Day 7 and 8: At Sea and Valletta

 Hello again! Combining these two days since most of the action took place in Valletta. Day 7 was a sea day…..enjoyed the chance to sleep and relax. There were some really rough seas the night before, so a lot of us didn’t sleep well. According to the room attendant gossip chain (yes, there is a gossip chain among the room attendants) a lot of people were suffering from nausea and seasickness. It was a good day to chill out and get some stuff done, not have to worry about being on time for an excursion. 

The big event of the day was dinner at La Dame. This is the flagship restaurant on Silver Sea….it’s French dining and there’s usually an upcharge. Since my friends were upgraded to higher end rooms, they got complimentary access to the restaurant and I got to tag along. It was a fun chance to dress up and have some really good food - pictures below. Something I don’t get to do everyday, and definitely something I don’t cook at home! 

The next day was a tour of Valletta, part of the country of Malta. I enjoyed Valetta a lot more than I enjoyed Rome - smaller, fewer crowds, and more of a relaxed sense than the madness of rushing from tourist attraction to attraction. My group took a short tour of the history of Valetta, then I got the chance to wander around and see what was there. I also got to partake in one of my favorite activities. I walked until I was tired, then sat down at an outdoor cafe to have a drink and people watch. After I finished my drink, I got up and walked some more. The fancy term for it is flaneur…..walk with no real sense of purpose, just to get some outdoor time and people watch. I enjoyed myself. 

…..and now, the pictures! 

Outfit for dinner - Eshakti from Lift Up Carolinas thrift store

All these glasses are for me? 

Appetizer - lobster with mango salsa and fancy cut veggies 

They served sorbet as a palate cleanser….. 

The main dish - Dover sole with veggies. The waiter took the bones out of the fish right at the table

Chocolate mousse for dessert 

Petit fours after dinner…..fancy, fancy! 

The main government building - nicknamed the Cheese Grater. 

Loved this. The opera house was bombed during WWII. Instead of tearing it down, they turned it into an open-air amphitheater and it’s apparently very popular. 

The Malta Stock Exchange. I don’t know the European system so didn’t go it, but was still cool to see the outside. 

Like other cities, the yachts are HUGE. 

Me, Lou and Nora 

The sign tickled me - so did the fact it was in English and not Italian. 

The art is everywhere……

The church of St Paul. I’m always amazed at the effort that’s put into designing religious buildings. Absolutely beautiful. 

Marble floors - each the resting place of a priest or religious figure. 

Mosaic. Imagine the work that went into this….. 

St Paul 

Y’all…..be nice when you come to other countries. 

Didn’t try the food, but the combination tickled me. 

I almost stopped for an iced coffee…..almost. Figured it would be a sin to do this in Italy, though. 

The shop was in downtown Valetta, the restaurant itself was down by the cruise ship dock. This should tell you all you need to know about the audience….. 

Found a beautiful clothing store, and had a little fun…..  :) 

View from the ship. 

Loved this. If you zoom in on the picture, you’ll see the cranes are painted like giraffes. Makes total sense……