Thoughts and happenings from a life on Malta

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.

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

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The shepherd and his flock

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.