R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 116

Fun Photo Friday — 54 Days at Sea, Malta Favorites 2

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Malta after Sunrise

More Malta favorites:

Happy Halloween — The Apollyon Particle

 

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The Apollyon Particle — A Halloween Tale of Terror

Time for this year’s Halloween Story. If you enjoy it, please “Like” it below and spread the word. If you don’t, keep your mouth shut or suffer the wrath of Apollyon:

Friday, September 12, 2019

For immediate dissemination from Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN):

My name is Dr. Vlad Draken, and I led the team that brought us to this catastrophe. The following is a brief synopsis of how we arrived here, what Apollyon has br...

54 Days at Sea — Malta; St. John’s Co-Cathedral

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Saint John’s Co-Cathedral

In Valletta, the capital of Malta, is St. John’s Co-Cathedral. This co-cathedral was built by the Order of St. John (Knights Hospitaller) over a five-year period ending in 1577.

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Saint John’s Co-Cathedral

You may know the Malta branch of Knights Hospitaller under different names — Knights of Malta. This was one fascinating group. For more information, read History of Malta under the Order of St. John.

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Saint John’s Co-Cathedral

While the exterior is rather plain and du...

54 Days at Sea — Strolling in Valletta

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Banners for the upcoming Feast of St. Augustine, Valletta

One of the striking aspects of strolling the streets of Valletta, Malta, are the colors that abound everywhere. For instance, in May there’s a week-long Feast of St. Augustine, and vivid red-and-gold banners fly everywhere. Even though M.S. Prinsendam arrived some three weeks before the festival, the banners were already in evidence over many streets. And below is a photo of a Valletta vendor vending various vines beneath a vaulted ver...

Fun Photo Friday — 54 Days at Sea, Malta Favorites 1

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Bedford bus with Greyhound Decal

Here is the first of four Malta Fun Photo Friday favorites:

54 Days at Sea — Setting foot onto Malta

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Valletta Waterfront

There is a lot of history in the Mediterranean, and the island nation of Malta (Republic of Malta) is the focal point for a lot of it. And while Malta is actually an archipelago consisting of many islands (many not more than large rocks jutting from the sea), only the three largest are inhabited. The island we’re on today is Malta Island, and the city we’ll be exploring is the capital Valletta.

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Valletta Waterfront

The cruise ship port in the Grand Harbor is alongside an ar...

54 Days at Sea — Malta; Sailing into the Grand Harbor

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Prinsendam sails into Grand Harbor, Malta

The captain of the M.S. Prinsendam warned us that we best be up early for our entry into the Grand Harbor (also called the Port of Valletta), Malta, if we wanted to see one of the most spectacular arrivals of the cruise. He was absolutely correct. The sun was low on the horizon, giving the ancient Maltese fortification and city walls a soft, warm glow.

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Grand Harbor (Port of Vallerta), Malta

Malta is, if anything, even more spectacular than even Santor...

Fun Photo Friday — 54 Days at Sea, Santorini Favorites 2

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Santorini Mule Train

Today is our last look at the colorful destination of Santorini, Greece:

54 Days at Sea — Santorini Part 4

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Santorini Donkeys heading down for more tourists

Even though today isn’t a Fun Photo Friday, I’m going to concentrate this article on color, because Santorini is practically synonymous with colorful images. Just take a look at these backyards:

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Santorini backyards

Or this ceramic store with brightly colored wares on display:

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Santorini ceramics on display

Below is an image I captured of a Greek Sphinx against the blue backdrop of the Aegean inside the Santorini caldera. The Greek version of thi...

54 Days at Sea — Santorini Part 3

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Santorini cliffs

Many major destinations have an iconic view — a structure or scene that is so striking that it is captured over and over again. For Santorini, that iconic view is of the three blue domes that can be captured together in one image:

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The famous Three Blue Domes of Santorini

In the background you’ll note two other blue domes, and there are dozens more dotting the landscape. But it’s the image above that seems to draw most everyone. Here are more Santorini churches:

 

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Santorini ch...