Libraries - the oldest and the most beautiful

I have always loved libraries.  There is something wonderful about them.  Our house was always filled with books and I can remember picking up books and pretending to read them from a young age.  So today I explored the National Library of Malta in Valletta.  It was built to house the books and valuables of the Order of St John including items belonging to  knights who had died in 1766.  A decree in 1555 had decreed that the property of the knights should be preserved.  You can visit this by handing in a passport or ID at the desk, in exchange you will be given a visitors badge.  It is worth doing as the library has an atmosphere like a scene out of Indiana Jones.  This is an old image of the library.

Here is how it looks more recently.  Unfortunately, since this recent photo was taken they have removed the lovely trees which used to be in front of the building and which were filled with hundreds of birds.

Inside the building used to look like this.

Here is how it looks today.

It does have a lovely atmosphere and is well worth a visit.  I have several libraries that I love and have included them below.  Starting one of the oldest, the National Library of Czech Republic, built in 1366.

The National Library of Austria comes a close second dating from 1368.

Another favourite is the Marciana National Library of Italy which was built in 1468.

The National Library of France is exceptional, built in 1480.

Another library I personally love, though not so old as those above, is Trinity Library in Dublin.

Mind you, if we really wanted to look at the oldest existing library we'd probably have to put St Catherine's Monastery in Egypt up there ahead of all of them.  Built in 565 AD this has been a running library since its establishment.  Only open to monks and invited scholars this gem of a library was constructed, it is claimed, on the site where Moses saw the burning bush.  The monastery library preserves the second largest collection of early codices and manuscripts in the world, outnumbered only by the Vatican Library. It contains Greek, Arabic, Armenian, Coptic, Hebrew, Georgian, and Aramaic texts.  It also contains the oldest icons in the world.  Much of its treasures avoided destruction due to the monastery’s remote position in the Sinai desert.  However, it was also protected throughout the centuries by popes, sultans, queens and kings. Napoleon and even Muhammad provided documents of protection for St Catherine's which are themselves still in existence in this unique library.  Which only goes to show, that while it can take only one fool to burn down a priceless library, it takes over a millennium of careful, constant, protection to preserve such a gem.

Maritime Museum Birgu - Malta

I wanted to explore the Maritime Museum in Birgu, Malta and decided not to do the trip by bus from Sliema.  Last time I explored the Inquisitors palace in Birgu I had to take a bus to Valetta and then follow it up with another windy bus route to Birgu. The whole journey had taken an extraordinary length of time.  So this time I decided to do it by ferry all the way.  Starting at Sliema I caught the ferry to Valetta.

Arriving in Valetta, I climbed the hill towards the centre of Valetta.  The last time I came here with guests a huge argument broke out between two families on opposite balconies.  My friends were so mesmerised by the loud shouting and families pouring out of doorways to continue the shouting match it was hard to drag them away.

Eventually, I reach the main entrance of Valetta and the new parliament building.  There has been much controversy over this building with some calling it a monstrosity and others a work of art.  I've experimented with my guests and have to say it is 50/50.  Roughly half hate it and half love it.  I have to confess I don't like it myself and much prefer the old building style opposite.  It is all those tiny windows that offend me.

Here is the view of the opposite side of the street, giving a more traditional feel.  To my eye they seem so much more elegant than the carbuncle facing them.

Mind you, I would have loved to see the old opera house rebuilt.  That looked to be a really grand building from the remaining ruins.

You can tell really lovely architecture, even when bombed to pieces it retains a beauty and presence. Here's a reminder of how it used to look before the war.

Nice to see Valetta look so busy with people, it makes it feel a city that is very much alive.

Heading up towards the saluting battery I see that now the horses have shade to stand in.  One local wit pointed out in the Malta Times that if the local councillors had to stand in blazing sunshine like the horses all day then canopies would have been quickly provided.  Sometimes it takes smart comments to win the day!  

The Saluting Battery is a lovely place to be in Valetta and everyday at noon you can hear the cannons being fired.  Lovely to have the shelter of the trees and the sound of water from the fountain.  

But it the view that greets you as you emerge through the arches, that takes the breath away.

From here I can see my goal, Birgu, and must descend to sea level using the lift provided new this year.  It is free to go down but you pay coming up, unless you are willing to walk up all the endless flights of steps.

Lovely view out of the glass fronted lift as you descend.  Once you reach the bottom you only have to cross the road and you'll see the sign for the ferry to the Three Cities.

Always nice to see you have timed it nicely and the ferry is on its way to pick you up.  At only 1.50 euros these ferry tickets are value for money.  Note the oil rig in for repairs in the harbour.  At such times you realise this is a working harbour with huge dry docks.

This is a much nicer way to arrive at Birgu than by bus.  I have to admire all the yauchts on display as we pass.

There is so much to explore here and I have only investgated a small part, Malta is bigger than it seems.

As I walk along the pier from the ferry I am approaching my goal the Maritime Museum.  On the way I pass on of the few churches to survive the World War 2 bombing.  As this harbour was the major goal of the bombers, this area was blasted severly and very little left standing.

A little further along the pier and here is the Maritime Museum housed in a very fine building that used to be the old naval bakery.

Inside there are displays on all aspects of sailing history.  I am shocked to find I am the only one visiting today and have the entire buidlng to myself.

My grandfather used to use a smaller table top version of this in our old corner shop.  This is my height.  When goods came through the port this kind of device came into its own.  Need to use the toilet in the museum which is nice and clean but has this weird notice on the back of the toilet door.

It shows some one perched with their feet on top of the toilet.  I remember my mother telling me of an aunt who would stand on the toilet when using it.  It somehow made me look at this aunt very differently because it seemed such an odd and tricky thing to do.  To be honest, I kept quiet about this whole business, it was one of those family secrets you carry but need not share.  To discover that there are so many people out there who do this, that a notice is placed to warn them off makes me feel better. Obviously, it is much more common than I thought!

The rooms are filled with models of ships and I'm wondering if being stuck indoors when the sun is shining outside is a wise move.  Then, I discover this Lateen, rigged boat and am cheered.  Love the angles of the sails.  Such a chirpy chappy.  But rounding a corner I come across this brazen cartoon character that seems way over the top - almost theaterical.

It is from the HMS Hibernia, which was flagship of the British Mediterranean Fleet from 1816 until 1855, when she became the flagship for the Royal Navy's base at Malta.  Later she was used to transport convicts to Australia.  Finally scrapped in 1902 the wood was used in bakeries in Malta and caused lead poisoning!  Toxic stuff despite the cartoon-like figurehead.  Here is a model of the actual ship.

In 1523 When the Knights of St John had to flee Rhodes to Malta, they had a huge ship called the Carrack Santa Maria which helped them carry many men and supplies.  The Santa Anna was an even larger Carrack and had a lead lined hull which shots never were able to penetrate.  The mast of the Santa Anna was so large it took seven men to embrace the huge mast.  It had its own mill, bakery (providing fresh bread daily), a large chapel blacksmith and even had gardens of citrus fruit trees and plants on the stern galleries.  It had seven decks and must have dwarfed every other ship around it.  There is a likeness of the carrack in the refectory of the Order of St John’s Palace in Rome but the closest I could find is this one below, which hardly does it justice.

There is a lot to see in this museum including the largest Roman anchor ever found, uniforms, implements used at sea including a surgeon's operating kit.  It is hard to be excited about display after display of stuff and I began to long to be outside in the fresh air.  How I wish there were audio tracks to bring all this alive.  I did ask at the door but was told to just read the information written on each display.  A great audio account can transform a museum experience and bring it all to life with sound effects and personal stories.  Without that it becomes rather dead and dusty.  Here is an example of the information given.

Such a shame when huge posters are carefully printed and laminated but with mistakes everywhere.  'Russia retreated its stand'  'Due to the ranging plague', 'raking havoc'? If it was just one display ,what odds, but there seemed to be errors on so many.  I begin to feel like one of those critical ex pats finding things to complain about. I know so many Maltese whose English is so excellent it makes mistakes like these very strange.  I liked this lovely rowing boat on display with lovely long lines.

Time to head home.  I shall enjoy the ferries all the way back.  It seemed appropriate to visit the maritime museum by sea.

"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;"

from Sea Fever BY JOHN MASEFIELD

We all need that toehold at times!

I am persuaded that happy people are a rare sighting.  Not to be found at the table to my right, a British family on holiday in the Med.  Two parents and two sullen teenagers imprisoned for two weeks on a package tour.  The couple’s dislike of each other is only trumped by their adolescent’s loathing of their parents.  They all sit in miserable silence at a table. 

The teenagers hold their iPhones as shields to block out all those they dislike.  Even being quizzed as to what they would like to drink, brings a roll of the eyes and a disgusted look at the menu.  The young waiter is holding his order pad patiently waiting.  Both teenagers are taking their time competing to see who will be the last to order, to succumb to parental pressure.  The wife orders a coffee and the husband a beer.  She remonstrates with him, as they have rented a car and he’s already had a beer earlier.  He glares at her and then changes his order to a whiskey in a belligerent tone to the waiter.  He shrugs his shoulders at her as if to say what are you going to do about it, now?  The waiter is now awaiting the teenager’s order.  There is an awkward silence followed by an expletive from the husband.  The wife interjects,

“You’d like the iced tea, Sonya, I’m sure you would!”

Sonya stares at her parents as if trying to decide which she dislikes more.  Meanwhile, her brother says he’d like a beer.  The waiter shakes his head and explains that he cannot serve alcohol to someone underage.  The father interjects,

“Look boy, bring me a whiskey, a beer, a coffee and an iced tea!”  He stares at the waiter daring him to argue.  As the waiter leaves to get their order, the wife objects to the beer for the boy and he holds up his hand to her,

“I’m on holiday and am not here to be lectured by you!”

All four lapse into silence after this outburst.   It reminds me of that hurtful quote.

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

I am left wondering are they more unhappy at home and this is their ‘happy holiday mood’.  Or is this, their miserable holiday trapped together while at home they can exist in happy isolation from each other?  Anyway, what makes a happy family?  Perhaps, like many of us this family has reached the brick wall of despair.  We all meet it sometime in our lives.  That point in one’s personal life when absolutely everything has gone bad.  You question everyone in your existence because it has all become so truly awful you can see no way ahead.  No hope for change, no light, no relationship that can be mended.  No trust capable of being rebuilt.  Most disturbing of all, when not disliking everyone around, you examine yourself and can find little of worth there either.  Whatever youthful spark of capacity has been douched by life.  At such a point, every slight, upset, hurtful comment, injury, illness, loss becomes the last straw.  The tiny nudge that can put you over the edge. 

I remember too, the random acts of kindness of strangers, family or friends that gave me a toehold out of nowhere.  Unexpected, they reached out with love and compassion, as I plunged ever lower down a slippery slope.  They may never know how tiny words of kindness, letters of encouragement, calls of comfort, turned the tide.  Even a look of understanding across a crowded room nurtured hope.  I appreciated those who were prepared to listen, really listen. 

This happiness business comes and goes.  We all hit walls.  I can only pray that when you’re face to face with it somewhere, sometime, someone, somehow provides that toehold that makes all the difference in the world.