Photographing my travels: February 2015

I was invited back to Malta by my neighbour and friend Sandra. Sandra has a lovely 15 century "house of character" in Birgu. The week was a good opportunity to visit the places I missed on my last trip and take a load more photos. The sun did appear a couple of times but mostly cold and damp. Luckily, I was aware and had bought my thermals. Houses here, like Spain and Portugal are not adapted for cold.

Off to Valletta on the first day to meet up with Sandra's friends for lunch.

On the way to the ferry, I tried to snap this cat against a lovely yellow background. He had other ideas!

Waiting for the ferry which was moored over at Isla. We eventually walked over the bridge to catch it.

The ferry then came back to Birgu and limped to Valletta due to a water leak so the engine kept steaming up.

On the way to Valletta

The big white decorated cake is only baked for carnival time

Philip and Sandra in St James' Cavalier Centre for Creativity

Inside St John's cathedral, Valletta

Back in Birgu where they are busy building in front of houses by the sea, blocking their sea views

View from Sandra's rooftop in evening light over to Kalkara

Shadows on the rooftop

On Friday, Sandra took me on a tour around the three cities, concentrating on Isla then a bit of Birgu.

I could see this cat from the balcony of my bedroom. She lives in the house behind Sandra's. She will feature in another photo later on.

Left and right of the street outside Sandra's front door.

Boat park

Lovely gardens on Isla by this fort

Various signs snapped in the 3 cities

Paintwork on hull of a boat - check out the arm and hand.

Sandra and Jo, the carpenter

House next door to the Norman House, being lovingly restored by a local resident. Used to belong to an old lady up to 6 years ago.

Grafitti from times of Knights Templar - you will need to click on this to see it easier.

Door from the house

Inside St Lawrence church, Birgu

A lovely evening and dinner with Sandra's friends Flavia and Mark then up early on Saturday to see some of the carnival sights in Valletta. In the late afternoon, we walked over to Kalkara and watched the carnival dancing, before we had dinner at Sandra's together with James and Antoinette who are renovating the house behind Sandra's. Sandra's house is a quarter of the one of the original Auberge's from the time of the Knights Templar.

girl on the ferry to Valletta

Apparently it usually rains at carnival time

carnival images

I have several images from this fishmongers

Dance images from Kalkara's carnival festival

Sandra and I became carnival groupies. On Sunday it was off to Naxxar by bus to see some more of the dances. Some we missed at Kalkara as we left early. Lovely coffee at Becky's Cafe in Naxxar. After the dancing we went to the Palazzo Paridiso for a drink before lunch - an excellent suggestion by Sandra.

More bargains for Sandra at the boot sale

Carnival dancers at Naxxar

I thought the pirate costumes at Kalkara were good but these costumes beat them.

Getting ready

Pity I missed the top of the hat

A blend of three images

Louis the Palazzo Paradiso's cat enjoying a snooze while Sandra and I sipped our drinks.

Church in Naxxar

View from Naxxar

Carnival procession in Valletta

Last stop for the Number 3 bus before it returns to Valetta.

Sandra's rooftop where she is busy working in her garden.

On Monday we took the bus to Sliema, to see a photo exhibition by Sergio Muscat at the Palace hotel. Impressions of dancers. I had already had the idea when taking the dancers at Kalkara, before I knew of the exhibition.

In the subway as we were changing buses for Sliema

An old house in Sliema

Street scenes

Back on Sandra's rooftop

Staircase inside the house

Tuesday was the wettest day but we managed to go out in the morning for coffee. We were going to visit the market but there were only 3 or 4 veg stalls and they were dismantling due to the weather. We went out later to finish my tour of Birgu.