Europe Travel - Part 59

France: Normandy Cider Route

by Valeria Teo

“Normandy is proud of their apple trees,” my French friend told me. There was certainly ample truth in it as the Cider Route (La Route du Cidre) was proposed in 1973 to let people discover and appreciate the great quality of the wine in the region of Pays d’Auge.

We headed for this scenic route, officially inaugurated on 25 May 1975, on a sunny day in July. It took us less than one hour, by taking the N13 from Caen, to reach the starting point of the Cider Route, Cambremer.

The Cider Route might be considered as a tourist attraction with all the brochures in the small Cambremer Tourist Information Office. But the inhabitants seemed to have other ideas about it. The village followed her own leisure tempo and invited people to laze around. There were no crowds of tourists; in fact there was not a single soul on the street when we arrived in the summer heat. Time appeared at a standstill in such countryside serenity.

When we studied the materials, we immediately understood where the Normandy pride came from:

To the East of Caen, the Cider Route is at the heart of the geographical zone known as the Appellation d’Origine Contrôleé (AOC) des Cidres du Pays d’Auge. AOC is linked to a given region in France. Its soil, sub-soil, climate, environment and varieties of apples determine and ensure the quality and standards of the products with this label. There are three principal checks for obtaining the AOC label: a declaration system with visits of the business, a chemical analysis of the beverage carried out by an approved laboratory and a taste examination. There are seven AOC labels for the drinks made from the Normandy apples, namely Calvados (AOC), Calvados du Pays d’Auge (AOC), Calvados Domfrontais (AOC), Pommeau de Normandie (AOC), Pommeau du Maine (AOC), Cidre du Pays d’Auge (AOC) and Cidre du Pays d’Auge Cambremer (AOC).

Cider-makers on the Cider Route compete annually and those selected display the sign “Cru de Cambremer” on the roadside at the entrances to their farms. Nineteen producers have been awarded the “Cru de Cambremer” in 2010 and nine of them offer guided tours. The specified products of these “Cru de Cambremer” can be marketed under the label Cidre du Pays d’Auge (AOC), Cidre du Pays d’Auge Cambremer (AOC) or Calvados du Pays d’Auge (AOC).

We visited one of the “Cru de Cambremer” located right at the entrance of Cambremer. Before finding ourselves, with a nice surprise, in an English guided tour around the premises, we took the time to enjoy our first bottle of cider brewed there. It certainly added to our amusement to be surrounded by the rolling pastures and accompanied by the crowing cocks.

“The farm covers 100 hectares of land with 20 hectares of low-stemmed apple trees and 40 hectares of high-stemmed ones.” Our guide, a young lady, said in an accented voice as she showed our group of eight people around the farm. “Here we grow thirty different species of apples.” I wondered how we could tell the differences between all these apples. For us, they all looked similar.

We were looking at the seemingly boundless farmland while our guide went on with her talk. “The yield per hectare is limited to 30 tonnes for low-stemmed apple trees and 20 tonnes per hectare for high-stemmed ones. This ensures the quality of the apples. Many farms prefer the low-stemmed apple trees nowadays as they can be machine harvested which saves a lot of manpower.”

“Here we produce three types of alcoholic drinks from apple juice, namely cider, pommeau and calvados.” The group was standing by a grinding machine as the guide led us inside the premises. “About 750 liter of juice can be produced per tonne of apples after the harvest around September. With an average annual harvest of about 500 tonnes of apples, 320 tonnes are used for producing Calvados and the remaining 180 tonnes for pommeau, cider, apple juice and vinegar.”

We followed the guide towards a couple of giant tanks. “Cider is the first product from the juice after the process of natural fermentation without any addition of yeast. The liquid is kept in large tanks between six weeks and four months to produce an alcoholic content of 3.5 – 5%.”

The guide paused and made way to let the group see more of the fermentation tanks. Cider of different alcoholic content and taste was fermented for different periods of time. We found increasing alcoholic content and thus decreasing taste of sweetness in Cidre Demi-Sec (half-dry) and Cidre Brut (dry). As fermentation was a natural process, cider of lower alcoholic content kept at room temperature could be changed slowly into one with higher alcoholic content. So we could get a bottle of Cidre Brut after buying a bottle of Cidre Demi-Sec!

Our next stop was the distillery for making calvados – an apple brandy produced from cider by double distillation. The liquid, which was just 10% in volume of the pre-distilled cider, was kept in large oak barrels between three and 30 years to give different brands of calvados.

We were amazed at the sheer size of the barrels as we entered the cool cell. The guide explained with a sense of pride. “The largest barrels in the vineyard are almost three meters in diameters. We’ve used them for more than 100 years, half way through their normal life span. Nowadays only the smaller barrels, half in size, are manufactured in Pays d’Auge.”

We occasionally saw the calvados-maker climb up the big barrels to add water for diluting the alcohol and keeping the barrels full as liquid was lost by evaporation. A strong aroma of alcohol with a tint of oak diffused the room. The calvados available for sale contains about 40% alcohol.

The group was slowly approaching the shop where the tour had started. Our guide closed with a brief introduction on pommeau. “Finally, there is the pommeau which is an aperitif in Normandy. It is a mixture of two-third of apple juice and one-third of calvados, making the final alcoholic content to about 17%. The mixture is kept in tanks for at least 14 months before sale. The taste is like sweet whisky and is pretty good.”

The visit was unavoidably ended with a round of delightful shopping. We paid just one third of the price in the vineyard for the same volume of cider we ordered in any Normandy restaurant. How could anyone resist the temptation?

Small-Group Half-Day Normandy Cheese and Cider Tour from Caen

If You Go:

Cambremer, located 35 km from Caen or 13 km from Lisieux, is between the road N13 and the highway A13. If you travel from Paris or Rouen, follow A13 until the exit at “la Haie Tondue” or ‘Dozulé”. The road signs are sufficiently clear to take you all the way to Cambremer. The list of “Cru de Cambremer” changes from year to year. It is a good idea to check the link before you visit. Calvados Tourism, Cambremer Tourist Information Office

About the author:
Valeria Teo is a writer and an independent traveler. Her trips have taken her to nearly 30 countries. Having published three travel romances and one collection of essays, she also writes for Suite 101, Mahalo.com, UTravel.com, magazines, newspapers and online publications in both English and Chinese. Born in Hong Kong, she now divides her time between her homes in Split, Croatia and Hong Kong.

Photo credits:
First Normandy orchard photo by: Philippe Alès / CC BY-SA
All other photos are by Valeria Teo.

Torcello: The Forgotten Venice

Italy

by Paul Millward

Six miles from Venice, across a vast stretch of water, lies a mysterious relic of a bygone era, the precursor of Venice – Torcello. It was here, on this remote and neglected island, that Venice’s path of destiny began with the creation of an original blueprint of itself, in the form of a glittering city, which was ruthlessly disregarded once the more durable city of dreams began its rise to immortality after the 10th century. We now only have the beauty of the Cathedral’s mosaics to remind us of its former greatness. Yet there remains a special atmosphere on the island, a melancholy grandeur, as if it were waiting for the world to re-awaken the glory of its past.

Out here in the open, away from the confines of the city, the unique light of the Veneto takes centre stage and the whole lagoon becomes bathed in pure luminosity. It is a scene of wide horizons where sea and sky merge into a pool of rainbow like reflections. The light continuously shifts and I am lulled into a tranquil, hypnotic state, lost in an other world of translucence.

Torcello lies in the northern reaches of this mesmerising landscape. It is surrounded by a wasteland of salt water marsh, interspersed with sandbanks and tiny islands, defined by narrow channels of water. This is a dormant no mans land with lifeless green weed lying limply across the still water, broken only by tufts of dark bracken sprouting up from the surface. It is an authentic vision of all that Venice once consisted of. Emerging from a mass of green vegetation rises the imposing tower of Torcello’s ancient cathedral, the Santa Maria Assunta. Incongruously placed in the center of this scene of natural desolation it seems symbolic of Man’s tenuous hold over nature.

Torcello was the first island to be settled in the lagoon, long before the present day Venice. Its origins are founded on a series of mystical revelations. The people of the lagoon were originally from the Roman city of Altino which came under threat in the 5th century from barbarian invasion. As the Germanic hordes from the north approached Altino many of the residents fled in blind terror, but some remained under the leadership of the Bishop who waited for divine inspiration.

After three days of intense prayer the Bishop of Altino heard a voice like thunder say “Climb ye up to the tower and look at the stars.” The Bishop complied and climbed the tower where he saw the stars in the sky arranged like islands in a lagoon. And so this inhospitable marsh land became their most unlikely destination.

Having established their new island home and naming it Torcello (translated as “Tower and Sky”) there were more miraculous revelations. The priest Mauro received a series of visions including one of Christ, Mother Mary and various saints, each asking for a church to be built in their name. And so began the creation of a splendid city, as churches and buildings began to grow from the marshy islands and mudflats, through the ingenious skill and practicality of this remarkable people. A 6th century writer, Cassiodorous, spoke beautifully of this unique colony – “Here lie your houses built like sea-birds nests, half on the sea and half on the land.”

Until the 10th century Torcello was the greatest commercial centre in the lagoon, full of palaces, churches and even a grand canal. Like the lost mythical Camelot, Torcello offers a tantalizing glimpse of a golden utopia, where an egalitarian social hierarchy developed which was uniquely progressive for the time. Cassiodorious wrote “There is no distinction between rich and poor, the same food for all; the houses are all alike and so envy – that vice which rules the world – is absent here.” Here we see the roots of the liberal democracy which became such a feature of the Venetian Republic.

In its prime the population of Torcello was about 20,000 but it fell into decline after it was struck with a series of natural disasters. The harbor was badly damaged by the formation of shoals and sandbars as navigation around the island became impossible. The swamps expanded and nature gradually reclaimed the region. From the 12th century Torcello rapidly deteriorated as malaria spread causing mayhem and the population turned to the more accessible area around the Rialto – the heart of the spectacular new Venice then emerging.

Today Torcello is largely deserted with probably no more than twenty people who are actual permanent residents here. It has a rustic and decaying atmosphere with just a few houses dotted about among the overgrown meadows leaving the island in an other worldly limbo of tranquil silence. Apart from a few farmers with small holdings most of the people who work here are involved with the tourists who come to see the few places of interest remaining on the island: the two churches. a small museum and the restaurant.

I take the only route available on the island, which is the path from the landing boat which leads to the Santa Maria Assunta, the cathedral, which is the main focus of the island. Here the atmosphere assumes a haunting austerity, and despite its decaying appearance, this is a place of great dignity. The cathedral was built in 639 in the Byzantine – Roman style with a rather plain exterior apart from the striking campanile which continues to stubbornly dominate the island.

The ghosts of those early settlers still seemed to inhabit the cathedral, instilling respect and wonder in me. The interior is sparse except for the mosaics which are incredible. They date from the 11th century and reflect the strong Byzantine influence on the art of these early Venetians. But the most affecting mosaics are from the 13th century which cover one of the walls in the apse. Here the Madonna with child is shown with her hands raised in prayer and tears falling from her face, below which is a frieze of the apostles among flowers upon a golden floor. It is perhaps the simplicity of the scene which makes it so moving and only adds to the endearing melancholy of the island. Unlike the mosaics of St Marks, which glitter and sparkle with life, these are simple but exquisite, instilling quiet reflection and peace.

In contrast to the simple beauty of the Madonna is the tremendous Last Judgment mosaic which covers the west wall. Against a gold background a myriad of figures are vividly brought to life in a riot of colour and movement.

Next to the cathedral is the little church of Santa Fosca. This simple but charming Romanesque construction provides the setting for romantic weddings which are discreetly open to public view. In Venice it is so easy to casually become part of some intimate and private ritual. I remember being here once when a wedding was taking place and a crowd of people were milling around, peeping into the church with hushed curiosity. I had earlier seen the bride arriving in traditional Venetian mode: the young beauty standing motionless in her gondola, a vision in white, drifting gracefully along the canal.

Now I was here to witness the wedding itself as I moved forward into the church. At the altar could be seen the bride and groom with all the guests seated, just as one would expect. But at the rear of the church a musical celebration was in progress where an exquisite tenor voice rang out, accompanied by a woman on violin as their sweet tones soared high into the vaults.

But most of the time the island is quiet with only the small number of tourists to disturb the remarkable solitude. When evening approaches the atmosphere becomes bewitching as the light surrounding Torcello becomes a beguiling mix of iridescent violets and soft greens. To the west is the mainland and a distant range of snow laden misty mountains dominants. To the south lies the expansive lagoon with its sea of boggy vegetation surrounding shapeless mounds of mud. But beyond in the far distance. a long line of palaces.domes and towers rise up from the water like a precarious mirage floating in a twilight pool of purple. It is Venice, but now seen from the perspective of its long distant ancestors. The desolation of Torcello spreads across the lagoon whispering across the water that Venice too must one day come to this. In the words of John Ruskin: “Mother and daughter. you behold them both in their widowhood – Torcello and Venice.”

How to get Italian citizenship by descent or marriage

If You Go:

Getting There:
Torcello can be reached from Venice by either public transport or private water taxi.
Public Transport – A regular water bus service (operated by ACTV) is available from the following boarding points:
– No 12 Waterbus from Fondamenta Nuove
– No 14 Waterbus from San Zaccaria near St Marks
Private boat tours of the lagoon are also available.
Torcello is one of three islands normally visited by tourists, along with Murano and Burano, which provides a days outing. However a special three-hour tour is also available. Murano is nearest to Venice and is famous for its glass making, while Burano is a delightful fishing village community.
Cheap flights to Italy

Accommodation:
Most people visiting Torcello stay in Venice but limited accommodation on Torcello itself is available at Locanda Cipriani, the renowned restaurant and inn situated on the island.
Locanda Cipriani: Address: Piazza S. Fosca, 29 – 30012, Torcello, Venice, Italy.
Telephone: (+39) 041 730150 / Email: info@locandacipriani.com

Opening Times:
Cathedral: Daily from 10.00am – 12.30pm and 2.00pm – 6.30pm. There is an admission charge, and a separate charge for entry to the campanile. It is a steep climb but provides magnificent views over the island and lagoon.
Museum of Torcello: Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 12.30pm and 2pm – 6.30pm. Close by the church, it shows the history of Torcello. There is an admission charge.

More Tours of Torcello Now Available:

Private Tour: Murano and Torcello
Private LimoBoat Tour Murano Burano and Torcello
Murano, Burano, and Torcello Cruise from Venice

About the author:
Paul Millward a new freelance writer who enjoys writing about culture, travel and spirituality. He has a particular fascination with Venice and is currently writing a book about the island. Besides writing articles for magazines, he is also keen to explore fiction writing.

Photo credits:
Top Santa Fosca church photo by Gerhard Bögner from Pixabay
All other photos by W. Ruth Kozak

Germany: Dresden Churches, Survivors of WWII

by Roy A. Barnes

Rising from the Heap of World War II destruction in Dresden, Germany, are three magnificent churches. The World War II bombing by the Allies on February 13 and 14, 1945 is purported to have smashed the city of Dresden with some 650,000 incendiary bombs. Various estimates of those killed range between 25,000 and over 100,000 people. The subject of the Kurt Vonnegut novel Slaughterhouse-Five describes walking among the ruins as if walking on the moon. Recently, I visited three of these Dresden churches, survivors of the World War II destruction.

The Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady)

Augustus the Strong, the Prince Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, was jealous of great Catholic cathedrals, so he had this Lutheran house of worship built between 1726-1743 by George Bähr (mostly completed by 1736). Johann Sebastian Bach gave an organ recital there in 1736.

The incendiary firebombing of the city February 13-14, 1945 had created a temperature around the church of 1000 degrees Centigrade (1832 degrees Fahrenheit), which caused the church’s 6,000 tons of stone and die Steinerne Glocke or “Stone Bell” (the iconic skyline feature of the city) to collapse on February 15 after the sandstone pillars gave way. Ironically, this church had survived 100-plus Prussian cannonballs bouncing off of it during the Seven Years War of the middle 1700s.

In 1982, the ruins became an area for protest gatherings against the Communist regime. But in January 1993, original plans from the 1720’s were used to reconstruct the church, using thousands of recovered stones which were put back in their original place (including ones darkened from the firebombing. This is why you see the exterior walls in checkered patterns). Photos and computer technology were used to reconstruct the church in as close of detail as possible, which took until 2005, costing 100 million Euros, 90 percent of that coming from global donations. The church is 92 meters high (about 302 feet) and you can take in a view from 85 meters (about 279 feet), according to the guided tour I took. You must climb some 220 steps to get up there. Near one of the Frauenkirche’s entrances are remains of the World War II destruction (that look like a sculpture) for people to ponder.

I took in a noontime devotions service that featured organ playing, but not before hearing Peal of the Peace Bell, which rang for a few minutes. The opulent Baroque style interior features luxury boxes on the second floor like a sports stadium.

The Hofkirche (Cathedral of the Holy Trinity)

This Catholic church was built between 1739-1754 so August the Strong could become King of Poland, a Catholic country. It has the look of Roman Baroque style and is a stone’s throw from the River Elbe. The crypt contains the heart of August the Strong, too. The only aspect of the church building that was reconstructed from the ruins of World War II is the organ backdrop, containing a restored Sibermann organ that contains 3,000 pipes, in which I heard a beautiful Bach organ concerto playing during the noon hour. There are 78 figurines on the exterior of the church that were created by Lorenzo Mattielli.

The Memorial Chapel at the rear of the church honors those who died in the firebombing and is made of Meissen porcelain. It’s got a look, in my view, of a creepy interpretation of modernist art, but made me ponder the World War II destruction of Dresden, Germany nonetheless. It contains these dates: 30-1-33 (rise of Hitler) and 13-2-45 (the first night of firebombing).

The Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross)

The church has been onsite since 1215, making it the city’s oldest church. It held the first Lutheran service in Dresden, Germany in 1539, and has been destroyed several times: by fire in 1491, 1699; by war in 1760 (Prussians); and much of it was destroyed in the February 13, 1945 bombing raid. I toured the venue that was rebuilt and reconsecrated February 13, 1955. Professor Anton Dietrich’s painting, called Golgotha, survived the World War II bombings and subsequent fires but lost its luster until it was restored in 2001. This church has the second largest peal bells in Germany weighing over 28 tons, according to one of the church’s English brochures. They are still in disrepair, according to the church attendant I spoke to there. But the church can hold 4,000-5,000 people currently, making it the largest house of worship in Dresden.

The church features the Charred Cross and the Coventry Cross of Nails, which came from the German destruction of a church in Coventry, England in November of 1940. This shows the gesture of peace between the two countries.

Author’s Note: I attended the German National Tourist Office’s 2009 “The Making of Christmas” press trip, in which I got to experience the things discussed in this article. I freely wrote my impressions without any editorial scrutiny from the press trip sponsor.

Dresden Walking Tour Of The Historic Old Town

If You Go:

HOW TO LOCATE THE CHURCHES

The Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) is located at An der Frauenkirche 12, 01067 Dresden, Germany. Phone: +49 (0) 351- 6560-6100. Open church visits are free, but some special events and tours have admission prices. Website: www.frauenkirche-dresden.de
The Hofkirche (Church of the Holy Trinity) Located at Theaterplatz 01067 Dresden, Germany +49 (0351) 4844 712. Website: www.bistum-dresden-meissen.de
The Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross) Located at An der Kreuzkirche 6, D-01067 Dresden, Germany. Phone: +49 (0351) 439 3912. Website: www.kreuzkirche-dresden.de. There is an admission charge to the tower.

RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS

After taking in these churches that have risen from the heap of World War II destruction, you may want a really hearty Saxony meal with big portions and friendly service. The Pulverturm and der Frauenkirche is the place to go, and is centrally-located in Dresden across the street from the Frauenkirche. The restaurant resides on land where structures have stood off and on since 1565. This restaurant is located in a cellar of low ceilings and gives off a medieval ambience and festive atmosphere. The servers are dressed in period costumes ranging from the 1500s to 1900s, depending on the season or holiday period. You might hear German folk songs being sung at the tables whenever the accordion player stops by.

The Pulverturm stresses Saxon cuisine, and many entrees feature potatoes and pork. Price ranges for main courses are currently around €8 to €32 (a Euro is about US$1.20 as of July 2010). I enjoyed via candlelight their tender and tasty roasted trout fillets as well as their herb spaghetti with large Parmesan cheese shavings, in which the scent and taste of basil and olive oil dominated my taste buds during the latter course. Ask for some of their yummy homemade Schwarzbrot, their whole grain rye bread that’s chased with herbs. This restaurant is open from 11 a.m. until 1 a.m. daily. Prices and menu items quoted subject to change. Contact An der Frauenkirche 12, 01067 Dresden, Germany. Phone: 49 (0) 351-26-26-0-0. Website: www.pulverturm-dresden.de

About the author:
Roy A. Barnes writes from southeastern Wyoming. During his lifetime, he’s worked in the travel agent and airline industries, and has traveled on the North American, Asian, African, and European continents.

Photo credits:
Dresden twilight cityscape by: analogicus from Pixabay
All other photos by Roy Barnes.

Valletta, Malta

Baroque Beauty, Modern Marvel

by Tanja Cilia

Forza Valletta City
Minn qalbna dan l-innu nkantaw …
Fil-grawnd xi briju nqajmu
Kull darba li gowl niskurjaw …
Forza Valletta City …

Listening to this raucous chant that ardent citizens – of whom I am proud to be one – learn practically while still in the womb, it is hard to believe that the official name the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta gave to the City was Humilissima Civitas Valletta, indicating it as a ‘city bound to humility’.

Truth to tell, however, Valletta, a city “Built by Gentlemen for Gentleman,” has received the ultimate accolade. It has the distinction of being known by the Maltese, as Il-Belt. Where else in the world does one find a UNESCO World Heritage Site, christened Superbissima by the rest of Europe immediately it was built, being referred to as ‘The City’ in so laid-back a manner?

After the Great Siege of 1565, Jean Parisot de la Valette, the French Grandmaster of Order of the Knights of Saint John, decided that the Gholja (Hill) Xebb ir-Ras, on a strategically-situated peninsula with one of the finest natural ports in Christendom, was the ideal site for the new Fortress City. The rest is, as they say, history – literally.

Not one of the nations that had occupied Malta before them – the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Saracens, and Normans – had ever thought of this before. The plans for Valletta were innovative for the time; built on a grid-iron pattern where they streets criss-cross one another at right angles (except along the coast in the peripheral areas, where this would be impossible). It is hard to believe that the construction took place within a time-span of 15 years. And this makes the still-derelict state of the Opera House even more galling.

The plans had another purpose besides aesthetics. Fresh air from the Grand Harbour and from Marsamxetto Harbour would provide the natural air-conditioning breeze. Laparelli, with his carte blanche, could also project fresh water supplies being piped in all the way from Citta’ Notabile (Rabat), and sanitation; concepts obtaining in very few cities of the time.

Plans for the construction of a fortified city had actually been in the offing since 1530, when the Knights of Saint John discovered that what they deemed the omphalos of the world was, moreover, a pearl.

The Turks, under Grand Turk Suleiman the Magnificent, had long been dubbed ‘a thorn in the side’ of the Order. Malta was, as it has ever been destined to be, the axis upon which the tide of the battle turned; and when the coffers of the Knights flowed over with the rewards for vanquishing him, they could afford to lavish the spoils of battle upon the building of a masterpiece… on a hill that had to be levelled before the works proper could commence.

Both Antonio Ghislieri – Pope Pius V, and King Philip II of Spain helped with the finances and also lent human resources; master masons, sculptors, engineers, painters, and other artisans… a veritable Who’s Who of the time, including Francesco Laparelli, whose work was later taken up by Gerolamo Cassar.

On a walking tour of Valletta, one is spoilt for choice. Will it be the Auberges and the Cavaliers? Will it be the multitude (about 32) of churches and chapels, including the Anglican Cathedral of Saint Paul and the Greek Orthodox Chapel? Will it be a whistle-stop tour practically at every street-corner, in order to photograph the votive statues or niches, fountains that decorate them?

Or will it be the one-in-a-million edifices such as The Manoel Theatre, the Bibliotheca, Casa Rocca Piccola, the Grand Master’s Palace, the War Museum and Lascaris War Rooms, the National Museum of Archaeology or that of Fine Arts, each magnificently imposing façade vying for attention with the other…followed by chilling out at one of the eateries or, perhaps, eating a packed lunch at one of the Barrakkas?

Perhaps one could opt for a ‘surprise tour’… a random up-one-street-and-down-the-other voyage of discovery, taking in “Down the Gut” (slang for a walk along the formerly notorious Strait Street), and what remains of the three slums – the Manderaggio, known colloquially as Il-Mandragg; the Archipelago l-Arcipiergu, and Le Due Palle, id-Duwwi Balli.

It is interesting to note that the slums were a sort of ‘internal spill-over’ from the area originally situated in the area just outside the bastions and just this side of Floriana, intended for those who could not afford to pay for lodgings within the ramparts. The Manderaggio, in fact, was originally planned as a man-made creek for housing the Order’s Navy.

This glorious gem, truth to tell, is also a medley of traffic, pedestrians, business concerns as well as the historical monuments we all take for granted, not even affording them a casual look as we go about our business … echoes of the yells, bells and smells label. A time-travelling Knight would however have his sense of déjà-vu tempered with a feeling of uncertainty. The British rule left their mark by widening gates, altering or downright demolishing certain buildings, and commissioning other infrastructural projects. Added to this, there are the changes perforce wrought after the havoc caused by the two world wars.

On a lighter note, it is exhilarating to note that Valletta was featured in films and several television serials; I remember being present when scenes from Remington Steele, with Pierce Brosnan as the eponymous hero, and Stephanie Zimbalist as Laura Holt, were shot in the Lower Barrakka area.

The final chapters of V, Thomas Pynchon’s 1963 debut novel, describing the adventures of Benny Profane, a discharged United States Navy sailor, also take place in Valletta. The initial may however stand for a mysterious entity, or a woman killed in an accident, as well as the City itself.

That having been said, it is indeed a pity that residents and visitors sometimes have cause to grumble about certain aspects of the City… beginning from the monstrosity known as City Gate, through which one can view the ruins of what used to be one of the grandest edifices of Europe, nay of the world… the Royal Opera House. There are currently plans to rebuild this monument – and they have attracted much controversy.

There may be a dearth of street plaques – but there is a fey charm in the extant ones, being as they are in a jumble of styles and materials that owes more to mix-and-match than panoply… as are the street surfaces. The place could do with a few more strategically-placed waste bins, too; and the olive trees along Saint Barbara Bastions desperately need sprucing up. The general area of Victoria Gate, and the bridges of East Street, appeared in Munich, in which Valletta doubled for Cyprus and Greece.

Valletta Private Walking Tour: Sins in the City

If You Go:

L-Ghodwa t-Tajba!
Getting to Malta couldn’t be easier. Most major European Airports – as well as those in North Africa and the Middle East – have direct flights to Malta. You may opt for either scheduled services, or chartered flights offered by Air Malta, the National Airline, most major carriers, or low cost airlines. Approximate flight time from London is 3-1/2 hours; from Rome it’s just one hour, and Malta is two hours away from Frankfurt.

It is good to note that the Maltese Archipelago, being practically in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, is included in the itineraries of the major cruise lines; it is also the place to be when one needs a port of call while sailing in the Mediterranean.
Malta is a part of the Euro-Zone, and this makes everything easier for everyone, since it does away with exchange rate worries. Banks open until early afternoon on weekdays, and until midday on Saturday. ATMs abound. However, hotels, and many business outlets do accept payment in some international currencies.
There are well over 100 hotels from which to choose in Malta and Gozo; these are mainly concentrated in six areas on the islands. Valletta is one bus ride away from everywhere else in Malta, the main island, and an added ferry ride away from Gozo.
For additional information, as well as where to stay during your holiday, please visit:
Malta Tourism Authority: www.visitmalta.com
Malta International Airport: www.maltairport.com
Air Malta: www.airmalta.com
Cheap flights to Malta

About the author:
Tanja Cilia is an Allied Newspapers (Malta) columnist, blogger, and features writer. She also freelances for online and print media in Maltese and English. She lives in Malta with her husband and three children. Contact her at tanjacilia@hotmail.com.

Photo Credits:
First Valetta, Malta photo Martina Wildtová from Pixabay
All other photos are by David Paul Cilia.

Blue Eyed Mummies of Amasya, Turkey

by Inka Piegsa-guischotte

I saw the picture first and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the image of a baby boy mummy staring at me with wide open blue eyes. It was part of a brochure about the archaeology museum in the fabulous mountain town of Amasya, located about 100 miles south inland from the Turkish Black Sea coast.

I couldn’t wait to rush off and visit the museum and have a closer look at this witness from 1000 years ago who was still looking at the world in this way. I generally have mixed feelings about looking at mummies. Somehow it seems to me as if I am intruding and disturbing the peace of the dead. Mummies are after all neither statues nor paintings, they are well preserved dead bodies of people who once were very much alive and, more often than not, important people, rulers, kings, queens or priests. But, on the other hand, no man made image can convey a real impression of how people looked who have lived such a long time ago and, in the end, curiosity always overrules misgivings.

The first day of my stay in Amasya was dedicated to getting the feel for this amazing town nestled in the gorge of steep mountains and dominated by a towering castle on Harshena mountain, 700 m above sea level and first constructed in the Hellenistic period with alterations and additions ever since. Below it, the rock tombs of kings, illuminated at night, add to the magic of the entire place.

The next day however, I couldn’t resist any longer and went off across one of several bridges which lead over the Green River to the town center and Mustafa Kemal Pasa Caddesi, where the archaeology museum is located and, within the complex, the mummies awaited.

The museum consists of a two-story modern building, just your run of the mill block with nothing remarkable about the building itself. But wait until you get inside!

It’s one of these museums I like best, with just one ring-passage leading along the exhibits, displayed either openly like a big pile of amphorae or behind glass but allowing you to get close enough to see every detail. Few visitors were around and I could stroll at my leisure, admiring Roman coins and gold jewellery, the gold treasure of Saraycik and the world famous statue of Teshup which dates from the Hittite period of the 14th century BC and looks as polished and life- like as if it were created yesterday and many more artifacts from no less than 12 different civilizations which all have left their traces and silent witnesses in the tiny town of Amasya alone.

The first floor is dedicated to the Ottoman period and you can indulge in the luxury of embroidered garments worn by the sultans as well as ‘Tableaux’ which recreate life at the times.

But, where were the mummies? I asked and discovered, that they were treated with respect as the people responsible for the museum seemed to have had the same feelings about the nature of mummies I had.

I leave the museum and enter the adjacent garden which abounds with carved tomb stones and other relics and statues from the Greek and Roman periods. At the bottom is the tomb of Sultan Mesud I, Sultan of the Selcuks and within it the mummies are displayed. Was it their power to remind visitors to be respectful or was the sentiment my fancy? When I entered through the narrow and low doorway to the tomb I violently banged my head. Slightly dazed, I adjusted my eyes in the deep shadows of the tomb and approached the four mummies which belong to a high official and his family of the Ilhan period of the 14th century.

The nazir is surprisingly tall and then there is the baby, blue eyes wide open, little mouth and nose intact but the small body in part destroyed. I wondered what the little prince might have died of but at least it can be concluded from his peaceful expression that we wasn’t suffering any pain.

These mummies have been embalmed and preserved in a very different way from those of Egypt as the organs have not been removed but have been dried with the rest of the body.

May they rest in peace and continue to inform today’s visitor in their own silent way about their times and lives.

Bosphorus Strait and Black Sea Half-Day Cruise from Istanbul

If You Go:

Bring a Turkish phrase book. English is not as widely spoken as in the more touristic areas of Turkey.
Bring good hiking shoes. Otherwise you won’t be able to climb up to the castle.
Try gözleme, a very thin, filling pancake which, in Amasya, is filled with poppy seeds. Amasya is famous for the best apples in Turkey too.
Book a hotel in one of the converted wooden houses along the river. For best views and good value, consult www.booking.com and www.tripadvisor.com for good deals.

Amasya, Turkey in Wikipedia

www.amasya.turkeyhotelstours.com

About the author:
Inka Piegsa-quischotte is an ex-attorney turned travel writer and novelist. She writes for online travel magazines and has two novels and a travel guide to Galicia/Spain published. She lives between Turkey and Miami.

Photo Credits:
First Amasya, Turkey photo by Kaan Özer from Pixabay
All other photographs are by Inka Piegsa-quischotte.