St. Peter's Pool, Malta

Among my favorite spots in Malta, a trip to this rocky gem includes a market and small hike with every visit. When you arrive at the marketplace (this is where the bus drops you off) you first cannot help but gape at the long lines of vendors spread out along the waterline. If you come on a Sunday morning, this market magnified tenfold and includes fish! In fact I believe it is the most notorious fish market in Malta, containing a wide array of scaly beasts from the sea. Aside from fish, you can find shoes, knock off bags, clothing, every array of spice and small foods, even animals like turtles or cats. If you somehow manage to maneuver your way to the end of the market, you find a small beach and docks for small colorful fishing boats. Don't worry, this isn't St. Peter's Pool. This is, however, a favorite spot of young boys who bring their noisy remote control boats out to play, delighting in the splash and wave created by their racing machines. A short walk up the road soon reveals a watery landscape to your right, and a small path to your left leading up a hill. While you look out to the water on your right, there are large structures I can only figure to be oil drills, though I can't be sure. As you begin the leisurely hike to St. Peter's Pool, you are given an expansive panoramic view of the harbor and market you've just left behind. The path often goes from large to narrow and again wide, passing by old crumbling structures, long wooden fences protecting fresh fields and poppy flowers, a mysterious stone wall bursting with overgrown flowers and greenery, a few mangey dogs and one large out of place metal tower. Eventually you come to a stone wall with a small blue sign directing your path towards St. Peter's Pool. As you trek down the winding stone path, careful not to trip, St. Peter's magnificent pool is revealed. The water is an amazingly rich shade of blue and green that quite nearly takes your breath away. Contrasted with the sandy beige color of the surrounding rocks, you can only marvel at the secret slice of beauty you've stumbled upon. The water is refreshingly chill early in the season, but clear and deep. To slip into those waters, and then lay baking on the rocks gives you the distinct illusion of being a mermaid, with no thought aside from the heavenly heat of the mediterranean sun beating down on you; warming your body and heart to the point of utter contentedness. This is what I love most about St. Peter's Pool, the quiet serenity of this massive set of stones in the water. It is so peaceful and hidden, with such brilliant beauty, you cannot help but fall in love. It isn't just a glorified sunbathing spot, either. If you wander around the cliff, you find a long strip of salt pans between sheer rock and deep aqua blue waters. You may laugh, but I tasted the salt once- it's quite good! As good as eating raw salt plain can be I suppose. There's also interesting boulders and holes through to the water to play around, and a large cliff jutting out over the water for only the most daring to jump from. This is the best single place to spend a day in Malta to fully appreciate not only Malta's true beauty, but also the nature of the maltese people selling their wares, or the fisherman tending to their boats and catch. As a side note to tourists who tend to stand out (like myself, with light skin and hair) there are enough tourists intermingled in this area to allow you to feel fully immersed in the atmosphere of this stunningly real place.

Pisa, Italy

I've decided to start with Pisa as a segue into Tuscany, Italy; My favorite area in the world outside US borders. As the third leg of our spring break trip, we had a little under 24 hours to visit Pisa en route back to Malta. With such a brief time frame, we intended to visit the leaning tower of pisa and very little else. We arrived in the early evening to a warm and bustling Italian airport, with friendly faces and more importantly, a convenient transport system. (Much appreciated, as we were arriving from a stint in Morocco). We spent our one night at the Santa Croce in Fassabonda (http://www.fossabanda.it/home.asp) which was quite more than a hotel! Originally a convent, you can easily imagine young monks and students wandering through the grounds studying their latin. Though lovely architecture is an Italian mainstay, I am always in awe of the graceful beauty carved from simple stone and wood; the character and history embodied in a simple stone arc or stained glass window is both fascinating and breathtaking. We ate dinner at a small restaurant down the street, which I must say had the most amazing canoli's I have ever tasted! Slightly crispy with a light but rich creme filling (and a bit of chocolate) I wondered if it came from heaven, rather than the kitchen. Coupled with the sweetness of the wine and the doting attentions of our Italian waiter, I fell in love with Italy all over again! The following day we took the bus to the Piazza Dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) stopping along the way at an outside cafe for coffee and puffy sweet pastries; there is nothing so pleasant as sipping hot coffee and watching the bustle of people and motobikes weaving through the towering feats of architecture and the graceful fountains in the plaza. When we arrived at the site of the tower, we were greeted by expansive green lawns, long lines of vendors, and astounding churches alongside a surprisingly small leaning tower. It was a pleasant sunny day, and we spent the morning wandering around the buildings and tower, taking pictures and looking at the touristy wares for sale. The tower itself is quite beautiful, and at its most alarming angle you marvel at the fact that it is still standing. Apparently as it was being built, the sand beneath it began to shift, and the tower is now 4 or 5 meters off course. It has since been completed (the upper levels quite straight) and reinforced to remove any danger of a final fall. We wandered into the nearby Duomo (Cathedral) and quietly viewed the brilliant frescoes and statues within. The ceilings are often my favorite, they are so elaborate and usually gold. The windows each are a unique pane of stained glass depicting moving scenes from religious literature. Most disconcerting to me (no matter how often I see it!) is the dead bodies and bones on display in some monuments. That creepy curiosity gets to me every time! This particular cathedral had lovely marble floors as well. We ate lunch at a small outside cafe, listening to the music of street performers and contentedly people watching. After doing a bit of souvenir shopping, we took "hey mom!" pictures holding the tower up. Unfortunately we didn't have the time to go up into the tower, as they only allow about 30 people at a time, and we had our baggage. I imagine the view from the top is quite impressive though! There is far more to see in Pisa, including a piazza dedicated to Dante. It is a wonderful place to leisurely enjoy a few days, soaking up an atmosphere only Italy could produce.

Welcome to Malta

Welcome to Malta, population 400,000. I chose this small Mediterranean Island out of a study abroad pamphlet one afternoon, and admittedly had to google its exact location. I have since learned I'm in good company, for although it is mere miles from Sicily, most Italians are unaware of its independent existence as well. Embodied with rich historical significance, this small island has over the years evolved into a European and Middle Eastern microcosm of culture and identity. Its coasts are riddled with gorgeous cliffs, caves, and beaches, while inland you find everything from prehistoric temples to local fish markets. Malta is truly a unique specimen, untouched by much of modernization and yet ever evolving through the continual trampling and integration of western and european ideals. With such a diverse and torrid history, the island itself has been built up and torn down, layer upon layer, by religion, tradition, new cultural identities, wars, and strife. Who then, are the people inhibiting this island? Is their ancestry of any definitive nature? Over this semester, I hope to explore the island and its amazing history. I have spent two months here already, and have become accustomed to the chaotic yet steady rhythm of the island, as the beach becomes accustomed to the melodic and brutal beating of the waves upon the shore.