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.Thevantage point from the Gardens gave me an appreciation for the choice of siteso long ago, a fortified city surrounded on three sides by water, with a hugenatural harbor for shipping and for protection as well.Continuing on with the tour, we doubled back and turned up a street that ranparallel to the main street where Anthony pointed out another building, theGeneral Post Office, also a Cassar design, of course.As I stepped back toadmire a particular feature of the building that Anthony was pointing out, Iinadvertently stepped on someone s toe.I turned to apologize profusely, andfound myself face-to-face with the strange fellow from the Air Malta flightthe day before he of the khaki safari gear, my Great White Hunter.He did not appear to recognize me, which was fine with me, and after suitableexpressions of regret on my part, and forgiveness on his, we parted companyand the Cassar/Farrugia tour continued on.From the Post Office we went backto the main street via a little road called Melita Street.Republic Street, asthe main street was called, was clearly the main shopping thoroughfare of thecity, filled with shops and boutiques tucked into the fronts of some very oldbuildings, and we turned right, or away from the city gate, onto it.A block or so further on, Anthony stopped to point out the National Museum ofArchaeology. Built by Cassar, he said.Then added in a more boyish aside, It s now filled with pots and fat ladies. Sophia glared at him, and he put an arm around her waist and gave her anaffectionate squeeze. Soph is studying really early history, not Cassar sarchitecture, he said. She s interested in archaeology and spends a lot oftime here.The fat ladies are statues that have been found in ancient sitesaround the island. I m interested in archaeology too, Sophia, I said, so you must tell mesomething about that later. She blushed but nodded and we moved on.Comingup the street behind us I saw the Great White Hunter again.I think he saw metoo, but he gave no indication.In fact, he ducked rather quickly into thedoorway of a shop.A few yards further on we came upon a large church.Like the other Cassarprojects, this one was of a very severe design, almost ponderous, but it had acertain solemnity to it I could appreciate.There was a little market set upin front of the church, and Sophia and I hesitated for a moment, both of us nodoubt feeling the urge to shop, but Anthony, ignoring it, pressed on to thesteps of the church. This is one of Cassar s greatest projects, St.John sCo-Cathedral, he said. It is not the first church in the city, but it is thelargest and the most impressive.It s called a co-cathedral, he said withsome pride, because Malta, unlike most other countries, has two officialCathedrals.Unfortunately, the inside has been completely redone in thebaroque style and is not Cassar s work, he said severely. Can we look inside anyway? I asked.As charmed as I might be by Anthony sobvious enthusiasm for the accomplishments of his illustrious forebear, Iwanted to see more of Valletta than this. It would prove an interestingPage 19 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlcomparison, I m sure, and would help to emphasize the finer points of Cassar swork, I ventured.He looked somewhat mollified. Okay, let s go in, he said.Sophia gave me asunny smile that indicated she could see through my subterfuge but was quiteprepared to go along with it.The interior of the cathedral bears no resemblance to the austerity of theexterior whatsoever.It is in fact staggering in its ornamentation, almostevery surface, every inch of the place, covered with arabesque carvings andgilt.The high altar is marble, silver, and lapis lazuli, the vaulted ceilingis covered in paintings, and the floor is emblazoned with elaborate marbletombstones.Both sides of the cathedral are lined with chapels; I countedeight or nine of them, linked by narrow little corridors
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