Rabat, Malta: Feast of St. Joseph and Street BandsMar 17, 2019
|
|
Rabat, a city of lights.
The adult band walking through the streets for hours.
Through the many narrow streets. Residents opening their doors fo watch.
Here in Rabat (and probably through out Malta) they are preparing for the feast of St. Joseph. Last night and tonight there has been an adult band playing for hours from about 8;30 PM through the narrow streets of Rabat. It began with the ringing of all the church bells and along with bomb fireworks. Not beautiful colorful fireworks but the kind that sound like cannon blasts. The streets are beautifully lit and draped with cloth banners. Crowds of people in the streets dressed in their best. Men in suits and ladies in dress pants and beautiful wool coats, often with fur collars. Like being dressed for Easter.
This afternoon I took the bus to nearby Melita, a part of Attard, to visit the San Anton Gardens, said to be the biggest and most visited in Malta. The grounds were developed between 1623 and 1636 by Grand Master Antoine de Paule. It was the residence of the British Governor from 1802 until 1964 and now it is the official residence of the Maltese President. Later walking down a side street I noticed several Embasy buildings. It was a beautiful, sunny day and I enjoyed walking and being part of the Sunday crowd.
