Fort Manoel / Il-Gżira Manoel Island, Malta January 2019.
In Playful mood…
Simplicity…
…no colors from Malta today. Just tried to understand my imagination…
From Nightmare to Pure Joy
Fanny may look a little “weird” here.
Like if she would say I’m sorry, sorry because she got out of her collar last night and escaped during an evening walk in Gzira with Charlene who will take care of Fanny when we are in Malaysia in February.
We were looking for her for hours, I was so worried. How could we find her, far away from home, in the dark and all traffic! It was absolutely terrible, until we saw her after several hours. She sat on the stairs outside our door, I couldn’t believe it was true. My beloved doggie had found her way back home by herself.
💖 💕 💖 💕
It was not Charlene’s fault that this happened, she´s great, cried a lot and couldn’t sleep for the whole night. Fanny is with here now to stay over the night so that she get used to her and her lovely home in Ħaż-Żebbuġ.
Vanishing Point
From below, between some high-rise blocks.
Today’s Architecture
When comparing this type of architecture with my header showing the view of Valletta, it’s hard to imagine that when I took that picture I had these high-rise blocks just behind me.
Valletta is today one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world.
It doesn’t seem likely that today’s buildings will have such a long history in the future.
Emotions from the sky…
Soft and hard – Warm and cold.
Gentle
Fanny loves warmth. Today it has rained the whole day, it’s windy and only 9 degrees.
She refuses to go out for a walk and now she is sleeping close to the fireplace.
She’s not so fond of cats, but likes to chase them.
Tuesday Photo Challenge – Gentle
Which Way…
Stairway to heaven…
Sometimes we may need to just relax and contemplate before making any decisions, which way…
Same same…
Today we only have 10 degrees, rainy and strong winds, which means it feels even colder here on the island. Just searching for some light, this Wordless Wednesday.
By the way, I have a new site where I participate in a Swedish photo challenge.
You are more than welcome to visit my maltanita.blog
Soft shapes
Let the New Year Begin…
Yes, I know, we are all almost back to our everyday life again and it’s the third day of the New Year 2019. Some may have noticed that I let my blog rest during the festive season, that was without any special reason.
Above, two typical images of Malta. Greenery all over the island and yellow flowers, even though it’s winter. And when you see the different colored balconies in the cluttered but yet charming surroundings, it’s easy to guess where you are.
From yesterdays visit to Il-Gżira Manoel / Manoel Island in Gzira. I also noticed that the mimosa trees got buds and they will soon bloom, in February.
But, it feels colder than cold, especially when I walk with Fanny on the cliffs along the Mediterranean sea. Strong winds, 12 degrees but luckily the sun shines. The forecast says it will drop to 4 degrees at night!
The new year has just begun and we know nothing about the future but it looks bright with lots of love and joy. Take care out there!!!
Anita & Fanny
More from Majjistral National Park…
Colorful
A banana plant!
Some birds have eaten from a pomegranate
Evening twilight around 5pm.
These pictures are all from last Friday’s trip to Majjistral National Park.
The paths are narrow along the steep slopes of dried clay down to the sea. Not a place to walk after heavy rain.
But the scenery changes and Fanny is surrounded by greenery…
Very commmon throughout the year.
Not so common, a new plant for me, it’s acually a flower!
…while I photographing plants.
I was happy to find so many colorful flowers growing here on the island in late December.
Malta is a lovely little island to live on all year round, unless you long for snow and a white Christmas.
Majjistral National Park…
Last Friday we went to Majjistral National Park in Il-Mellieħa. We haven’t been there since spring. It was 18 degrees, and a bit windy but it was really nice to walk on the cliffs again along the Mediterranean Sea.
Fanny really enjoyed running around freely in the green countryside.
I came home with more than hundreds of images in my camera.
These were just a part of them, there will be more from the park in my next post.
Hope you enjoyed!
Time for Strawberries…
Yes it’s true! Today you can buy fresh locally grown strawberries here in Malta.
They are so sweet and very tasty so I could not resist buying a whole trolley.
Which You all a Great Weekend from Malta!
Challenge – Catching People Unaware
Sometimes, it may be a challenge, to capture unknown people with the camera…
…while they are unaware that they are actually being photographed by another unknown person.
A New Friend…
Fanny has found a new friend and they really enjoy playing with each other. There are very few of the breed Basenji here in Malta so it was lucky they met, that we met the owners of this beautiful one year old male.
Kimbo
Fanny
Fun in the sun as they run around in the green grass in Ta Qali park.
I feel warm in my heart when I see them so happy together…
…and now we are planning to buy another Basenji! It’s an amazing breed with a lovely personality!
Friday Photo Fun – Splash
A Splash of Color from Malta’s typical fishing boats…
A Floral Color Splash…
A Splash of Joy…
Click this link and find more Splash on Kate’s Friday Photo Fun.
The realistic lifesized painted-bronze work by J. Seward Johnson Jr. depicts a man about 30 years old carrying a boy, about 4-years old on his shoulders. The boy has taken the man’s hat and is about to put it on himself as the man’s left arm reaches for the hat and his right hand grips the boy by the right ankle. Behind the work is a mural of a carousel, leaving the impression that the pair are at a fair or carnival.
Santa Barbara, California, United States.
Composition
This is my entry for this week’s fun theme.
Composition.
Silent Sunday
As time goes by…
“As times goes on, you’ll understand…
What lasts, lasts;…
What doesn’t, doesn’t…
Time solves most things…
And what time can’t solve, you have to solve yourself”
Quote by – Haruki Murakami –
Spring is here…
…but only in my dreams. And that’s enough for me, as long as I am surrounded by colors.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge”
– Albert Einstein –
A Photo a Week Challenge – Blue
This is my first entry for Nancy Merrill’s photo challenge, where the theme for the week is Blue.
Where the first picture of the boy in blue jeans was taken, I will show in a later post.
Blue color in two different pools, or maybe the same pool but from different angles in different light.
Old and new surrounded by blue…
Back to the pool for a dip in the blue…
…before embarking on this sailboat for a trip on the Mediterranean blue sea.
Fanny in Ta Qali Park..
Många olika fågelarter finns det i parken och här ser det ut att vara ett nybygge. Betydligt lättare att fotografera än fåglarna 🙂
Nej, några blåbär växer det inte här och jag vet inte vad dessa bär är.
Det finns många oliks slags träd i parken såsom Olivträd och Pinjé plus många som jag inte kan namnen på..
Väldigt gott om små gula blommor tittade fram efter de första regnen.
Efter några dagar med regn har det bildats som en sjö runt träden och det tog flera dagar innan det hade runnit undan. Titta noga så ser du att vattnet når upp till hälften av bänkar och bord där många brukar ha pick nick.
During the Second World War the Ta Qali National Park was used as an airfield. Today the park is very popular with Maltese people and a busy place on Saturday afternoons when many families gather for picnics.
There are many wild cats in the park and Fanny loves to chase them, luckily she never manage to catch any. They run too fast or climb on a tree. But when they lie down or humps, she’s scared of them.
Dogs are allowed to run freely in the late afternoons but must be kept on leash all other times. 
This image with the green grass was taken after the rain, compared to the one above which was taken before. Within a few months, the grass will be so high that Funny is not visible. Then we play hide and seek.
My lovely stubborn and curious Basenji 💕
Friday’s thoughts…
It’s hard to believe that this creature will transform into a colorful moth. I’ve never seen such a big caterpillar. It’s about 15 cm/6 inches. Could be an Elephant Hawk-moth, Deilephila elpenor but I’m not sure.
Now, that caterpillar was not yet colorful so here’s some sunshine from Ta Qali…
…where the grass was wet with dew.
A spider’s web along with dew create a nice pattern.
Nature is an amazing world to explore and we must all do what we can to preserve it. 
“We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet.”
—Stephen Hawking
Food for thought can be that earth is home to millions of species, but just one dominates it.
Wish you all a lovely weekend!
“If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth,
man would have no more than four years to live.”
—Albert Einstein
Autumn colors…
I’ve been to Sweden for a few days and the weather felt a bit gray and cold compared to Malta’s mild climate. 
On the first day I went for a walk in the surroundings of Älvsjö, a suburb of Stockholm, in search of colors.
Autumn colors.
The final countdown…
“And all at once summer collapsed into fall”
– Oscar Wilde –
A cute little house where birds can eat some seeds. I also saw lots of Snowberries, snöbär.
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower”.
-Albert Camus-
Which way…
A breakwater outside Malta’s majestic Grand Harbour which is one of the most spectacular ports in the world.
It is possible to take a walk along the Mediterranean Sea when you are in Malta’s capital Valletta.
But some parts could be a bit difficult to access… 
…and so it was when we hiked in Majjistral park. My brave Basenji Fanny and my dear stubborn husband try to find the way to the stairs leading up to the plateau. Which we never found because there was no staircase.
Another breakwater outside Malta’s Grand Harbour in Valletta. 
St Elmo Breakwater Footbridge.
Which way would you choose.
Comfort
It may not look so comfortable but when I saw this man I felt that he had fun. Seeing the fun in an uncomfortable situation shows that the man has an open mind who enjoys his comfort.
Some may feel the comfort of a cold beer after a hard day’s work while others choose a light lunch.
Friendship and games between adults.
Friendship between young people.
Lonesome on the rocks by the sea with a book.
There are so many types of comfort, that can be friendship or being alone.
And most important, to be grateful for having the feeling of comfort, which we can’t take for granted.
Places People Live
Both images above are from a suburb outside Stockholm in Sweden. I myself prefer the one with the blue sky. Although both images give an exciting impression of the difference between seasons in the northern Europe.
A farmhouse in Gozo, Malta.
Maltese residential buildings.
This was how it looked when I grew up outside Stockholm and this is how it still looks in many suburbs.
Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge
I’m really not used to converting images to black and white so this is a really fun and exciting challenge. 
I could not resist put in a little bit of color in each image, but it’s so tiny that it’s barely noticeable, or…
…perhaps too much noticeable. Anyway, this is my post to this week’s fun black and white photo challenge. Click the link below to see more b/w images.
Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Any kind of tables and chairs
Men at work…
New buildings are in full progress almost everywhere right now here in Malta. Old houses are replaced with new ones. I know, it does not show but these men work on the narrow boards high above the ground.
I myself are far away so this time I had to use my zoom lens in full.
This is my third entry for Son of a Beach’s Which Way Photo Challenge.
Approved or not for this challenge, they are at least standing on boards. But, of course I have a backup:
Which way?
Taken by Surprise
Surely it’s surprising to discover what amazing bird species there are around the world. This one looks unique.
When I saw this “sculpture” at a distance in Siracusa, Sicily, I was absolutely sure it was real. 
Until I came close and my dog began to nose around his feet. Then he couldn’t sit still any longer without laughing and he began to talk. I’ve seen many kinds of these players before but nobody as real like this one.
A really fun and unexpected surprise.
Shooting with the macro lens often gives unexpected surprises.
It may be surprising to look at a fly with its amazing faceted eyes…
…or to see a hairy butterfly.
Ta’ Qali Park – After the rain
A few weeks ago there was no greenery at all in Ta Qali National Park. After the summer heat it was very dry. Then the rainy season began and nature woke up again. 
Although it’s October and the winter season awaits, it feels almost like spring is here. Fanny can merrily run around in the high grass again, surrounded by yellow flowers.
In Malta you will not find colorful autumn leaves, but cones may also have autumn colors.
I haven’t seen these beautiful flowers since last spring.
This is Malta in October.
In January it becomes colder before the real spring begins in February when the almond tree blossoms.
A pretty pleasant winter awaits.
Everyday Life…
Everyday life in different parts of our world. Above you see a family at the market in Kota Kinabalu in Borneo, Malaysia and then a woman selling Pancake Crepes along Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand.
All of these pictures are from my archive and memories from different trips. The images speak for themselves but you may be able to guess where they were taken. A few clues, three are from Malta one from Singapore, one from Sicily and the rest from Borneo, Stockholm and California. Click on an image to enlarge.
Monday’s Malta pics
Macro photography is always fun and I guess this is a hornet, Vespa crabro, or Bålgeting as we say in Swedish. I see many of them now among our hibiscus on the terrace. Sadly, with fewer plants the butterflies are gone.
The plant blooms but the leaves are more yellow than green. Perhaps more care and nutrition are needed. 
Finally, there are lots of spiders to find in Ta Qali National Park, this one is about two inches. More to come…
On the Way…
Here we are on the way along the Mediterranean Sea where the sculpture “White Shadow”stands. A marble cut-out of human figures walking together. Designed by Maltese Architect Richard England in Sliema 2002.
On the way by car to the countryside.
…where we meet these happy riders.
Suddenly the road ends. Which way I chose then I’ll let you know in a later post, without high heels.
This is my second post for Son of a Beach’s Which Way Photo Challenge
Which Way…
In Ta Qali National Park, there aren’t only lots of different kinds of plants, trees, birds, insects and picnic areas.
There are also many stairs, leading to nowhere, except from where you came.
Posted for Son of a Beach’s Which Way Photo Challenge
Roses…
I just couldn’t resist buying these roses, for no special reason at all. Three pink and two white. It doesn’t show but they are twice as big as usual and they still last after five days. I love the soft colors, I love pink…
It’s told that pink is not just a color, it’s an attitude. Either you love it or hate it, but there must also be something in between depending on the shades and where the color is seen. Who doesn’t like flamingos… 
Clouds in the sky…
A barefoot man looks at the wakes on the sea after the stormy weather.
Sailing in the Mediterranean Sea when the weather is clear in October.
The vision of the little man shows the simplicity of humanity on earth.
We have variable weather now here in Malta with sun and blue sky and gray days with rain, while the first stormy weather has passed. (Please click on a circle to enlarge, each image has a short text.)
…and when it’s gray and rainy, there are always colors to find that can brighten our days.
Autumn is here to stay but we have varannandagsväder as we call it in Swedish. Yesterday I had to bring my umbrella while walking with Fanny, today it’s clear sky and 27 degrees. Wish you all a wonderful weekend!
Lovely White…
…lovely thoughts.
In search of Autumn
When the prickly pear cactus fruit are ready to eat, it’s autumn. This delicious fruit has a sweet, melon-like aroma and grows wild throughout Malta and Gozo. Tasty and said to be healthy but with a prickly skin. 
This giant flower, like the other images in this post were chosen for their colors, to give a sense of autumn.
First of October and yet few signs of autumn while the temperature slowly drops, today we have 28 degrees. Did you know that Malta enjoy around 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, one of the highest rates in Europe!
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
― –
