We stopped in Siggiewi after looking at temples and explored its church as the sun went down. The next day we explored Rabat, with its church and catacombs; the adjacent old city of Mdina, with its cathedral and distinctive architecture; and the enormous dome church of Mosta.
We finished the day at a wonderful "slow food" restaurant which served Maltese food cooked in the traditional way (which, sadly, we didn't photograph). Mmm... ftira. (Maltese "pizza", a thick piece of bread with, say, big chunks of sausage and potatoes and goat cheese with a little tomato sauce).
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The domes along the sides had bags hanging from them which we never figured out.
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St. Sebastian. The world adores this naked pierced guy. While I was taking this photo a lady came up and said words to the effect of "if you like statues, there's St. George on the next block." I said, "I like Sebastian," and I think she knew just how to take that. It's a code that's hardly a code, like telling Midwesterners that you think San Francisco is a fun city.
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This mysterious chamber beneath Rabat's church was visible only to the flashbulb. St. Paul hid here from the Romans. The sign said, "Hoc dextrum D. Pauli cryptae latus terram asportantib." I can't wait for Google to get to Latin.
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Buildings like this make you want to get on with the house remodeling.
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St. Paul's Catacombs in Rabat. He is like George Washington on the East Coast, everywhere says he was here.
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Decoration in the catacombs. Sadly, protecting graffiti from graffiti artists makes it hard to appreciate.
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The ledges in the wall were for burying children and infants.
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Mdina is an old walled city right next to Rabat. All of the paving stones in the streets were being replaced while we were there.
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The dome was hit by a bomb in World War II (you can see the repair so people will Never Forget).
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A replica of the bomb is in the sacristy.
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On to Eastern Sicily
