View from Mdina

I went to Mdina tonight, for coffee and chat with a friend. It’s almost full moon and as usual I tried to capture it with my camera, but as usual, the view is much better in reality.

I love to watch all the glittering lights and the string of boats at the horizon…

As long as we were still dealing with soup and sallad the red side was up.

Nice afterwork at Do Brazil today, together with Kalle, Mattias, Frippe, Brolle and Martin. Really nice food I must say! The chef came with this big skewers once in a while with various kinds of meat; chicken, beef, pork. It was just to dig in on whatever you wanted, as much as you wanted.

Do Brazil website

When we were ready for the serious stuff, we turned the green side up.

It was nice to walk down the main street with all Christmas decorations which lit up the street.

Outside Savoy

Still some people out when we went home

On out way to the car I noticed that there were a lot of police officers walking along the main street and just as we were about to leave the main street, a caravan of police cars and motorcycles came through the gate. When I came home I read in timesofmalta.com that the Spanish king Juan Carlos is here for a 2-day visit, so I guess that’s who we saw.

Spanish King Juan Carlos has arrived in Malta on a two-day state visit.

The King was greeted by President George Abela and was introduced to the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice, the Cabinet, the diplomatic corps and senior civil servants. He also inspected an AFM Guard of Honour after the anthems of the two countries were played.

The King will hold official meetings tomorrow with the President, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and will lay a wreath at the foot of the War Memorial in Floriana. Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos, who is accompanying the king, will have talks with Foreign Minister Tonio Borg and sign cooperation agreements.
Queen Sofia had to cancel her visit to Malta because she is indisposed.
The farewell ceremony, tomorrow afternoon, will be held on the Palace Square in Valletta.

King Juan Carlos?

Looking for a nice restaurant in Mdina

After Baħrija we went to Mdina to look at the views and to have lunch.

Lunch in Mdina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chelle, Isak and Kalle looking at the view

View from Mdina

Telephone lines in the view - me not like

The estate agent wanted us to look at the other apartments in the building in Baħrija where we’ve been looking at the penthouse. It is bigger and cheaper. But there is only a small balcony on the front and the view is no longer unobstructed. There are power lines or telephone lines just above the horizon. Those lines would drive me crazy every day when I look at the view…

Chelle and Isak were with us so they also saw the flat in Baħrija. They thought we should go for the penthouse.

The Black Pearl has an interesting and chequered history which dates as far back as 1909. Built at Pukavik in Sweden, and destined to be one of the last serviciers of the wooden trading schooners, she was originally named the “Black Opal”.

Fashioned on strength, so that she could penetrate the Baltic ice floes in the cold winters, and sail in the strong nordic winds of Scandinavia, the Black Schooner was constructed with a hull of two layers of thick seasoned oak. Over one hundred and fifty feet long, and with three stout masts rising ninety feet from the deck, the “Black Opal” must have made a majestic sight indeed as she sailed the high seas on her trading missions carrying a net weight of nearly four hundred tonnes.During her lifespan, the black schooner has faced many vicissitudes. For sixty-nine years she navigated under sail with cargoes of grain, coke and wood on voyages to the remotest areas of the Swedish scurries.

In 1969, she arrived in Ramsgate where she was converted into a barquentine with a luxuriously refurbished interior, modern equipment and nine thousand square feet of canvas. This re-construction work was completed on Christmas Eve in 1973.

Re-named “Aeolus” she then set sail for Australia with a crew of six, sixteen guests who worked their own passege, and a parrot who answered to the name of “Herman”. On the voyage to Australia, she called at Lisbon, Martinique, the Virgin Islands, and the Galapagos Islands.

From the cold nordic temperatures of Scandinavia and the North Seas, the Black Schooner found herself in the warm climate of Australia and the South Pacific, in the year 1974. Her owners employed a crew of sixteen professional seamen, provided accomodation for forty pampered guests and used her for holiday cruises from Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Eventually she developed weevel worm in the hull and had to be sent back to the United Kingdom for repairs. Enroute, misfortune struck as when passing through the Suez Canal a fire broke out in the engine room. She sailed into Maltese waters for repairs in 1976, and was abandoned by her owners in Marsamxett harbour where she sank, settling on the seabed at a depth of 70 feet.

In 1979 she was refloated by the Vella brothers. Her hull was repaired in the Marsa floating dock, and she was towed to Anchor Bay to be used in the filming of the motion-picture ‘Popeye’, in which she played a prominent part. She sank once again during a freak storm in 1981 and was later towed back to the Grand Harbour for repairs.

Now called the “Black Pearl” the schooner remains a majestic sight, reminiscent of days gone by, when sails ruled the waves. She no longer has to face the battering seas and high winds, as she lies safely in the sanctuary of the Ta`Xbiex Yacht Marina, for a well deserved rest.

Her present owner Vincent Vella has with foresight and entrepreneurship, converted the Black Pearl into a de luxe Bar and Restaurant, where guests are again pampered on board with lavish up-market cuisine and a first class service.

This major operation was completed in six years, with the help of family members, friends and volunteers. Now a unique attraction in the Maltese Islands, the Black Pearl is again at the service of Ladies and Gentlemen with a sense of adventure who like to enjoy a first class lunch or dinner, and a drink in a truly magnificent atmosphere.

The Black Pearl

Sa Maison Gardens

On our way to Black Pearl we found a “secret” garden. It’s not really a secret garden of course, but there were no sign at the entrance and I’ve never heard of it. It was really cool, with a lot of trees and flowers and the garden was in several levels. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to explore the whole garden, but we saw most of it anyway.

This is the information I’ve found about the garden at visitmalta.com:

The Sa Maison Garden is a small, pretty garden mostly known for its military heritage. The garden is also known as ‘il-Gnien tal-Milorda’ (Her Ladyship’s Garden) in memory of Lady Julia Lockwood, who resided there between 1842 and 1856. Her house was later demolished and the garden taken over by the military, which were responsible for its maintenance until 1903, when it was taken over by the civil government.

Apart from the several regimental crests, which are engraved in the bastion wall inside the garden, there’s also a small model of a castle carved in Maltese stone dedicated to the 2nd Battalion of the Essex Regiment.

The garden itself is on several levels and there is a Knight’s Gardjola (watch tower), which is easily accessible and provides spectacular views of the Ta’ Xbiex Yacht Marina and fortifications.

Steps on the wall side leading to nowhere?

Remains from the canons

View over Ta’ Xbiex marina

Best sushi on this island!

It's possible to see all the way to Baħrija from Marfa Ridge

Marfa Ridge is a classic spot to go to when we have friends here. I really like the view from here. It’s possible to see all the way to Baħrija from here, if you look hard enough.

View over Mellieha

View over Mellieha

View from Marfa Ridge

Cars outside Mellieha

Nice view over the valley

Tacos

Today I noticed something I haven’t seen on my previous visits to Il-Fawwara: the word NAZAE written in stones in a short piece of stone wall. I’ve googled it, but can not find any explanations.

The word NAZAE written with stones

Ħaġar Qim is protected with a big tent

 

View over Il-Fawwara and Filfla island

Sunset at Il-Fawwara

 

Aida and Frippe watching the sunset at Il-Fawwara

Filfla island in the evening

Sunset at Il-Fawwara