Tag: Colours

Ta’ Qali Park – After the rain

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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.

Monday’s Malta pics

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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…

Roses…

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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…

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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!

In search of Autumn

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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.”
― Albert Camus–

A Sense of Blue

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“If you’re feeling blue, try painting yourself a different color”
–Hanna Cheatem-
“Every drop in the ocean counts”
-Yoko Ono-“The worst kind of sad is not being able to explain why“

“Color is to the eye what music is to the ear”

Autumn?

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No autumn feelings so far here in Malta.

We have some flowers left on our roof terrace and have planted new ones on the lower one.We are in the middle of September and it’s still warm but yet, not too hot. In the Mediterranean it’s 27 degrees.No rain has fallen and what you see is not water from the sky.
No, I’ve no feelings of autumn, yet…

Remember in November the lovely September!Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh, so mellow.
When grass was green and grain was yellow.
When you were a tender and callow fellow.
Try to remember, and if you remember,
Then follow…
Try to remember when life was so tender
That no one wept except the willow.
That dreams were kept beside your pillow.
That love was an ember about to billow.
Try to remember, and if you remember,
Then follow…
Deep in December, it’s nice to remember,
Although you know the snow will follow.
Without a hurt the heart is hollow.
The fire of September that made us mellow.
Deep in December, our hearts should remember
And follow…
– American original text: Harvey Schmidt 1960 –
Slightly shortened.

Away from it all…

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We went to Sicily for a week, to get away from it all. Here we rented a villa, Villa Cristina, located in a rural area, but not too far from Siracusa. Simple yet cozy accommodation. The garden was huge and there were orange and olive trees, banana plants, grapes, tomatoes, chili peppers, herbs and much more. I love basil!Sweet tomatoes! I can eat Cherry tomatoes like candies!These bananas were not edible but the flowering herb was both decorative and exotic.
Did you know that banana plants are the world’s largest herb!

Olives
Chili pepper
Could be a kind of herb??
Grapes, grapes, there were lots of grapes.
I have no idea what this may be.
Green sweet grapes
Oranges, some were a bit too ripe.

Above you see some images from the garden where we could pick and eat whatever we liked. There’s more to find in the garden and we did some trips with our car to a few towns and secluded beaches. More to come from Sicily in Italy!

It was a long time since I felt as relaxed as during our stay in Sicily. Away from it all, away from the outside world. Perhaps something we all need from time to time, completely without any internet access.

Every picture tells a story…

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I walk…
I look…
I photograph…
I look..
I see…
I Photograph!

…I walk, I look, I see, I stop, I photograph!

I walk…
I look…
I look..
I photograph…
I see…

Every picture tells a story, even though the viewer doesn’t always know what lies behind.

Winged & Colorful

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Winged and colorful but so hard to capture with my camera.Pride…Tough and stubborn.Looks like this one wants to say something, I’m colorful and I can fly.

Weekly Photo Challenge by Frank / Dutch Goes the Photo’s

Happy Midsummer!

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In the midsummer’s eve, according to Swedish tradition, seven kinds of flowers should be picked and put under the pillow. If you like to know how to celebrate midsummer in Sweden Click here. Two very special flowers from a very special blog friend.
Thank you BP, they are still in my kitchen after four years.“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…
it’s about learning to dance in the rain”

Seventh Heaven On the 7th Floor

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It was on our roof terrace I took my first macro images.A few years ago we bought seeds in an attempt to grow rhubarb. But it didn’t succeed.

Spiders! Click on an image to enlarge.

It’s early in the spring and my dear man is cleaning while I take a selfie in the window of our office.

I’m not sure how many different kinds of flowers we have had but these are some of them.

One of my husband’s many fun experiments. Can you really fry an egg in the sun? Obviously!!Our terrace as it once looked and below, what it looks like right now. Yes, added some color. Our office, my dear husbands atelier and our dining room that we use every summer are gone after twelve years. Of our flowers and plants there are only a very few left and so are the butterflies and other insects. Looking at the stars in the sky and the moon that shine but this is not my Seventh heaven anymore. Fanny, Yeah, come on!!! Rock ‘n’ roll!!!

All images in this post have I taken on our roof terrace over the years gone by…
…apart from the last one.

Shades of Red

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Today I just want to spread some color!  My favorite flower and color, the Bougainvillea on top.A Flower fly is looking for nectar in the flowers of Ta Qali National Park.Color & flower.

Butterflies that Surprise

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Macro photography are challenging and exciting. This butterfly was hidden behind tall grass a windy day in Ta Qali Park and rarely stopped for more than a few seconds. I suppose this is a Wood White (Leptidea sinapis).I didn’t notice that it actually were two butterflies until I came home and downloaded the images to my computer. A happy surprise that often happens when shooting with macro. If these really are Wood White, I can always ask Brian. He knows a lot about different butterfly species and his blog is well worth visiting.

Floating in the blue…

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How blue can it really be up there in the sky?Can blue be just for fun?

Compare the blue color in the sky with the sea.And you’ll find same blue color but in fifty shades of…
No sense with this post, just to keep my blog floating.

Happy Macro Friday!

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If all insects on Earth disappeared, within 50 years all life on Earth would end.If all human beings disappeared from the Earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish. Quote by Jonas Salk

Cliffs haven

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When exploring the nature in Malta you often see cliffs, cliffs, I see cliffs everywhere. And a clear blue sky.It makes me dizzy and instead of looking up, I take a look down, to find a busy bee.When I look up again, I see someone sitting on top of one of the high cliffs.Must be a great view up there while I got an amazing view from down here.Finally, for those who wondered if there aren’t any restrictions in Majjistral Nature Park. Here you are…

Walpurgis Night

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Walpurgis Night is the last day of April and a traditional non-religious holiday in Sweden. Especially in the City of Uppsala where there are huge student gatherings to celebrate the arrival of the spring.

From the plateau in Majjistral park
Sailboats on the Mediterranean Sea.
The Mediterranean around Malta has crystal clear water. It is now 18 degrees. within a couple of months 28 degrees.
Walking on water.
Some prefer to take a jeep to the edge of the steep cliffs while others prefer to walk.

Here in Malta April 30th is an ordinary day and my images have no connection with Walpurgis Night, or Valborgsmässoafton, as this evening is called in Swedish.

But I like to wish you all a wonderful evening wherever you are on this planet, no matter if you celebrate or not. Remember, even a small fly is part of our nature. Take care out there and enjoy every moment!!

Majjistral Park Plateau

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I’ve shown some pictures from Majjistral Park but not so many from the plateau that is high above sea level. From here the views are amazing but it’s real steep at the edge of the high cliffs. Do not walk too close!Most of the plants up here are small, you can see the ant. These grow individually……whilst these blooms together and forms like small meadows on the plateau.A symbol of the Navy.A very special flower that I’ve never seen before. To me they look like soft corals.

Finally, Fanny on the run, full of energy 💖 …until we are back home. More to come…
Meanwhile, wish you all a great Sunday 💖

Hiking in Majjistral Nature Park– Part 2

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Last time, we went along the narrow path to the small buildings that you can see in distance at above image. From there we continued our walk in search for the staircase up to the plateau, where we got lost.Here we are still on our way to the buildings by the sea and the path is easy to follow. My dear man carries my pink bag with water, my macro lens and some snacks. Fanny is the leader while I, as usually, walk behind.Surrounded by huge cliffs……and the Mediterranean Sea below.

Suddenly we are surrounded by high grass..
Don’t look up, don’t look down look where you put your feet, it´s quite deep down to the sea..
This wooden bridge was not entirely safe to walk on.
A steep slope of dry mud. A place I’d not choose to walk on after a rainy day.
Always curious about what’s waiting around the corner.
I could follow the path for hours. Hear are lots of beautiful and small flowers.

The scenery varies quite a lot but we just have to follow the narrow path and there’s no risk of getting lost.Finally, by the sea to rest for a while. I dip my feet in the water before continuing our walk around the corner.

Water and some chicken for Fanny…

…while I take a look at some of the pictures I have in my camera that I’ve taken along the way. Now I realize that even this post will be too long so I finish as last time with a picture of my beloved and brave Basenji Fanny. Part 3 will come later but to give you a clue, there were no easy paths around the corner…

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge – Prolific

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This week, Krista asks us what “Prolific” makes us think about. The most prolific must be the earth itself as home of all known life. Water, microorganisms, oxygen, mammals, dinosaurs, flowers, insects, humans…
A never ending process, of which these images are just a tiny fraction from my little corner of the earth.The nature, not always easy for humans to explore, but we are attracted and we are curious about it. …and we are part of an amazing landscape and scenery. In search for life and color.We all know that behind the clouds the sky is always blue but rarely think of the valuable air we breathe. And when the sun sets, another day is gone and life on earth continues in an eternal circle, constantly prolific. With or without homo sapiens…

All images are from Majjistral National Park here in Malta April 2018.

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge / Prolific

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge – Awakening

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This week, Jen asks us to show an image/s of awakening or some kind of renewal.
While enjoying the awakening of nature after winter……seeing a butterfly is an obvious proof of that spring is has arrived……and when you see these you know that even this summer, you can enjoy eating fresh figs……while a wild cat yawning, renewed with energy after a few hours sleep in Independence gardens.

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge / Awakening

Poppies

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Poppies, or Vallmo as we say in Swedish, are one of the most beautiful wild flowers I know and very common during spring here in Malta. Looks like this one is dancing, despite some lost petals.I always think about Princess Cakes when I see the pistil of these flowers.Stamens and pistils along with amazing colors create a beautiful flower. Nature is a wonderful world.

Hiking in Majjistral Nature Park– Part 1

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In my last post, I mentioned that we went hiking in Majjistral Nature Park last Saturday. We walked for about three hours and we got lost. These are just a very few of all the pictures I took, just to give an impression of how it looks in the park. You can choose between walking at the flat plateau which we did the first time… …for more adventure you can choose to walk along the slopes on narrow winding paths, and that’s what we did this time. Me, my husband and our brave Basenji Fanny. Here at the beginning the walkway is quite wide.Our first stop will be at the small buildings by the water. When we were here last time we thought this was a dead end but on our way back we meet a couple who said that you can continue around the corner and further up there are a stairway where you can get up to the plateau. No need to go back and just a few hours walk.

This trip can easily be a very long trip since I stop all the time to take pictures. Here´s the second butterfly I seen so far this year. Sadly, my macro lens was in my bag, but I managed to take some close ups anyway.Now the paths have become more narrow and the slopes down towards the sea are steeper.We will soon arrive at the small buildings where we will rest before moving on to see what’s waiting around the corner. It became quite exciting, but I’ll leave that until part two. Before I finish, I have to mention my beloved four-legged friend. She’s soon nine months old, still a puppy but very clever and so brave. She proved that on several occasions during the next part of our adventure.💖💖

I think this post may fit well with the theme of breathe with its breathtaking views, the breathtaking adventures, and our deep breaths when we were exhausted after climbing and when we realized we were lost. If that’s not enough then it’s obvious above how Fanny breathes.

Photo Challenge by Frank / Dutch Goes the Photo’s / Theme: Breathe

 

Macro time

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I think this is a Vinbärssnäcka. That´s what it called in Swedish but I´m not sure about the English name.

Here I let the pictures speak for themselves.This is the first butterfly I managed to capture so far this year. It flew among the flowers in Majjistral National Park. This one was not easy to catch with the camera, but I’m very happy that I found it.

WPC – Smile

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This week, Ben invites us to point our camera at something or someone that puts a smile on our face.
Happy people jumping of joy a cold day in January here in Malta. Keep smiling, regardless of image quality. “There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all”

A child’s spontaneous drawing, natural colors from flowers and even the strict but yet colorful stained glass found in many churches. “A smile is the universal welcome”An unexpected smile during last weekend’s walking in Majjistral National Park.

💖If you meet someone without a smile, give one of yours💖 

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge / Smile

Sunset & Memories

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Honestly, I’m not so fond of images showing sunsets, maybe I’ve seen too many.But i like straight lines, colors and silhouettes.  And I like to look back in my archive to find memories. Here you see how the Azure Window once looked before it collapsed in stormy weather on 8 March 2017. A major tourist attractions, a 28-metre-tall natural arch on the island of Gozo in Malta, was suddenly gone forever. A place from where I have many memories.

Another memory I found in my archive. These are from 2011, three of my very first pictures before my interest in photography began. The images are real bad but the scene so perfect. There´s no need to look closely, but today they mean a lot to me as they remind me of the time when I began to explore the beauty of the photography.

WordPress weekly Photo Challenge / Rise/Set /  Photo Challenge by Frank / Dutch Goes the Photo’s Memories

A Special Flower of the day

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I’ve never seen these flowers before but there are thousands of them growing in Ta Qali Park right now.
When I first saw them, I thought they were some kind of fungus.

Apparently, insects are attracted to them too.I found similar but in a different color and my dear man picked one for me. I have no idea what kind of plant these are but I’m sure some of my blog friends know.

Flowers & Colors

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Above, you see flowers from San Anton Gardens in Attard where I was last week. All planted but so beautiful and full of colors. Click on an images to enlarge. Below are some wild flowers from Ta Qali National Park. Yesterday I came home with more than 300 pictures in my camera after visiting the park for a few hours. There are hundreds of different wild flowers and trees in the park, many of which I never seen before, plus insects… …so it’s likely that there will be more wild flowers here, from my little corner of the blogosphere.

Favorite Place – Stockholm Sweden

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My favorite place is where I live my daily life on the small island of Malta. But after almost eighteen years in this country, another favorite place is my former hometown of Stockholm in Sweden. It´s exiting to be like a tourist and explore what’s new and to visit old favorite places from where I have so many memories.Riddarholmen is an island in Mälaren and a district in central Stockholm, belonging to Södermalm’s district. The island, together with the Old Town, constitutes Stockholm’s historic center.It´s not easy to choose but The Old Town, Gamla Stan, is a favorite place I always try to visit.

Here the alleys are long, many and narrow. It has happened that I’ve almost got lost.A visit to one of Stockholm’s food markets is a must. This is from Östermalmshallarna.At Södermalm you´ll find many old well-preserved houses. You almost get a feeling of being moved to the countryside, though you are in the middle of the city.

The only time of year I try to avoid visiting Sweden is during the winter. But when you see these, you know that spring has arrived! The best time of the year to visit Sweden is in the summer.…and when you see this, you get another proof of Spring, or at least almost. As soon as there are degrees above zero and a blue sky, you’ll have to sit outside if you’re in Sweden, even if it’s only 10 degrees.

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge / Favorite Place
Photo Challenge by Frank/ Dutch Goes The Photo