The Mosta Dome

Above: the old square of Mosta
Above: Me, Huan, and Maya!
Majestic clouds...

Below: While we waited for the church service to get out, we were entertained by this little Maltese boy who kept trying to go for the water puddle...

Extremely beautiful and intricate Mosta dome
Alter
Maltese words outside the church

Church doors

Above: Mosta dome

Above and below: Mosta church

Mosta seal...?

Mosta, Malta

Last weekend I went in search of a bookstore called Island Books (picture above) to find a book I needed for a class. I had only the name of the bookstore, and a poorly drawn map...It turns out I went completely the wrong direction, then finally got some instruction from a friendly local. Being located in a small alley off the beaten path I would have never found it on my own. It was definitely worth the journey though! It is quite quaint, and the owner is very nice. I spent three hours in there looking at books, and chatting with the owner. She is British and has lived in Malta for 30 years; she also owns 24 cats...an interesting character. Too bad books aren't weightless, otherwise my book collection would double in size!
Above is the Mosta dome. It is the biggest church and is visible from most places in Malta. This dome has very interesting history! "On June 9 in 1942, three enemy bombs struck the dome while 300 churchgoers waited to hear Mass. Two of the bombs bounced off and landed in the square without exploding. The third pierced the dome, smashed off a wall and rolled across the floor of the church. Miraculously, no one was hurt and the bomb failed to detonate. A replica of the bomb can be seen in the church sacristy, to the left of the altar."
-Lonely Plant Malta Book
I have not yet seen the interior of the church, but plan to do so soon.
Above and below are pictures of a house I like because of the huge shrub like tree growing from it with beautiful pink flowers.
Below: The corner of a restaurant with a purple vine growing on the side of it. Mosta is very unique!

February!

So, I've now been to almost two full weeks of class. I like my classes a lot better than last semester. I'm taking Medieval Europe, Arabic, Phoenician and Punic Archaeology, Environmental Stewardship, and Coastal Processes and Landforms. I'm pretty excited about it! I'm going to post more pictures later.


xoxoxo

Hoopin Around The World!

Hoopin in front of the Parthenon...
Shortly after this picture was taken I got in trouble for hoopin at this ancient site...apparently hula hoops are a threat to this huge marble structure...oh well!
A view of the Erechtheion through my hoop!
Hoopin at a park in Bern, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland: Hula hoop trick
Below: my favorite hoop picture with the sun setting in Switzerland
Switzerland
Below: snowy Austria
Austria
Austria
Austria
Austria
Below: Hoopin in Utrect (college city outside of Amsterdam, where I stayed with my friend Zack)
Utrect
Below: Hoopin in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Below: Hoopin in Greece
Greece
Greece
Gettin ready to hoop in Bologna, Italy

Hoopin in front of the Asinelli and Garisenda towers: these towers are a landmark of Bologna