Top 10 Posts For June: Coincidences & Synchronicity, White Feathers & Doves, Ghosts, Malta, Mysteries

Valletta, Malta

A round-up of the Top Ten most viewed posts on 67 Not Out for the month of June 2014. Again, some old favourites amongst them with a few interlopers including two from my visit to Malta. Here we go.

1. Married Couple In The Same Photo As Children
Young newly weds Alex and Donna Voutsinas were looking through some of Donna's old photos from when she was a child and came across one of her at Disney World. Nothing too unusual about this, you may say. Donna is at the front of the photo, see ... Read full post

2. The White Dove As A Messenger Of The Dead
This white dove would not move to let me by. I made noises, waved my hand, stared at the dove ... nothing happened. Finally I went in the back door of my house. I looked out the window and this one lone white ... Read full post

3. The Maltese Fisherman Who Visited Heaven
The next morning Karin and I went for a walk around the big harbour in Sliema. In the middle there is an island, Manoel, now joined to the shore by a road. Along one side there are some enormous private boats moored - some costing millions. We walked to the far end of the island looking at - and envying - the boats, many registered in the British Cayman ... Read full post

4. Ghostly Rye: The Most Haunted Town In England
One of the most atmospheric and ghostly places I have visited is the town of Rye on England's south coast. Some claim it is the most haunted place in the UK and on a visit it's possible to see why this is. Last year ... Read full post

5. Valletta: The City Built By The Knights of the Order of St John
A stroll around Malta's capital today of the fortress city Valletta. We went the most interesting way, via ferry from the town of Sliema. The first thing you notice as you approach the peninsula on which Valletta stands are the solid city walls. Valletta shares it's early history ... Read full post

Valletta, Malta

6. The Mysterious Skull With The Golden Wreath Of Protection
I photographed this skull with a gold wreath while in Crete. It was discovered while excavations were taking place and is believed to have been that of an athlete. In the second large photo below a coin is also shown which was found inside the skull's mouth. This is a silver ... Read full post

7. Photo Taken Of Father Showed His Missing Daughter
Michael Dick hadn't seen his daughter, Lisa, for over 10 years. This was since he had seperated from his first wife. Determined to make contact with her again Michael travelled to Sudbury, where she was last known to be living, together with his ... Read full post

8. Top 10 Coincidence And Synchronicity Stories
When I started this blog the theme was mostly coincidences and synchronicity. Since then I've wandered off into other directions but it's back to basics today. The following are the Top 10 Coincidence and Synchronicity Stories over the last year - based on ... Read full post

9. The Meaning Of White Feathers As Messages From The Dead
By white feathers I mean how they can often be found following a loved ones death. This has certainly been my own experience. I lost three people close to me in a short period of time: my ... Read full post

10. Famous Coincidences: King Umberto I
This is one of those historical, classic coincidences, that's been around for a while, but I haven't posted it here previously. I have to be honest and say that I haven't been able to verify if it's all true but, if it is, then it's a definite 'wow'. Anyway, here's my version of the story. As royalty ... Read full story

A Random Bus Journey To Marsaxlokk, Malta

While on our trip to Malta, after visiting the 5000 year old Tarxien Temples we weren't sure what to do next. I suggested we got on the next bus that came along and see where we ended up - and that's what we did.

The bus took us to Marsaxlokk and it turned out to be a delightful fishing village full of colour and sunshine.

The harbour was a mass of traditional fishing boats based on a design dating back to the Phoenicians, who first landed and set up trading posts on Malta, during the ninth century BC. The boats are known locally as luzzus.

Inevitably, where fish is caught there are fish restaurants. The sign above was from a restaurant run by three sisters whose husbands catch the fish - so a fresh catch guaranteed.

The fishing nets dot the harbour side as do a string of restaurants. It's a perfect, tranquil setting for a meal.

The harbour has it's statue of a fisherman and, of course ...

... there is the inevitable large church nearby.

But it's the colourful fishing boats that dominate Marsaxlokk. Where else would you get to see Leornado Da Vinci!

Photos: © Mike Perry

Other Malta Posts:
The Maltese Fisherman Who Visited Heaven
Valletta: The City Built By The Knights of the Order of St John
5000 Year Old Tarxien Temples Found In Malta By Farmers Ploughing Their Fields
Stepping Back In Time In The Silent City Of Mdina

Stepping Back In Time In The Silent City Of Mdina

Mdina, once the capital of Malta, has a magical almost fairytale quality. As you approach all you can see are the sturdy city walls and the spires of the Cathedral. Entrance is via a bridge, looking down on what was once the wide moat, and ...

... through the main gateway.

Once inside you soon realise that this walled city of Mdina, or the Silent City as it is known, is a bit special with it's narrow streets and medieval architecture. It's history stretches back to 4000 BC, though the majority of the present buildings are from the Arab period - of around 870 AD.

Once inside the walls it's easy to imagine you have stepped back in time until, that is ...

... you meet up with a gaggle of other tourists. Mdina is virtually car free as only it's three hundred residents may drive within the walled area - with an exception for undertakers and wedding and emergency vehicles.

Horse and carriage is one way to take in the atmosphere and but it's also good to simply walk and ...

... get lost in the narrow streets.

On the opposite side of Mdina - to the entrance - is a good place to look over the city walls. It's easy to see why the town was built in this position, as it's situated on one of Malta's highest points, slap bang in the middle of the island. The Mediterranean can be seen in the distance.

It is believed to have first been fortified by the Phoenicians somewhere around 700 BC.

We came across several artists sketching or painting while lost in another world.

The photo above shows St.Dorothy's Convent and below the narrow streets and passageways give way to a large square where the Cathedral of the Conversion of St Paul sits in all it's glory.

The building suffered extensive damage through an earthquake in 1693 and was rebuilt by Lorenzo Gafà between 1697 and 1702.

The floor of the Cathedral is paved and decorated with marble tombstones which display the coat of arms of the bishops of Mdina and other such dignitaries.

The city is also known for it's Mdina Glass. It's lovely quality, but rather pricey.

If you fancy a step back in time, your carriage awaits ...

Photos: © Mike Perry

Other Malta Posts:
A Pilgrimage To St Paul's Grotto In Rabat, Malta
Valletta: The City Built By The Knights of the Order of St John
5000 Year Old Tarxien Temples Found In Malta By Farmers Ploughing Their Fields

Street Art Or Graffiti In Malta

Walking one evening while in Malta I saw the above street art as we crossed the road at a pedestrian crossing in Sliema.  The fish eating, or swallowing the man's head amused me as, of course, did the name 'Perry' underneath.

During our stay we discovered a further selection of street art - or some would call it graffiti. Some of it is excellent. Most were on walls but the final example was on a kind of large electrical box and as I took the photo two policemen on motorbikes slowed down to see what I was doing - as they couldn't see the picture from the road. I must have a suspicious look about me!

Thee three blue pictures were all together, perhaps the artist is concerned that Malta is sinking below the sea. The one above though reminded me of my grandson, as we have a photo of him swimming under water when he was just a few months old.

And I guess, love can be strange.

That's it for today.

Other Malta Posts:
A Pilgrimage To St Paul's Grotto In Rabat, Malta
Valletta: The City Built By The Knights of the Order of St John
5000 Year Old Tarxien Temples Found In Malta By Farmers Ploughing Their Fields

5000 Year Old Tarxien Temples Found In Malta By Farmers Ploughing Their Fields

You know how it is - if you are a farmer that is - you are trying to plough one of your fields but keep striking great lumps of stone. You get a bit cheesed off about this after a while. But maybe it's not so bad when you eventually discover you have hit upon the remains of some ancient temples beneath your field.

And very old temples they proved to be, some built around 3600 BC - so that's over 5000 years ago. These are the Tarxien Temples of Malta - or what's left of them, first discovered in 1913 though they were still being excavated in the 1950s.

As you can see in the photo above some replica stones have also been included in the site, which is a shame. They are too square and exact and, for me, spoilt the feel and look of the place.

Nevertheless it's interesting to visit. It is believed that the buildings were built over a long period from about 3600 BC, as previously mentioned, to around 2500 BC.

The oldest remains are as shown in the photo below. These were built of smaller stones. The buildings were unfortunately damaged by the farmers with their ploughing.

Much larger stones were used for the later temples. The photo below shows the thickness of some of the floors.

The large boulders or stones weigh as much as an elephant, well that's what a sign states. But how heavy is an elephant? The theory is that these heavy stones were transported by rolling them on smaller round stones.

A few dodgy new stones have been included in the next photo and for some reason they also used cement - which has had an adverse effect on the original stones.

But there are good things to see, like the well ...

... and some of the carvings.

More thorough excavations are now being carried out, so you never know what they may still come across.

What was the purpose of these temples? This is the official line:

"Although we know little of the activities that took place within these buildings, they were clearly an important communal centre. The activities or rituals that took place here may have been of a religious, political and / or economic nature; however, following the sudden end of the temple culture the site was put to a very different use. During the early Bronze Age (after 2500 BC) the chambers of the Tarxien Temples were used for funerary purposes, being turned into a cremation cemetery."

We made our way to the Temples on a number 81 bus getting off at Paola. After we had seen all we wanted we got on the first bus that came along. We had no idea where it was headed but ended up in a lovely fishing village called Marsaxlokk. A good day out!

Photos: © Mike Perry

More Malta Posts:
The Cannon Went Off And Malta Turned Magical
The Maltese Fisherman Who Visited Heaven
The Billionaire And The Indian Empress In Malta Coincidences
A Pilgrimage To St Paul's Grotto In Rabat, Malta
Valletta: The City Built By The Knights of the Order of St John

The Creepy Underground Malta Catacombs With Room For 1000 Bodies - Photos

After visiting St Paul's Grotto in Rabat, Malta we decided to spend some more time underground and visit the Catacombs (sometimes referred to at St.Paul's Catacombs). These were initially built by the Romans but have also been used by Jews and Christians, at a later date, to bury their dead. I believe there is room for over 1000 bodies.

According to Heritage Malta the: "... Catacombs are a typical complex of interconnected, underground Roman cemeteries that were in use up to the 4th century AD ... Part of the catacombs were used again during the re-Christianisation of the Island around the 13th century."

The strange thing when visiting them today is that you first have to walk through underground tunnels and rooms that were used during the second world war as air raid shelters. The top photo shows the passage or tunnel and the second photo is of one of the 'rooms' off of the tunnel.

The tunnels were built using pick axes and were for the general public when the warning sirens were heard. Later some were given permission to build their own rooms so that they had some privacy.

After walking through these air raid tunnels the passages get narrow (see below) and it's these that lead to the Catacombs - and it's quite creepy! Especially as we were in there on our own, and it became something almost like a maze. The few lights cast shadows and shapes on the walls. Not a place to go if you are claustrophobic!

I found it all very interesting, and even spotted the odd bone, but I think Karin would have been happier if there had been more people about than just us - safety in numbers, and all that!

From what I've read the tombs were for the residents of the nearby town of Mdina (the Roman town of Melita). It was against their laws to bury the dead within their city walls.

There is a sign before reaching the Catacombs that Lord Horatio Nelson paid a visit on the 4th of May 1800. He was welcomed, at the time, by the rector and chaplains of the Knights of Malta.

After we'd had a good look round we managed to find our way out again into the bright sunshine, and walked to the walled town of Mdina. Maybe more on that another day.

Photos: © Mike Perry

Other Malta Posts:
The Cannon Went Off And Malta Turned Magical
The Maltese Fisherman Who Visited Heaven
The Billionaire And The Indian Empress In Malta Coincidences
A Pilgrimage To St Paul's Grotto In Rabat, Malta
Valletta: The City Built By The Knights of the Order of St John