The Three Cities

seen from the highest point on Valetta's walls. Directly ahead are the fortifications of Senglea, to the left, where the superyachts are moored, is Vittoriosa, and the area connecting them is Conspicua. To the right is the ship repair yard. 

Our last full day, and Maya's birthday and, as in Ireland, an important Catholic feast day and holiday. It seems much more is made of it here though. The fireworks have been rumbling and banging for a couple of days already and are building to a crescendo. The streets are draped with sumptuous hangings, the church bells are ringing incessantly and everybody is smiling. 

Maya's choice of activity today was to take a tour of the harbours. We took the water taxi to Valletta, crossed Valletta on foot, going down and down some very steep little streets till eventually reaching the waterside on the other side of the city where we caught another water taxi across another body of water to Sliema. Here it was like landing in a different country altogether, very touristy and all the usual city center shops which we suddenly realised we hadnt missed at all. 
But from here the harbour tours went, so we signed up for one, grabbed some snacks and climbed on board. 
The tour covered the two harbours, Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour, and was really interesting, covering all its history and showing buildings and aspects we hadnt seen before. 
Afterwards we went for lunch but both felt we didnt like Sliema so much so caught the taxi back to Valletta and spent the rest of the day there. It was very crowded and busy, being a holiday, with buskers and street markets and sprawling open air cafes. I even got a quick glimpse inside St.John's co-Cathedral though couldn't take pictures. It is phenomenal, baroque, with Carravaggio originals, and that alone makes Malta most definitely worth a second visit. 
We lingered as the light fell and watched a stunning sunset from the Barrakka gardens overlooking the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities.