We decided to devote the day to some of Valletta's history. After yesterday's effort we needed a slower pace!

Our location is fantastic in terms of access to the main attractions. We were keen to revisit The Malta Experience - an audiovisual overview of Malta's long history from prehistoric settlement to the present day. We also wanted to have a look at Fort St Elmo itself ( opened to the public since our last visit) and the War Museum - which, as it turns out, now occupies that very fort.

We strolled down the narrow steps of Battery Street, and then further down to the fort where, you guessed it- the Malta Experience also lives. The ticket included a tour of the Sagrada Infermeria of the Knights of St John.

The audiovisual has been totally remade since our last visit. It is a very well written overview of the history which makes the most of the widescreen. The headphones make the commentary available in 20 languages! The English commentary is done by Derek Jacobi. The main theme is the way in which so much of Malta's history was shaped by influences that came across the sea. And an extraordinary history it is, much of it marked by invasions and attempts invasions, and the hand of many different rulers.

When this finished we formed half of a group of four which walked across the road to the Knights' infirmary. There actually wasn't a whole lot to see, but the commentary was fascinating. In its time it was the largest infirmary in the world, and 150 metres long. The upper 'ward' was for the nobility- only men of course. Each person had a bed to themselves ( poor folk downstairs were three to a bed!). Each bed had it's own toilet, with a system that drained to the ocean, and air vents that drew in fresh air from the central citrus garden. Early forms of antiseptic using honey, or turpentine were in use, and instead of a saw, amputations were done using one of 25 different guillotines, each for a separate appendage!

Next stop, afterward Kinnie/coffee was the war museum. As noted, this has been relocated to take up several of the buildings of the restored Fort St Elmo. When we were here last parts of the fort were in use by the police for training, and none of it was accessible to the public. It has now, like so much of Valletta been beautifully restored. I think we both agreed that the collection of the museum at present is really too small to do justice to the extra space, and in fact, some of the material - particularly relating to World War Two seemed to have less impact on us in its new surroundings. There is a very heavy reliance on small screen video presentations. However you look at it though, the two big events for the nation were the repulsion of the Great Siege of the Turks in 1565, and surviving the bombardment and effective siege of the Germans in World War Two. The latter is particularly poignant given that my father and his family lived through its incredible privations.

After nearly four hours of gawking, it was time for lunch and a rest before my cousin Alex came to take us to visit my father's two cousins, Doris and Maria - two ladies in their seventies who live around the corner from where Uncle Tony used to live. They had prepared sandwiches and cake - but managed to press their hospitality with a deal more subtlety than Aunt Guza! We had a good chat for about half an hour before Alex came to collect us. He had squeezed us in between pastoral visits, so we went to a restaurant for a quick meal (literally outside the Australian Consulate.) He seemed to take every back road in Malta - at a good speed! - to get us there.

He dropped us home and then headed off for his next commitment.