Days 236-238 Italy Trip Greek Isles Days 34-36

 Malta

Malta became a highly sought-after naval and trade hub. It was colonized by the Phoenicians around 800 BC, then fell under the control of Carthage. During the Second Punic War in 218 BC, Malta was absorbed into the Roman Republic. Under Rome, the island prospered and was granted autonomy. According to the Acts of the Apostles, the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked on the island in 60 AD, which led to the Christianization of the Maltese population.

In 1530, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V granted Malta to the Knights Hospitaller of St. John. The Knights transformed the island. Their greatest challenge came in 1565 during the Great Siege of Malta, where the outnumbered Knights and Maltese locals successfully repelled a massive invasion force from the Ottoman Empire. Following this victory, the Knights built the heavily fortified, Baroque capital city of Valletta. 

The Knights' rule ended in 1798 when Napoleon Bonaparte conquered the islands on his way to Egypt. However, the French occupation was short-lived; after the French began looting churches, the Maltese rebelled and enlisted British help to expel them. In 1814, Malta officially became a British Crown Colony. Malta served as a crucial naval base for the British Empire, especially after the opening of the Suez Canal.

Malta’s strategic importance peaked during World War II. Situated directly on Axis supply routes to North Africa, the island was relentlessly bombed by German and Italian forces and was dubbed by Winston Churchill as an "unsinkable aircraft carrier". The bravery of the Maltese people in withstanding the siege led King George VI to collectively award the island the George Cross in 1942, which is still proudly displayed on the Maltese flag today.

‎⁨Messina⁩, ⁨Sicily⁩, ⁨Italy⁩

Erected in 1934, La Madonnina is a 7-meter gilded bronze statue of the Virgin Mary located at the extreme tip of the sickle-shaped port of Messina, Sicily. It rests on a 35-meter votive column and serves as a spiritual beacon, welcoming sailors with the Latin inscription: "Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus" (We bless you and the city)

Messina Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Messina, Sicily. Formerly the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Messina, it became in 1986 the archiepiscopal seat of the Archdiocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela. In June 1947 Pope Pius XII granted it the status of a minor basilica.

The Votive Temple of Christ The King (Tempio Votivo di Cristo Re) is a striking Baroque-style war memorial and shrine in Messina, Sicily. Built in 1937 on a prominent hilltop, it features a soaring green dome, a crypt containing the remains of over 1,200 fallen soldiers, and a massive bell made from melted enemy cannons

Days 233-235 Italy Trip Greek Isles Days 31-33

 Athens Greece

‎⁨Acropolis⁩, ⁨Athens⁩, ⁨Attica⁩, ⁨Greece⁩

The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece, and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone Greek theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. The building was completed in AD 161 and then renovated in 1950

The Parthenon is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, that was dedicated to the goddess Athena. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of classical Greek art, and the Parthenon is considered an enduring symbol of ancient Greece, Western civilization, and democracy.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, also known as the Mitropoli, is the seat of the Archbishop of Athens and all of Greece. Construction began in 1842 under King Otto and Queen Amalia. To build its walls, marble from 72 demolished churches was repurposed, symbolizing the resilience and unity of the newly independent Greek nation

The Metropolitan Church of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) in Piraeus, Greece, serves as the spiritual and architectural center of the city's Metropolis. Originally built between 1839 and 1845, it was entirely destroyed during the tragic Allied bombings on January 11, 1944. The current monumental Byzantine-style cathedral was rebuilt and consecrated in the 1950s/1960s

‎⁨Mykonos⁩, ⁨South Aegean⁩, ⁨Greece⁩

The iconic whitewashed windmills of Mykonos, Greece, date back to the 16th century. Built primarily by the Venetians, they harnessed the Aegean’s powerful northern winds to mill grain and produce flour. Today, 16 of the original mills survive, standing as timeless symbols of the island’s maritime and agricultural heritage

Baklava represents the deep historical fusion of Mediterranean, Byzantine, and Ottoman culinary traditions. Rooted in ancient Greek layered desserts like gastris, the modern flaky treat evolved in the Ottoman Empire before becoming a cherished staple of Mykonian festive culture..

Sea Day

Corfu Greece

Botides is a famous Greek Orthodox Easter tradition in Corfu Town. Every Holy Saturday at exactly 11:00 AM, thousands of locals and tourists gather as residents throw massive, water-filled clay pots from their balconies to smash loudly on the streets below, symbolizing renewal and the warding off of evil spirits. it was fun to be part of a special tradition.

We are defiantly planning a trip back to Corfu to explore the island's hidden gems and iconic Durrell filming locations . When we return, we will step out of the bustling tourist spots and into the authentic, sun-drenched landscapes that inspired the family's story.

Saint Spyridon Church is a Greek Orthodox church located in Corfu, Greece. It was built in 1589. It houses the relics of Saint Spyridon and it is located in the old town of Corfu. It is a single-nave basilica and its bell tower, built in 1620, is the highest in the Ionian Islands.