Travelled: Only by scooter, the Hymer is on ramps and hooked up to electricity
Visited: The catacombs and grottos of Rabat.
Stayed: Camping Malta, L-Armier, โฌ21.50 pd, all the usual services. N35.99484, E14,36686
Budget: 69 days @ โฌ100 per day
We spent last night chatting to Josh and Mickayla from beautiful Foster in NSW. They purchased their Hymer from a buy-back dealer in Amsterdam for โฌ7500. They have done a lot of travelling in the last 3 months and lots of stories to share. Josh has Maltese heritage and stayed here at Camping Malta with his family some 20 years ago. We cook them dinner, drink too much and have a nice evening.
But todayโs another day. Our time in Malta is running short, so we best make the most of the day.
The scooter ride to Rabat is less than 10 klms from L-Armier. As we know the way to Mdina and Rabat is just down the hill. The Lonely Planet lists all sorts of interesting stops, so we are off…
Victoria, Malta, Malta
We find a parking spot just a block from St Paulโs Church (circa 1675) in Rabat. Letโs not be confused with St Paulโs Cathedral in Mdina just a kilometre away.
We pay our โฌ5pp and wander the grotto, catacombs and shelters.
Legend has it that St Paul preached in this Grotto (circa 60AD), as he made his pilgrimage through Malta.
This statue of St Paul was gifted by the Templar Knights in 1748. The faded murals add mystery to the grotto.
Below the Grotto we visit the WW11 air-raid shelters. Its much cooler down there.
We walk upstairs to the adjoining Wignacourt Museum. It has an extensive collection but no air-conditioning. Its very difficult to really take our time and enjoy in the stifling heat.
From the church we walk another 200 metres to the catacombs and another โฌ5 pp.
We found this museum less than impressive. Other than long walkways over numerour holes cut into rock, there is this one point of interest. Which on closer inspection replicates what may have been.
What we did find amazing and well worth our โฌ5 pp was St. Agathaโs Catacombs.
No photos are allowed, but I manage a couple while our young and very knowledgeable guide goes through St Agathaโs life toward martyrdom. A sad story of cruelty and defiance. Iโll try to find a link.
Itโs all the real thing at St Agathaโs, two out of every three niche we pass is still occupied.
Itโs another hot afternoon in Malta, we stop for a late lunch and a drink in a little cafe just across the road from our starting point in Rabat. Then head back to L-Armier on the scooter for a late afternoon swim at our little cove adjacent to the campsite. As the sunsets we tidy up and get ready for a 4.30am departure for the ferry back in Valletta.
Just discovered your blog through a link from Our Bumble blog. Lovely to read more inspiring tales from intrepid adventurers. I shall follow your travels. ๐
One thought on “Rabat, Malta 2018 ๐ฒ๐น”
Just discovered your blog through a link from Our Bumble blog. Lovely to read more inspiring tales from intrepid adventurers. I shall follow your travels. ๐