Malta: Living on the Edge of Europe » Malta

Fave pic 4 – Harbour Dawn

Sandro — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:28:11 +0000

I took this photo from the catamaran’s deck prior to departing for my Sicilian bicycle tour. The soft, pale colours of dawn draw a sharp contrast with the hard walls and commerce of Valletta harbour.

Harbour dawn

Previous fave pic: Angled Dome

Festa Kantawturi – Poezijaplus

Sandro — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:50:08 +0000

Video clips of concert organised by PoezijaPlus on 06 September 2010.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fp8kOWmkXo

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAkCJlWk6jE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hZ6oK5Ok6k

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN-hXWTppek

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXDlrfy9sds

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsUMefUvh5g

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VwElbb1F60

Synchronized Swimming

Sandro — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:22:17 +0000

A performance in synchronized swimming given by a fledgeling, but enthusiastic, group at the Sliema pitch on 03 September 2010. They are coached by Saho Harada, a medallist at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic games.

The performance:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxdK9TeA7Lo

The bow:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ49fJyoK5o

Fried egg jellyfish

Sandro — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:33:15 +0000

The season has arrived for this magical jellyfish. Please note that this is a harmless species and it is safe to swim amongst them.

Read about it here: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100831/local/fried-egg-jellyfish-season-in-full-swing …

… and watch the video I took of one last year in Sliema, not far from the Fortina Hotel.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUuUSw6Aq7g

St Julians Feast

Sandro — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:53:44 +0000

Sunday, 29 August 2010. Here are some photoes and clips from the feast of St Julians.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqKb0T06zuc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n2bg9fMrAU

Caffe Portomaso

Sandro — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:00:01 +0000

In an earlier post (A Simple Pleasure), I referred to Caffe Portomaso as one of my favourite coffee places. Although one can also have a meal there, I haven’t done so and will therefore restrict my comments to the cafe aspect.

One of the reasons I’m drawn to Caffe Portomaso is because with three of its four walls being constructed entirely of glass, it’s suffused with natural light. Thus, even when sitting inside, it’s just like being outside on the spacious terrace.

Then, for those with a sweet tooth like myself, there’s the interesting selection of cakes to compliment a cappuccino or pot of tea. One of my favourites is the carrot cake, although anything which contains chocolate usually offers stiff competition to it.

Finally, the price. €5 for coffee and cake is pretty reasonable, all the more so when taking into consideration the availability of free wi-fi.

Fave Pic 3 – Angled Dome

Sandro — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:41:45 +0000

Angled Dome

Taken from a balcony in Republic Street, Valletta. Can you identify the church that dome belongs to?

Previous fave pic: The Hand

Next fave pic: Harbour Dawn

404B

Sandro — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:28:09 +0000

Here’s a multi-national group that was a pleasure to work with. Thanks to Katja and Sergej Schott for the photos.

404B

The shepherd and his flock

My Body Is A Crime

Sandro — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:59:58 +0000

“Two young men were caught skinny dipping in St George’s Bay in St Julians just hours after they arrived in Malta to learn English…. jailed the two Spaniards for one month suspended for one year and fined them €100 each.” – The Times, 12 August 2010

“Another four foreign students convicted for skinny dipping….Magistrate Vella gave the men a one-month jail term suspended for two years and also fined them €100 each.” – The Times, 14 August 2010

Now every time my skin dips into the cool Mediterranean, it becomes a criminal act.

HSBC and the Divorce Debate

Sandro — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 07:58:50 +0000

HSBC – the world’s local bank – has entered the fray in Malta’s 20-year debate on whether to introduce divorce in this crumbling bastion of Christianity. Roadside billboards and posters on the sides of bus stop shelters have gone up around the island, clearly illustrating which side of the fence this bank is setting up its branches.

Take a look at this photo of their advertising campaign and the signs are there for all to see: two separate sets of keys; the key ring split in two; a divided house with one side reserved for the man and the other for the woman, as in the movie War of the Roses.

HSBC and the Divorce Debate

Today, this billboard is ostensiblypromoting their home loan scheme. Tomorrow, they may very well be encouraging us to take out a loan in order to pay for divorce proceedings or meet the financial settlement awarded by the court.