We wanted to visit Saint Thomas' Tower but it was closed, however we wandered around it and saw what looked like a derelict building. Curiousity got the better of us so we looked a little closer.
Met a couple of cats on the way - one was friendlier than the other - they looked like litter mates.
Give a cat a box, even a stray one, and they will sit in it.
Someone gave this kitty a bed - he seemed quite comfy.
A little research we found out the building used to be the Corinthia Jerma Palace Hotel. A former 4* hotel that opened in 1982 but closed in 2007. The land was owned by the Libyan Foreign Investment Company and the hotel was managed by Corinthia Hotels International. Muammar Gaddafi had a Presidential Suite in the hotel, though we didn't find evidence of it on our wanderings. The hotel is scheduled for demolition but no date has been set yet. There have been several fires in the building, there are soot marks in lots of places in some of the ceilings and roof have collapsed. This is one photograph of it burning several years ago.
What we did find was some quite fabulous grafitti.
Gollum on one of the outside walls.
The detail was amazing.
This piece was on three separate walls/columns but formed one piece when aligned correctly.
This skull on two different columns.
This eye also in the fire-scarred main lobby.
Boiler room of some kind? This was in the basement.
Another basement room - no idea what it was originally, it has been gutted for anything of value.
More grafitti on the ground floor.
The former indoor pool.
The outdoor pool.
The outdoor pool would have had fabulous views over the Mediterranean, it was a windy day when we were there however so seemed a little inhospitable.
More grafitti.
The only scorpion we saw, though there are real scorpions on Malta.
One of the bathrooms, completely gutted.
Looking along one of the corridors from end to centre.
These looked like fire exit stairs that we used to explore the upper floors.
Tennis court in a rather sorry state.
The corridors higher up had more light.
Peering down the lift shaft from the top floor.
The central staircase - we opted not to use this as it was unsheltered and it was very windy.
View from one of the balconies here you can see the damage caused by one of the fires.
Top floor and yet more artwork.
Still some of the carpet left in this corridor.
The roof, though again we didn't venture far due to the wind. Six stories up - shame it wasn't better weather as I'm sure the views would have been fabulous.
Back in the basement, remnants of old televisions.
Parts of an laundry maybe?
One of the mirrors - not much good for doing your make up anymore.
Back to the main lobby for some panoramic shots
And this is what it used to look like in it's glory days.
Lobby
Outdoor Pool
Indoor Pool
One of the rooms - it looks like they all had balconies and as it was on a headland, most had sea views.
After that we wandered back into Marsaskala and found this charity shop. I fell in love with the vintage furniture.
Panoramic view of the Marsaskala sea front, we walked from the hotel to the headland on the other side of the harbour.
Beautiful cat hiding under a boat.
The Jerma Palace from further away.
Abandoned? property on the way to the headland.
Another panoramic shot (I probably take too many of these).
On the way to the tower on headland.
Wildflowers on the clifftop.
Another cat we saw back in Marsaskala.
And this old beast that looked like it was still used.
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