Valletta, Malta – Sunday, December 26

Malta Scenic Drive

Witness the natural and cultural beauty of Malta, from sweeping bays to fishing villages, on a panoramic excursion. You will meet your guide at our berth and drive to the picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk, where colorful traditional Maltese luzzu fishing boats bob with the currents in the small harbor. Continue to Żurrieq, one of Malta’s oldest towns, for a dramatic view of the Blue Grotto, a series of yawning sea caverns, and the tiny, flat-top rocky island of Filfla; a rest stop for many migrating birds as they journey between Africa and Europe. Continue into the rural reaches of the island toward the medieval fortified city of Mdina, Malta’s former capital. From here your route takes you toward the coast again, passing the resort area of Xemxija Bay and St. Paul’s Bay, where the patron saint of the island is said to have been shipwrecked in 60 AD.

When we woke up this morning we were in Malta. Due to all the documentation required for COVID-19 protocols, the ship’s internet connection struggled to keep up with needs of passengers to complete passenger locator forms, etc. The ship cruised at a higher speed to reach Malta and a better internet connection sooner than originally planned, expecting to arrive near 2 am.

While eating breakfast, Heather announced permission to go ashore had been suspended until a Maltese health official could come aboard and work with the Viking health officials to clear passengers to enter the country. So, we wait…..

At 10:10 am, Heather informed us that Viking passengers have been denied permission to enter Malta, due to an explosion of the Omicron variant in the island nation. She also let us know three passengers have tested positive for COVID-19. She assured us they have been isolated and reiterated the importance of following the safety protocols in place on the ship.

We decided to take our devices up to the pool area to read. It was a beautiful sunny day. The retractable roof of the pool was open. We chose padded deck chairs facing large windows where we have a nice view of the city of Valletta. The final announcement that we would not be able to go ashore was made around 11 am. Along with that announcement was one telling us large quantities of margaritas were being made to be served soon. We weren’t interested in those, but did accept a slice of cheese pizza offered a little later. We read and napped until a few minutes after noon, took our devices back to the room and headed to the World Café for lunch. The large sliding doors of the dining area were open and we ate in the terrace area, enjoying the sun and mild temperatures.

After lunch we headed to the Star Theatre for the showing of the 1953 movie, Malta Story, set in 1942. We were offered popcorn going in. About halfway through the movie, the captain announced we were leaving in a few minutes and would take a scenic way around the 3 main islands, Malta, Comino and Gozo. We left the movie and went to the sun deck to watch our departure. When it became apparent most of what we wanted to see was on the same side of the ship as our stateroom, we came back to the stateroom to enjoy our veranda, mask free with soft drinks from our mini fridge. Alan experimented with his telephoto lens and tripod.  According the Google maps navigation on my phone we passed St. Paul’s Bay where Paul was shipwrecked. Further exploration on the internet revealed, Paul was more likely shipwrecked near the island of Mljet, off the coast of Bosnia. The species of viper referred to in the Acts 27 passage has never been found on Malta, but is still found on Mljet. As our ship turned slightly to travel between the islands of Malta and Comino, we went back up to the sun deck to get a look at Gozo. By now the sky is cloudy, the sea looks more leaden with a cool wind.

We are now headed to Sicily, where the captain reported we are being welcomed, at the point. Only time will tell. Though the day did not go as planned, we have had a very good day.

For dinner this evening, we joined Tom and Grace at Manfredi’s, an Italian specialty restaurant on board the ship. A reservation is required, but there is no additional cost. The food was excellent as well as the company. Joyce’s favorites were the Gorgonzola gnocchi and Napoli style cream puffs with dark chocolate graze.

We finished the evening with Heather Clancy – In concert. Heather is the cruise director of the Viking Venus. She is a classically trained mezzo-soprano. She told the story of several opera, often humorously and then sang a sone from the opera. She is most widely know for her portrayal of the title character in Carmen.