Growing up we learnt this rhyme:
Blue and green should never be seen
Without a colour in between
But I somehow it seems as if blue and green work well together here. Maybe the limestone wall is acting as the colour ‘in between’. So what do you think? Do you think blue and green look good together?
Location: Marsaxlokk, April 2013
Traditional Maltese boats are colourful and on, sunny days, cast pretty reflections in the water. The local fishermen have different names for the boats, depending on their type and size. Personally I cannot tell a luzzu from a frejgatina or a dghajsa, but whatever their name, I find them fascinating. It is thought that the design of some of these boats dates back to Phoenician times, the only exception being that these days motors are use instead of sails.
Nowadays these boats are not as plentiful as they used to be. It takes a lot of time and effort to keep the colours fresh and vibrant and the number of people who make a living just by fishing dwindles every year. I do hope though that, for generations to come, these boats will continue to bob gently on the sparkling blue waters of our harbours and bays.
I cannot believe it has been well over a month since I posted here but, in my defence, we were away on vacation for over three weeks and then I had to deal with the aftermath of a long vacation – unpacking, laundry …. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my first post for the year.
Photographed at
Marsaxlokk Harbour
February 2011
In the southern part of our island there is a fishing village called Marsaxlokk. Its name is derived from the Arabic word for harbour (marsa) and the Maltese word for the south-east wind (xlokk). It is a picturesque little place – a village by the sea; the water of its bay dotted with boats. A sleepy little place, ideal for a family stroll. A harbour whose limpid waters have,since ancient times, provided sanctuary to countless ships and boats.
Around 3000 years ago the Phoenicians sailed into this harbour, bringing with them their cargo of precious purple dye and superstitions that have lived on to this day. Traditional Maltese boats are painted in vibrant colours and usually, on the bow, you will find the Eyes of Horus (or the Eyes of Osiris) for protection and good luck. It is a common tradition that these eyes have been painted on Maltese boats since that time.
The fact that these ancient mariners settled in the area can be confirmed by the temple they built to Astarte, their goddess of love, on the top of a hill overlooking this natural harbour.
Although Marsaxlokk is a typical Mediterranean village, where nothing much seems to happen except for the excitement of the daily catch, it has played its own role in the turbulent history of this island. In 1565 it witnessed an attack on the island by the Ottoman Turks, an attack which later turned into the Great Siege of 1565.
It was also the harbour used by Napoleon in 1798, when he took over the island from the Knights of St John and launched his attack on Egypt.
In 1989, Marsaxlokk was the venue for a summit held between George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev onboard the Russian cruiser Maxim Gorky – a summit which effectively ended the cold war.
Yet I doubt whether most of us give a second thought to these events as we stroll along the sleepy promenade, watching the boats bobbing peacefully in the water. Because, on the land there is no reminder of the embattled past and, as the fishermen will tell you, the sea very rarely gives up its secrets.
The Azure Window was a natural limestone arch that rose majestically out of the blue Mediterranean sea to a height of 28 metres (92 fee...
