Travel Photos: July in Malta, Greece and Italy

04/08/2016

Welcome! We hope you enjoy the pictures of our trip as we travel to the very historical and beautiful sites in Malta (to visit my family), Greece (to visit our daughter), and Italy--just because! We were traveling the entire month of July, starting in Michigan USA, then an unplanned, 24+ hour layover in Toronto, Canada on the way over to Athens. A ferry day to the island of Aegina, a flight for 4 days in Rhodes, then back to Athens. Flew to Malta for 2 weeks, including a ferry to Sicily, Italy for a day, and ferryboat trips to the Maltese islands of Gozo and Comino. Flew off to Rome for 3 days, and took a bullet train to Florence, Italy for an unplanned day trip.

Below are almost 900 pictures (not counting the multiples I deleted to get the best shot, without other tourists in them--or out windows while moving lol) I took with my IPhone to document our trip. I want to pass on my heritage of being a dual citizen of Malta in a way our granddaughters will relate to as they grow up (they are now 2 and almost 5), as their father and his sister (the one who now lives in Athens) learned to be proud off all of their life. I also want them to see where their aunt has been living for the last 2 years, and will still be living while working in Athens. I hope you enjoy them and Google to get more details of places and things. They are chronologically posted by date from the bottom up.
Thanks!

29/07/2016

Friday afternoon. Hop on-Hop off bus trip around Florence and surrounding hills to Fiosole

29/07/2016

More of the Uffizi Museum. Absolutely breathtaking--a person who truly knows about art would go crazy being surrounded by so many magnificent pieces. We didn't have time to do both this museum and the one where Michelangelo's "David" is, and I was talked into visiting this one as it has much more. Am very glad we did!

29/07/2016

Friday. Spontaneous train trip to Florence/Firenze.

28/07/2016

Vatican City day ends. Our last stops in Rome.

28/07/2016

The Vatican. St. Peter's Basilica. The Sistine Chapel.
You must stay silent in the Sistine Chapel, and no photography is allowed. It its surreal to be in there, and know how much happens in that room. It is 133 x 46 feet, and 68 feet high. You could crane your neck for hours to see the details in each painting. Because Michelangelo was a sculptor who was commissioned to learn to become a painter, you can see the progression of learning his craft over the 4 years it took to complete.(Even I could, and I am next to clueless about art). Every section tells a Bible story, and it is over 500 years old. About 3/4 of the room is gated. When Cardinals are electing a Pope, no one is allowed into that space. The last 1/4 of the chapel is where anyone can enter during an election, so we saw where the man who deals with the balck/white smoke does it from.

28/07/2016

Thursday afternoon. The Vatican museum.

28/07/2016

Thursday. The Vatican surrounding area, then the Vatican Museums.

28/07/2016

Thursday, on our way to the Vatican.

27/07/2016

Wednesday afternoon, continued. (Yes, we are very hot and our feet beg to stop, but it is all worth it! Oh, and I am officially "old" now as my first Social Security check got deposited today lololol)

27/07/2016

Wednesday afternoon. Walking from The Forum to the Pantheon.

27/07/2016

Wednesday afternoon. The Forum

27/07/2016

Wednesday morning. The Roman Colosseum.

27/07/2016

Rome-- Tuesday, our first evening. Trevi fountain Walking down a little side street, which suddenly opens up to this magnificence.

27/07/2016

Monday. Gozo, continued.

26/07/2016

26/07/2016

Final night...family dinner at the restaurant of the water polo club during a match. The sun sets on our fantastic trip, full of memories provided by many relatives during the 2 weeks--which went by way too fast. Special thanks to my cousin's daughter for arranging the family reunion (the only one I've ever had!) And all of the family meals we enjoyed. Extra special thanks to my cousin, the excellent tour guide and historian who made places even more fun :)

26/07/2016

Monday. Gozo. Malta's sister island.

24/07/2016

Sunday. Another family dinner day.

24/07/2016

Saturday afternoon. Temples at Hahar Qim and Minajdra. Then on to Popeye Village, Anchor Bay, Golden Sands Bay, and Melliha Bay.

24/07/2016

My very favorite spot in all of Malta-- the Blue Grotto!

24/07/2016

Saturday morning. Marsaloxx fishing village.

24/07/2016

Friday night family dinner at Mdina, the "Silent City" and original, walled capital. Sadly, for the 300 residents (only they can have a car inside the walls) Poke Mon Go players were everywhere, so the silence didn't exist tonight.

24/07/2016

Glassblowing video

22/07/2016

Friday morning with my cousin, while my husband and daughter are on a fishing charter.

22/07/2016

Thursday afternoon. Valletta. Stopped in my cousins' gift store to visit and shop, and have lunch at a long time favorite of locals and tourists. Then off to St. John's Cathedral, home of the only signed Carravagio painting in the world.

22/07/2016

Thursday morning. Tarxien Temples. Malta has several ruins, and 3 UNESCO World heritage sites. Most people assume that the most famous sites in the world--Stonehenge--are the oldest, but the ones in Malta are even older. They date back to 3600BC. This site was discovered in 1914 by a farmer plowing his field. It looks much different than the last time I saw them as they are now covered to shield them from weather elements, and have ramps through them for tourists. Since Malta entered the EU in 2004, the country's income from tourism has been highly boosted by funds to make the island even more tourist friendly. Anyone who loves history can spend weeks here to seeing and learn it.

21/07/2016

Wednesday evening. Met my Dad's only living sibling. He reminded me of a mixture of my father and another brother, who was my Godfather. Made me happy and sad at the same time as I miss them so much. My Dad adored his homeland, and I feel him here with me. We had a lovely dinner with my uncle, and lingered long enough to have this beautiful view of the bay by moonlight.

21/07/2016

Wednesday. My favorite place on earth-- the Blue Lagoon! It is part of the island of Comino. Like Hawaii, there is the main island, plus other named islands. The country of Malta is comprised of Malta, Gozo, Comino, Fifla (uninhabited) and an unnamed rock. I love this place because it it stunning, the waters of the Med are more shades of blue than you can name, and even more clear and crystal here. It also holds fond memories of our family trip 17 years ago with my Mom, my family, and my sister and her family. Nine of us laugh when weremember the boat driver and the way he pronounced the blue laaaaaahhhhgooooon !

21/07/2016

Wednesday

21/07/2016

Tuesday. A day to rest up and laze by the pool. Big family reunion tonight of my mom's side. I was the excuse to have them all meet-- I felt like it was my wedding and had to get around to everyone. I hadn't seem them in 17 years, and some not since my parents lived there in the 70's, when I would go home for Christmas break. There were also spouses and children of my cousins and their children whom I'd never met. Was a wonderful evening and I thank them all for coming, and my cousin who arranged it all!!

21/07/2016

Mt. Etna-- there is no way to photograph its magnificence and vastness

21/07/2016

Taoramina, Italy. A beautiful and romantic city. There are 40 villages surrounding the mountain

21/07/2016

Sicily! Monday--very long day (5 am to midnight) but well worth it . 90 minute ride on a ferry (see Harbour pictures from Friday) then 300 miles on a coach bus. Amazing day!