The Journey of a Broken Heart

Chapter 29: LAURA

(Thankyou 1K!!! ily)

Mom woke me and Lynn up at ten am. After taking a short shower I dressed up in a jumper, while mom helped Lynn take a bath.

Today was the day that we were meeting our travel guide. She would be taking us to famous tourist attractions of the city. After all of us were ready we went to the breakfast hall in the hotel. I just took a bagel and a glass of orange juice.

We walked down the street where the guide would be meeting us.

"There she is," dad said and I looked over to a girl no older than twenty bouncing on her feet smiling and walking towards us. I thought that the guide would be at least in his or her forties and they would be grumpy and irritating, I definitely didn't imagine a bubbly teen.

I looked down at Lynn and by the look on her face she must have thought the same.

"Hey! I am Merle, nice to meet you all," Merle introduces herself shaking all of our hands.

"Merle the Pearl," Lynn said with a grin and at this Merle smiled a little.

"Thanks, so I will be your tour guide for the trip and today I'll be taking you to a cruise on the waterfront and also on a tour of The Upper Barrakka Gardens, Then we can have dinner wherever you want to go," she said all at once not even stopping to draw a breath. Her voice was young and energetic and she had a slight accent in her voice though I couldn't figure out which one it is.

"So umm where are we going first?" I asked her.

"Oh we would first go on the cruise... is it okay?" she asked us nervously.

"Oh yes dear, take us wherever you think is the best," mom said with a laugh. Merle's face broke into a grin.

"This actually is my first family to whom I am guiding, though I am fully eligible don't worry," she laughed.

While we walked towards the waterfront where the ship would be boarding us Merle told us something about the history of it but I wasn't paying much attention. I was seeing all the bonny buildings and their architecture. I myself want to choose architecture as a profession that is why I am so intrigued by the buildings.

Before I knew we came in front of this big white cruise ship, after climbing it with my dad (Mom went with Lynn by the special entrance because of her wheelchair), Merle climbed behind us. After we found mom and Lynn Merle had us seated on the seats. The cruise would be taking us on a tour showing us some prominent destinations in the city. The water was so blue and clear beneath and the ship was swaying like a toy one before its engine roared to life and the cruise started to move. At first it just moved about randomly in the water but then it started to move away from the city.

(Waterfront Cruise)

"The Valletta waterfront is located in Floriana, a fortified small town just outside Valletta that is why we are leaving the city for now," Merle shouted over the winds to explain us where we are going.

"This cruise will mainly be showing us three prominent buildings, The church in the middle, Pinto stores, and Forni stores, I'll explain once we get there," Merle told us again.

We moved through the water and saw the famous buildings and destination. The buildings all looked old and that just added to their beauty.

We were also offered a small buffett in the cruise though I only ate a sandwhich because I didn't wanted to get sea sick.

After the cruise finished after about an hour we boarded off the ship. After taking a rest on one of the benches on the side walk, Merle stopped a bus, they were a funny shape different from the buses in us and they were Yellow and white it looked... cute to me.

The bus took us to The Upper Bakkatta Gardens. The gardens provide a panoramic view of the Grand Harbour of the city. I can already feel myself getting attached to the city and the thing that I am falling in love with is again the architecture. I really don't think I'll be able to do justice if I described myself so I a not even gonna try it.

(The Upper Barrakka Gardens)

The Garden itself is so pretty. There are pieces of art made out of plants and shrubberies and there are so many different types of flowers all making the place more colourful. There are these many statues and fountains adding to the aesthetics.

Th garden itself provides an excellent view of the Harbor, and the saluting Battery.

(The Saluting Battery)

(The Grand Harbor panoramic View)

After spending about an hour and a half there in which we took pictures and ate food we started walking back towards the city. It was about half past two and we still haven't had a proper meal we went into a side walk restaurant.

I ordered a smoothie bowl, while Lynn ordered a sand which. Our parents went with Merle's suggestion and by the looks on their faces it was a good decision. The rest of the day Merle walked us around the city and we stopped by a park at about five in the evening and we had a little picnic there and we stayed there talking and waking around while Merle talked with her sister on the phone. At around six it began to become dark and it was THE single best thing I ever saw. The sky suddenly was covered with a blanked of stars and I lied down on the grass with Lynn lying beside me. After we went back to the hotel I stayed up with Lynn talking until she went to her bed and snoozed to sleep there.