The Island of Malta

Sorry but this will be out of order too because of computer issues. We are on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean off the coast of Sicily. It is an independent nation made up of many different ethnic groups but extremely Catholic. There is a church on every corner. The old city, or Mdina, is Arab. The new city of Valetta, also the capital, is from the sixteenth century. There are many little villages, a beautiful coastline with lovely beaches, and a variety of architectural styles. There are modern vehicles riding alongside horses and buggies. Lots of contrast. Very interesting. This morning we took a three-hour tour of the north side of the island. It was hot and very sunny but beautiful. The coastline is either unspoiled or filled with luxury hotels and apartments. The cities are crowded with locals and tourists. The shops are very high end. There is a boat show in town and the yachts are ubiquitous. I haven't seen one beggar so I get the feeling there is money here. Everyone is dressed well. Everyone speaks English. Everyone is helpful. The scenery, whether natural or man-made, is magnificient. What else can I ask for? This is one place I could return to. After Tunis it is like a paradise. I will try to update on Tunis soon. It actually comes before Malta. So here I am in another internet cafe trying to remember all the sights and sounds and happenings so far and I am not doing it justice. We are still with the same table mates who we like very much. I will be sad to see them go but anxious to meet the next group when we dock in Athens. The port stops have been so diverse and interesting for the most part, with just enough sea days to catch up on reading and recover from walking miles and miles each day. The hard part is still to come in Egypt and Israel. So far we have both held up pretty well except for Jerry's little incident in Amsterdam. I think he had the 24 hour stomach flu and he threw up in front of the main train station there. I wanted to run and hide but I had to get him back to the ship. It was touch and go but we finally made it before he totally passed out! Not a pretty sight. I guess it was all those naked women in the windows in the Red Light District. Personally, I thought they were all ugly!