Our Last Day in Malta

Today Thomas and I ventured out on our own. Dave and Deanne were going to spend time with Jessica and meet Graham for lunch. Since it was just the two of us we got an early start. We left the apartment around 8:00am and headed to the bus stop. We took the bus to Tarxien and we got off at the Grasso stop. From there we walked a short distance to the Tarxien Temples. The morning had been overcast and as we arrived at the temples it started to rain. We went into the visitors center and got our tickets and looked around the gift shop. Then we made our way to the temples and thankfully they were covered. [Malta has taken to putting tent like structures over the ruins to protect them.] I was glad because now we could walk around, read the signs and enjoy the ruins without getting soaking wet. The Tarxien Temples are the largest of Malta's megalithic temples. We spent about an hour here reading about the site and taking pictures.

Upon leaving the temples we made our way to the nearest bus stop and caught a bus to our next destination - Mosta. We arrived in Mosta around 11:15am and it was still raining but not very hard. We got off the bus and decided we were hungry and decided to walk around and find a restaurant. We had a nice relaxing meal and got out of the rain. By the time we were finished eating the rain had also stopped. We left the restaurant and walked to the Rotunda of Mosta - our reason for visiting Mosta. At the Rotunda we had the option of tickets - the church, the dome or the catacombs. They also had combo tickets and we opted for a ticket for all three. We went inside the church and walked around enjoying to beauty of the building. The dome is spectacular and has a great story. During World War II a German bomb pierced the dome during a prayer service. Miraculously, the bomb didn't explode and no one was injured. They were able to get someone in to defuse the bomb and dispose of it. After visiting the inside of the church we then climbed some stairs and went to the roof and entered another doorway which took us to a walkway at the dome. We got a closer look at the dome and bird's eye view of the chapel. Once done with the church we went back outside and made our way to the side of the church and went down into the catacombs. They don't have any bodies down there now and it has been turned into a small little museum. We really enjoyed the Rotunda and I am glad we made time to visit Mosta. Here are some links for more information . . .

Rotunda of Mosta | Malta’s Miracle Church of the Unexploded Bomb
Rotunda of Mosta
Mosta: Myths and Facts
The Rotunda of Mosta: The Bold Architectural Design That Demands Your Attention

After we were done visiting the church we headed to the bus stop to make the trip back to Valletta. Once we arrived in Valletta we decided to walk around the city and just relax. We ended up walking to the Lower Barrakka Gardens. Here we found a bench and sat and enjoyed the views of the Three Cities. We also had a great view of the War Siege Memorial. After we left the gardens we wandered around Valletta. We bought some chocolate and something to drink. Two hours later we decided to take the ferry back to Birgu and meet up with Dave and Deanne. On our way walking to the apartment from the ferry we stopped at Waffles and More for some ice cream. It was 4:00pm when we arrived back at the apartment.

We spent about two hours packing and getting things ready for our flight home tomorrow. Then around 6:00pm we all left and went to dinner in Birgu Center. We ate at dCentre. The food was good and we had an enjoyable meal and visit. After dinner we returned to the apartment and got a few more things ready for the morning. Tomorrow we fly home.