Relaxing in Malta

My week of relaxation in Malta is nearing its end so i figured i'd give everyone an update. My first three days were spent in the beautiful city of Valletta...architecturally one of the most amazing cities i've seen...reminds me of Dubrovnik but with much less tourists. The history is really fascinating and makes this place worth visiting. This is a country that has been under foreign control for almost all it's history...Romans, Arabs, Normans, Order of Knights of St. John, France (Napoleon was here!) and England...you can see these various influences everywhere. The city of Valletta itself is a huge fort that was built by an Order of Kings (ex-crusaders that needed something else to do) and is fascinating just to walk around. For art buffs, Caravaggio lived here...he was accepted into the Order of Knights and painted a few works...one of which was his largest work - the beheading of St.John the baptist which still hangs in the main cathedral.



I also took a short trip to Mdina, another nice but much small town to stroll through.

After 3 days of history and carnival, i changed hotels to the Westin in a touristy area called Paceville :) Five-stars, king bed, balcony looking out into the Mediterranean, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, gym, chandeliers, a man in white gloves playing a piano, and everyone calls me 'sir' all for €60 per night (great low season internet rate - in high season the same room would go for €250).