Wild flowers of Malta: Borage

Borage (Borago officinalis) is a wild plant that is commonly found in the Maltese countryside. Between January and  May the plants are covered with tiny blue star-shaped flowers which have white and black centres. Small, stiff bristles grow on the stems and leaves. Borage was originally a native of Syria but has now spread all over the Mediterranean, North Africa, Europe and Asia Minor. Both the flowers and the leaves are edible and, in some countries, are sometimes included in salads since they have a sweet, cucumber-like taste. The flowers are sometimes candied and used to decorate cakes.

Borage is said to have various medicinal properties and has been used to calm nerves, as a diuretic, tonic, emollient, sedative and expectorant, amongst other uses.

Very rarely the plant may produce pink or white flowers. However, I have only seen these flowers in photos. I hope that one day I will come across them on one of my countryside walks so that I can share them with you. In truth, I find the blue-coloured flowers to be quite interesting since they  provide an interesting contrast to the more common yellows and whites of other wild flowers.

An Island At The Crossroads

Photo source

I rarely write about current events on this blog but I cannot fail to do so during this time of upheaval. After the quick shift of power in Tunisia and Egypt, the revolution in Libya is turning into a bloodbath and the winds of civil war are howling around the streets of Tripoli. With just 210 miles of deep blue sea separating us from our Libyan neighbours, Malta has become the main hub which other countries are using to rescue thousands of their workers stranded in Tripoli, Benghazi and other cities or from remote areas in the desert. To date, over 12,000 people have made it to our shores by air, ship or catamaran. Almost overnight, this little island has become a humanitarian base, acting as a stepping stone for all those that have fled Libya and now wish to continue on their journey  homewards.

Photo source

Perhaps I find it rather ironic that in times of peace Malta is so easily forgotten and dismissed as just an island which is the southern-most tip of Europe, of no importance whatsoever – and this is not far from the truth. But in times of war and crisis, the story is very different.

The Mediterranean is an ancient sea and for thousands of years the superpowers that conquered the until-then known world, rose and fell on its shores. Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Moors, Turks – their dominion has come and gone, their memory entrenched forever in our souls, their legacy still part of our daily lives. As the world focuses its eyes on North Africa, I believe that the final chapter in the history of this embattled sea still needs to be written and that the final curtain on this drama still needs to rise. Which makes me wonder what further part this island at the crossroads will have to play in the history of this oldest of seas ... but that is a story which only time can reveal.

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.

Cape Sorrel: The Weed That Brightens Up Our Winters

From mid-December to mid-April our fields and country lanes come alive with a wild flower the colour of sunshine. During these months, Cape Sorrel grows free and unrestrained. But things were not always like this. This plant was introduced to the Mediterranean from South Africa by an English lady around 200 years ago. The story goes that a few plants were grown in the greenhouses at Argotti Botanical Gardens. Somehow some seeds managed to escape and found the perfect climate and terrain to proliferate. From Malta, this pretty wild flower spread throughout the region. I found a good article by Leslie Vella on Malta Inside Out which goes into  more detail about this – you can read it here.

Although this plant was not always indigenous to the Maltese islands, it has adapted so well and become so common-place that few people so much as give it a second glance. Indeed, it can be a bit of a nuisance when it takes over cultivated fields and gardens and has to be pulled out or it will suffocate any seedlings attempting to grow.

With that peculiar Maltese penchant of re-naming everything under the sun, this wild-flower is called ‘l-ingliza’ – which means the English one, or in this case, the English weed. Children also call it ‘qarsu’ (which means sour) because it is not uncommon to find kids chewing the flower stalks and they are indeed very sour. I am speaking from experience here.

Like so many things in nature, these pretty flowers come and go effortlessly. No fanfare greets their arrival. It is as if we wake up one morning and the set has been changed. Suddenly our eyes open up to the simple beauty surrounding us as, for a few month, our fields seem to reflect the sunbeams.

Red And Regal

I love these old post boxes which you can find here and there in many of our old village cores. This particular one is probably about 50 years old. When Malta still formed part of the British Empire the post boxes were inscribed with the Royal Cypher of the reigning monarch. This particular post box was manufactured during the reign of the current Queen Elizabeth. However there are post boxes which are inscribed with the cyphers of other monarchs. These post boxes are even older than the one in the picture. Once Malta gained its independence from Britain the new post boxes no longer carried the royal cypher. However, they are still painted red and are definitely hard to miss even on the greyest of days.

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?

Valletta By Night

As promised in my last post, I will show you some scenes of  Valletta after sundown. We locals like to divide Valletta into two parts: the upper commercial part and the lower residential part. In truth there are shops and residents all over Valletta and during the day there is hustle and bustle all over the city. But as night falls, the teeming streets quiet down and the echo of footsteps of a few strollers reverberates in the stillness. At night Valletta belongs once more to the ghosts of the Knights that built it. So come with me for a short walk through the lower city

past houses

and palaces

a trickling fountain

a church

and the old theatre.

(I would have liked to take you on a longer walk but the battery on my camera ran out which  means I have a good excuse to return soon and explore more charming nooks in the city.)

Omerta’ – A Secret Revealed

Omerta’ is defined by The Free Dictionary as a rule or code that prohibits speaking or divulging information about certain activities, especially the activities of a criminal organization. The word omerta’ has become synonymous with the Mafia and all its activities.

It also happens to be the name of a small restaurant which my husband and I discovered this past weekend. If quaint and cosy is the dining experience that you are after, then this small restaurant will surely not disappoint. Nor will the food. The fresh ravioli stuffed with prawns and lobster and served with a simple herb sauce that I had as a starter was divine – as was the rest of the food.

 

The atmosphere was quiet and intimate  – perfect for a romantic evening. The fact that the restaurant is housed in a converted 500 year old building was an added bonus which contributed to a wonderful evening. And when our meal was over, we strolled around and explored the oft-forgotten charms of our capital city. But more about that in a future post.

Omerta Trattoria & Wine Bar

92 Old Bakery Street

Valletta

Wayside Chapels (6) – The Nativity Of Our Lady at Fiddien

I could not find much information about this chapel except that a small church was built in the area in 1550 which remained closed for many years. The present chapel was re-built on the same site in 1615 by Gregorio Xerri and his wife. These days prayer meetings are held in the chapel.

       

 

The area where this chapel is situated is known as Tas-Salib (salib is cross in Maltese) because of the stone cross on a column situated just a few paces away.

The Tas-Salib area forms part of the beautiful, unspoilt valley of Fiddien. Fiddien is still a rural back-water with scattered farms and fertile fields. It is a place where silence reigns, broken only by the cheerful twittering of birds and the occasional distant yapping of farm-dogs.

 

When Night Falls On The Silent City

The shadows lengthen and the golden glow from the lamps casts mysterious shadows on the silent buildings. Each house seems to be slumbering, dreaming.

The windows are shuttered and the doors are barred.

The streets are deserted – not a sound breaks the stillness except for the chiming of the cathedral clock every quarter hour.

Silence. Stillness. And mystery.

Perfect ingredients for a romantic walk on a chilly winter evening.

This tiny walled town on the hill never disappoints.

Mdina on a winter evening is the perfect place to escape and walk back in time.