TODAY’S TOURING
Today’s adventure was the Mosta Rotunda. We took the bus (Euro 2 each), which stopped in front of our condo, to Mosta. The bus originated at the Gozo ferry dock and was standing room only when we got on the bus. It was a 20+ minute ride. By the time we arrived at Mosta, the bus was packed body to body. Fortunately, there was a stop in front of the Mosta Rotunda. We took a leisurely tour of the rotunda. By the time we were ready to return to our condo, it was very hot, I was not feeling well, and we decided to take a car back to our condo. We tried eCab, but gave up after waiting 16 minutes and getting dropped. Then we tried BOLT, new to us. The charge was Euro 11 and the car arrived in 1 minute :). We actually got dropped off at the Donut Factory. The write-ups mentioned a caramel filled donut. We have been looking for a replacement for the killer Greggnut caramel filled cronut. The donuts did not meet my expectations. They are supposed to be healthier, less fat. However, the consistency was a mix between Krispy Cream raised donuts and cake donuts 🙁 . However, the espresso helped us to recover 🙂 . After an ATM stop and a rest at the condo, we had dinner at the Tripadvisor #1 rated restaurant, Ta’ Bertu. Thinking the restaurant would be busy, we arrived early. The restaurant was a one-man operation and was empty. It was almost a private dinner and the food was very good.
REFERENCES
Mosta Dome (Lonely Planet)
The Parish Church of Santa Maria, better known as the Rotunda or Mosta Dome, was designed by the Maltese architect Giorgio Grognet de Vassé and built (1833–60) using funds raised by the local people. It has a stunning blue, gold and white interior, where you can also see the bomb that fell through it in 1942 as around 300 parishioners waited to hear Mass. Miraculously, the bomb failed to detonate – a replica is to the left of the altar in the sacristy. The church’s circular design with a six-columned portico was closely based on the Pantheon in Rome, and the great dome – a prominent landmark (its external height is 61m) – is visible from most parts of Malta. With a diameter of 39.6m, it’s one of the world’s largest domes, though dome comparison is a tricky business: the parishioners of Xewkija on Gozo claim that their church has a bigger dome than Mosta’s – although the Gozitan Rotunda has a smaller diameter (25m), it is higher and has a larger volumetric capacity. So there!
