Valetta

Another new country to add to our list - this time Malta. We had a really nice time at Valetta and is a place steeped in history. It has been under the control of various empires for thousands of years from Roman to Ottoman but now is quite British. Once again, due to its strategic location, Malta played an important role in WWII and in fact is the only country in the world to receive the St George Cross - the highest civilian award that can be given.

Another fortified city, Valetta is quite spectacular to sail into. We toured independently, visiting the gardens, The Malta Experience (an audio- visual about the history of Malta), and also included a brief tour of the hospital which boasted the longest ward in the world at 155 metres long; and Fort St Elmo which tied all the history we saw in the AV together.

During WWII they had 3 small planes (nicknamed Faith, Hope and Charity) that they constantly flew around to help thwart incoming attacks from the enemy. This was one of the reasons they earned the St George Cross.

Twice a day they fired canons and Brad was pretty chuffed to get the perfectly timed photo. It was a long day with plenty of walking, but very enjoyable.Read more