Photos of Places in Malta
By Dr. Rodolfo Ghirlando
In the winter of 1991/92 I had the occasion to spend six weeks in Malta, my home country....the country of my childhood and youth. These six weeks were a personal pilgrimage, revisiting and reliving my memories with a point of view which had radically changed following ten years overseas in South Africa and Israel. I had forgotten the beauty of my homeland, absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder. Much to the dismay of my aunts, uncles and relatives who had secretly decided to fatten me, I spent all my time driving around the island doing plenty of sight-seeing. I took the occasion to shoot plenty of photographs for my own record, and four of these pictures are enclosed for the enjoyment of all. They represent some of my favourite scenes from the dwindling Maltese countryside.
- One of the best loved bays is that of Ghajn Tuffieha nestled among the cliffs on the southwestern shore of the Island. It is one of my favourite places in the winter and the plateau separating it from Gnejna bay has been a conquest of mine many a time. During my 1991 trip, I had the occasion to visit this site again. The goats being sheperded by a local farmer reminded me of a long lost time, a personal long lost time and a global loss of a lifestyle, now overtaken by cellular phones, faxes....and yes even the internet which you are just browsing. One must not be fooled by the scenic beauty of this bay. The surrounding cliffs give rise to strong rip tides which come in to the bay; many unwary tourists have lost their life, a loss claimed by the sea. Ghajn Tuffieha (40KB)
- Separating the bays of Ghajn Tuffieha and Gnejna from Wied iz-Zurrieq, are the Dingli cliffs. Wied iz-Zurrieq, on the southern coast of the island, is a rocky inlet among the cliffs which serves as a launching point for fishermen. It also serves as a launching point for trips to the Blue Grotto, a gloriously coloured cave carved at sea level into the cliffs whose azure colour is a reflection of the algae growing on the rocks, the pristine water and the shallow sandy bottom. It is a trip worth every cent as it also provides a ride on the typical Maltese Luzzu guarded by the ever watchful eyes of Osiris. Blue Grotto (78 KB)
- Just north of Wied iz-Zurrieq, still along the southern and precipitous shore of the main island, the neolithic temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra can be found. A total of approximately 20 neolithic temples dot the Maltese archipelago, providing a glimpse of organized human occupation as far back as 3,800 BC. The temples of Hagar Qim are a multi-chambered neolithic complex composed of massive stone slabs. The nature of its function in the Maltese society of that time still remains a mystery. However, the large number of lavishly decorated churches now in Malta, all built with great care and beautiful architectural style, illustrate the necessity of a central point of worship and gathering in Maltese society. To suggest that these exquisitely designed neolithic temples represent a place of worship and a central point in the society of those times would be to suggest a continuum in the structure of Maltese society and human nature. Mnajdra (124 KB)
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Rodolfo Ghirlando, originally from Strada Rodolfo in Sliema, Malta was not named after the street he lived in. He is a scientist. He completed postdoctoral reasearch at the National Insitutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland U.S.A. In October '95 he moved to Montpellier in France where he accepted a visiting position with INSERM. He is back in the US working (again) at the National Institutes of Health after a 2-yr stay in France.Rodolfo Ghirlando
10648 Montrose Ave. #102
Bethesda, MD 20814-4230
U.S.A.Tel (H): 301-571-4325
Tel (W): 301-496-5889
