Now that it’s a little cooler, we’re starting to explore nature here in Cyprus. Close to where we live is Akamas National Park where an amazing variety of flora and fauna can be found in an area of 230 km².
But, it’s very dry now that we are at the end of the summer and almost nothing is blooming. Luckily I found this little creature to photograph, as well as the one and only plant with its white flowers.
On our way to and from the park we pass the donkeys and a very old olive tree. Sure, it looks like the donkeys are dancing..
Bye Bye Malta – Hello Cyprus! We’ve arrived, we’ve been here for exactly a week now and it feels great! We rent a house by the sea in Latchi and we’ll stay here for at least three months while exploring the area around the Paphos district.
In Malta I found the power of flowers and colors.
My brave beloved basenji dog Fanny gave birth to six puppies in September last year.
This is what the buses looked like when we moved to Malta in 2000. Today, they are a tourist attraction.
All photos in this post are from my archive. Every single picture I’ve taken during my years on the small island in the Mediterranean will be unvaluable memories from a time I’ve now left behind.
Bye Bye Valletta, the capital of Malta and a World Heritage site.
The island of Filfla, a small islet in the most southerly point of the Maltese Archipelago. Symbolically, it could be Malta seen from Cyprus, where the Paphos district is only slightly larger than the island we just left.
I love color, color makes me happy! Being surrounded by colors affects how we feel, even though we don’t always know about it.
“We live in a rainbow of chaos” – Paul Cezanne
“Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it” – Danny Kaye
Pre-Moving Checklist: Today all our belongings were packed and are now stored in a container here in Malta. Everything, except what is to be packed in our suitcases. We don’t know when the container will be shipped to Cyprus, first we have to find where on the island we are going to live…
Someone has planted roses along the path where I usually walk with my dogs here in Rabat. Every time i walk by the flowers have changed, sometimes there are no flowers at all but there are always new buds coming up.
“A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.” – Leo Buscaglia
“I don’t know whether nice people tend to grow roses or growing roses makes people nice” -Roland A Browne
“My life is part humor, part roses, part thorns” – Bret Michaels
“Just remember, during the winter, far beneath the bitter snow, that there’s a seed that with the sun’s love in the spring becomes a rose.” – Bette Midler
The meaning of “A rose is a rose is a rose” is often attributed to the notion that when all is said and done, a thing is what it is.
“A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” ― Mark Twain
A lush green Malta just before the summer drought takes over while the sky and sea remain equally blue all year round. Will this be my last summer in Malta? After twenty yrs on this tiny island in the Mediterranean, it’s time to move on.
Blue scarlet pimpernel flowers.
Ghajn Tuffieha, Riviera Bay
Blooms from December to May.
Wild Borage…
Greenery, a blue sea and the blue sky. Enjoy it while you can!
Its leaves, flowers and stalks are edible and taste a little like cucumber.
The one way ticket to Cyprus is booked, we have rented a house by the sea in Neo Chorio, a serene, secluded small Cypriot coastal village. We have no idea what it’s like to live in Cyprus, an exciting challenge awaits.
The countdown has begun, only.………………………………………… days left!!
“If life was easy where would all the adventures be”?
With reference to yesterday’s green plant and the question, “What are you looking at?”. It wasn’t as simple as I thought but it’s certainly a kind of onion-plant. Onion is a vegetable cultivated species of the genus Allium, Allium is Latin for Garlic.
But the Allium family includes more than just onions so I had to seach by image of the flower. It took me some time to find out that it’s a garlic flower while Mr. Ohh.. was the only one who guessed garlic, without even having seen the flower!
Thanks for giving me a clue Mr. Ohh..!
In my next post I’ll show you some images of what is considered to be one of Malta’s most beautiful flowers. The question is whether it’s edible or not..?
Last weekend we went to Miġra l-Ferħa which is just a few kilometers from Rabat where we live. As you can see in the image above, the cliffs are high and plunge vertically down to the sea while people and cars look like miniatures.
There are plenty of paths to walk along the high cliffs, where you can walk for hours.
A plant is a plant, there are plenty of these but I’v no idea what it is. The color fits well into the slightly pale surroundings.
Felicia, on the edge.
They may not understand how close they are, but I trust them and I know them. Otherwise, I would never leave Felicia or Fanny without a leash up here.
It’s a quite barren area but I saw at least a few colorful flowers
Sky and sea merge on the horizon, the Mediterranean is calm, the boats are few, it’s a bit hazy and it feels very harmonious.
Felicia senses the smell of something.
Wonder who came up with the idea to build a window here!
In January, the almond trees bloomed. Today there are no flowers left but the fruits are now maturing.
I read that when the fruit ripens about seven months after flowering, it dries up and opens up. When mature, these turn into greyish-green, fleshy fruit, which split open to reveal the hard-pitted shell of the almond nut inside.
The word nut is mentioned several times while I at the same time read the following; The fruit of the almond is a drupe, consisting of an outer hull and a hard shell with the seed, which is not a true nut inside!
Conclusion, almonds are not nuts but seeds enclosed in a hard fruit covering. So, then it’s clear, what I always thought was a nut is not a real nut.
Apart from that, almonds are said to be one of the world’s most loved tree nuts. Yes, I read nuts! They are highly nutritious and filled with fats, antioxidants including vitamins and minerals. Nut or not, eat almonds, live healthily and stay fit.
Note: Twenty three almond (nuts?) is the ideal daily portion while an over-consumption can lead to breathing problem, nervous breakdown, choking and even death. So it’s important to be careful and not eat too many of these fruits nuts.
It feels wonderful to be able to go out and find nature just around the corner. I’ll never regret moving from Sliema to Rabat. Even if it’s temporary, this is how I want to live in the future, close to nature along with my lovely dogs.
Lovely Poppies
Grains
The grapes will ripen in autumn
Lavendel?
Within a few months, the figs are ripe to eat
Bituminaria bituminosa
Borago officinalis
Prickly Pear
Felicia, always curious…
A selection of images taken while walking my dogs in the surroundings of Rabat.
Next to Rabat, where we just moved, is Mdina. The ancient city dates back 4,000 years, is older than Valletta and was the capital of Malta from antiquity to the Middle Ages. Mdina is today also referred to as the ‘Silent City’.
This view was taken just a few steps from where we live. From a distance you can see where we used to live, in Sliema, closer to the sea but far from the countryside.
From Fanny’s and Felica’s point of view, they are much better off here. And so am I…
“How lovely yellow is! It stands for the sun.” – Vincent Van Gogh
English name(s): Crown Daisy, Garland, Chop Suey Greens
Indigenous. Present on the Maltese islands before man.
“Silence isn’t golden. It’s yellow” – Zell Miller
Species name: Glebionis coroniaria
“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.” – Pablo Picasso
“Yellow usually means it’s not that serious.” – Bobby Unser
Above are some trifling knowledge, a couple of quotes and some flowers from yesterday’s walk with my doggies. I chose the yellow ones, there are plenty of them now. Don’t forget to click on an image to enlarge.
By the way, we’ve moved from Sliema to Rabat! Nature around the corner, the dogs can run freely and it feels great! Here we’ll live temporarily, finally on our way to “who knows where” to our new home in Cyprus. Meanwhile, now that the first move is complete, I’ll get more time for the blog and to visit you and others out there, in this amazing bloggosphere.
Yesterday I saw the first poppies of the year, one of my favorites when it comes to wildflowers. “The earth laughs in flowers.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson”
The purple is not as common as the red ones. Sure, they’re all beautiful! “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” – Buddha
This look a bit like a butterfly. “Butterflies are self propelled flowers.” ― Robert A. Heinlein
With this post, I wish you all a Happy Easter Holiday! Now I’m takinga short break and I’ll be back in a week or so. And don’t forget…
This post is dedicated to my lovely dogs Fanny and Felicia. They bring so much joy and have completely changed my life and daily routines. Fanny came to us as a puppy in November 2017, Felicia, her daughter, was born September 27, 2020.
💚 Mother and daughter, soon to be the same size 💚
Unforgettable memories, that was then, 25th October 2020. Six adorable basenji puppies, Cinnamon, Paco, Luna, Milo, Felicia and Gin. Five moved to new homes when they were eight weeks old and they are all very well taken care of!
Fanny, just a week before she gave birth to six puppies
My precious dog Fanny almost disappears in this picture, but she can be seen down there, on the edge. And if you look closely, Felicia can also be seen among the bushes on the side. I didn’t even see her myself until I enlarged the image.
Here are a selection of photos from Malta’s countryside, along the sea. This is where I prefer to go with my dogs, in nature, far from home. Here we can walk for hours and forget the hectic traffic, high rise buildings, all the construction work and cranes that have taken over in the small town of Sliema where we live, where I feel I have lived too long now.
Hello!!
It’s pretty steep here!
Come on, the wooden bridge has been repaired so it’s not dangerous to cross anymore.
Look at the couple on the narrow walkway far ahead! It seems to be crowded here.
The walkways are narrow, the clay wall is steep and the sea is far down. It’s exciting to run here.
Already sunset and time to head back home.
These are the places where I can fill my soul with energy while my dogs enjoy freedom and new exciting discoveries. A valuable part of my everyday life here on the small island of Malta.
Ghajn Tuffieha, Riviera Bay & Il-Majjistral Nature & History Park Malta March 2021
I’m happy that this year’s first butterfly that I managed to capture was this special species,”The Queen’s Butterfly”. The dry blade of grass may be seen as a disturbing detail, but I decided to leave it instead of wasting time editing.
I was lucky to capture another one of these rare beauties. I read that the Swallowtail is Malta’s only endemic butterfly and its scientific name is Papilio machaon melitensis where melitensis shows that it is a Maltese species.
This species of butterfly, the Red Admiral is on the wing all year round and is relatively common here on the island. Regardless of being rare or common, it’s the same joy every time I manage to get a butterfly in front of the lens.
It doesn’t take much to feel joy in our everyday life. Positive thinking!
The pandemic cannot be ignored, it is here and we are all affected in one way or another. Therefore, it’s so important to try to pick out the positive parts of our everyday lives. Even the smallest things can mean a lot.
I really enjoy the beautiful flowers and colors of Spring.
Being surrounded by greenery in the middle of nowhere can bring pure joy for most creatures.
I’m grateful and very happy about having my beloved dogs Fanny and Felicia. After all, Life is good.
Fanny, her daughter Felicia and their best friend Freja running and playing in a sea of greenery and white flowers.
Running together in nature without a leash is pure joy, both for the dogs and their owners.
My dear husband, our best friend Fredrik, two basenji’s and a very cute American beagle.
Here we go!!!
…and here we were, in the area of Miġra L-Ferħa.
Located along the sea from where we could see the small island of Filfla. It was a very nice day! Thank you Fredrik for taking us to this for us unique and unknown scenery. Malta February 2021
Felicia met a new friend in Ta Qali the other day, his name is Logan..
Logan is a three-year-old sixty-kilo Great Dane while Felicia is a four-month-old seven-kilo Basenj. Felicia was a little hesitant at first and so was Logan.
But soon she becomes braver and wants to play!
At first, Logan was a bit reserved.
Oops!
Felicia’s mother Fanny watches
Not the best picture but it shows who is chasing whom.
It seemed like they both had a lot of fun.
Let’s take another round!!
Full speed!!
And they played!!!
💚“The size doesn’t matter, all about the size of the heart’s matter.” 💚 ― Mohammed Tariq
Last Sunday we visited the small and picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk which is the largest fishing harbour of Malta and has been so since antiquity. Here, among many other things, you’ll find the colorful and traditional luzzu’z.
The luzzu is a sturdy carvel-built boat with a double-ended hull brightly painted in shades of yellow, red, green and blue. The bow is often pointed with a pair of eyes, “Eye of Osiris”, said to protect the fishermen while at sea.
There’s much more than just the colorful boats to discover in this village, especially on Sundays. More to come…
The other day I took Fanny with me and went to Victoria Lines for a long walk. The view from here is amazing and in the distance you can see the island of Gozo.
Here, in the scenic lush nature, you can walk for hours.
“Nature is the place where your soul go free”
Cape Sorrel A common yellow flower found all over the islands
“In nature you don’t get lost, you find yourself”
Arisarum vulgare Friar’s Cowl, Arison. Present on the Maltese islands before man
Ja, alla dessa vilda blommor växer och frodas här på ön just nu. Som vanligt lägger jag upp lite för många bilder men det är så svårt att välja.
Dessutom är det av olika skäl lite långt mellan inläggen just nu, tid har jag men känner ofta att jag inte vet vad jag vill med mina bilder. Fotograferar mycket och kan sitta i timmar och sortera och redigera, men sen blir det oftast inget mer.
Min finaste lilla Felicia, hon får alltid vara med på ett hörn. Trots att hon inte är en blomma, är hon ändå en slags blomma, för mig.
Liksom hennes mamma, ett riktig guldkorn i tillvaron. På den här på bilden är Fanny bara något äldre än vad Felicia är idag. Då, i november 2017 var hon drygt fyra månader gammal. Time flies..
That was yesterday, when we celebrated Christmas Eve at home. Today, we went to Ta Qali Nature Park.
A blue sky with few clouds, green grass and plenty of wildflowers. It felt like spring in the air.
While Fanny could run without a leash as usual, little Felicia jumped happily and curiously around in the green grass in her eight-meter-long leash. Within a very few days she will be three months old. Time flies…
Mom often takes me to Pembroke, which is closer to where we live than Ta’ Qali Park. It’s a large barren natural area along the Mediterranean Sea. If you look closely you’ll see me in the image above.
Freedom and Joy!
The weather is still more than great here on the island. 20-23 degrees and no wind even though we are already in November. I have no idea from where the water comes in the images above, it hasn’t rained for a while now.
Our way up to the tower means good Exercise!
Now we are very close.
For those who are interested to read some history.
It’s a great view from here!
Feel free to click on an image to enlarge.
Back so sea level. Work is in progress, though not right now! There are more to find in this area and in my next post I will show some plants and a cute little creature I meet recently. So, more to come…
❤️ In the meantime, here you can see my beautiful litter of puppies, already six weeks old❤️
Here are some more images from Ta’ Qali Nature Park.
The weather here on the island is fantastic considering that we are already in November.
It’s the first time this year that I see a ladybug and the berries of the olive trees are ready to be harvested.
Now that the first rains have fallen after the summer drought, it’s easy to get a sense of spring.
I don’t feel I have succeeded so very well in photographing insects this year and now the dragonflies are fewer. There are many yellow butterflies in the park right now but they are not easily caught.
I end the post with Fanny, an amazing mother who will now slowly but surely spend less time with the puppies so that at the age of eight weeks they are no longer dependent on their mom.
Hello! I’m five weeks old now and still need my mom. I guess I’m the one who’s going to live with my mother while my five siblings move to their new homes. Although she who decides seems to have a hard time choosing ❤️
This week’s theme, Negative Space chosen by Amy feels both challenging and fun. Although at least one of the images I’ve chosen may not fit the theme completely, they all have something in common. The blue color.“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” — Ansel Adams“Photographs open doors into the past, but they also allow a look into the future.”
– Sally Mann.“When people ask me what equipment I use – I tell them my eyes.” — Anonymous“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place…
I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” — Elliott Erwitt
Some images from yesterday’s visit to Ta Qali. Many of the trees have recently been pruned. I was fooled by the orange spot that from a distance looked like a flower and I even saw some faces. In this fenced area I’ve been walking with Fanny since she was a puppy. Among Olive trees, Mediterranean Cypress and Ancient Carob trees. When the rain comes, the grass turns green and is then covered with flowers.
Sticky resin is now visible on many of the trees.
But how’s Fanny? Now that she is close to the seventh week of her pregnancy her behavior has changed. She’s not as playful as before, a bit melancholic and the walks are getting shorter and shorter while running is out of the question. Here she seeks shade under our car while I try to ventilate away the heat and turn on air conditioning before it’s time to go back home, a ride of about 20 minutes. Home to eat and then go to sleep. I love her so much ❤ ❤
Looks like an exciting place, let’s go down and take a look.Like a moonscape in the middle of nowhere.
Where am I?I really enjoy to run freely along the cliffs, although it looks more like I jump on soft dunes.
It may not be easy to see me at first glance but look closely and you will find me.Now you probably think I’m curious about that cave but I actually need some shade, it’s very hot.Here I am, at Xwejni Salt Pans on Malta’s sister island Gozo, and yes, I’m in this picture too.
These salt pans have been in this region since Phoenician and Roman times,
and the tradition actually continues to be used even today.
Click here and you will learn more about salt harvesting in Gozo, it’s quite interesting. Many people probably think of salt as simply that white granular seasoning found in saltshakers on virtually every dining table.
But it’s far more than that..No, I’m not in this picture but you can see a black dot far away, it’s the car that took me here.
It feels like a long walk back in the heat, but it was well worth the experience.
🐕 More to come from my short vacation in Gozo.
Några bilder från en av många promenader i “skogen” tillsammans med fina Fanny.Menar du att vi ska gå hela den där långa vägen tillbaka till bilen? Det är faktiskt 30+!Ja, men vi går i skuggan, mellan träden så känns det inte så varmt. Fast den där bilden är ju faktiskt från en annan skog.…och vi kan ta en och annan paus, ser kanske lite snårigt ut.Titta, matte lyckades fotografera en fågel!
(S)kottår.Kanske inte den bästa skogen om man vill hugga sig en gran till Julhelgen.Nu är vi framme, nästan, tror jag. Äntligen! Vi har ju gått i flera timmar, nu vill jag hem.. …fast det verkar som att vi gått lite vilse. Ser du var bilen är?Åhh nej!!Kanske ska vi prova att gå åt det där hållet istället. Äntligen hemma!
Tror matte blev lite snurrig, kanske fick hon en släng av värmeslag. Det här inlägget passar ju jättebra till Susan’s Trees on Tuesdays
…fast att tisdagen redan passerat verkar hon inte ha insett ännu.
“Green is a label for a certain attitude to life, a certain kind of respect
that one might have for the very source of things that we take for granted.”
– Annie LennoxVespa crabro, a Hornet attracted by some green leafs on our Hibiscus.
“Greenery is the best scenery”
– Arti Sharma“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider,
every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.”
–Martin Luther
The lines seen in the last image are the human impact on nature, but it’s usually worse than that.
It’s a sad fact that more than half of Earth’s rainforests have already been destroyed.
The photo was taken in Sarawak, last year, where there’s still plenty of greenery.
