Where is Space Mountain?

     Reaching into my large windbreaker pocket, I pulled out my January 2013 ticket to Disneyland, which is precisely where I felt I had landed after traveling 24 hours. Although I did sleep on all three plane legs of my journey,  the weariness of the miles  could have caused  this feeling of  walking into the Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney would have loved Valletta, a walled ancient fortified city. The country capital was built in 1566 of limestone blocks that resemble honeycomb.  Through bridges (just like Cinderella’s castle) and tunnels are the only way to egress the city. The buildings are 4 to 5 stories high with ornate reliefs, iron works and wooden window balconies.

     With the Carnival celebrations, plenty of Mickey and Minnie Mice were propped up on their father’s shoulders.  The festivities were lively but family friendly.  Dance schools competed on the large temporary stage set up near St. George Square complete with 2 large screen televisions for the assembled crowd to view.  The floats appeared to be handmade paper mache painted in neon colors with varying  themes:  Lion King, Avatar, Pirates Ships (unclear if of the Caribbean or Mediterranean variety) Cinderella, a bizarre combination of Scotland (kilts and castles) and Holland (windmills), Egypt and Japan, that are pulled by tractors covered in wooden crates branded with sponsor labels. The music was loud; the bass reset your heart beat into the 4/4 rhythm. The dancers in their Disney-over-the-top costumes that were as wide as the people were tall (and quite a site to see as the costumed attempted to use the port-a-pottys on the side streets--in case you are wondering the door does not close and it takes two additional people to fold-up the costume sides to obtain relief-- accompanied the floats on a circular path through Valletta. The parades occurred twice a day for 4 days.

     Our flat is located on one of the outer roads, which is really a very wide stone staircase and was quiet despite all the speakers pumping music four blocks up.  The one bedroom flat is on the third floor but being European, it is really on the second floor.  The tall double doors that open onto the plank of a balcony remind me of our state room on the SS Explorer with its water views.  The Grand Harbour below shimmers with passing freighters, military vessels, sightseeing boats, cruise ships, triple mast schooners, and even row boats-- where the two fore men sit and row each with one paddle and the aft men stand and push their single paddles.   The points across the bay are called the Three Sisters; each has her fortress.  We have yet to explore that side of the harbor. We have walked around the Valletta fortress and around to the neighboring northern Sliema and St. Julian areas that are similar to La Jolla and Pacific Beach. As the weather remains cloudy, windy and rainy, we haven’t ventured into the water, yet.