Middle Malta: Mdina, Mosta, Rabat
The Maltese are proud of their stunning blue coasts, as well as the legacy of the Order of Saint John and the Knights of Malta. These can best be experienced in the heart of Malta with the whitewashed city of Mdina, the magnificent church of Mosta and the underground catacombs of Rabat.
I booked a tour to explore the area, as it can be such a hassle going around by buses in Malta. Unfortunately, it was a big bus tour, not the more intimate van or coach tours I hoped for.
San Anton gardens was our first stop, we were given 20 mins. Not much explanation given or maybe I just wasn’t paying much attention. All I knew was that San Anton was a Grand Master and he built the palace, which is now the office of the President of Malta. The flag was raised which meant the President’s in. Our guide told us the palace was closed to the public. It wasn’t, I went there and got in. Nothing much to see though… well, I only got to the hallway before it closed. As for the gardens, nothing too impressive, I could have just skipped it. The black swans and the peacock were interesting.
The Crafts Village was another stop I could have done without. I skipped the Filigree making demonstration. Baguio, where I’m from, is filigree capital. I instead, checked out the ceramics shop. That was more impressive! I chilled out for a while with a refreshing glass of freshly squeezed orange juice at the ceramics café. I did appreciate seeing the glassblowers… it was fascinating to see how they make glass, but then again, no explanation.
At Rabat, visiting St. Paul’s catacombs was memorable. It was a holy site, few meters underground. I remember vividly the sacred table, and behind it, the catacombs for babies. Strange that they’re next to each other.
From Rabat, we walked to Mdina. The bus can’t really go in there. Mdina was the highlight for me. I loved the limestone buildings – they brightened the alleys and walkways. At the center, we were given half an hour to explore on our own. I didn’t get to have coffee that I wanted, there was much to see. I ended up buying Knights of Malta souvenirs. Had I more time, I would have loved to see the Knights of Malta experience show.
Ten minutes was all we had for our next stop, Dingli Cliffs. I didn’t quite get the view I was expecting – the kind you see in postcards, with the white limestone cliffs with steep, high vertical drop-offs to the ocean. Rather, it seemed pretty much like the Blue Grotto — in fact, the latter seemed much more photogenic and scenic.
The countryside scenery was very dry. We reached what they refer to as “forest” which was pretty much what a normal green area would look like, except in contrast to most of Malta, it’s a “forest” simply because it’s greener. We stopped there for lunch. It’s mass-production catering not just to our bus group, but to a few more. Inevitably, the quality was pretty poor. The fish tasted too strong and over-cooked. The salad buffet was fairly basic with no dressing. I was looking forward to the desert. It was another disappointment, chocolate-somewhat-cake that was too hard and sugary.
Mosta was our final stop. The guide said it’s the grandest, best church in all of Malta. It was fairly simple to me. The dome was pretty impressive though. It resembled the center of a sunflower. Apparently, one part of the dome got bombed without the bomb detonating. Saw a replica of it. Must have been considered miraculous.
Wasn’t a very impressive tour, and pales in comparison to the Gozo-Comino tour — just staying in Mdina and Rabat for the day would have been time better spent.
