Sandstorms – The Birth Pangs of Summer

This is what the weather looked like today.

The clouds are full of sand which travels across the Mediterranean all the way from the Sahara desert on the wings of strong winds. Known as the scirocco, this wind is usually warm and rather clammy as the hot desert air travels northward and picks up moisture from the sea. When it gets here, some rain falls. Big orange drops, which quickly dry up leaving spots over everything that is left outside.

Sandstorms,

thunderstorms,

dusty rain,

gale force winds,

overcast skies,

rough seas,

warm days,

cool nights -

all herald the birth of balmy summer days.

Her Majesty

Still proudly surveying her surroundings, this statue of Queen Victoria by Sicilian sculptor Giuseppe Valenti has kept the memory of Her Majesty very much alive in our capital city. Behind the  statue is the beautiful building housing the National Library.

The statue itself is in a square which is surrounded by a number of cafeterias and is a very popular place to stop for a coffee while on a shopping spree an errand in our capital city. I can only imagine the thousands of conversations that Her Majesty must have eavesdropped on  - from business transactions to the whispers of lovers – there is not much that goes on in this square that can escape her penetrating gaze.

The statue of Queen Victoria was erected in 1891 to mark the 50th anniversary of her reign and the first centenary of British colonial rule in Malta.

Queen Victoria Statue

Republic Square (formerly Queen’s Square)

Valletta