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| Trip Planning | Documents Needed | History & Map | Itinerary | Photos |
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Trip Planning |
Virginia and Chuck on the Queen Mary II on their Transatlantic cruise from South Hampton to New York City.
We thought we might go to Malta for a quick trip after the COVID-19 pandemic!
August 19th, 1:40 p.m. - United from San Francisco SFO to Munich MUC Germany 9:40 a.m.
August 20th, 12:10 p.m. Air Malta from Munich MUC to Malta, MLA 2:30 p.m.
Board the Viking Sea on August 20th, 2021 - Cruise from the island of Malta to Kalamata and then on to Athens, both on the main land of Greece. Then cruise to the islands of Santorini and on to Rhodes and finally Crete. Then back to Malta.
I already have been to Sicily and Sardinia on a previous cruise with Virginia in 2018 for my 78th birthday!
I always wanted to go to Malta and see the Order of St. John in 1530, who ruled them as a vassal state of Sicily.
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Overview of Documents Needed |
Documents and Check Listings for Flying to and Boarding a Ship
I almost felt like canceling the trip as we had to fill out so many forms and meet stringant standards due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But we also felt like being safe was more important than the hassel of meeting the new traveling standards, especially going to countries out side of the U.S.A.
Check out the needed documents to take a 2021 Cruise.......
Brief Overview of Malta and a Map
Overview
Malta has a long history and was first inhabited in around 5900 BC. The first inhabitants were farmers, and their agricultural methods degraded the soil until the islands became uninhabitable. The islands were repopulated in around 3850 BC by a civilization which at its peak built the Megalithic Temples, which today are among the oldest surviving buildings in the world. Their civilization collapsed in around 2350 BC, but the islands were repopulated by Bronze Age warriors soon afterwards.
Read More about the history of Malta.......
Itinerary - Day 2
Photos of Malta
Ports of calls on the Cruise Cruise Ship - Viking Sea
Fort from our Cabin Balcony!
Entrance to the Malta Harbor Beautiful buildings around the Harbor.
The Islands are composed mostly of limestone. Digging out Limestone.
Malta's own Blue Lagoon. We never stopped for photos, part of the COVID restrictions?
We saw many hill top walled cities. Each one was built by invaders or the locals in power. This one was built about 200 years ago. It was the capital for a while. The cathedral had the Bishop lived there. Eventually it fell from grace and the capital moved many times around the island. The rich families that built the walled city still after 200 years, have some still living there! Less that 100 people!
Buildings going up all over on Xemxija Bay! This is the resort area of Xemxija Bay and St. Paul's Bay, where the patron saint of the island is said to have been shipwrecked in 60 AD.
Private Boats Small islands all over the Sea!
Leaving Malta. The beautful Harbor.
Wine of course, before dinner! We taste tested wines everyday! All drinks free on the cruise!
Witness the natural and cultural beauty of Malta, from sweeping bays to fishing villages, on a panoramic excursion. You will meet your guide at our berth and drive to the picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk, where colorful traditional Maltese luzzu fishing boats bob with the currents in the small harbor. Continue to Asurrieq, one of Malta's oldest towns, for a dramatic view of the Blue Grotto, a series of yawning sea caverns, and the tiny, flat-top rocky island of Filfla; a rest stop for many migrating birds as they journey between Africa and Europe. Continue into the rural reaches of the island toward the medieval fortified city of Mdina, Malta's former capital. From here your route takes you toward the coast again, passing the resort area of Xemxija Bay and St. Paul's Bay, where the patron saint of the island is said to have been shipwrecked in 60 AD.
Because Virginia was ship bound as she couldn't navigate the bus steps or the rocky streets and so on, relaxed in our cabin or the balcony. When I would get back from a tour around one p.m. she would have ordered us lunch. This time it was three types of salads plus of course, wine or iced tea as it was over 90 degrees some days!
We learned that there is little soil on the islands. On Malta, to aquire more land to grow products on, they take the old quarries and fill them back up with clay and on the top, they add soil to grow crops. That is how hard it is to grow enough to feed the population.
Created on: 2021.05.20
Updated on: 2021.09.02