The Azure Window: the end of an icon

The Azure Window was a natural limestone arch that rose majestically out of the blue Mediterranean sea to a height of 28 metres (92 feet). It was located in Dwejra, Gozo.

The arch was created when two limestone caves collapsed on some unrecorded day in history. It was a natural attraction much-loved both by the Maltese and by thousands of tourists who visited it on a daily basis and captured its unique beauty in countless images.

 After a night of storms and gale-force winds, the arch succumbed to the elements and it collapsed into the sea this morning. Nothing is left where the arch once stood, not even the stacks. This iconic feature is gone forever and the Azure Window will not only live on in our memories and our photographs.

Thankfully, in this age of social media, images and videos of the Azure Window are plentiful but it is still sad to think that there will be generations of children who will grow up without seeing it for themselves.

During its lifetime, the Azure Window  was the backdrop for some scenes in movies like Clash of the Titans (1981), The Count of  Monte Cristo (2002) and in the TV series Game of Thrones. In 2016, clothing designer Hugo Boss shot an ad campaign featuring cliff diver David Colturi jumping off of the Azure Window.

Hugo Boss - Superblack suit from Kopterworx on Vimeo.

The photos in this article were taken almost exactly 14 years ago on 5th March 2003.

Related links:

• Malta and the Movies: Clash of the Titians (1981)
• Dwejra and the Azure Window

The Garigue in Spring

Garigue: shrubby vegetation of dry Mediterranean regions, consisting of spiny or aromatic dwarf shrubs interspersed with colourful ephemeral species (Collins English Dictionary)

At first glance it appears to be a barren stretch of land interspersed with rocks and a few shrubs, bent and stunted by fierce winds. But if you look closer and focus on the little things, you will come to realise that the idea that the garigue is barren is just a misconception. On the contrary, it is teeming with life. You just have to  know where to look for it. In Malta the garigue is most common on cliff-tops close to the shore, especially in areas like Dingli Cliffs, Ghar Lapsi, Migra Ferha, l-Ahrax tal-Mellieha and the stretch of land between the Mnajdra and Hagar Qim temples and Wied iz-Zurrieq.

The small pockets of red-brown soil in between the jagged rocks  are shallow and the only plants that will thrive have short roots and are able to withstand long periods without water under a blazing Mediterranean sun. So the plants that do grow are quite tiny and the best way to appreciate them is to get down on your knees and take a close peek. It is well worth the effort, especially in spring,  when the majority of plants will be in flower.

Ironically, although at first glance the garigue appears to be so barren, plants thrive and flower there year round. The most prevalent shrub of the Maltese garigue is the wonderfully-scented wild thyme but it is also common to find asphodel, fennel and spurges. Less frequently, sea chamomile, different species of tiny orchids and irises are encountered. Some of these plants are endemic to the Maltese islands.

In the past, large stretches of garigue were destroyed by urban development and the mistaken mentality that these tracts of land are incapable of supporting any useful vegetation. Nowadays most garigue areas are protected and, thankfully, they continue to be a source of delight to all lovers of nature.

More information about Malta’s garigue may be found on the blogs Maltese Nature and The Malta Photo Blog.

Fields of Scarlet, Fields of Gold

There’s a certain magic afoot at this time of year – the magic of nature, the magic of spring.

It seems to happen overnight, what once 3was a field of green grass is now carpeted in vibrant hues of red and yellow – crimson and gold.

Because as April’s warm winds reach our shores, a period of rapid growth occurs. It seems as if Nature explodes and the countryside dons its party clothes before the climbing temperatures withers everything that isn’t watered.

I don’t know whether it’s by chance or by design, but very often, these fields of crimson and fields of gold are found almost adjacent to each other.

The flowers which cause this pretty spectacle are the clover and the crown daisy: red and yellow; crimson and gold.

 

Photographed on the hills of Dwejra

Country Roads

 

Do you want to take a walk with me along some pretty country roads? I am sure that Nature will show us some of her wonders – like these golden crown daisies; clumps of borage and blooming asphodel.

We’ll see trees, still leafless and forlorn, and others that have burst into colourful blooms and blossoms.

In bare branches, empty nests wait for new eggs to be laid and in the undergrowth, silent snails leave a shimmering, silvery path as they slither up stalks – perhaps to feel the warmth of the sun?

We’ll hear the song of the birds and the gurgling of little streams. A few bees and butterflies might buzz around our head as all of Nature waits for the signal that will herald the exuberant growth of soon-coming Spring.

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?