PORTS
MALTA
The first port is Valetta, Malta, a jewel for history buffs. This was where the Christian knights made their last stand against the Ottoman empire. Valetta is a huge walled city with awesome cathedrals and other architecture. It’s a hot rather steep 15 minute walk from the ship up to the main gate entrance, and a better start would be taking or sharing a 10 euro cab. The ship map has the sights marked. The main shopping is on Republic and Merchant streets. You can buy bottled water or a beer at many shops, but the cheapest is at the small grocery store on Republic, perhaps a block from the main gate, for about half a euro.
The other main sights are Mdina/Rabat, Vittoriosa across the harbour from Valetta, and Sliema, the hopping resort area. We did Mdina last time, a complete medieval city, no cars allowed. It’s a 0.30 Malta Lira bus ride, about $1.20 CAN or 0.45 UKP, and you need ML change, not euros, which the shops will change for you. The same trip by taxi is about 30-50 euros, or $70 CAN, 30 UKP. The ship tour is about 40 UKP.
This time we did Vittoriosa in the morning, a .15 ML bus, and Sliema in the afternoon, also a .15 ML bus each way. In Vittorioso we wanted to see the Inquisitor’s Palace and some other medieval cathedrals. All busses depart from the roundabout in front of the main Valetta gate. It’s a zoo, buses everywhere, and you need to first ask at one of the bus control offices around the outside which bus number to take. If you go to Sliema for the action, stay on the bus along the marina/beach/bay road, nice views, and get off when it turns off towards the business district. Then you can walk either the boardwalk along the bay, or the shops/cafes on the other side, or the street going into town towards the Preluna hotel.
MESSINA, SICILY
There is only 1 rather awesome sight in Messina, the medieval church Il Duomo, visible from the ship, a 5 minute walk. But the medieval town of Taormina is a must see. It’s a beautiful hillside town, quaint little shops, a Greek/Roman amphitheatre facing Mt. Etna, and several medieval monasteries and churches. Many beautiful views. It’s 1 hour from the ship, and best to take the half day ship tour for about 30 UKP rather than doing it yourself on the local train, which stops too far from the town, or on the bus, which leaves to late and returns too early to be practical. The other tour, a full day to Mt. Etna and Taormina, is a lot of driving, 2 hours each way, for about 50 UKP.
NAPLES
Last time we divided the day between shopping in Naples (Via Toledo & Via Chiaia) and seeing the ruins of Herculaneum and going up the culprit, Mt. Vesuvius. This time we went to the Amalfi coast resort town of Sorrento. Instead of the full day ship tour for 50 UKP we did it ourselves, taking the 1 hour Circumvesuvius train there for 3 euros, and the 50 minute hydrofoil back for 7 euros. We’d suggest not taking the train, even though it’s convenient, running every 20 minutes, because there are no views down the coast, passing through industrial or residential areas and tunnels, and there is no A/C. It’s a 10 euro cab to get to the train. The hydrofoil is smooth, scenic, and has A/C, or you can sit up in the breeze and sun on the top deck. The hydrofoil departs from the other side of the terminal building from the ship, not requiring a taxi as the train does. There is no bus service. Our friends took the hydrofoil to Capri and had a great time.
Sorrento is built on a cliff, lots of interesting shops, beautiful views, cute cafes and vendors, old churches. To get from the town down to the beach/boardwalk/hydrofoil you either walk down a series of stone switchback paths in the cliff, or take the 1 euro bus. It’s a pretty walk, lots of photos to take. The hydrofoil leaves at 4:20, and gets you back to the ship by 5:15. The ship leaves at 6.
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