Valletta
Out and about in Valletta this afternoon and evening having spent most of the day in the sea and by the pool.
I wanted to go to see the St Paul Shipwreck Church, which I've seen before and remembered as rather lovely, but it's not open in the afternoon till 5.30pm. In fact when we got there it was almost 6 so soon after we arrived, a small group of the congregation gathered to say the Angelus . We were invited to continue our visit so did so quietly.
The church was built to commemorate St Paul's arrival on Malta as the result of a sjipwreck. As one of my friends said, they couldn't imagine why Paul ever got on a boat he seems to have been shipwrecked in so many places - talk about a Jonah.
This church is lovely and far more faith focused than many others, clearly a parish church as well as a visitor centre. The top right image is of one of the ceiling paintings over the altar and the bottom left a view of the church from the door . We had coffee in the cafe on the top left shot. It was one of many on the narrow, steep pedestrianised street outside the church. As you'll see by it's name, as Scots we didn't really have a choice. These side streets are at a really steep angle, but are filled with tables operating from small single room cafes on both sides . The bottom right shot is of one of the less crowded ones, less steep too now I look at it.
The extra shows one of the enormous cruise ships pulling out of the harbour, looking across towards the three cities.
The cat was sleeping in one of the only shady corners in the Barrakka Gardens from where we were watching.
The puppeteer with his skeleton puppet was drawing a huge crowd of children as we were heading home, lots of happy laughter.
The street scene is of the decorations which are going up all over Valletta at the moment, the transformation is remarkable with new things appearing every day. I keep meaning to ask someone, I'm assuming it's for the Feast of the Assumption on the 15th but I must remember to find out .
The central shot is an Analemma sundial which at noon, also gives the month as shown by the zodiac signs, I'm not sure if June and July are confused or whether they are meant to be out of place. You can find more if you Google it. I'd never seen one before.
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