Destinations looks so easy on a map. They might be quite simple when you are driving. But when you have to catch a bus and make connections the art of travel becomes a little more complicated. Today I think we spent more time waiting for buses than we did travelling on them. Whenever we stand at a bus stop looking at all the bus numbers, their routes and their expected arrival times there is always someone who asks " where you want to go". Often it is hard to explain to them that we don't really care, that we are just going wherever a bus takes us. For those that use the buses it is hard to understand because bus travel is their life line.
We are headed for the 'Three Cities' of Vittoriosa, Conspicua and Senglea. We ride the bus as far as it goes and when it starts its return trip we get off. We are in Il Kalkara, the first of four small bays on the east side of Grand Harbour. It is sunny, peaceful and quiet. Bob walks out to look at boats and see where the walkway takes him. I sit on a bench and try a sketch of the old stone ramparts across the bay.
We buy a couple of pastries in the square and sit looking at the church above us. It is getting warm. We continued around the bay until we reached a point where we had to decide whether to go up the hill to the road or try our luck around the waterfront. We watched a couple walk down to the waterfront walk with a map in hand. They must know where they are going so we follow after them. An enquiry to a woman walking in the opposite direction confirms that we can get all the way around to Grand Harbour and Vittoriosa.
An old English vessel that has seen its last days. It will not sail again.
There are many boats on shore in various stages of repair and maintenance. This one had beautiful carvings on it.
As we look across the bay we can see the place we had been in Valletta a few weeks ago looking over the Bell Tower and out beyond the breakwaters to the open sea.
There are a series of apartments along the waterside, many of which are under renovations. So much of this area around Valletta is built on top of ancient rock structure. There are new square stone block walls set in between the old rock walls of 400 years ago.
We turn the corner from the shade to brilliant sunshine and "boats" the size one can only imagine. The first one I see is called "Plan B". For us "plan B" means a different bus route. Different strokes.....
The whole bay is filled with huge multi million dollar yachts. I've never seen this many mega yachts at one time, in one place before. It is fairly quiet compared to across the harbour in Valletta. We can look across through all the masts and up the narrow steep roadways to the streets of the main shopping areas of Valletta.
Observations for today:
The young women love their red dyed hair and boots of all kinds.
Today really reminded me that I am in the Mediterranean. The affluence, that is not Malta, but all of the other people that can afford to cruise here.
When you have had enough for the day you find a cafe next to the bus stop for a beer and a wine. It makes waiting so much easier. Unfortunately Bob almost missed the bus taking pictures.
McSims is not McDonalds...yucky pizza!!
Another cauliflower from our neighbour farmer. I insisted on paying this time ....he would only take €2.
It was such a blue sky day. I know the skies in Arizona can be very blue against the colours of the desert but the blues of the sea and the sky against the limestone colours of all the rock is incredible here.
A lot of pictures and not much sketching today. I'm posting my blog tonight with the 8:00 bells ringing in the background.
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