correct stand and the electronic display confirmed I had just a few minutes wait for the Route 44 bus. A bus arrived, displaying the correct route and destination but, almost immediately, the display went to 'SORRY NOT IN SERVICE' and the driver got out to have discussions with some sort of Inspector. When he returned, he set a different route and destination, loaded a few passengers and departed. I looked again at the electronic display and the bus I was waiting for had magically been erased, giving me almost half an hour before the next service. "This", I thought, "is more like the Arriva I know". I passed the time with a walk to nearby Upper Barracca Gardens, overlooking Grand Harbour. I returned in time for the next bus. Again, a bus arrived carrying the correct route and destination. To my surprise, both the electronic display on the stand and on the bus went blank. The driver got off to check his bus display, looked puzzled, and got back on to re-cycle everything. This time, he produced a display of '*****' but, by the time he'd got off to check, it had gone blank again. He re-cycled the equipment a few times, failing to produce any display. He got off again saying "It's gone crazy". While we chatted, the correct display suddenly re-appeared. Both relieved, we boarded the bus, followed by a few other passengers. However, I noticed that the internal 'Next Stop' display wasn't working, nor were there any voice messages throughout the journey. After a couple of stops, the bus was packed. At the next pick-up, I heard a passenger complain that she didn't know what bus this was, so I presumed the displays on the outside of the bus had stopped working again.
In the 'old days' it was conventional for the Maltese to complain about their owner-driver buses which were, indeed, rather clapped-out. Now, it seems, they complain about the service provided by multi-national Arriva. This, I believe, is called 'progress'.
Traffic was heavy as we made our way through various towns (Msida, Birkirkara, Mosta, Mgarr) back to Golden Bay but, once on the bus, I wasn't too worried. Back at the hotel I met up with Ann and Dean and captured the sunset. The following day, we would fly back to England.
References
The book 'Malta Convoy' by Shankland and Hunter is a factual account of the 'Pedestal' Convoy to Malta in 1942 (ISBN: 0-00-632964-0).
'Malta Story' is a 1953 black and white film starring Alec Guiness and Jack Hawkins re-issued as a DVD by ITV. Covering similar events to the book in a fictionalised manner, it gives a good impression of the work of the Lascaris War Rooms (using a replica of the War Rooms re-created in Pinewood Film Studios).
Photographs
Round and about Valletta.
Lascaris War Rooms.
Casa Rocca Piccola.
All the photographs on this trip form a collection titled Malta.
[Additions 9-Dec-2012, 10-Dec-2012, 12-Dec-2012]
