Travels in the 2nd half

  The city of Valletta, Malta, is almost 500 years old. But, unlike most European cities of that age, Valletta was a completely planned community. This means that the streets in the old city were laid out in a grid pattern, with wider streets running parallel to the peninsula, and smaller ones crossing it. It also means that there is a uniformity to its buildings in style and size. One repeated feature of Valletta’s buildings are their enclosed balconies. These wooden structures are an adaptation of balconies seen in North Africa and southern Spain. Of course, in any old city, the doorways offer a fascinating look at structure, design and color. Valletta is built on the hilltop of the Sciberra Peninsula. It southern side, overlooking the Grand Harbor, has a steep run to a series of cliffs over it docks.   Finally, like any city set up for walking, people watching is something I love to do. Whether they are discussing their jobs, setting up shop, or just scrolling on their phon...

Relief Gate   Malta has played a key role in the history of military battles in the Mediterranean Sea. So, it is no surprise that one of the first things that the Knights Hospitaller did when they were given control of the island was to construct a fort. Fort St. Elmo By Dion Hinchcliffe via commons.wikimedia.org Construction began on Fort St. Elmo in 1552. It was designed to occupy the tip of the Sciberras Peninsula. From this position it could protect the newly rising city of Valletta, and the entrances to both the Grand and Marsamxett Harbors. During the Great Siege of 1565, the Fort was the site of major battles between the Knights and the Turkish forces.  Relief Gate A World War II observation tower Over the centuries, Fort St. Elmo has been modified and modernized. During the British colonial era, there were tremendous changes to the internal buildings including the construction of new barracks and offices. They also built many support structures around the outside the ...