We finally left Marsamxett Harbor in Valletta yesterday after a short tour of the town and St. John's Co-Cathedral. This latter experience added a bit of a twist to the usual "Oh, here's another 500-year-old church with intense, priceless paintings and incredible architecture." I mean, there are so many of these simply incredible structures around that after a few of them - and especially after St. Peter's Basilica in The Vatican - you start to get numbed by it all.

But this cathedral had a twist. First of all it was the "party headquarters" for The Order of the Knights of St. John the Baptist. This religious/military unit was made up of young aristocrats who weren't noble enough to be in the line of succession, but who were strong and rich (and probably smart) enough to put on a suit of armor and battle the infidels who were disrupting the pilgrimages (most notably the Ottomans, but I am sure it wasn't just restricted to fighting the Turks). In addition to that, this church was commissioned entirely for St. John the Baptist, as opposed to all the other churches we have visited which, naturally, featured the big guy himself, Jesus Christ.

So that kept my rapt attention as I studied the incredible, over-the-top, baroque-style, wall engravings and altar and everything. The baroque style is just so intense, it is hard to describe. I will post a picture to show it off. It would surely keep anyone from falling asleep during the sermon! The "jewel" of the tour was seeing Caravaggio's famous 'Beheading of St. John'. Intense painting. Caravaggio was an interesting story. Here was a guy who was a very talented painter during the Renaissance. But I guess he must have had a bit of a temper because he ended up killing a guy in Rome and after fleeing to Naples, boarded a galley to Malta. His talent was roundly accepted in Malta and, after providing many pieces of art to the cathedral, was accepted into The Order of the Knights.

A few weeks after being sworn in he ends up killing another knight, getting imprisoned on the island, escaping confinement, fleeing Malta, and getting expelled from the Order. The story is an artistic twist to our modern-day example where highly talented sports figures end up screwing the pooch and getting thrown in the clinker!

After a short, nearly windless sail we ended up at the Blue Lagoon on (mostly uninhabited) Comino island between the big island of Malta and the smaller island of Gozo to the west. This is a rather unique experience because the Blue Lagoon is certainly blue. But which marketing genius named it a 'lagoon'? It is about as much of a lagoon as American football involves feet! I mean, I know a lagoon when I see one, and this is definitely NOT a lagoon!

But never mind. It is still rather unique. We will find out today if the snorkeling is really as good as they say...or another marketing veil!. They really tout the beaches, but so far all we have seen are two beaches, each of them about 45' long!! Then you have probably 50 boats (mostly small sport boats) anchored out. Add in continual taxis from Gozo bringing hordes of tourists to this spot, and you have the makings for a circus! As I write this I can look over at one of the beaches and I swear there is not a ray of sunlight hitting that beach because of all the blue sun umbrellas pasting a roof over the sand! Seriously! I don't know how long we will last here - we are still adjusting to "high season" in the Med.

What is most impressive in Malta is their use of fireworks. Every weekend throughout the summer one city or more will be firing them off to celebrate the patron saint adorning and protecting that particular city. And this weekend is one of their big weekends. So every night, no matter where you are on Malta, there is a fireworks show you can see. And get this - fireworks are apparently illegal in Malta!