A walk round the city of Vittoriosa, (Birgu) (Part 1)

My walk round this ancient fortified city of Vittoriosa started off from this dark tunnel that can be found in an area called 'Il-Mandragg'. I've got this weird fascination with old tunnels and couldn't resist starting my walk from this very old one - a tunnel which must have borne witness to so many historical events that took place years ago. Looking behind me I could just about view three boats bobbing in the calm waters of Kalkara creek.



This tunnel led me on to the upper levels of the fortifications that surround this city. I turned right and found myself facing this old building. I was really amazed to find a display dating back from the years of the Second World War,still hanging over the door of this building.



From there, I wandered along this narrow winding path, past the honey coloured walls of the eerily ancient houses that overlook the harbour.



I spotted this door with the Maltese cross painted on it. My walk led through the winding streets: one beautiful street leading to another equally lovely one. The streets are so narrow that you can clearly hear the inhabitants talking inside and TV sets warbling in the background. I almost felt as if I was invading their privacy but then, these people have long got used to being overheard in the streets. Their lives are all one village gossip. You either like it or you don't.



Traipsing along the old streets I came across this secluded corner, sheltered by a vine tree. The boat carrier lying alongside the wall jarred harshly with the ancient clay jar and the stone well on the opposite side. The vine that had been lovingly sown in between them seemed to have the strange chore to set apart the old from the new.

Three Beautiful Maltese Houses

A Villa in Marsaxlokk



A converted farmhouse in Zabbar



An intricately designed townhouse in Paola

Cat Naps

Cats have a habit of finding strange places where they take their forty winks. I took these photos in the street where my parents' house is situated. This cat has a knack of sleeping in my mother's planter. The other cats have other favourite places - verandas, under the shade of cars, and even car bonnets. The second photo shows the two culprits napping on a neighbour's car. These two particular cats enjoy lapping the last rays of the sun on car roofs or bonnets! And they always take their time to slide down the cars. One of them is so gutsy that he doesn't jump off when I approach my car, not even when I open the car door. He stays there looking at me with that laid back attitude of his until I start the engine. Even a little animal can have a mind of its own!





Many stray cats roam in this street and everyone does his bit to take care of the cats. All these neutered cats are fed daily and taken care of by the people living in the street. However, when some heartless people decide to abandon their pets in the area the cat population starts accumulating again. A vet once said that a single cat and its offspring can cumulatively produce up to 70,000 kittens in 7years. Quite a large number of cats, isn't it?

Crazy Maltese House Names 1

We, Maltese have some fascinating customs and reasons behind the selection of our house names. One custom is that of naming one's house using the first part of the Christian names of the partners who own that house. Here are some examples:

'Marton'- Mary and Tony
'Josmar' - Joseph and Mary
'Carvin' -Carmen and Vince
'Charldor'- Charles and Doreen

Incidentally, DJ Bundy, a local DJ, once mentioned that there is a house in Zurrieq which was named "Condom" which we hopefully assume stands for the names of the proprietors rather than some kind of fetish for rubbery stuff. Some people can be so dumb at times.

Another custom is to find house names which are based on religious beliefs. Religious observance in Malta is strong and has been so for many centuries. Most of these house names usually bear the name of the proprietors' favourite patron saint or that of the patron saint of the village. For example if you go to Qormi you'll see lots of 'St Georges' and 'St Sebastians'. In Zabbar you will find many houses named 'Madonna tal-Grazzja'.

Then there are those houses which are named 'God Bless Australia', 'America' or 'Canada'. These reflect the migration of the Maltese to the above mentioned countries and the successful life they once bore.

And then, there are the plain weird ones of which I'm building a collection. Here are the first few.



Hmm the owner needs to brush up his French. I guess it should have been Mère de Grâce.



Did you know that St Joseph had a surname? It was Falzon!



A little demon in the house?? Short for Important?



Here's an example of the first custom I mentioned ...but pet's name has been also included.



Time Travellers robbed of their unknown future, maybe?

And last but not least, I couldn't help taking a photo of this hilarious plate. It does give you a sense of welcome, doesn't it?

Thank you

Thanks Doreen (http://doreenscreativespace.blogspot.com/) for thinking of me and rewarding me with this award. Today I'm passing it on to these fine people:

Here's my chosen list:
http://aroundtheisland.blogspot.com/
http://maltadailyphoto.blogspot.com/
http://nickphil67.blogspot.com/
http://accidentallykle.blogspot.com/

If you accept this award, please pass it on and then let your chosen blogging friends know they have been awarded this by sending them a comment on their blog or by emailing them.

Choosing Watermelons

Thinking back to when you I was a child, the pinnacle of summery suppers and family gatherings was always the cold juicy watermelon that was offered as dessert. Watermelons remind me of the childish embarrassment of having sticky, sweet juice trickling down all over my chin and my clothes. Then, there were the youthful seed-spitting contests with friends. Funnily enough, it was my husband who introduced me to this rude game! Choosing good watermelons can be a tricky task but once you learn the tricks you won't be bringing back home tasteless ones any more. Here, I've jotted down some hints which I gathered from my friends and from reliable vegetable sellers.

Hints to help you choose a ripe watermelon

When you go to the Green grocer to buy one you would want to try and find one that is ripe and ready to eat.

1. First of all look for shiny watermelons. Ripe watermelons will be more dull in colour, but have a shiny complexion. The watermelon should be evenly toned.

2. Look for the yellow or white spot on the watermelon. (This is where the watermelon was sitting on a ground.) Ripe watermelons will be yellow in colour, while white means it isn't yet ripe.

3. Hold the watermelon in your hands and squeeze it. Listen very closely for soft cracking inside. This means that the watermelon is ripe. Don't squeeze too hard or you'll end up squashing it for real. Another way is to knock on the outside of the rind. If you hear a hollow sound then the water melon is ready to eat, but if you hear a solid thud put it back. The fruit is over ripe and you won't be getting very good flavour from it.

3. A vegetable seller once told me that the best way to pick a watermelon is to look for all the brown veining on the rind. The more brown veins the more sweeter it is.

4. Did you know that there are female and male watermelons? I bet you didn't!Females tend to be larger, sweeter and have less seeds than males. To find out if a watermelon is male or female, look at the bottom side and check out if it's got a skirt..(joking) look for a ring that is going in the opposite direction of the other watermelons' circles. Smaller ring sizes, about 19mm, are male watermelons. Female watermelons may have larger circles.

5. Once you buy your water melon eat it within the first few days of getting it home. Everything about it is healthy, and in addition, it won't leave you feeling over stuffed if you eat too much.

And now here's a weird recipe which my mother tried out last summer. I was a little worried this would taste strange but let me tell you, we loved it! And as much as it seems a weird combination it's truly refreshing. The tartness of the blue cheese and the cool flavour of the mint just balance the sweetness of the watermelon perfectly. What's more it only has 3 ingredients!




Watermelon and Blue Cheese Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients
200g creamy blue cheese, crumbled
50g fresh mint, diced
1200g to 1600g watermelon, diced, (about half a large watermelon )

Method
Combine all ingredients in a very large bowl and mix. Refrigerate until cold before serving.

Last but not least,watermelons are not only refreshingly tasty they also have tremendous health benefits. Eating watermelon is almost like taking a multivitamin tablet every morning, but with a much better taste. So keep that in mind whenever you're out buying a watermelon.

Zesty Summer Pasta Dish

Although I'm not a pasta lover, sometimes there comes a day when I just feel like having some kind of pasta dish. Yesterday was one of those days. I concocted this recipe myself. And since it turned out to be very good I thought of sharing it with you. I couldn't think of a suitable name for this recipe. Maybe you bloggy friends could help me make up a good name for it.


Ingredients (serves 2)



1 can of artichoke hearts
about 15 cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 large can of tuna
50g sliced green olives
one large minced clove of garlic
olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Parmeggiano cheese, grated
a few rocket leaves to garnish
pinch of salt

Saute garlic in olive oil. Rinse off canned artichoke hearts. Add chopped artichoke hearts and saute 10 minutes on low heat. Add cherry tomatoes, tuna, salt and green olives. Cook for 35 minutes on low heat. Sprinkle parsley in the last couple of minutes. Prepare pasta as directed. Serve with sauce and toss with Parmeggiano cheese. Finally, garnish with rocket leaves. Enjoy!

Marsaxlokk Sunday Market

Yesterday morning I went to the Marsaxlokk's famous open market along the quay. Crochet tablecloths, souvenirs, fruit, vegetables, clothes, shoes and traditional items... almost everything can be found on the stalls. The traditional fish market takes place every Sunday and fish of all shapes, colors and sizes are a proof that Marsaxlokk deserves to be named Malta's most famous fishing village. Couldn't help taking pictures of all the bright and colourful items on display. Many of the photos speak for themselves.

Tablecloths


Fresh vegetables

People from all walks of life

The caper seller

Fresh fish

Lots of colourful aprons

Two old women chatting

Cheap shoes by the dozen

Haggling for the cheapest prices

Hair accessories

Freshly baked bread

Colourful fruit

So many watermelons

Legumes and beans