The Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto is one of the many spectacular rock formations on the coast of Malta. On a clear and nice day it's possible to see it from the seaside, as you can get there by a small boat from a nearby inlet. On this day the weather didn't play nice, so it was only possible to see it from the viewing point on top of the cliff.

Clapham Junction

One of the great mysteries in Malta is the numerous cart ruts like these at Misrah Ghar il-Kbir, called Clapham Junction after the railway station in London. Gorged into the limestone in pre-historic times by carts or sledges, no-one seems sure about their purpose or origin.

Going astray

Going astray when visiting a place can sometimes lead you to places, that you wouldn't have seen otherwise. This is one of these places in Valletta. After a scary walk along a road with heavy traffic and no sidewalk, we stumbled upon this place; a hidden park that could use a bit of renovation called Sa Maison Garden. It's obviously not a place that see a lot of tourists.

Traditional

The small fishing boats on Malta are still kept very traditional in clear blue, red and yellow and with a Eye of Horus (or Osiris) for good luck at the prow. They are called a luzzu, if they're double-ended or a kajjik, if they have a square transom.

Lots of cats

One thing many visitors to Malta notice is the amount of free-roaming cats everywhere. Most of them seem to be stray cats even though they seem domesticated and in god health. This one was enjoying the sunshine at the Grand Harbour.

Siege Bell

The Siege Bell, also called the Freedom Bell, in Valletta sits in its temple-like round structure and is heard every day at twelve o'clock. It was erected in 1992 to honour those that died in the German siege of Malta during World War II. The ten ton bell was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II and offers one of the best views over the Grand Harbour.

See it from the seaside

When visiting Malta try a sightseeing trip in one of the many boats and see the two big natural harbours Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour with all its small creeks. To see Valletta and the Three Cities from the seaside is amazing and then you'll really appreciate the work that the Knights of St John put into defending their stronghold.

A lot of history

Where ever you turn on Malta, you see something that represents a piece of history. This one is the former Quarantine Hospital of the Knights of St John. Situated on Manoel Island in the Marsamxett Harbour it was built in 1643 by Grandmaster Jean Paul Lascaris to control the periodic outbreaks of plague and  cholera brought in by the visiting ships. It was in use for 250 years but now it is in dire need of repairs and restoration.

Balconies

One thing that strikes most people when they first visit Valletta is the number of colourful balconies that seems to hang on every facade. They come in every colour and a variety of designs so the overall effect is striking.

Eagles

The shows during the Maltese Carnival were colourful, entertaining and loud. These girls performed with a bunch of others dressed like cowgirls, native Americans and Uncle Sam-look-a-likes. Performances like this are usually great fun, but it can be a bit difficult to jostle you and your camera in position without offending the rest of the crowd of spectators. Big elbows and a big smile often helps.

A Pirate Jig

Being on Malta during carnival made sure there were a lot of photo ops with people dressed up. This girl posed for a father as she was doing a bit of a jig. And it wasn't only the kids that were dressed up. Youngsters and even older people obviously enjoyed the chance to unwind a bit. Too bad the weather didn't play along as parts of the celebrations had to be cancelled due to rain. Tomorrow I'll show you a bit of the more elaborate dressing up that went on.

Steep street

 

When visiting Valletta, Malta be prepared to climb steep streets like this one. Being only half a square kilometer, it's packed with narrow streets and sandstone houses as it sits on a ridge between the two natural harbours of Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour.

 

It's all about timing

 

Yesterday's photo from the saluting battery at Upper Baracka Gardens in Valletta, Malta preceded this one of the actual saluting. To get this just put your camera on high speed, wait for the fire command and start firing yourself. One of the five or six shots are bound to be right. And here I even got eight tries to get it just right.

 

A break to Malta

 

This post, and the next few as well, will not be about Copenhagen but Malta, as I've just been there for a short break from winter coldness. It wasn't exactly summer but spring was definitely coming. The photo here is a view towards the entrance to the Grand Harbour of Valletta with the saluting battery of Upper Baracka Gardens in the foreground. As it was the day of the feast of St Paul's Shipwreck the noon salute was not just a single shot, but the whole eight-gun salute.

 

Colours in the snow

Winter is perfect for black-and-white photography, but I like colours too, so when out and about I try to capture a bit of both.

Getting creative

Winter is a good time to get creative with your camera. Why not go for some detail shots of how the snow covers trees and bushes?

I am flying

The grey herons seem a bit clumsy when they're spreading their wings but then they do have a big wingspan, up to 2 meters of feathers.

On thin ice

This young hooded seagull have found some thin ice to stand on. It seems to be contemplating taking a dive in the could water of the lake in Frederiksberg Garden.

The grey herons

The grey herons of Frederiksberg Have doesn't look like like they enjoy the winter weather as they stand on the frozen brink of the lake. Maybe they're wishing they had flown for warmer climate this winter.

Camouflage

The hooded gulls are not exactly invisible, even in the winter dress, as they rest and walks on the snow of the park Frederiksberg Have Frederiksberg Garden).

Walking the dog

With snow covering the ground you can really get some different shots of people and animals. The white background here almost make it seem like the lady is walking here dog in the clouds.

Watch out for the traffic

The deer of Dyrehaven are used to people, so they don't mind waiting for others to clear the roads before they cross. This fallow deer fawn has already learned the lesson.

For royals only

When Danish King Christian V decided that he needed a place to hunt and found an area north of Copenhagen for it, the area was fenced in and all the people living there were removed. A village, Stokkerup, was demolished, and today only the village pond and part of one of the farms remain.

Hunting lodge or palace?

The Eremitage Palace in Dyrehaven north of Copenhagen is actually a hunting lodge for the royals. It was built  in 1734-36 by the architect Lauritz de Thurah for king Christian VI. Here the dinners and other social occasions could be held after the parforce hunting. That is still it's function today. 

Winter foraging

 

Normally red squirrels are shy creatures and difficult to get close to, but in my experience they're much more docile in winter. Maybe it's because food is scarce and the squirrels are desperate to get their fill, so that you can get close enough for long enough to snap a few photos. This one accepted me standing a few meters from it for minutes without moving much, even though the blackbird next to it soon tired of my presence and fled. The squirrel stayed put and I was the first to leave.

 

Winter landscape

 

Dyrehaven north of Copenhagen offers nice opportunities to get a few nice photos of landscapes, even (or maybe especially) in winter. A good hill, some open landscape bordered by trees and a lone tree in the middle and you have a nice setup.

 

Battles

The change of seeing a mock battle between the stags in Dyrehaven is quite high, even out of season. Here two of the young ones are having a quick mock one in the winter frozen park.

Feeding the deer

With so many deer in the Dyrehaven north of Copenhagen, it's necessary to feed them in winter for them to survive. Hay, straw and beets are on the menu at the feeding stations.