Malta, Then and Now

Malta is interesting, even though it is a small place.  That's probably because of its strategic location in the Mediterranean Sea.  A fleet based there can dominate sea traffic passing between Gibraltar and Suez, not to mention many other routes crossing the gap between the Italian toe and Tunisia.

The islands have been inhabited since prehistoric times, conquered now and then (the local language is Arabic-based), and besieged when the Knights of St. John and when the British ruled.  Depending which aspects of Malta's history appeal to one's sense of history, it makes for a fine short-stay tourist destination.

I happen to be a military history buff, and many photos in my reference library's books show Royal Navy warships in Valletta's magnificent harbor.  So naturally that and old-town Valletta were the places in Malta I wanted to visit.

The day I was there in the Fall of 2017 it rained heavily.  I didn't even take my camera from its pouch.  A year later I returned and the weather was good and I took dozens of photos.  Alas, the Royal Navy is gone, but below is a then-and-now pairing looking towards the harbor entrance from Valletta.  The "then" photo might have been taken 1860-1880.