Enjoying The Countryside At Chadwick Lakes

There are no naturally occurring lakes or rivers in Malta although, in the winter time, a few streams can be found in most valleys. Chadwick Lakes are, in fact, a large reservoir built in the 1890s at the suggestion of British engineer Osbert Chadwick.

 

However, being a valley, a stream of natural water does gurgle playfully downstream.

This stretch of water provides a picturesque backdrop for picnics and the surrounding paths are ideal for a serene walk. The photos I am posting today were taken at the end of December and the blue skies and bright sunlight made it feel more like a spring day. However, the leafless silver birch trees were a reminder that it is not yet spring and the greenery and wild flowers are also indications that the weather is still on the cool side (I dare not say cold ).

Once June comes along all the greenery that you see will be gone and arid land will be left in its place. The water too will dry up leaving a bed of hard, dry mud. So this simple beauty is transient and fleeting, like so many other things in Nature. I hope you’ll enjoy this little walk in our countryside  - it’s not very grand, I’m afraid. The island is too small for huge open spaces and it is something which a lot of us have a deep yearning for. So we make do with these little pockets of rural bliss.

And, being Malta, there has to be that wacky little something that you won’t see in many other places. Now tell me, how many of you have seen silver birches (on the left of the photo) and cacti within a few metres of each other?