We arrived in front of Valletta around noon and we took onboard a compass adjuster before going alongside. After the swing we made ready to go alongside and started our approach.
The walls of the Capital are still impressive, one can only imagine the thoughts of would be conquerors in olden times when they approached the Island in wooden sailing boats with cutlasses, muskets, cannons and their faith as their weapons. As we approached it appeared that the wall is solid but when you got even closer an aperture appeared and the extent of the port becomes evident. We did not go into the Grand Harbor but just next to it, to Manoel Island Marina. Slowly we glide in with engines doing a kick ahead to keep the speed at about 2-3 knots. At the jetty we do a port about turn and go astern while dropping the starboard anchor to put port side alongside the old hospital. The jetty is pretty much rudimentary with no frills. We can get freshwater but thats about it. The old hospital (as it was during WW II) is pretty worn down and cordoned off probably due to risk of collapsing walls etc.
View towards Valletta and T'ax'biex
Opposite us it T'ax'biex with its fancy villas and then Valletta with the imposing fortification walls. Not a bad place to stay in terms of the view. I went ashore and gor a SIM card and called an old friend I had met in Vietnam, my friend is now married and living with a Maltese but we'd kept in touch via social networks. It is a small world...
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