Ghar Dalam

Ghar Dalam (or Cave of Darkness) is situated in Birzebbuga. It is the oldest cave discovered on this island and has proved very informative on how life began on our island and about our ancestors.




Għar Dalam (pronounced ar dàlam in Maltese and meaning "Cave of Darkness") is a prehistorical cul de sac located on the outskirts of Birżebbuġa, Malta containing the bone remains of animals that were stranded and subsequently became extinct on Malta at the end of the Ice age.

Dwarf elephant, hippopotamus, deer and bear bone deposits found there are of a different age; the hippopotamuses became extinct about 180,000 years ago, whilst the deer species became extinct much later, about 18,000 years ago. It is also here that the earliest evidence of human settlement on Malta, some 7,400 years ago, was discovered.

Is-Sennien

"Is-Sennien" was a local tradesman who used to go round the villages sharpening knives and scissors for the housewives in the old days. This is one of the few remaining carts which were used by the tradesman to carry his tools. This is found outside a small restaurant in Old Bakery Street in Valletta

Glass Blowing workshop

Here in Malta, one can see and buy any glass ornament from Mdina Glass at Ta Qali Crafts Village.

Origins of the art of glass blowing

Glassblowing is a glass forming technique which was invented by the Phoenicians at approximately 50 BC somewhere along the Syro-Palestinian coast. The earliest evidence of glassblowing comes from a collection of waste from a glass workshop, including fragments of glass tubes, glass rods and tiny blown bottles, which was dumped in a mikvah, a ritual bath in the Jewish Quarter of Old City of Jerusalem dated from 37 to 4 BC[8][12][17] Some of the glass tubes recovered are fire-closed at one end and are partially inflated by blowing through the open end while still hot to form small bottle, thus they are considered as a rudimentary form of blowpipe.[9] Hence, tube blowing not only represents the initial attempts of experimentation by glassworkers at blowing glass, it is also a revolutionary step the induced a change in conception and a deep understanding of glass.[

Souvenirs from Malta

These are typical souvenirs which one can find to buy here while on holiday. A very popular market where these stalls are found is the Sunday Market in Marsaxlokk.

Splash & Fun Waterpark, Malta

A fun place to visit during the summer months in Malta is the Splash & Fun Waterpark situated in Bahar ic-Caghak, north of the island. There are plenty of different slides to go down, as well as a lazy river where one can enjoy floating around on a large inflatable tyre and a wave pool where simulated waves are used to make swimming that little bit more fun. A kids swim area is available so noone is left out from having a great day out.

Changing of the Guard

The Armed Forces of Malta will be re-introducing the Changing of the Guard ceremony on Valletta’s Palace Square after a near 40-year absence.

The ceremony, which will be held twice monthly, is symbolic of the formal handing over of responsibility from one guard to another at the Palace in Valletta. (taken from Times of Malta)

Birzebbuga Sailing Club

Yesterday, my son took part in a sailing race organised by the Birzebbuga Sailing Club. This race was in aid of INSPIRE, a foundation which helps disabled persons integrate in our society. All of the proceeds went to help buy a special designed sailing boat for the use of the foundation.



(photos courtesy of Mario Brincat, a club member)

Dinghy sailing at Birzebbuga Bay goes back to the early fifties. The spectacular wooden Latini boats heralding from the three Cities of Malta and from Birzebbuga raced in the limits of the bay at St. Georges and Marsaxlokk area. Since then Birzebbuga Bay has been known as the centre for the development of high level competitive dinghy sailing. Birzebbuga Sailing Club was initiated by ex Latini sailors in 1969. Since then BSC achieved the highest national honours of 'Champions' and "Helmsmen of the Year", many times over. Club sailors raced on various classes of dinghies, especially on Marauders, Mirrors, Miracles, Sordfish and currently on Lasers. They represented Malta in major international games and won medals for Malta at the Small Nations of Europe Games. At BSC sailing for children on Mirrors and Optimists is a regular activity all the year round. Club's sailors range in ages from 7- 60 plus. It includes male and female sailors of all ages. Sailing Courses and day sailing tasters for adult beginners are offered every year for groups or individuals on demand. The Club participates in activities organised by the Malta Sports Council under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. BSC runs courses for children through SkolaSajf and SkolaSport. It collaborates with the Malta Sailing Federation and with other sailing clubs. BSC also runs an annual five day sailing course for Physical Education student teachers of the University of Malta. (taken from www.birzebbugasailing.com)

The Services and Programmes of INSPIRE address the educational, therapeutic, social and recreational needs of the people we help, with a focus on ability and potential. Our vision is to see complete inclusion of people with disabilities living in the community, in schools, the workplace and in recreation. (taken from...www.epr.eu/index.php/description-members/21-descriptionmembers/76-eden)

Il-Karozzin (Maltese Horse & Cab)

Il-Karozzin” or “The Horsedrawn Carriage” was a popular means of transport in the Maltese islands in olden days. This means of transport was a common scene and one could see and hear the sound of hooves beating and clicking on the ground as the horsedrawn carriage passed through villages and towns, through the countryside and also along coast roads of the Maltese islands. The poor people depended on the horsedrawn carriage to take them on errands outside their village. The Horse Drawn Carriage was also used on special feasts and occasions such as Carnival or a wedding ceremony. Today the horsedrawn carriage is popular among tourists who would like to go round our magnificent and silent old capital city Imdina and today’s capital city Valletta.

The Maltese Boat

Blue Lagoon, Comino

Another beautiful bay...L-Abjad iz-Zghir

Golden Bay, Malta

Golden Bay is one of Malta's most popular sandy beaches in the North of the island. It is set among countryside and is relatively undeveloped. Apart from its beautiful sandy beach there are also many exciting watersports available such as canoeing, pedalboats, paragliding and so on....
The spectacular sunsets at this beach have made it a favourite spot for evening bbq's. Although relatively safe for swimming, this bay is prone to strong under currents when the wind is to the northwest.
On a personal note, I would recommend the paragliding because not only is it exhilirating but you get a bird's eye view of the amazing surrounding bays in these parts.

St.George's Bay,Birzebbuga

Another bay situated as you are going out of Birzebbuga is St.George's Bay. This bay is mainly used for docking boats mainly fishing boats and privately owned pleasure crafts.
An interesting fact about this bay is the findings of "cart ruts" believed to have been formed since 2000BC, although this is still a mystery.
Numerous theories about how these tracks were created are the following:

* Goods were transported here on sledges which gouged the tracks into the rock.
* The tracks are real cart ruts for transporting goods.
* It is an irrigation system.(taken from Wikipedia)

Underwater Cart Ruts and crossing St Georges Bay

The Cart Ruts (Cart Tracks) at St Georges Bay are located beside Triq Ghar Dalam, these appear to cross the bay. Also in the bay but perpendicular to the the thin road side ones, are much larger underwater Cart Ruts.
The Cart Ruts going into St Georges bay seem to stop at the waters edge although the rock shelf itself stops a few yards further on. There are "boulders" on the sea floor which may be the broken remains of the sandstone shelf. Beyond this is the normal sandy sea floor bed of the bay. (taken from www.cartrutsmalta.com).

My hometown...Birzebbuga

For my first official post, the village where I have grown up and still live in, Birzebbuga. The photo for today is of Pretty Bay where we spend most of our summer holidays enjoying a swim and a chat with friends.



Birżebbuġa is a small but flourishing seaside resort not far from Marsaxlokk in south-east Malta. It is approximately 8 miles from the City of Valletta. Popular among Maltese holiday-makers for decades, this village is perhaps best known for its important archaeological sites, especially Għar Dalam and "Borg in-Nadur" and a sandy beach commonly known as "Pretty Bay". The village name "Birżebbuġa", from the Maltese, means a "well of olives".

Birżebbuġa's coat of arms shows a blue chevron and olive branch on a white field. The blue represents the nearby waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the olive branch the major importance of olives to the local economy, in former times.(Wikipedia)

Hello...I'm back!

sunset over Golden Bay, Malta

After quite a long break from blogging, I have decided to start posting again. I sincerely hope all you bloggers new & "old" will enjoy reading my posts, and hopefully I'll be able to somehow give you a view of our beautiful Maltese Islands and their history!

On a personal note...I'd like to remember my wonderful mum today as it's the 16th year from her passing......and the beautiful sunset is dedicated to her memory....

Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear.