The Inaugural Vista's Official Trippingpara Mayhem in the Mediterranean Review

[trippingpara]

Now that we were on the northern end of Malta, it was time to hit up the beaches!! Finally! I love history and walking around historical cities and buildings but at the end of the day my heart truly lies with the sea. Every time I get to a beach or cliff or anywhere that I can view the sea, I am at peace. Something about it just soothes my weary soul. Whoa…that was way TOO deep to come from me!! Any ways, from Mosta and Mġarr, we headed west to Mellieha where we could overlook the beach and bay at Għajn Tuffieħa on one side and the Golden Bay and the resorts at Ir-Ramla tal-Mixquqa on the other. This plateau was just jaw dropping B.E.A.U.-tiful!! On the top of the rocky promontory above Għajn Tuffieħa is an old defense tower built in 1637. It was one of seven towers built by Grand Master Giovanni Paulo Lascaris of the Knights Hospitaller. That title might sound a little familiar to any of you freemasons out there.

 

 

 

 

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The Għajn Tuffieħa Tower

 

 

 

Għajn Tuffieħa Bay. Peaking through on the opposite side is Gnejna Bay which we had also visited.

 

 

 

The insanely azure waters of Għajn Tuffieħa Bay and the Mediterranean Sea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Għajn Tuffieħa Tower and Golden Bay

 

 

 

The resorts at Golden Bay. Gee, I wonder where they got that name from?!

 

 

 

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[trippingpara]

Okay, I know, I know...I've been writing on Malta for like...I don't know, forever! Trust me, just a little bit longer and I'll be done, I promise. I will also be posting the Fun Times at the end of our day in Malta too.

 

 

 

 

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Lady Trip, a little girl at heart, playing on the cliff's edge overlooking Għajn Tuffieħa Bay.

 

 

 

Lady Trip in the doorway of the Għajn Tuffieħa Tower.

 

 

 

Doesn't that water just make you want to dive in?!

 

 

 

Gnejna Bay

 

 

 

Another view of Gnejna Bay

 

 

 

I must say our next stop left me a bit dumbfounded. It was probably the very last thing I ever expected to come across while blitzkrieging my way across a tropical paradise in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea! But now, a word from our sponsors...

 

 

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[mikayla73]

Cliff hanger!

 

Malta is definitely on my short list.

[Shih-tzu]

Colour of water is so beautiful.

[trippingpara]

Okay, okay...the commercials are over with. After packing up from exploring the amazing bays, Therese, our guide drove us over to one more. Anchor Bay.

 

 

"There's a neat little village that I want to show you. It's called Sweethaven Village," she said.

 

 

We exited the car and walked over to the edge of the cliff overlooking Anchor Bay and Sweethaven Village. Therese stood there smiling as she watched my eyes narrow and my brow furrow as I tilted my head to the side.

 

 

"Isn't that...naw....but it looks like...is it?!

 

 

Therese just started laughing.

 

 

"Yep! Popeye's Village!"

 

 

 

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Its an entire village that was built for the 1980 movie "Popeye" starring Robin Williams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't ask me how I recognized it but I did. Something far back in the recesses of my brain jumped up and said "hey, remember that really bad musical version of Popeye starring Robin Williams? Well, its right in front of you, you moron!" And yep, there it was. It didn't dawn on me when Therese called it "Sweethaven Village." That's the name of Popeye's village in the movie and comic books. Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions built the entire village and then left it sitting there in Malta. It is now an open-air museum and family fun venue. We didn't go into the village but it was a very curious and unexpected site to see. After seeing all of the ancient and medieval sites, the last thing you expect to see is a full blown movie set from an old Americana comic book character!

 

 

 

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[trippingpara]

With our very unexpected surprise over with, it was time to get back on the road to see some more of Malta. We drove down this lonely and dusty road that looked like it stretched to nowhere. Gradually, the Mediterranean Sea came back into view. Therese parked the car and pointed to some low-slung buildings sitting on the edge of the cliffs in the distance.

 

 

"Another surprise," she said with a smile as we headed to the small buildings. "I know that you are a Marine so I thought you would like to see this." I followed her hand as she pointed to what now appeared to be some crumbling buildings that sat in a rough semi circle near the cliff's edge.

 

 

 

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The buildings were the remains of an old British radar and observation post from World War II. They left the buildings exactly as they were after the war. The damage you see was all caused by German bombers and strafing attacks from German fighter planes. The original radar tower has been replaced by modern gear but the rest has been untouched. Lady Trip just stood around gazing out at the bay but I was enthralled with the history in front of me. Radar was a brand new invention during WWII and I have not yet had the opportunity to see a surviving radar post before. Especially one that has not been touched since the war. Alright, so the little things really geek me out!

 

On our way back down the lonely winding road, we came across St. Agatha's Tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Agatha's Tower, also called the Red Tower, is a large bastioned watchtower that was built between 1647 and 1649 by the Knights Hospitallers. It remained a military fortification well after WWII and was lastly used as a radar station by the Armed Forces of Malta. We then continued winding our way, following the island's edge back towards Valletta.

 

 

 

Malta's National Aquarium on St. Paul's Bay

 

 

 

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[trippingpara]

Cliff hanger!

 

Malta is definitely on my short list.

 

It was on mine too and it was so worth going! Lady Trip and I are looking to now take a land vacation there soon.

[trippingpara]

After 9 exhaustive, yet thoroughly exciting hours of touring Malta, our time on this fabulous island was drawing to a close. Therese expertly weaved her way through the traffic in Valletta back to the cruise terminal. If you ever get a chance to vacation in Malta whether it’s by cruise ship or by a traditional land vacation, do not hesitate to hire Karl or Therese from Karlito’s Way!! I forgot to mention that Karl also made a special stop when we were meeting Therese at 7 am just to introduce himself and to apologize for not being able to run our tour himself and to also thank us for working with him and going out with Therese, his sister. I really thought that was a nice touch. Their prices were very reasonable and their service, knowledge and love of the islands were amazing. I am, in no way shape or form, affiliated with Karlito’s Way. Just a highly impressed customer of theirs who wants to spread the word, so to speak.

 

 

 

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Carnival Vista and Oceania Riviera sit at the pier in Valletta

 

 

 

Pulling into the cruise terminal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[trippingpara]

Here are some parting views of Malta taken from onboard the Vista.

 

 

 

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A traditional dgħajsa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[trippingpara]

We reluctantly gave our hugs and said our goodbyes to Therese. We arrived in Malta as strangers and have left as friends. In fact we were just chatting via email back and forth with her. She was such a great person and a terrific guide!! Any ways, we did the death march back up the gangway and boarded the Vista. As I was swapping out my batteries in my main camera, Matt our CD came on over the loudspeakers. To paraphrase him, he basically stated that since this was Carnival's first ever stop in Malta, the Maltese government wanted to provide us with a proper send off. Please make your way to the top decks to watch a cannon salute.

 

 

Now I knew that there was a full battery of cannons overlooking the harbor that would periodically schedule a public display and was a huge tourist draw. But it's a big deal to have them fired specifically in honor of you. As I made my way out to the secret deck on Lido, I heard some rhythmic beats coming from below. I walked over to the port side where we were docked and there was In Guardia, a reenactment group that specializes in period reproductions of the Knights of St. John. They were in full uniform with flags and drummers marching alongside the Vista just as they would when the Knights went into battle.

 

 

 

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As we started to sail out into Grand Harbour, we slowly approached the Upper Barrakka Gardens. You could see hundreds of people lined up to watch the saluting battery provide the honor salute which was provided courtesy of Mifsud Brothers Ltd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was really awesome to see as each cannon fired one by one as the ship slowly sailed by. In return, the Vista let out a couple long blasts from her air horns. It was a perfect way to end an absolutely perfect day on a bloody perfect island! And to put the finishing touches on the perfect evening, we opened a bottle of Merlot from Dornberg wine that we purchased at Bled Castle in Slovenia. Ahh, heaven!!

 

 

 

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Edited July 8, 2016 by trippingpara

[trippingpara]

Fun Times for Malta

 

 

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[trippingpara]

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[the_lovely_voyage]

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Sunday, May 8th – Sea of Crete – Sea Day

 

Afterwards, we went to the thermal suites for several hours on a day pass we purchased. They are so relaxing!! Considering I’ve never stepped foot into a Carnival spa, I had never experienced their thermal suites before. We went into every sauna, whirlpool (no T pool), heated chair, scented shower, etc. We wanted to experience it all! And it was awesome!! We liked it so much we booked a spa balcony for our Canadian cruise (it helped that we got a great rate on it too).

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First, I'd like to start by saying I am LOVING your review, the pictures and commentary are both fantastic, and I'm so sad that my turn on the Vista isn't until November 2017.

 

Second, reading about your experience in the spa really intrigued me, so I checked out the Cloud 9 web page on Carnival's site, and I'm a little confused about what the day pass gets you. I see on their website that it says $40 for a day pass and you can use the Thermal Suites and Whirlpool, but doesn't mention the heated chair/scented shower/etc. like you said you were able to access. I see those things listed on their website as well, but it makes it seem like its extra fee on top of the $40 pass. I guess I'm wondering if you can confirm that it was just the one time fee for the day pass per person, and that you were able to access everything in the spa (except for the massage, which I understand is a separate cost).

 

Thanks in advance for your help, and I'm excited to keep reading more!

[trippingpara]

First, I'd like to start by saying I am LOVING your review, the pictures and commentary are both fantastic, and I'm so sad that my turn on the Vista isn't until November 2017.

 

Second, reading about your experience in the spa really intrigued me, so I checked out the Cloud 9 web page on Carnival's site, and I'm a little confused about what the day pass gets you. I see on their website that it says $40 for a day pass and you can use the Thermal Suites and Whirlpool, but doesn't mention the heated chair/scented shower/etc. like you said you were able to access. I see those things listed on their website as well, but it makes it seem like its extra fee on top of the $40 pass. I guess I'm wondering if you can confirm that it was just the one time fee for the day pass per person, and that you were able to access everything in the spa (except for the massage, which I understand is a separate cost).

 

Thanks in advance for your help, and I'm excited to keep reading more!

 

Morningsun86 - thank you so much for such kind words. You are going to have a blast on the Vista!!

 

The day pass gets you access to their Thermal Suites. Inside the Thermal Suites are quite a few of the heated chairs (shown below)

 

 

 

...the whirlpool

 

 

 

 

...and the sensory showers

 

 

 

 

I just realized that I wrote "scented" showers. They are "sensory" showers meaning there are several different ways you can have the water spray on you. I do apologize for that error. There is, however, a scented sauna that you will also have access to which I do not, unfortunately, have a photo of. Something about steam and cameras lenses fogging up...

 

The $40 a day fee (cheaper if you purchase it later in the day) gets you access to the heated chairs, whirlpool, sensory showers, and I believe 4 different types of saunas for the entire day. I hope this helps!

Cheers!

 

 

 

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[Miss_Mono]

I want to go to Malta just from reading your review and seeing your pictures!

[deladane]

OMG those photos from Malta were incredible!! I had no idea it was such a beautiful place, but now I definitely hope to visit there at some point in the future!! Thanks again for sharing your amazing photos :D

[trippingpara]

I want to go to Malta just from reading your review and seeing your pictures!

 

 

I'm so glad that they did their job! Malta is very high on our must return to list. There is still so much more that we want to see and then there is her sister island Gozo that we still have to visit too!!

[trippingpara]

OMG those photos from Malta were incredible!! I had no idea it was such a beautiful place, but now I definitely hope to visit there at some point in the future!! Thanks again for sharing your amazing photos :D

 

Thank you so much for such kind words. It was your review of your Med cruise on the Sunshine that inspired us to cross the big pond and play in that water for a bit. Our next cruise is booked for the Sunshine too on a little trip up north to our Canadian brothers.

[trippingpara]

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Tuesday, May 10th – Palermo, Sicily

 

Volbeat woke us up again far too early for a vacation. Whatever happened to sleeping in and being lazy?? Unfortunately, our vacations do not allow us for sleeping in and being lazy. This was another port that we struggled with. We knew that we wanted to visit the catacombs (yes, we are a morbid bunch!) but we also wanted to see other things as well. So we finally settled on grabbing one of Carnival’s shore excursions. It was a short one but it covered all of the main things that we wanted to see. After our last experience on Crete with one of Carnival’s shore excursions, we were rather apprehensive about today. However, we cruise solely for the ports – there’s a reason we travel…we want to see and experience the world, not a ship. There was no way we were going to stay onboard the ship while we were docked at a foreign port! In the traditional Trip family manner, we were going to make the best of it. Make jokes and laugh when you can and when you can’t, fake it till you make it I always say!

 

We had to meet at 8:15 am in the Reflections Dining Room. I was curious to see how many people would take this tour since the catacombs of Palermo can be…well…not for everyone! Apparently it was the thing to do as there ended up being 6 buses with 46 to 66 cruisers on each one! (There were a couple double decker buses – which we were on one). That’s a lot of people!

 

One bus number was called first and we were led off the ship and piled into a double decker tour bus. We decided to sit upstairs so we could have a better bird’s eye view which translates into better photography options. Unfortunately, Lady Trip almost knocked herself out by smacking her head on the low ceiling. Quite a few people did this. I think they need to put some padding up there! She quickly recovered and we headed out. We got a quick tour as we drove through the narrow streets of Palermo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first stop was the catacombs. This was the main reason we took this tour so we excitedly hopped off the bus and headed inside. Our guide led us down the stairs into the catacombs. Despite the no photography signs and verbal warnings, a plethora of cameras came out with flash bulbs a popping. I had brought my GoPro just in case photography was allowed so I did grab a couple photos but not too many.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The catacombs were cool and eerie at the same time. It was a little odd looking at the remains of real people. Some were nothing more than skeletons in clothes while others still had their skin and hair, beards, etc. The tour was pretty quick as it just feels wrong to be staring at someone’s corpse. The last person embalmed and placed in the catacombs was a little girl in the 1920s. She looked like a porcelain doll laying in a rocking basket.

 

 

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[Shih-tzu]

Thanks for adding to the review.....my Saturday morning ( with coffee in had sitting outside at my patio table) is now complete......will check back later for updates. Loving it.

[trippingpara]

Thanks for adding to the review.....my Saturday morning ( with coffee in had sitting outside at my patio table) is now complete......will check back later for updates. Loving it.

 

LOL, glad I could make your Saturday morning complete! Don't worry, I'm going to keep adding to this review. Someday, I will actually finish it!:D Believe it or not, but we're on the home stretch now. Just have Palermo, Rome, Florence/Pisa, Marseilles and finally Barcelona (with some extra days spent there).

[trippingpara]

Once everyone waltzed through the catacombs, we took a restroom break and a few minutes for shopping the small selection of tourist’s trinkets and knick-knacks set up outside the catacombs. We then loaded up on the bus and headed towards our second stop, the Zisa Castle. This castle was an old summer home for the Norman kings. There were no decorations or furniture at all in the castle. It was pretty hard to visualize how life was back then. It was all just stone walls and some pottery scattered around for a measured effect. Not very impressive as it was. If they decorated it as life was back then, well they just might be onto something!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[trippingpara]

The grounds surrounding the castle were quite pretty...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[trippingpara]

We spent about an hour or so exploring the castle and the surrounding grounds. It was then time to head out to our third and final stop, the prestigious Cathedral of Palermo. The traffic was really starting to pick up and slow our progress through the city. Which just meant more time gazing out the window at the foreign world of Palermo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that like an entire apartment worth of furniture just sitting out there on the street. Either privacy is not a concern for this guy, or he just really ticked off his wife/girlfriend etc., and she decided to kick his butt to the curb...literally!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[trippingpara]

We finally made our way through the warren of packed streets and avenues and were dropped off about a block away from the cathedral due to the crowds. All I can say about the Cathedral is WOW!! It was gorgeous inside and out. Inside the cathedral were the crypts of the four Norman kings that ruled in Palermo. Since almost every tour in Palermo goes to this cathedral, it was mobbed. As we got off the bus, we were given instructions on where we were to meet and when. We then went into the cathedral as a group and were given a complete tour of the massive cathedral and the crypts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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