Wayside Chapels: The Immaculate Conception at Wied Gerzuma

The chapel of the Immaculate Conception is in the middle of nowhere – or as in-the-middle-of-nowhere are you can be on this little island. I love it because of its isolated location and its simple interior. It was built in 1736 by Grand Master de Vilhena on land acquired in 1621 by Grand Master de Paule. The chapel is located on high ground in a rural setting and, on a clear day, the view is magnificent. Unfortunately, it was very hazy the day we visited so I could not really get a good photo of the scenery. This spot reminds me of childhood picnics and teenage hikes. It is certainly a place where you can get away from it all and enjoy nature at its pristine best.

Location: Chapel of the  Immaculate Conception, Wied Gerzuma, l/o Rabat

 

Due to an upcoming vacation, I will not be posting on this blog for a while. I would, however, appreciate your feedback to the following question: what would you like to see more of on this page?

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer. 

Snapshots of … Bahrija Valley

Bahrija Valley is an unspoilt natural area situated beneath the quiet village of Bahrija (which means moth). The place makes for a very pleasant walk, especially in Spring, and it one of the few places in Malta where you may catch a glimpse of the elusive freshwater crab. The valley itself has a healthy population of wild plants  and flowers and also stretches of farming land.

At its far end the valley starts to rise towards the cliffs which plunge down to the sea beneath.

This is a truly wonderful place for a walk in peaceful surroundings.

Maltese Traditions (3) – San Martin

This coming Sunday, the feast of St Martin will be celebrated in Bahrija. For this feast, it is traditional for children to receive a cloth bag filled with various types of nuts, an apple, an orange, figs and  a small sweet-tasting bread known as the bread of St Martin.  It is also customary for children to recite the following rhyme:

Gewz, lewz, qastan, tin

Kemm inhobb lil San Martin.

Which roughly translates to:

Walnuts, almonds, chestnuts, figs -

I sure love St Martin.

In the past, these bags of healthy goodies would be left at the foot of a child’s bed -  much like we do today with Christmas stockings. This tradition was  slowly dying out but is now enjoying a revival – mainly because children are being taught about this tradition in schools and the ‘borza ta’ San Martin’ (as this little sack is called) is usually sold by schools, with the money collected being donated to charity.

This weekend, people will descend on the village of Bahrija in droves to participate in the feast to honour the saint and also for the annual Turkey and Agrarian Festival. Since 1953, turkeys are raffled in preparation for the Christmas festivities and proceeds go towards the village and parish of Bahrija.

Location: Bahrija, August 2011

Wayside Chapels – St Martin at Bahrija

This small chapel in the tiny (but rapidly expanding) village of Bahrija is dedicated to St Martin, Bishop of Tours. No one knows exactly when this chapel was built, however it is likely that it was constructed some time during the 15th century. According to the pastoral records of Bishop Molina the chapel was rebuilt in 1684. This very simple chapel is rectangular in shape with one small round window providing light for the interior. The belfry was built in 1946.

According to Christian tradition, Martin converted to Christianity against his parents wishes. While serving as a Roman soldier in Gaul he came across a scantily dressed beggar at the gates of Amiens. It is said that Martin cut his military cloak in half and shared it with the beggar who later revealed himself to be Jesus. The feast  of St Martin is celebrated on November 11.

Here in Malta it is customary for children to be given a cloth bag filled with nuts, autumn fruits such as apples and oranges, dried figs and a type of sweet bread topped with an anise-tasting sweet  (il-hobza ta San Martin or the bread of St Martin) for this feast.

This weekend the village of Bahrija will celebrate the  feast of Saint Martin with an agricultural fair which will include a show for farm animals. I have yet to make it Bahrija for this feast mainly because the village is inundated by visitors who upset the usual peace and tranquility of this picturesque spot.

View from a small clearing next to the chapel of St Martin

St Martin’s Chapel

Bahrija

Photographed August 2011

A Rare Sight – Maltese Freshwater crab

We recently went for a walk in the picturesque valley of Bahrija (pronounced Bahriya). It is one of the unspoilt areas of the island. While crossing a very small stream at the start of our walk we came across a very rare creature – a fresh water crab (Potamon fluvitile lanfrancoi). These crabs are only found in three valleys in Malta and in one valley on the neighbouring island of Gozo. He (or she) got rather upset when it heard us coming and tried to hide under some shoots of fallen bamboo. But I did manage to take a photo of our friend who I’ve decided to name Peeping Tom.

This is the first time in my life that I have seen this elusive creature. Perhaps it is a sign that the freshwater crab population is starting to grow again? I hope so. It would be a pity if this endemic species is wiped out.