Malta: Living on the Edge of Europe » Environment http://79664664.com Thoughts and happenings from a life on Malta Sat, 12 May 2012 12:38:41 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 When is a boathouse NOT a boathouse? http://79664664.com/2012/04/22/when-is-a-boathouse-not-a-boathouse/ http://79664664.com/2012/04/22/when-is-a-boathouse-not-a-boathouse/#comments Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:10:14 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2870 "Very rare on the market, boathouse 2meters away from the sea, presently used as a summer residence equipped with water and electric meters enjoying unobstructed sea views."

As per agent's request, photo and link have been removed.

]]> http://79664664.com/2012/04/22/when-is-a-boathouse-not-a-boathouse/feed/ 0 Plastic Lines http://79664664.com/2012/03/16/plastic-lines/ http://79664664.com/2012/03/16/plastic-lines/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:38:34 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2824 B2 129x150 Plastic Lines B3 150x110 Plastic Lines B4 150x112 Plastic Lines B5 59x150 Plastic Lines B7 150x112 Plastic Lines B6 150x112 Plastic Lines B1 150x112 Plastic Lines
]]> http://79664664.com/2012/03/16/plastic-lines/feed/ 0 Argonaut http://79664664.com/2012/03/12/2798/ http://79664664.com/2012/03/12/2798/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:35:32 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2798
2012 03 12 11.35.10 e1331573922939 180x300 Argonaut

 

The weekend's gregale has left this Argonaut's quest to find the Golden Fleece in tatters.

]]> http://79664664.com/2012/03/12/2798/feed/ 0 Sweet and salty http://79664664.com/2012/03/10/sweet-and-salty/ http://79664664.com/2012/03/10/sweet-and-salty/#comments Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:16:37 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2786 Make no mistake. There's no Chinese influence on this post, even though yesterday I was following a multi-national debate on the culinary habits and predilictions of the various nationalities that made up my group of students: Belgian, French, Spanish, Korean, Brazilian, Libyan and Chinese. Neither is this a reference to food, be it main courses or desserts. Besides, it was still 6.55 of a Saturday morning when I was assaulted by the salty and the sweet.

The wide arms of Pwales valley, which extend to form Xemxija bay, offer an open welcome to north-easterly winds. When these reach force 7 or more (as happened overnight), the road which seperates the swelling sea from the Simar nature reserve becomes a breakwater. The result is that the frustrated waves don't only throw a tantrum but anything imaginable at the tarmacked obstacle - the small, like pebbles; the soft, such as seaweed; the sizeable, as the boat which found itself parked close to the Pitstop kiosk. In its foaming fury, the sea's spittle splashes across the sidewalk and, on this particular morning, drenched me (a willing victim, I must add) with a shower of moistened salt. If the ocean thought it would dampen my mood with its actions, it couldn't have been more mistaken. The salt on my lips served as a foretaste of the approaching summer, setting me smiling.

Half-an-hour later, envious that I was still in high spirits, the entity that commands the heavens cracked its whip. The clouds, which until then had been visibly pregnant, delivered a deluge while the accompanying thunder increased in frequency and decibels - that's one hell of a slave driver up there! Despite its best efforts, nature failed to match my mood to the colour of the depressed sky. Rather, the sweetness of the rain water helped wash my body and clothes clean of the encrusting salty grains.

This morning I tasted the sweet and I savoured the salty ... and I relished them both.

]]> http://79664664.com/2012/03/10/sweet-and-salty/feed/ 0 Trail run – Victoria Lines: On and Under http://79664664.com/2012/03/04/trail-run-victoria-lines-on-and-under/ http://79664664.com/2012/03/04/trail-run-victoria-lines-on-and-under/#comments Sun, 04 Mar 2012 17:45:12 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2772 Click here for: GPX file of the 23k route

Trail Kuncizzjoni 04 03 2012 300x226 Trail run Victoria Lines: On and UnderTrail Kuncizzjoni 04 03 2012 Elevation 300x180 Trail run Victoria Lines: On and Under

Video clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AGM266NY4c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUR6fsHcxuE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCy6s86aH2E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OnxuOA5JXo

 

]]> http://79664664.com/2012/03/04/trail-run-victoria-lines-on-and-under/feed/ 0 Ghajn Tuffieha and Karraba http://79664664.com/2012/02/17/ghajn-tuffieha-and-karraba/ http://79664664.com/2012/02/17/ghajn-tuffieha-and-karraba/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:30:52 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2726 A run and walk around one of my favourite nature spots this island has to offer - the clay slopes and beach of Ghajn Tuffeiha together with the Karraba plateau. An idyllic location to relax in but also an exciting route to explore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I3Jh1lyRfo

]]> http://79664664.com/2012/02/17/ghajn-tuffieha-and-karraba/feed/ 0 VER I ♥ U http://79664664.com/2012/02/04/ver-i-%e2%99%a5-u/ http://79664664.com/2012/02/04/ver-i-%e2%99%a5-u/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:18:40 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2675 VerILU 300x180 VER I ♥ U

VER I ♥ U

VERA I ♥ U

VERDI I ♥ U

VERILY I ♥ U

VERBALLY I ♥ U

VERMOUTH I ♥ U

VERACIOUSLY I ♥ U

CONVERSELY I ♥ U

VERONICA I ♥ U

AVERSELY I ♥ U

VERGIL I ♥ U

VERMIN I ♥ U

VERY I ♥ U

]]> http://79664664.com/2012/02/04/ver-i-%e2%99%a5-u/feed/ 0 Troubled skies http://79664664.com/2011/12/30/troubled-skies/ http://79664664.com/2011/12/30/troubled-skies/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:48:59 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2526 IMG 7042 150x91 Troubled skies IMG 7045 150x75 Troubled skies IMG 7043 109x150 Troubled skies IMG 7051 e1325281486523 Troubled skies IMG 7058 150x100 Troubled skies IMG 7040 150x73 Troubled skies
]]> http://79664664.com/2011/12/30/troubled-skies/feed/ 0 Welcome to reality http://79664664.com/2011/12/22/welcome-to-reality/ http://79664664.com/2011/12/22/welcome-to-reality/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:44:23 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2493 wpid 2011 12 22 08.50.24 Welcome to reality

]]> http://79664664.com/2011/12/22/welcome-to-reality/feed/ 0 Sunset variations at Ghajn Tuffieha http://79664664.com/2011/12/02/sunset-variations-at-ghajn-tuffieha/ http://79664664.com/2011/12/02/sunset-variations-at-ghajn-tuffieha/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:07:32 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2441 Sunset003 150x100 Sunset variations at Ghajn Tuffieha Sunset005 150x100 Sunset variations at Ghajn Tuffieha Sunset007 e1322848977212 Sunset variations at Ghajn Tuffieha Sunset004 150x100 Sunset variations at Ghajn Tuffieha Sunset001 150x100 Sunset variations at Ghajn Tuffieha Sunset006 150x100 Sunset variations at Ghajn Tuffieha Sunset002 150x100 Sunset variations at Ghajn Tuffieha
]]> http://79664664.com/2011/12/02/sunset-variations-at-ghajn-tuffieha/feed/ 0 Selmun trek http://79664664.com/2011/11/06/selmun-trek/ http://79664664.com/2011/11/06/selmun-trek/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:11:59 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2372 httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI8pVA2Milk

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfbaYmQbqbY

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxAIbxSyEiY

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2DmP3xulCQ

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gNQGwWfWnY

]]> http://79664664.com/2011/11/06/selmun-trek/feed/ 0 Once there was a view http://79664664.com/2011/10/19/once-there-was-a-view/ http://79664664.com/2011/10/19/once-there-was-a-view/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:05:26 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=2291 2011 10 17 11.44.43 300x225 Once there was a view

The photo above depicts what one sees today upon reaching the car park of Gnejna Bay - three aluminium container-like structures housing two kiosks and a water sports centre, all partitioning the beach from the parking area. In the eyes of some, the sight of silver aluminium shining in the sun is more satisfying than tanned sand, shimmering sea and crumbling cliffs. In the pockets of others, it is more rewarding to allow businesses to appropriate what, until recently, belonged, at no charge, to all those who frequented the bay. Where once upon-a-stormy-day it was possible to sit in the relative comfort of one's car while watching nature unleash its fury, today one can still sit in the relative comfort of one's car but, watch what exactly? Aesthetic idiocy unleashed.

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