Day 11 Explore Valletta, Malta Controversial Topic: The bombshell reporting of late journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia

Destination: Valletta
Meals included: B L D
Accommodations: M/V Clio

Activity Note: Our tour today involves more than two miles of walking on paved roads, including some steep hills. St. John’s Co-Cathedral closes at noon on Saturdays and is closed on Sundays. An alternate activity will be provided by your Trip Experience Leader if your visit falls during one of these times.

Breakfast: Onboard the ship.

Morning: Our ship docks in Valletta, where we’ll head out for an included walking tour of the Maltese capital. From our ship, we'll walk to the base of the Old Town, where we'll ride a glass elevator to the Upper Barracca Gardens, a beautiful display of Romanesque architecture overlooking the city's Grand Harbor. Other highlights of our tour include St. John’s Co-Cathedral, a high Baroque church that hosts the painter Caravaggio's masterpiece, The Beheading of St. John, in its oratory.

Lunch: Onboard the ship.

Afternoon: At leisure. Perhaps you’ll discover more of Valletta with suggestions from your Trip Experience Leader, or relax in your cabin. In the late afternoon, you may choose to join a local expert onboard for a conversation about the idiosyncrasies of the Maltese language. During this chat, you'll learn about the myriad European historical and cultural influences that have shaped the language.

Before dinner, we’ll gather in the ship’s lounge to discuss the Controversial Topic of anti-corruption activism in Malta—more specifically, the life of Daphne Caruana Galizia, a former investigative journalist, columnist, blogger, and anti-corruption activist. To facilitate our discussion, we’ll be joined by an individual who was very close with Daphne, but for their protection, we are not at liberty to disclose their name.

Our conversation will cover a broad range of topics, from insatiable financial power and a culture of impunity to the dangers of investigative journalism. But at the heart of our conversation, we will reflect on a brilliant and brave woman who—against all odds—wrote truth to power and strove to dismantle a powerful political bubble bankrupt of ethics. Her story is a reminder of the lengths journalists often must go to unveil the truth and the sacrifices they make to do so.

Dinner: Onboard the ship.

Evening: The evening is free. You may enjoy a cocktail and conversation in the lounge or retire to your cabin for the night.

12/15/24