Wednesday 6 April 2016

Adieu Malta

Windows and balconies
Traditionally painted fishing boats in the bay at Marsaxlokk

Door and wall furniture
Above this door is the distinctive ecclesiastical hat of a Roman Catholic cleric. The hat is called a galero and was originally worn when on pilgrimage. The galero is ornamented with tassels called houppes which shows the cleric's current rank in the hierarchy - the Arms shown here with ten dark green tassels on each side of the hat indicates an archbishop
What's in a Maltese garden?

The first pink blossom tree is Cercis siliquastrum - judas tree - mine will not be in flower until June
The gold trumpet is Solandra grandiflora - golden chalice vine
"Who'd be a statue? - just look at what I have to contend with"


Queen Victoria
and Churchill  
Clever trompe l'oeil in Mellieħa created on five steps adjoining a wall - I didn't photograph it at the correct angle so the cat has a strange snout!

54 comments:

  1. Looks beautiful...

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  2. Love the coloured boats. The plants in the garden are much the same as I have here. I don't have the Chalice Vine as it is a bit too rampant but had several in our previous garden

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    1. It looked as if it was rampant but I suspect that it would only survive in a conservatory here.

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  3. Great photo's of a beautiful island with lots of history.

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  4. A beautiful Adieu, Rosemary. I have so enjoyed your visit to Malta via your super photographs. Everything is so attractive, it must be breathtaking. I love the gorgeous colour of the boats, and the wonderful architectural features. Thank you for sharing it all.

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    1. I really like those enclosed balconies which can be opened up when necessary

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  5. I too like the colorful boats and the kitty on the steps.

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    1. The boats are very attractive to see bobbing about on the waves

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  6. Malta looks like a delightful place to visit!

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    1. It was good to see how it was looking after having not visited for such a long time.

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  7. I have thoroughly enjoyed your Malta photos, confirming that I do want to go there.

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    1. Best to avoid the mid-summer when it is too hot - 2018 is a good year when Valletta is European City of Culture

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  8. Hello Rosemary, A colorful place indeed. The value of building up a place with quality and care from the start is that time and maintenance will give it the glow that you capture so well in these pictures.
    --Jim

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    1. They received a considerable legacy from the Order of St. John regarding so many of their glorious buildings.

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  9. Oh my goodness! What a visual feast. So much to see, so much detail. Delightful! x

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    1. Thank you LeeAnn - I am pleased that you enjoyed seeing these little snapshots of Malta

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  10. Another lovely selection of photos from Malta. There is so much to see in these old buildings and it seems the island loves colour, in the gardens and on the different boats. The trompe l'oeil is very clever and I had to smile at the statue with the disrespectful pigeon!

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    1. It is good that they still continue the tradition of painting their fishing boats in the same way that the Phoenicians did so long ago.

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  11. I have thoroughly enjoyed your series on Malta. Thank You.

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    1. Thank you Susan - I appreciate your very kind comment

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  12. Spectacular Rosemary. Your photography is breath-taking. Your work rivals some of the finest photographers from National Geographic.

    I just noticed the beautiful family photo in sepia at the foot of the page. All beautiful and content.
    H

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    1. Thank you so much Helen for such a very generous comment.
      Did you read the post re: the family photo, and how it came about?

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  13. Beautiful architecture and colours Rosmeary!

    Have a lovely evening.

    Madelief x

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    1. I loved a lot of the architecture that we saw in Valletta Madelief

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  14. I forgot to answer your question. We depart for Paris on the 25th of this month. wish you were there visiting your son.....I would love to meet for coffee...Janey

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    1. If I had known Janey I would have tried to be there - less than three weeks to go, you must be feeling excited.

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  15. That's a wonderful way to say "Adieu" to Malta with so many wonderful collages. Sarah x

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    1. I haven't made collages for ages, so it was a bit of fun - thank you Sarah

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  16. Love that last pic, very clever indeed!

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    1. It was clever Jessica but I wished I had taken more time over photographing it properly.

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  17. Your photos are gorgeous!! Hugs, Jody

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    1. Thank you Jody and thank you for visiting

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  18. Balcony's, buildings made to last, maintained it seems.
    All photos are lovely, the colourful boats go well with the sea.

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    1. I really like those architectural balconies and windows in Valletta

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  19. This is the best sort of eye-candy. The shots of the balconies and windows are lovely. I've seen art posters like this - mostly of doors. Your collage would make a beautiful poster.

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    1. I did a collage of Cotswold doors a couple of years ago - comparison architectural shots really do seem to reveal the character of a place.

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  20. You make me want to go back and visit. So many places change but Malta looks as if it has resisted.

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    1. Valletta is looking good as it has and is being cleaned and spruced up for 2018 when it becomes European Cultural City. It is so many years since I last visited that I was surprised at how much building work has gone on around the coast and inland, but Gozo is as I remember it.

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  21. Every good thing comes to and end, but still you have these photos to remind you of a beautiful place .

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    1. I wish that I could have brought back some of their warmth too

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  22. Wonderful details, photos, skies, things to see!! Oh, and the boats which I love too! So glad that you went and had such a great time! xx

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    1. Thanks Amy saw some lovely architecture and of course those colourful boats

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  23. Very interestingly shown views of Malta. I like all the collages and individual photos. The last mural is very ingenious. Regards.

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  24. Malta is a wonderful blend of history, culture,architecture set amid the beautiful Mediterranean waters.Never been there but there are many things familiar to me.
    Olympia

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    1. It is a long long time since I was last in Malta so it was lovely to become reacquainted with it's history again.

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  25. Each and every window and balcony of various different design and the bright colored boats let me breathe in the atmosphere of Malta.

    Yoko

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    1. The balcony architecture in Malta is lovely, each one different. It is good that the tradition of painting their fishing boats in bright colours continues.

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  26. I have just been reading a novel about Malta 'Like Bees To Honey' it tells the tale of Malta being a meeting place of the dead before they move on to heaven or hell - an intriguing read! I also knew an artist who used Malta as inspiration for carvings - no wonder creative types find inspiration there.

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    1. I have not heard of that book before Elaine and it certainly does sound different - a sort of island purgatory before going on to the next stage!!!

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  27. I love these windows, ships, flowers and the mural is great too.
    All photos are super.

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    1. Thank you Orvokki - I really appreciate your extremely kind comment♡

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“You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you - you have to go to them sometimes”

― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh