Mr & Mrs B have been extraordinarily kind to me, they have either befriended or taken pity on me, probably a little of both. Yesterday they took me to the Notte Bianca festival in Valletta. A special ferry had been laid on, taking us into Valletta Harbour in Malta, it's all lit-up, ancient buildings, battlements and grain stores, an oil rig in dry dock.
Thousands of people in Valletta. Everything open all night, all the museums, shops & food places, restaurant tables on the streets, music, lights, people everywhere. Honestly can't remember everything I saw. Wide, flat steps (so horses could ride up them) into one building. The Palace, with throne room & the Government chambers, armoury. Tapestries, paintings, suits of armour. Lightshow screened up on one of the huge central buildings, along with accompanying opera. Glimpses as we walked past of ornate churches and libraries, too much to absorb all at once.
The most memorable I think was the St John's Co-Cathedral, built 1573-77. Vast, ornate place the like of which I've never
seen. Gold-leaf gilt and statues, 400 tombs of the Knights inlaid in marble on the floor, all 'adorned with symbols of virtues, death & immortality, such as eagles, lions, skeletons & angels'. Took my breath away, so vast and such grand scale history. The highlight I think, though difficult to take it all in such was the magnitude of it all, were paintings by Caravaggio housed in the Oratory. Beheading of St John the Baptist (1607), the largest he ever did, and St Jerome Writing. Awestruck, the St John's painting in particular is vast. I could stay in that building for hours.
Ferry back at 12.30am, back home about 3. Footsore and quite shattered from a whirlwind of culture.
Thousands of people in Valletta. Everything open all night, all the museums, shops & food places, restaurant tables on the streets, music, lights, people everywhere. Honestly can't remember everything I saw. Wide, flat steps (so horses could ride up them) into one building. The Palace, with throne room & the Government chambers, armoury. Tapestries, paintings, suits of armour. Lightshow screened up on one of the huge central buildings, along with accompanying opera. Glimpses as we walked past of ornate churches and libraries, too much to absorb all at once.
The most memorable I think was the St John's Co-Cathedral, built 1573-77. Vast, ornate place the like of which I've never
seen. Gold-leaf gilt and statues, 400 tombs of the Knights inlaid in marble on the floor, all 'adorned with symbols of virtues, death & immortality, such as eagles, lions, skeletons & angels'. Took my breath away, so vast and such grand scale history. The highlight I think, though difficult to take it all in such was the magnitude of it all, were paintings by Caravaggio housed in the Oratory. Beheading of St John the Baptist (1607), the largest he ever did, and St Jerome Writing. Awestruck, the St John's painting in particular is vast. I could stay in that building for hours.
Ferry back at 12.30am, back home about 3. Footsore and quite shattered from a whirlwind of culture.