As 2011 comes to a close we wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a 2012 filled with love and joy.  It just doesn't seem possible the time has flown by so quickly ... guess the adage "time flies when you're having fun" is certainly true!

Last time you heard from us we were in Williamsburg VA awaiting the arrival of friends, Ken and Deanna Daly.  What a fun-filled week we had sharing this 18th century Revolutionary City with them!  The weather was great (well, for the most part anyway) and we enjoyed taking a walk back-in-time.  For example ... We stopped by a plantation and learned about life on a typical VA "farm", attended a witch trial, visited with Martha Washington and Thomas Jeffers on, strolled through town with a female slave, toured the Governor's Palace and the Armory,  witnessed the reading of the Declaration of Independence from the Capitol Building (complete with a fife and drum parade), learned about the dances of the era and took in a Shakespearean play in the Green.  Of course, we also found time to do a "bit of shopping" and eat yummy 18th century fare.  All in all it was a very busy week and we ended each day tired, sore and a bit wiser!

Our original plan had us celebrating Thanksgiving at the King's Arm Tavern.  However, keeping with the fact that change is a constant, Linda flew to NY to spend the holiday with her Mom and family.  Ken? Well, he enjoyed a turkey sandwich back in Williamsburg without having Linda nag at him about watching football all day.  (Linda promises him a turkey dinner complete with all the trimmings for Christmas.)  Her 9-day visit extended into 3 weeks leaving Ken with the chore of closing up our home-on-wheels and moving on to warm and sunny Savanna h GA on Dec. 1st where he met up with fellow full-timing friends, Ed and Nancy Fundahn.  They spent time touring Savannah and eating "buttery delights" at Paula Dean's The Lady Restaurant.  Linda arrived mid-week and the touring continued to Tybee Island, Fort Pulaski and Savannah's Colonial Cemetery.  Eats at Paula's brother's restaurant Bubba's and the Cotton Exchange on the riverfront rounded out the days.  Ed and Nancy's visit ended much too soon but they promise to return sometime so we can continue our Savannah area adventures. 

As we write this post, the washer and dryer are humming away in preparation for our trip back to the Chicago area to spend Christmas with the kids and grandkids.  The shopping is done (thanks to the internet and UPS) and presents await in Wheaton for wrapping paper and bows.  (Got wine?) Thanks to Skype we'll even be able to watch Bill and family open their presents in London.  Almost as good as being there ... well maybe not, but it'll just have to do! 

We'll return on 12/29 and wait for friends, CK and Harrison Knapp, to arrive in their new RV motorhome for a visit.  We'll settle in Savannah for the winter, staying until the end of March when we'll cross off another bucket list item ... Savannah's St. Patrick's Day celebration which apparently rivals New Orle ans' Mardi Gras . 

Until the next time ...

Merry Christmas to all... and to all a good night!

It's been quite a while since we sat down and filled you in on what we've been doing!  And, yes, we've been busy putting miles on the truck and smiles on our faces as we crossed items off our bucket lists.

When we last touched base it was the middle of August and we were in Southern Michigan.  Almost three months later we find ourselves in Williamsburg VA.  Come along with us as we retrace our steps and share some highlights of our journey ...

8/18-22:  Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan - walked the beaches and viewed beautiful sunsets while visiting with fellow members of the DuPage Drifters Camping Club.  A two day visit from son Bob, Jackie and kids rounded out a great weekend. 

8/22-9/6:  Fair Oaks Indiana:  spent a quiet week under the mighty oak trees while acorns "kept falling on our heads" night and day. Headed back to Chi-town area for a day to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Drifters camping together.  It was great to spend some time with everyone ... both the "old-timers" and newest members of the club ... while we reminisced about campouts-gone-by.  Back in Fair Oaks we experienced Labor Day weekend at a family-oriented campground.  To say it was a bit crowded and noisy is certainly an understatement!

9/6-19:  We wended our way west of the muddy Mississippi.  After driving though ... er, up and down ... the Ozarks, we arrived In Branson MO to spend 10 days camping with members of the Excel of Illinois Club ... Excel being the brand of our 5th-wheels. Not being fans of country or gospel music, we took a pass on the shows.  We know, we know ... we were in Branson of all places.  Instead, we enjoyed visiting with friends, relaxing, getting an early start on Christmas shopping, eating, viewing the beginnings of the fall colors, touring historic downtown Branson.  Oh, and an outing to the local post office took up about three hours of our time ... yep, it was only about 5 miles away from the campground but who needs directions? 

9/19-28:  headed back to Illinois ... Springfield to be exact ... where Linda's niece, Debbie, joined us for a week. They enjoyed walking the local cemeteries of their ancestors, visiting the Lincoln sites and war memorials in Oak Ridge Cemetery.  Oh, yeah, they can find stuff to talk about for hours!

9/28-10/3:  back to Indiana to meet up with the DuPage Drifters again for another weekend campout.  Members enjoyed a field trip to Fair Oaks Farm, the 19,000 acre home of 32,000 head of dairy cows ... making it one of the largest dairy farms in the world.  Highlight: witnessing the birthing of a calf, followed by eating homemade cheese and ice cream.  Well, maybe the birthing was a close second!  The fall colors are following us ...

10/3: said goodbye to our camping buddies and started our trip to the east coast.  First stop at New Paris Ohio where we visited with Linda's cousins, Sandy and Pat, from the Dayton area.  Then we continued on our journey through Homerville OH and Erie PA where the fall colors were amazing!

10/7-10:  arrived in Niagara Falls area where Ken was able to check yet another item off his bucket list - a ride through the falls on the Maid of the Mist.  What an awesome experience!  While in the area we also toured Old Fort Niagara, ate at a biker bar, crashed a wedding reception, took a cruise though two locks on the Erie Canal and continued to be amazed by the beauty of Fall.  Not sure which event was the best ... lol

10/10-17:  Back in Linda's stomping grounds of upstate NY.  Linda's Mom spent the week we us and we really enjoyed being with her.  We threatened to kidnap her but she turned us down ... something about taking care of her dog.  Whatever!!!!!  While in the area we also visited with niece, Debbie, and friends Karl, Julie and Kay.  Since, we camped near Cooperstown NY Ken took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame where he bought a Brooklyn Dodgers baseball cap ... yes, they were originally from Brooklyn!  Oh, and did we mentioned how absolutely awesome the fall colors were?

10/17-24:  Hello Plymouth MA, home of the pilgrims and infamous rock!  Linda's bucket list - check!  Toured the Mayflower II, Plimouth Plantation and the local Costco.  The highlight of the trip was having Linda's buddy, Vicki, spend a few days with us.  (A bit of personal history:  at 14 they liked the same guy but dumped him because they liked each other more!)  Linda's cousins Barb, Nancy and hubby Tony also stopped by to spent a lazy Sunday afternoon with us.  Of course the gals chatted away while Ken and Tony watched football on TV.  DUH, what else is new?  We know, you're getting tired of hearing about the beautiful fall colors!

10/24-28:  left Plymouth MA for Plymouth CT, then on to Quakertown PA to work on Linda's bucket list.  Toured the grounds at Valley Forge where her Revolutionary War Patriot camped with George Washington  - check!  Visited the Chadd's Ford Museum to see the artwork of three generations of the Wyeth family ... Andrew being her favorite - check!  Also stopped at the amazingly beautiful gothic-style Washington Memorial Chapel, a living memorial honoring Geo. Washington and the sacrifice of patriots encamped at Valley Forge during the winter or 1777-78.

10/28-11/1:  "landed" in College Park MD outside of Washington DC, barely avoiding the snow storms in the northeast .  Highlight:  met up with Ken's brother Tim and wife Elise for a wonderful dinner then on to DAR Constitution Hall to see son/nephew Ken (aka Junior) before enjoying a Sting concert.  Yep, you read right ... we got STUNG!!!!  What a great concert, but even better was getting to see loved ones again.  Ken Jr. looked GREAT and there was definitely one happy 4-some in the audience that night!  Oh, and Linda got to go to DAR Constitution Hall - check!

11/1-present:  Williamsburg VA, the country's great Revolutionary City!  We finally get to stay put for a whole month!  It's been some journey so far ...  and, the fall colors are just as brilliant here.  They seem to have followed us since leaving Branson.  Nature's patchwork quilt  ... what a sight!

Now that you've been brought up-to-date we promise to be more diligent about letting you know where we are, what we've been doing and who we've seen.  WiFi service permitting ....  :)

Linda's fishing adventure was a success!  Check out the "small but mighty" she reeled ashore ...

Of course, Ken took the fish off the hook.  However, she promises she'll attempt it next time around ... or maybe the time after that :)  We'll see ....

Today we're touring the South Bend Chocolate Company assembly lines with grandchildren Michele and Matt.  YUM!!!

We're back from NY after celebrating Linda's Mom's (aka "Ba" and grandma) big 9-0!  Linda's sister, Becky, and John outdid themselves!  The yard and gardens were beautiful, the "Ma Cave" John built at the creek was fantastic, the pool was welcoming and the food was delicious!  (If you've never tried deep fried summer squash you've missed out on a yummy treat.)  For the "worker bees", the party started Friday afternoon and ran into Sunday night ... 48 hours of hard labor (yes, Becky is a slave-driver), lots of laughter and sheer joy at being together.

It was so good to see everyone and "Ba" was certainly surprised as she was greeted with a boisterous chorus of "Happy Birthday".  Surrounded by her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren and friends from near and far, she sat upon her throne and reigned as the family Matriarch.  Ever the party girl, she even outlasted most of us by staying up until 3:00am for fear she'd miss out on some of the action.  She definitely enjoyed sitting by the fire watching a lively game of "Beer-Pong" well into the wee hours of the  morning.  What a trooper!

Sunday afternoon, as the party tapered off, Linda hit the pool with grandsons Mark and Alex.  Of course they paid no attention to her "don't get my hair wet" admonition and dunked her right out of the tube she was floating on.  Never one to pass up a chance to retaliate, she and niece Sharon promptly "depants-ed" both of them ... never fear, they had skivvies on under their shorts.  Ahhhh, is there anything better than building memories?

Not surprisingly, our flight back to Chicago on Monday was delayed for 2 hours due to storms in the NYC area.  We spent the evening at daughter Karen's and hit the road back to our home-on-wheels in Niles MI Tuesday morning.  We made a slight detour to Plainfield IL to pick up grandchildren Michele and Matt to spend the week with us ... fishing, swimming, eating and sleeping, typical teenage "stuff".  And, that brings me to the part where Matt and Linda are heading to the old fishing hole to try their luck.  Catch ya later ...  no pun intended!  :)

... that we're still in Niles, MI and plan on being here until mid-August.  From here we head to Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan for a few days, then onto Utica IL for 2 weeks before heading to Branson MO for a couple of weeks.

As we've said before, "nothing is as constant as change" ...

... and, we know we're not alone across the great mid-west!  Walking out the door is like entering a sauna ... the temperature is 97 but feels like it's 110 and  the humidity has to be "at least 150%" (well, maybe that's an exaggeration but not by much!).  To make matters worse, the National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning through Friday.  Thanks to air-conditioning, however, it's comfortable inside our home-on-wheels!

So what have we been up to in the past month?  Living on the road and loving it!

• The end of June we hosted one of our camping clubs, the DuPage Drifters, to a no-muss, no-fuss weekend at the campground we're staying at.  It was so great to see everyone after such a long time and good fun was had by all ... well, until Don got a wooden spoon stuck in his pant.  Head out of the gutter, folks ... it was a team competition, just a silly game.  (At least that's our story and we're sticking to it!)
• We returned to the Chicago area to celebrate July birthdays and the "4th of July on the 3rd" ... fireworks on the 3rd, not the 4th?  The local township decided not enough people would come on the 4th!  Hmmm ... how do you spell patriotism?  B-u-d-g-e-t c-o-n-s-t-r-a-i-n-t-s!
  
• The following weekend, friends Karin and Roger pulled their trailer here from the Chicago area and spent 5 wonderful days with us ... talking, eating, laughing and playing games (the gals want a re-match guys)!  While they were here we ventured out to do some antiquing and sight-seeing.  We toured The South Bend Chocolate Factory (YUM!), the Newmar RV Factory ($$$) and Notre Dame's campus (beautiful).  We also stopped at a local vegetable stand and bought our first sweet corn of the season.  We spent far too much at the candy factory, decided to keep our current "home" and, after eating a yummy lunch, never made it out of the campus bookstore!  Well, at least Karin and Roger managed to walk the campus and see the sights while we shopped the clearance tables for books we just had to have!  The corn?  Fabulous!!!
• Last Thursday night we went into downtown Niles.  Linda had a haircut while Ken sat in the park and people-watched.  We then treated ourselves to a nice dinner followed by a concert in the park.  Two hours of Blues-Rock by 2 great bands from Florida ... priceless!
• We've met a lot of fellow campers during the month we've been here.  It's always fun to get together and share experiences ... some funny, some not so much!  Many times you'll find us outside (not lately though) sipping a brew or glass of wine and munching on goodies while we visit with our neighbors.  At the present time our "closest" neighbors are from Arizona, Florida, Montana and S. Dakota.  They come, they go ...
• Today we finally set up the outdoor canopy for shade, chairs to relax on and grill to burn meals on ... All in preparation for son Bill, Kembly, Lucia and Sammy to arrive on Friday for a few days.  Gotta make the most of them being here as they move to London on Aug 2 ...  not as far away as Malta but still too far to drive.  :)

Well, that's the condensed version of what we've been up to since our last post.  Next Tuesday we drive back to Chicago, hop on a plane and head to NY to celebrate Linda's mother turning 90 years young!  Trailer stays here at the campground under the watchful eyes of neighbors while we're gone.  We vill be bach ....

To all the fathers, near and far, who have touched our lives ... have a WONDERFUL day!

We left Bloomington IL on Wed 6/15 and, after a 2 day detour to Dubuque Iowa to have some work done on our Home on Wheels, arrived at our "place of residence" for the next 6 weeks ... Spaulding Lake Campground in Niles Michigan.  Tired and weary after a loooong 8 hour drive, we set up "home" ... in the rain, of course ... and enjoyed a quiet evening of nothing-ness  The good: great wifi connection; the bad: no TV reception; and, the ugly: TV via computer for 6 weeks ... along with a stress-free, full-timing life style: PRICELESS!

The 2 weeks spent in Bloomington were wonderful!  We spent days by the pool, sipped "some brews" with new-found friends and "neighbors" Valerie and Luke, visited and lunched with fellow Excel owners Denny and Char Stanford, spent a day with one of Linda's former co-workers from her "Sears Days", Rosemary and daughter Maria.  We also ventured out and met up with fellow Drifter's Club campers at a nearby county park.  And, (will wonders never cease?)  Linda even braved getting her hair cut while "on the road" thanks to Char's recommendation of a local stylist... short, cute and sassy!  Make new friends and keep the old ...

Next weekend, we are "Wagon Masters" (i.e., hosts) for a Drifter's campout here at Spaulding Lake.  To this end, we spent yesterday checking out places to see and things to do in the area.  Friday, Ken and "the guys" will hit a local golf course while Linda and "the gals" visit and lunch at Fernwood Botanical Gardens.  After dining out at a local restaurant (coincidently known for it's Martini Bar) we'll sit around a campfire and "spin some yarns".  Saturday afternoon we have fly-fishing lessons, "happy hour", games, dinner at the campground and another campfire.  We can't wait to award the "fabulous" prize Linda won in a raffle while camping in Bloomington ...LOL!  Nothing beats a re-gift!  Sunday starts out with a simple breakfast then the day is open for "whatever moves ya".  Fly-fishing anyone?  Linda has decided to conquer the sport, even purchasing a fly-fishing rod outfit to ensure that she keeps at it!   Why fly-fishing?  She can use pretty little feathered flies in lieu of putting a worm on the hook, of course!  She also hopes never to catch a fish because she doesn't want to have to touch one with her lily-whites.  Go and figure!

Well, that's it for now ... catch 'cha later, alligator.  After a while, crocodile ... DUH!

We departed Malta on Tues 5/24 after saying our final good-byes.  It's a beautiful country and we really enjoyed visiting all the sites it has to offer ... but it's good to be back "home".  The very best part of leaving was doing so with the knowledge that son Bill and family would be travelling to the USA a few days later.  Bill has taken a new job and they'll be moving to London as soon as his working visa is processed.  In the meantime, they are staying with son Bob and family until the end of July.  YAH ... although they'll still be living in another country the move presents us with the opportunity to explore England.  First Costa Rica, then Malta and now England.  Such a deal!

After arriving home, weary from a long 17 hours of travel, we spent a few days with daughter Karen and family before heading 300 miles south to Effingham IL where we joined up with fellow Excel owners for a Memorial Day Weekend campout.  It was great to see everyone again and we enjoyed touring the Boos Butcher Block Co. and Hodgson Mills food packaging plant.  Came away with new knowledge and lots of organic goodies.  YUM!!!

From Effingham, we have moved to a campground outside of Bloomington IL.  Current plans have us staying here until June 15 then heading to Niles MI for about 6 weeks.  This Sunday we will make a road-trip back to the Chicago area to celebrate grandsons Jacob and Sammy's birthdays ... can't believe Jacob is turning 8 and Sammy 2! 

We love our full-time experiences!  We've certainly adjusted to "living on the road" versus vacationing.  With few set schedules and virtually no stress, it truly is the ideal way to retire!  The drawback, if there is any:  besides missing our family, it is bitter-sweet to make new friends from all over the country and then move on with the hopes of someday meeting up again.  Of course, there's always e-mail, phone and texting but it's not quite the same as visiting and laughing over a cup of coffee or glass of wine.

Speaking of which ... it's 5:00 somewhere!  :)  Catch'cha later ...

As mentioned in a previous post, Malta is a predominantly Roman Catholic country (94% of the populus) with what seems to be "a church on every corner" ... 365 chapels and cathedrals serve it's population of 400,000.  It is also the most religious country in the European Union with 95% believing in a God.  (For instance, in the medival town on Mdina 88% of the people regularly attend mass.)  Religious pictures, relics and shrines are proudly displayed in police stations, schools, government buildings, on public buses and just about anywhere you go.  Elaborate festas for patron saints are celebrated throughout the towns across the country.  Laws prohibit divorce, abortion and cremation ... and, under it's national healthcare system, circumcision is only performed in private physician offices on special request.  Religion is taught in all public schools.  In fact, the Maltese Constitution states: 

(1) The religion of Malta is the Roman Catholic apostolic religion.
(2) The authorities of the Roman Catholic apostolic church have the duty and the right to teach which principles are right and which are wrong.
(3) Religious teaching of the Roman Catholic apostolic faith shall be provided in all state schools as part of compulsory education.

(And to think that "In God We Trust" and public displays of the 10 Commandments or the Nativity arouse such a clamor in the USA!)

Yesterday we returned to Valletta to visit St. John's Co-Cathedral, St Paul's Shipwreck Church and St Paul's Pro-Cathedral.  We've posted some pics in our albums that capture the grandeur we saw.  Be sure to check them out!

St. John's Co-Cathedral with it's ornate "walls of gold", marble columns, in-laid marble tombs, Grand Masters monuments, paintings and tapestries is a magnificent example of Baroque grandeur!  Built for the Knights of Templar in the mid-1500's St. John's was the center of the Order's religious life.  Outside, the plain limestone facade with it's two large bell towers is reminiscent of a military fort.  Inside, however, the eyes are treated to a beautiful work of art!  The nave is 174 feet in length and 49 feet wide with chapels on either side assigned to the various langues (sects) of the Order of the Templar - Provence, Auvergne, France, Italy, Aragon (Northern Spain), England (with Scotland and Ireland) and Germany.  (Overall the cathedral is 213 feet long and 130 feet wide.  In practical terms:  we could fit almost 100 of our "Home on Wheels" inside the cathedral.  Now, if it only had full hook-ups ... what a campground that would be!)

Of special note are the famous paintings by Michelangelo Merisi de Cavaggio titled "Be-heading of St. John" depicting the be-heading of St John the Baptist and "St Jerome" depicting St. Jerome copying scriptures in his prison cell. 

In 1941, during the Second World War, St John’s Co-Cathedral suffered severe damage as a result of a bombing attack over Valletta.  Fortunately, the contents had been transferred elsewhere prior to the bombing and are now  enjoyed by tens of thousands of visitors each  year.

St Paul's Shipwreck Church dates back to the 1609 and is one of Valletta's oldest and most important churches.  Unlike St. John's, which catered to the wealthy Knights, St. Paul's Shipwreck was the church of the people.  Inside are altars dedicated to various tradesmen instead of St John's Grand Masters.  The interior and artwork found within this "hidden gem" are not to be missed.  Amongst the paintings, ornate altars and relics is the chuch's most valued treasure ...  a part on the column on which St Paul was beheaded in Rome and a monstrance containing the right wrist bone of St Paul. 

Regrettably, the church had a "no photos, please" policy but you can view pics and read more about the church's history here.

Why "Shipwreck"?  As told in the book of Acts, about 60 AD the apostle Paul was en route to Rome for trial.  He boarded an Alexandrian grain freighter on the isle of Crete.  During the trip a fierce Nor'easter blew the ship off course. It looked like all was lost. With the storm still raging, the ship struck a sandbar, and began to break apart. With the vessel and her cargo a total loss, the nearly 300 men on board swam for their lives. Miraculously, everyone survived. 

Once ashore, they discover that they are on an island. Because of the cold rain, the inhabitants gather wood and build a fire for them. As Paul is throwing some sticks on the flames, a viper crawls out of the wood and bites him. The people expect him to die. When nothing happens they say that he must be a god.

The Maltese believe this shipwreck occurred in a bay on the northern shores of Malta, now appropriately named St. Paul's Bay.  For 3 months St Paul remained in Malta, taught Christianity to the people and rid the island of vipers.  (Interestingly, in modern Malta there are almost no trees. Nor does the island have poisonous snakes.)  And so began a Christian influence in Malta that has continued down through the centuries.   

Saint Paul is memorialized throughout the island, no where more than in Saint Paul's bay. Tourists come from all corners of the earth to visit the Shipwreck Cathedral and to see the spot where most believe Paul's ship ran aground nearly 2,000 years ago.

St Paul's Pro-Cathedral,  Anglican (Church of England), is one of the two Protestant churches in Malta.  (It is call a Pro-Cathedral because the principal Cathedral of the diocese is in Gibraltar.)  Built in the 1839 by Queen Adelaide of England, St. Paul's understated simplicity creates a spacious light and airy feel.  The panels and plaques behind the altar and along the walls are memorials to patrons and those who defended Malta during WWII.  Most interesting to us was the organ!  Built in 1684, and once housed in the English cathedral in Chester, it is on this organ that Handel first performed the "Messiah" in Dublin. The cathedral's spire, almost 200 feet high, is a well-known Valletta landmark.  

Wow, we can't believe it's been 3 weeks since we arrived in Malta ... and just as long since we've filled you in on what we've been doing!

First off, we arrived safely the evening of Apr 11 without another "airplane event".  No more bomb scares or sick passengers ... just travel weary and glad to see Bill, Kem, Lucia and Sam!  It's amazing how quickly children grow and how much they can learn in a year's time.  Sammy (2) is now walking and babbling "gibberish" and Lucia (6), who is now in the 2nd grade, sports very few front teeth.  Even though it was late, Lucia got out of bed to welcome us and Bill insisted on keeping us up until the wee hours of the morning talking and catching up.  But, who's complaining?  Not us!

Since our arrival we've seen a lot of Malta and built many memories (be sure to view our photo albums ... a picture is worth a 1000 words).  Linda has been having fun introducing Ken to the history and sites of Malta.  We've visited the capital city of Valletta with it's 15th century buildings, walked along the Mediterranean Seashore in Sliema, toured the 14th century fortressed city of Mdina, visited several of Malta's 365 magnificent catholic cathedrals (for 400,000 people), watched a Passion of Christ procession in the ancient city of Zetjun on Good Friday and travelled by bus along the southern shores of Malta to visit the cities and sites southern Malta has to offer, including the phenomenally beautiful Blue Grotto.  We drank a pint in Oliver's Last Pub, the site of actor Oliver Reed's infamous last drink ... er, drinks: 8 pints of lager with his wife, 12 shots of rum with some sailors and a half-bottle of whiskey ... before he collapsed and died on May 2, 1999.  (You can even sit in the chair he was sitting on at the time!)  On Friday Apr 29, we watched Will and Kate marry ... on a large screen, from comfy barstools, munching on traditional Maltese goodies ... while attending a Royal Wedding party at the local Lady Di Pub surrounded by Brits who have moved to Malta.  The following night we sat on the terrace of a local restaurant and watched the National Festival of Fireworks. 

There's still so much to see and thankfully we have another 3 weeks here to continue our exploration of Malta ... the amazing "Island of Rock" located in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea and inhabited for more than 7000 years! 

Next stop:  Gozo (one of the Maltese Islands), the catacombs in Rabat, ancient temples dating from about 4000 BC and St Paul's Bay the site of St Paul's shipwreck in 47 BC and the introduction of christianity to this predominantly Roman Catholic country.