On the way to Afghanistan

SC Eagle blogs about his military deployment at A storm in Afghanistan but is currently on a family break in Malta. His observations about Malta begin as a reflection on the island's history and heritage and end as a contemplation on war and peace. From Scenes from Malta:

Some have asked what there is to do in Malta. Good question. After a week here, I can tell you - we're not sure. Malta's been around for thousands of years. Being that it's directly in the middle of the Med, has a large natural harbor, and is a large chunk of rock in the middle of the sea, it was destined to be stumbled upon by people in boats, as far back as the early Phoenicians (check your history books)..

On some tours, they'll point out all the fortifications. On other tours, they discuss all the times Malta's been conquered. Conclusion - Malta has built a lot of unsuccessful, yet impressive fortifications. All that said, Malta is an impressive, sleepy town. Yes, yes, Malta is really many towns, but it really seems like one big town. Everything is tucked into corners and any available spot that can be found. The people are friendly. Crime seems minor. The newspaper carries such major stories as the new car fleet at Avis and McDonald's has a new menu. We have had quite a bit of fun just wandering and meandering. We picked up a stack of brochures and tried a few of the tours..

Some interesting experiences? Well, on one day, while wandering around the capital of Valleta, we learned that there was going to be a military tattoo. A tattoo is basically like a military music concert / marching demonstration...Of a special devious pleasure for me, there was a protest set-up in a square just down the street from the square where the tattoo was...All the goodies were there. There were signs for "Peace Not War", "All Different, All Equal" (not a math major), protests against McDonald's, Nike, Adidas, the usual exhortations for workers to unite... I was just soooo tempted to go and introduce myself and what I do for a living, but...