Valletta, all year round, is at best a very busy city indeed but more so at present. Even more so because she is the middle of having a very drastic face lift to her entrance and its surroundings. So besides the usual busy strides and loud chatter from the commuting public the area is also filled with the sound of jack hammers, banging, workmen yelling instructions and an on going onslaught of activity - still for obvious reasons this area is also concealed behind a 4 metre high wall of boards meant to keep the curious onlookers and the general public safe from falling into the deep trenches while all the digging and building is going on. So to the creator of this chaotic intruder - of course it is common knowledge to all who live on this little island that this is none other than Renzo Piano's design. This modernist and world renowned architect was awarded the design contract for this golgothan project and to this day has offered so many of us much heated discussion ending in wasted breathe. Still after so much controversy about the impracticality of it and its very modern design, it still has resulted in a drastic reconstruction of the area. Of course I shall not delve further into this topic as this is not the purpose of this blog, therefore I shall just stick to the fact that the work began early last year and is estimated to be finished sometime in 2013/14, though I can stand corrected on these estimates.
So driving into Valletta has taken on a different approach and that is to either drive up to Castille and then proceed down St. Paul's Street and then take a left turn around Archbishop's Street to find your way either heading towards Republic Street or Bakery Str. Or else if you decide to take a more scenic route round the other end of Valletta, one would have to proceed round from below the "Phoenica Hotel" area and then either park on the circular road and catch one of the smaller buses that service Valletta or be brave and drive up and try to come up through the area under Hasting's Gardens. To park in the area means finding a right turn somewhere and then to head up to South Street. Perhaps if you re lucky you may then drive right up to Bakery Street or thereabouts and park in surrounding side streets hoping that you will not come across a unkindly warden.
Times were simple in the past I suppose, but then we always say that to everything in life, that is until one gets used to the new system. As I am the eternal optimist I hope that this will eventually all make sense and that once again I may visit Valletta with a little less hassle. I must admit because of all this visiting Valletta has become a rarity for me. My weekly visit has turned into a monthly one and now that winter is finally turning a corner I feel that perhaps I may venture in once again. I miss those noble streets with its beautiful façades and long streets that give you a peep of the sea at the far end. Life has a habit of dictating things and so I look forward to the time when I can visit again soon.
So at it is obvious that I have not ventured much into Valletta this time, I have nothing new to report. So for all you Valletta lovers I have added as many recent photos of Valletta as I could find in my files.- Here they are a collection of Valletta in quieter times.... Enjoy
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