Exploring Valletta 6/8

We had planned to do another deployment in St Elmo's Bay on Friday morning, so we all woke up early and went back to the bay. Sam and Russell had built an information map of the Maori wreck using the sonar images from Wednesday, and used it to plan missions to get camera and sonar data for the CalPoly team. Mitchell and Nandeeka also planned some new lawnmower missions to get clean sonar data of the entire wreck. Makoto, in an effort to find bolts to properly attach the camera lights to the robot, stayed behind to wait for a DIY store to open to get the necessary hardware.

Unfortunately, when we reached St Elmo's Bay, the winds were upwards of 35 km/hr, too strong for a deployment. However, looking ahead, we noted that the winds were going to die down by Sunday. So, we switched our schedule around and decided to explore Valletta on Friday and do the deployment on Sunday.

Since we no longer had an ecab to transport all seven of us and the IVER, Prof Clark and the robot went back to drop off the robot while we walked to a cafe and hung out while waiting for him and Makoto.

Prof Clark and the IVER ready to go back to Sliema

Iced Coffee and Pastizzi from the Cafe

After getting everyone together, we first went to the St John's Co-Cathedral where we walked around and did an audio tour describing the different rooms. works of art, and history of the place.

Nandeeka, Sam, and Bonita (not pictured) were made to wear shawls
and wrap skirts to dress more modestly 

View of the co-cathedral from a balcony above

We then walked to the Upper Barrakka Gardens, and although we just missed the cannon fire, we got a nice view of the Grand Harbor.

Cannons and the Grand Harbor from the Upper Barrakka Gardens

The next stop was another cafe for a late lunch and some desert.

Sam's Sunday

Finally, we explored the palace armory and admired rows of cannons, guns, and full body armor. In the same area, there was a Picasso and Miró exhibition.

Mitchell with a cannon

Makoto with a painting