'Murtali u l'Kaxxa'

What you are seeing here aren't all clouds, these are actually fire works also known as 'il-kaxxa'. When translated from Maltese to English 'il-kaxxa' means a box however for the festa people 'il-kaxxa' means a set of very noisy, colourless fireworks with smoke aftermath.

Skywatch Friday

Here are a couple of shots I took the other day of the sky whilst relaxing on the beach.. I like it when there are clouds in the sky. A summer sky in Malta means no clouds, so I welcome clouds with open arms. It would be fantastic if these clouds brought colder weather with them but hey I'm grateful just the same!

Pretty Bay ...................

Pretty Bay is found in Birzebbuga, which is located in the southern part of the Island. In the earlier years Pretty bay's sandy beach was a very small area and swimmers took to the water from the flat rocks or concrete platforms built on the shoreline. Recently however the bay was artificially filled with sand that had been recovered from the sea during works on the Freeport Project. I must also add that in summer this is a sought after place by many Maltesers and foreigners alike. There are also a good number of restaurants around this area. I was standing in the middle of the bay when I took the photo. This is how it looks on a normal summer night.

Sunset over Birzebbuga no 3

Previously I've already posted a couple of photos in connection with Sunset over the town of Birzebbuga. I took this picture yesterday evening whilst at the beach bbq'ing with some friends (photos on my other blog soon). I like the way the sun is still shinning on the rocks.

Boats......drowning and other matters

This morning I had another subject in mind and I am still debating whether I should do a post on the matter or not. So before I do the post I've decided to ask you what you think about 'illegal immigrants' pouring into your country by the 100's weekly.

The photo I took a couple of months ago, however I decided to post this particular photo as this is a drowning matter. Please feel free to comment.

Reflections/moon/ Malta Freeport

A photo I took a couple of nights ago when there was a full moon. It's not very clear however I think it's got some nice reflections.

EF - Language School , St. Julians , Malta

EF http://www.ef-italia.it/malta/ is an international school for English Language, It has over 50 schools and offices around the world. In Malta this is found in St.Julian's.

I have put a link in my side bar for those of you out there willing to learn the English language whilst staying in Malta.

440th year from the anniversary of the death of Grandmaster Jean Parisot de la Valette

This month in Valletta, Malta there will be celebrations for this great Grand Master as it's the 440th year from his death.

He was a Knight of St. John, joining the order in the Langue de Provence, and fought with distinction against the Turks at Rhodes. As Grand Master, Valette became the Order's hero and most illustrious leader, commanding the resistance against the Ottomans at the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, widely regarded as one the greatest sieges of all time. He became Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller on 21 August 1557. After the great siege, he commissioned the construction of the new city of Valletta in 1566, laying the first stone with his own hands. This took place on the slopes of Mount Sciberras, where the flower of the Turkish army had died whilst trying to storm Fort St.Elmo, a fort which the Turks thought would fall within three or four days, but which, due to the bravery of the defenders, held out for 30 days.
The city named after its founder - Humilissima Civitas Vallettae - became known as the most aristocratic and exclusive fortress in Europe - a city most often referred to as "Superbissima" - the "Most Proud". Valletta remains the Maltese capital to this day.
Jean Parisot de la Valette died peacefully in 1568 before the completion of the city. His tomb (in the form of a sarcophagus) can be found in the Crypt of the St John's Co-Cathedral, situated within the walls of Valletta. The inscription on his tomb, which was composed by his Latin Secretary, Sir Oliver Starkey, the last Knight of the English Langue at the time of the Great Siege, states in Latin:

an award ........

Hey I have just found out that Carin bestowed this lovely award to my blog. Thanks Carin!! :)

The rules state that you should:

1. Put the logo on your blog;2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you;3. Nominate at least five other blogs;4. Add links to them on your blog;5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blogs..

Now let’s see who I think has a brilliant weblog…

First I think I nominate Tanty from www.stavangerphotobytanty.blogspot.com, definitely. She’s got a great blog about the place she calls second home and some fantastc shots. I visit this blog nearly every day. A second award goes to my e-friend Kathrine from

www.alfredfellandgunnlogsson.blogspot.com I just like visiting this blog for the simple reason that I enjoy seeing what these two cute boys are up to in the lovely city of Copenhagen. A third award goes to Susan in Maple Ridge, BC , Canada for the fantastic shots she takes of her surroundings and also for being such a wonderful person in helping others www.mrdailyphoto.blogspot.com , mmmmm now let me think .... a fourth award would be worth giving to someone with posts I enjoy reading so this goes to Sara from www.babyjuggler.blogspot.com and a last but not least award would go to my maltese friend who started blogging this month. After helping me with photos every now and then she has now decided to blog her own photos so here goes my fifth award to Laetitia from www.marie6-myworld.blogspot.com/, after all she is doing a great job too!!! So for all of you ladies you know the rules it's now up to you to carry on this award .......

Malta - Sicily

From Malta you can take daily trips to the Island of Sicily either by air or by sea. Here are two shots of a catamaran's daily trip returning from Sicily. This Catamaran has been operating high speed ferries between Malta and Sicily since 1988. The Maria Dolores, 600 passengers; 65cars/trucks/caravans/coaches/trailers, makes over 500 round trips every year between Valletta and Pozzallo (90 minute) and Catania (3 hours) effectively making Malta part of mainland Europe.
A catamaran is a type of multihulled ship consisting of two hulls joined by a frame, formed of Akas. Catamarans can be sail- or engine-powered. The catamaran was first discovered being used by the paravas, a fishing community in the southern coast of Tamil Nadu, India. Catamarans were used by the ancient Tamil Chola dynasty as early as the 5th century AD for moving their fleets to invade such Southeast Asian regions as Burma,Indonesia and Malaysia.

Valletta Harbour by night.......

These shots were taken yesterday evening from the Upper Barrakka Gardens (Il-Barrakka ta' Fuq) in Valletta. It offers a panoramic view of the Grand Harbour. The origins of the Upper Barrakka Gardens go back to 1661, when in effect it was a ‘private' garden belonging to the Italian knights.

The Maltese Cross

The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem gave Malta the heritage of the Maltese Cross. The eight-pointed cross is a symbol used by the knights to denote the eight obligations or aspirations of the knights.
The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, now commonly known as the Knights of Malta, can trace their origin to a group of monks attached to a hospice built in the Holy Lands to aid travelers visiting the Holy Land. The monks were known as the Freres Hospitaliers de St. Jean de Jerusalem. Over time, the monks started offering armed escort to travelers as they passed through perilous Syrian territory. Following the success of the First Crusade, the Hospitallers evolved into a military order.
Around 1113, Pope Pascal II acknowledged the Hospitallers as a religious order. They were bound by the Augustinian rules of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience. However, more was expected of the members of the Order. They were required to abide by eight obligations or aspirations. These eight obligations were:
live in truth;
have faith;
repent of sins;
give proof of humility;
love justice;
be merciful;
be sincere and whole-hearted; and
endure persecution.
Noble aspiration indeed especially for individuals who came from very rich and powerful European families. Members of the Order wore a black habit and a camel-hair cloak of the same colour. A white eight-pointed cross covered their breast. The eight-pointed cross was also on their standard against a scarlet background. Eventually, as the Knights became known as the Knights of Malta, their symbol also became associated with Malta and is now known as the Maltese Cross.
The Maltese Cross is a very cherished symbol of the Maltese people and the cross has become part of the Malta's heritage and culture. Many souvenirs are adorned by the Maltese Cross. The cross is also used in all kinds of jewelry including earrings, necklaces, bracelets, broaches, pendants and cuff-links.Dov Gutterman and Lewis A. Nowitz, 15 April 1999

and to the beach we go........

When you are visiting Malta as a tourist there are so many sites to see and museums to visit, however when you live here permanently the only thing you will be most likely looking forward to is the beach. It gets so hot during the day here that historic visits are not in a Malteser agenda. However a good swim late after 5pm, following by a BBQ with family and friends is something you will see daily on the beaches across Malta.

Whilst reading one of our local newspapers http://www.timesofmalta.com/ I found out about the Melitatrains. Visit http://www.melitatrains.com/ , this is their official website where you will read about the trackless train that will take you around Mtarfa , Rabat and Mdina.

I will have to make plans to take the kids one day when it is cooler, maybe later in November.

Also one last thing my dear friend Laetitia aka Marie6 has taken the plunge and started her very own blog. Here 's the link http://www.marie6-myworld.blogspot.com/

Lovely sunny island Comino..

Here are some photos from the small island of Comino. The tiny island of Comino, only 2km by 1.7km, is wedged between Malta and Gozo. From the sea, it looks like nothing more than a rocky outcrop but the plateaux harbours enough flora and fauna to earn it the status of a nature reserve and a bird sanctuary. The best time to visit is in the spring when the flora is blooming and it's teaming with animal life.

Little is known about Comino's history before 13th century when it became a parish centred at the little Chapel of Our Lady's Return from Egypt. Remarkably, this tiny church is still standing and, with St Mary's Tower built by the Knights of Malta in 1618, makes up the only two man-made structures on the island. Erecting St Mary's Tower fortified the island and swept away the bands of pirates using the island's many caves and inlets to hideout and wait for unsuspecting ships to pass between Malta and Gozo.

more from the festa....

some more shots taken yesterday evening, as you can see at the festa you find stalls selling from toys to food etc......

some more 'festa' photos...

Here are some more festa shots......

more 'festa' photos ....

Since in Birzebbuga now there are two band clubs supporting the same St. Peter we get to do things twice. This time it was the green and yellow band club also known as 'ta l-iljun' meaning lion to bring their Statue of St. Peter on the boat. I must admit this time there were fireworks , from the beach and alot more noise. Today I took pictures from the other side. I am sorry for the poor quality of the photos but I had on me only a very basic camera.

Local 'Festa' of St. Peter

This weekend Birzebbuga celebrates the feast of St. Peter, who is the patron of the local parish church . Every weekend in summer villages, towns and cities around the Maltese Islands celebrate a 'Festa'. It has become a yearly tradition here at Birzebbuga that the statue of St.Peter is taken on a boat from one bay in Birzebbuga to another. I was still at the beach yesterday with family and friends when all this happened. You can see photos of the statue on the boat followed by supporters and the band club, and then the statue taken ashore.