Three Islands

On this cruise we have visited 3 islands: Malta, Grand Canary and Madiera. Each is different from the other except for one thing…all are beautiful.

Malta was the first of the 3 and what makes it distinctive is the uniformity of the architecture. Most of the buildings were built sometime in the 16th or 17th century. They boast similar colors and styles, with wonderful enclosed balconies facing narrow streets that wind around the island. We visited the co-cathedral of St. John, an over the top baroque church that has 2 Caravaggio paintings. I had a grand time taking pictures of tiny architectural details that made each home different and intriguing. We also had tea at the home of one of the Knights of Malta. Malta is the home of the Knights of St. John, a hospital order of men, who have been taking care of the sick and wounded since the time of the Crusades. It is an independent country, about 100 miles off the coast of Sicily, and is part of the European Union.

The second island was Grand Canary. A volcanic island that is circular in shape a few hundred miles off the coast of Africa boasts a semi-tropical climate and wonderful views of the ocean. Here we visited the house where Christopher Columbus stayed before sailing off to the “new world.” The Canary Islands are not named for birds, but the Latin name for dog, so there are statues of dogs around the island. The Canary Islands are part of Spain, and also part of the European Union and use the Euro for their currency. Here I took pictures of churches and interesting buildings.

Today we visited the third of the 3 islands, Madiera. It is part of Portugal. The name derives from all the trees that were on the island when it was discovered in 1419. Madiera is Portuguese for “wood.” It is an autonomous region of Portugal with an elected President, yet the country owes it’s allegiance to Portugal. While Malta has a unique and uniform architecture, Madiera has flowers. The climate is just about perfect so there is a riot of colorful blooms every day of the year. As a flower lover, I was in heaven trying to take pictures of all of them.

Each island is different; each is similar too. All members of the European Union, all use the Euro, each is a European resort visited by lots of folks yearning for sunshine when the rest of Europe is freezing. I don’t know if I could spend a lifetime on any of these islands, I know I could spend another fortnight, enjoying what each has to offer.