Saturday, May 26, 2018

Saturday 26th May 2018..another road trip!!!

Here I go again with the woke up to a wonderful sunny day but it is so!!!!!

Today was my day to do the planning and the driving...Malc in charge of navigation and Janet did such a great job being in charge of relaxing yesterday we gave her that job today too!!!

First we headed to the west coast beaches and saw a great one...


I have a hiking day planned on Monday and think I will take the bus back here and do some hiking over the cliffs and bays!!

We stopped at yet another lovely church and yet again seems to be no people around.

On very narrow roads


and we parked outside the ancient city walls of Mdina and I walked around...

Others found a different mode of transportation!!!

Back onto the coast and the majestic Dingli cliffs..

Dingli was named after either the Maltese architect Tommaso Dingli (1591–1666) or his 16th-century English namesake Sir Thomas Dingley, who lived nearby. It's a quiet village with not much to it, apart from a new, recommended farm restaurant. But less than a kilometre to the southwest the land falls away at the spectacular 220m-high Dingli Cliffs. A potholed tarmac road runs along the top of the cliffs, and it's well worth heading here for some great walks south, past the incongruous radar tower to the lonely little 17th-century Chapel of St Mary Magdalene and onwards to Ta'Żuta (253m), the highest point on the Maltese Islands. Here you'll enjoy excellent views along the coast to the tiny island of Filfla.


 and finally down to the Blue grotto

The Blue Grotto is located on the southern coast of Malta, west of Wied iz-Zurrieq facing the little deserted islet of Filfla. The site got its name from a British soldier who thought that since the area looks like the Grotta Azzurra in Capri, it deserves the same name, and in fact Blue Grotto is the equivalent for Grotta Azzurra in English. The site is extremely popular, attracting some 100,000 tourists per year, also for diving purposes. The site also features in the film Troy (2004) starring Brad Pitt. The location of this fascinating natural grotto combines with sunlight and the surrounding chain of caves to reflect the phosphorescent colours of the submerged flora and the deep dark shade of blue of the sea.´
Getting to the Blue Grotto
Some caves, including the Blue Grotto, which is the biggest cave in the area, can be reached by boat from Wied iz-Zurrieq, from where you can also enjoy superb views of Filfla and the surroundings. The ‘frejgatini’ boats depart daily between 09:00 and 16:30 weather permitting, (apart from Christmas and New Year) and cruise for about 25 minutes before reaching the caves. The water can be rough but the boatmen know the area well, so your safety is ensured.
The Blue Grotto Caves and Arch
blue-grotto-corals-and-water.jpg
There is a massive arch (over 30m) and a system of sixcaves that were created by centuries of persistent action of the waves and the elements. The sky reflects the white sandy seabed, giving off a bright cobalt colour while the caves mirror the orange, purple and green off the minerals 



 where we took a twenty minute boat cruise through the fantastic rock formations and caves!!!

The final stop on the itinerary was the beautiful church in the bigger town of Mostar.....

This church as an interesting history.

Mosta Dome, the third largest rotunda dome in the world
The Mosta Dome is perhaps the most impressive church in Malta, with its’ massive rotunda, that is the third largest in the world.
The Mosta Dome church was built in 1860, and it is dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady. During the Second World War the church was almost destroyed when, during an air raid, a 200kg bomb fell through the dome without exploding. All the 300 people attending morning mass were left unharmed. On the 9th April, 1942 the detonator was removed and a replica is now on display inside the church as a famous tourist attraction. The Mosta Dome, or Rotunda took 27 years to build and was designed by a French designer who resided in Mosta, George Grognet de Vasse.
Mosta’s festa, that of St. Mary or the Assumption of Our Lady is celebrated annually on the 15th of August. 



It was really incredible inside and the dome overpowering!!

We stopped on the way home at a supermarket to get some supplies for a home cooked meal tonight thanks Janet it was lovely.

Tonight there is a huge European soccer game being played in Kiev....the most important game of the year with Liverpool facing Real Madrid and as you know we boys love our soccer and Janet has a “thing” for the Liverpool manager so we went down to the small bar in the hotel and watched the game and a good one it was.


So ends another lovely day  with still time for Scrabble ..I have returned to my losing ways and tonight Malc was a real winner...  well done!!!

Having trouble posting again so please scroll down for the photos!!!

Yashi Kochi!!

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