Our morning lecture by Mr. Charles Dalli will cover the time the Baroque period painter spent in Malta.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beheading_of_Saint_John_the_Baptist_(Caravaggio)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravaggio
We then travel by bus to the Lascaris War Rooms and World War II museum. A secret area carved into mountain stone for use in war planning. Truly a feat of ingenuity and engineering.
http://www.lascariswarrooms.com/
http://vassallohistory.wordpress.com/lascaris-war-rooms/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta_Story
We return to Hotel Victoria and have lunch. The remainder of the afternoon is free of scheduled activities. This is our last chance to “wander” the streets. How we truly enjoyed the experience. Malta, a place so small on a map, but so BIG with hospitality of the people and their 6,000 year history.
This evening, we enjoyed a special type dinner. Each of us are “paired” with a local Maltese person to share a meal and stories. I felt so lucky to sit between a husband and wife, who were celebrating their 53rd wedding anniversary. I told them Carol & I were there to celebrate our 48th in such a wonderful place. When I was asked what I knew about Malta? The answer wasn’t difficult. I told them I was raised in a very ethnically mixed neighborhood. In the 1950s we had many people who were leaving Italy and Malta for a “new life,” as Europe was being rebuilt from the damage of World War II. I had school friends who were from Malta. Their surnames were like Mifsud and Azzopardi. The woman looked at me with surprise saying before marriage, she was a Mifsud. She is now married to an Azzopardi. What a story.
We will miss these friendly people and tasty food. Per recommendations from many US based Maltese friends, sampled variations of a favorite sandwich - Ħobż biż-żejt, where the bread is rubbed with tomatoes or tomato paste, drizzled with olive oil and filled with a choice or mix of fish (tuna, sardines, the catch of the day) olives, capers & onion. To appropriately “wash down” this specialty, had a local beer, Cisk lager.
http://www.malta.com/en/dining/maltese-specialities/hobz-biz-zejt-recipe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonds_Farsons_Cisk
Photo 1. A portrait of Michelangelo Merisi or Amerighi da Caravaggio.
Photo 2. Caravaggio seemed to have trouble follow him wherever he went.
Photo 3. Malta Story is a World War II movie with Sir Alec Guinness
Click below for today's online photo album.
https://picasaweb.google.com/magwheel44/2013C2CDay11of28
