Brumby (DE 1044) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 50 text:

Close by Md1na 1S Rabat Rabat freely trans lated means Place where horses stand When Md1na was the cap1tol horses were bedded outs1de the walls 1n the stables Wh1Cl'I was Rabat. Today Rabat 1S the center of Malta s lace and hand-woven text1le 1ndustry We were fasc1nated by the sk1ll and speed of the women operat1ng the looms and sp1ndals The catacombs of St Paul are 1n Rabat a bur1al ground lt 1S belleved that Paul taught there Md1na overlooks a large valley where most of Malta s agr1cultural output 1S grown The so1l on Malta IS only a foot th1Ck less 1n some areas and must be conserved Bu1ld1ngs may be constructed only after the so1l has been removed and trans- ported to another locat1on Terrac1ng 1S mandatory throughout the 1sland to prevent the loss of so1l by eros1on S1nce Malta has no r1vers water 1S collected 1n several natural clsterns A new de- salvat1on plant went 1nto operat1on recently t0 cope Wlth the needs of a growmg tour1st trade From Md1na can be seen the large Mosta dome No fore1gners from other v1llages helped bu1ld

Page 49 text:

and did not take it. In the central part of the church are more than 400 tombs of nobility from all over Europe. Each tomb is covered by a richly deco- rated marble slab. In another part is a huge paint- ing of the beheading of John the Baptist. It was painted where it is today by the artist Carravagio whose advanced skill and genius made possible the success of Rembrandt and da Vinci. The Church of St. John was an interesting stop on our tour of Valetta. On a hill in the center of the island is Mdina, the old capitol of Malta. Mdina was once the gov- ernmental and religious center for the island. To- day the town is an 'exclusivelresidential area for noble families and wealthy businessmen. There is an international school for children and an order of Benedictine sisters there. The church of St. Paul is beautifully ornate and was the Bishop's church before Valetta became the capitol. During the Feast of St. Paul, the church's rich store of gold and silver chalaces and candelabra are displayed along with the priceless tapestries and carpets. The waterless moat surrounding the city contains a variety of trees and flowers. Without the activity of the church and government, the narrow, stone streets wind past quiet buildings and Mdina is called the Silent City .

Page 51 text:

the church which was dedicated to Mary. All of the work, including the paintings and ornamental marble, was done by the villagers. Abomb crashed through the dome during the second world war and shattered the marble floor, but the dome did not fall. This beautiful church was built around the old one which was dismantled and carried through the front doors in ten days. Also in the distance from Mdina is St. Paul's Bay where it is believed that St. Paul landed when shipwrecked on his way to Rome. Nearby is a memorial from the Maltese people for the late John F. Kennedy. Between St. Paul's Bay and Valetta is a new complex for the tourists and unwary sailors in- cluding the new Maltese Hilton and the Malta ca- sino. A little BRUMBY money was left onthe tables of the casino. BRUMBY's stay in Malta came to an end and she was underway on 21 January for more special operation. This time we would be headed for the Egyptian coast to find our Russian friends again.