FAVOURITE PICTURE SERIES (14)

Photo courtesy of Johann Mellilo

I named this little monster Gucci, and only held him in my hands upon the insistence of my friend Johann. The photo was taken in the Louisiana Bayou (a bayou is a watercourse, usually the offshoot of a river or lake in a lowland area) whilst visiting New Orleans, a couple of weeks before Hurricane Katrina struck.

Lust for Life

"Life has no meaning unless one lives it with a will, at least to the limit of one's will. Virtue, good, evil are nothing but words, unless one takes them apart in order to build something with them,they do not win their true meaning until one knows how to apply them"
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) French artist

One's will should be that of living life with a joie de vivre enjoying the simple pleasures which should not be taken forgranted. Life is to short trying to understand what might have gone wrong in the past - things will go wrong in our lives and whether trivial or serious each can have a strong effect in our emotions, which if allowed to, can send one into a deep spiral of sadness and misery.

Although I have certain moments when I feel that the world is crashing on me, I try to make the effort to stop and think at what my life is really all about. I try to take comfort in the fact that I had a happy childhood and not think that in general I had a miserable life at school.

I try to think of how lucky that I have found good friends in the past years and not dwell on the fact that in reality I did not keep contact with most of my school friends.

I look at past successes - be it from a professional or personal perspective and enjoy the greater sense of achievement when realising that the road leading towards these successes was a bumpy ride.

I think of my to do list - things I want to do before I die - I might not necessarily achieve them but they are there for the taking.

At the end of the day it's all up to me!!!!

Memorable Quotes

"If I were a girl I'd despair
The supply of good women far exceeds
that of the men who deserve them"

Robert Graves (b.1895 d. 1985)

ROMA - Caput Mundi

Through the passages of time, Rome has left its mark. From the start of the Roman Empire, throughout the development of Christianity through to the present day, over 2,500 years of history have turned Rome into an archaeological and anthropological archive of Western culture.

Rome is all about ruins dating from early Roman times, the art of Michelangelo, Bernini sculptures, ivy clad palazzi - which although now most probably housing offices still offer the visitor a sense of grandeur, refreshing fountains such as the largest fountain in Rome - Trevi which represents the moods of the sea, cobbled streets and perfectly formed piazzas full of coffee shops and restaurants.


The moods of the sea, represented here in the Fontana di Trevi



Piazza Campo dei Fiori - vegetable market by day, entertainment area by night

Since ancient times Rome has been fertile ground for architectural and artistic creativity. The Romans perfected existing engineering and construction techniques which were put into good use servicing the needs of the mighty Roman Empire. Traces of these constructions, such as the Colosseo, can still be seen to this day proving the great expertise of the Romans at that time.



Roman, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Counter Reformation, Baroque until the 20th century Rome has seen a wild flurry of creativity and artistic activity be it in architecture or the arts. Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini and his magnificent design for the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in the centre of Piazza Navona. The story goes that Bernini’s figure of the Nile shielding his eyes from the sight of the church of Chiesa di Sant’Agnese in Agone, which was built by rival architect Francesco Borromini.

Scalinata di Spagna or The Spanish Steps built between 1723 and 1726 where the focal point of Europe’s elite during their Grand Tour (those days’ equivalent of the Gap Year taken by many foreign youths) to discover and savour Rome’s classical past. Famed Romantic poet and author John Keats, died at the age of 25 in a house overlooking the Spanish Steps.

No matter what religion or faith you embrace a visit to the Vatican is a must – Bernini’s Square (Piazza San Pietro) is considered to be one of the world’s largest spaces laid out in the 17th century for congregating Christians. Bernini once described the columns as symbolising the open arms of the Church. St. Peter’s Basilica amazes and is the product of the many artistic geniuses that lived and worked in Rome.

The basilica took over 150 to complete, a project taken over by Michelangelo at the age of 72. Contributors towards the majestic beauty of this building include Bramante, Raphael, Carlo Maderno, Antonio di Sangallo and of course Michelangelo. No visit to the Vatican would be complete without absorbing the beauty of Michelangelo’s Pieta, the Sistine Chapel, Bernini’s Baldacchino and the view of Rome from the top of the basilica.


Rome was not built in a day and cannot be seen in a day – it's beauty needs to be absorbed slowly and its vibe experienced throughout a number of visits

FAVOURITE PICTURE SERIES (13)

Photo taken at Villa D'Este, Rome - March 2006

Ten Days in Provence - Chapter 1 Marseilles

There is more to this region than pastis, boules or medieval villages perched on hillsides. Fragrant lavender fields, beaches, gastronomical delights, festivals and yes, charming folk are all part of this sun kissed Mediterranean region.

Way back in June 2003, my friend Rosanne and I spent ten wonderful days touring Provence in our hired Renault Megane – whilst I provided my driving skills, Rosanne was instrumental in giving me the right directions to which ever village we decided to visit during that time.

Our itinerary started off from Marseilles, which is just a short, direct flight from Malta. Marseilles was previously a notorious city with a high crime rate but in recent years it has developed into a cosmopolitan city, offering a variety of sights sounds and smells to those willing to explore it on foot.


Stairs leading to the Panier District, now a seedy district that during WWII had a strong Resistance presence and was heavily bombed by the Germans

Although the western area of Marseilles is somewhat an eyesore due to rapid industrialisation in the past years, the southern tip can be described as France's most dramatic coastline - with a series of sharp ridged overhanging rocks known as Les Calanques (rocky inlets) leading on to the famed village of Cassis, which lends its name to wine produced there.

The harbour entrance is guarded by two Forts - on the southern side is the Fort St. Nicolas whilst just opposite one finds the Fort St. Jean which incidentally was founded in the 13th century by the Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem. Bringing in the daily catch

Ships have docked in the Vieux Port area for over twenty six centuries, and whilst the major commercial docks were moved to Joliette area, the Vieux Port remains an active area for pleasure yachts, fishing boats and ferries sailing towards the Chateau d’If.

The Chateau d'If was a fortress turned prison, built in the 16th century on a three hectare island and made notorious by Alexandre Dumas in his classic novel Le Comte de Monte Cristo.


Seaview Accommodation on the Chateau d'If

The island prison, which is approximately 3.5kms away from the old port, was home to a number of political prisoners, revolutionaries,Communards of 1871and Protestants. Sailing to the island from the Vieux Port takes around 20 minutes and is quite a pleasant trip – that is if you are going to the island out of your own free will!

From a gastronomical perspective, no visit to Marseilles would be complete without tasting Bouillabaisse, a fish stew generally containing at least four different types of fresh fish cooked in a rockfish broth containing garlic, saffron, tomatoes, onions and herbs such as bay leaves, parsley and thyme. The secret of Provencale cooking does not lie in elaborate preparation techniques but the use of fresh ingrediates used and grown locally.


Photos Copyright Maria Vella-Galea 2003

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

"There, ahead all he could see, as wide as all the world,
great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun,
was the square top of Kilimanjaro"

Ernest Hemingway, The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro, rises majestically like a solitary giant above the grassy plains of the East African savannah. The sight of it is overwhelming, the first time I catch sight of it after months of preparation, I get goosebumps all over my body. Here I was trekking towards the roof of Africa.

The name Kilimanjaro evokes scenes of wonder and mystery, far away places and eternal snows (with global warming that might be an issue in the near future)- the first time I ever heard of the mountain was when I was a child and heard of the movie The Snows of Kilimanjaro - ironically I haven't had the time to watch this movie.

The diversity of Kilimanjaro's terrain is astonishing - lower reaches are blanketed in dense, humid rain forest, whilst its summit slopes are capped by ice but it is also a mountain under tremendous pressure.

Kilimanjaro is accessible to all and many. Despite its pristine limitless slopes Kili is fragile and can only bear so many people trudging up and down it's slopes. The sad part is that not many people really care about taking care of the preservation policies devised by the Tanzanian government, limiting the amount of people who can visit the park on an annual basis.

Almost a year after having summit ed Kili, this mountain still keeps a firm hold on my imagination and although I am not planning on going there in the near future I am sure that should I venture again on those slopes, I will keep on discovering more of this fascinating mountain.

Memorable Quotes

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.“

Gandhi

Riders on the Storm

Ironic or appropriate that this morning, whilst out for my horse riding lesson, I was riding Storm, when a hailstorm hit us over the Mtahleb hills.

Leaving the stables under a blue sunny sky gave us little concern for potential rain although once we were well on our way to Mtahleb one could see flashes of lightning, followed by the rumble of thunder. Shortly after we were hit by a hailstorm which apart from covering us with small white hailstones led to a sharp drop in temperature, making the horses feel uneasy.

Gentle encouragement whilst keeping a firm contact always helps and it was quite satisfying to see Storm calm down and continue the trek following my commands - after all I am still learning to ride and lack experience.

By the time we got back to the stables all of us were cold and wet, but I am sure I could see in Storm's eye a small glint of satisfaction - we weathered the storm and came back home safe and sound.

Now really this has nothing to do with the song performed by The Doors, except perhaps the thunder and rain sound effects and Ray Manzarek's Fender Rhodes electric piano playing which emulated the sound of rain.


Still, this weather this morning inspired me to write this piece.

Things I want to do before my time has come!

The following is a list I created some years back, listing the things I want to do before I die. The list is not in order of priority and the ones in bold are the ones that I have achieved. The ones in Italics are in progress :)

(1) Learn to ride and buy a motorbike
(2) Climb a mountain
(3) Learn rock climbing
(4) Go on Route 66 on a bike
(5) Travel to all the continents
(6) Go on a safari in the Serengeti
(7) Find the love of my life
(8) See Robbie Williams in Concert
(9) Spend Christmas, in a mountain chalet, complete with log fire and snow outside
(10) Learn how to ride a horse, and go on a horseback trek
(11) Abseil from a helicopter
(12) Take a tram ride in San Francisco
(13) Walk the Great Wall of China (if not all part of it)
(14) SCUBA dive in the Red Sea or Great Barrier Reef
(15) Go ice climbing
(16) Go on a hot air balloon ride
(17) Experience the white nights
(18) Do the Macchu Pichu trail in Peru
(19) Go white water rafting
(20) Visit New Orleans and get tipsy in Bourbon Street
(21) Learn how to ski
(22) Get involved in a charity or charitable organisation
(23) Create your website or blog
(24) Visit the Golan Heights and the Holy Land
(25) Swim with Dolphins
(26) Do Lifecycle Challenge (a gruelling bike ride, usually going through unfamiliar territory, mega steep hills and unfriendly places)
(27) Go dog sledding in Lapland

Mount Snowdon

Climbing up Mount Snowdon, 5th August 1997

Standing at 3560 feet, Mount Snowdon or Yr Wyddfa as it is known in Welsh, rates amongst the most beautiful mountains in the world. Whichever direction you approach it from the size and grandeur impresses. Its starfish shape radiates six magnificent ridges each with their own special and individual characters. The deep laciated valleys range from the easily accessible to hanging valleys only reached by complicated scrambling.

Way back in 1997, after completing the four day expedition required to achieve the Gold Award within the President's Award (known as the Duke of Edinburgh Award in the UK), my friends and I decided to climb Mount Snowdon, which is the highest peak in Wales.

Getting to the summit could have been an easy task by taking the Snowdon Mountain Railway but hey, we were still enthusiastic after our expedition, so going up to the highest peak in Wales was not going to be achieved by sitting on a train!



Climbing up via the Pyg Track,a popular path along the lower slopes of Crib Goch we zig zagged up to the smaller lake Glaslyn proceeding to the col between Snowdon and Garnedd Ugain and thence to the summit of Snowdon. Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour and the view from the summit was non-existent due to the fog.

Mount Snowdown's summit was the first summit I ever attempted - although not a very high mountain, its not easy and reaching the summit requires stamina and a level of fitness just the same.

The sense of achievement that I felt on the summit was enough to instill a desire in me to conquer more mountains!

Flying over the desert

It's 3am and I am eagerly waiting for my driver to pick me up from my hotel in Dubai to take me on a hot air balloon ride. It takes us about an hour to get to the departure zone, out in the outskirts of Dubai.




After a thorough briefing by the pilot, we are placed in the Balloon's basket - the excitement is building up - There's a family from Turkey with two unruly children, who's excitement is expressed with irritating behaviour, there was the french businessman although taking a break from the corporate world still carried his laptop with him, a couple from the Ukraine on their honeymoon - very much in love and quite oblivious to the beautiful surroundings that were just becoming visible at the first hint of light. A group of four Japanese friends, at ease with all the technology available to them - mobile phones, digital cameras....the works. An older couple - enjoying the free time that retirement gives you - clearly still enjoying each other's company after so many years together.

Just before take off the pilot informs us that the trip will take about an hour and as advertised in the brochure, we will be able to see sunrise over the desert - in fact within minutes the sun starts to show its orange colour over the horizon.

As we increase our altitude the light from the sun starts to give enough light for us to enjoy the landscape - arid hills and vast plains occasionally one can see camels travelling to some unknown destination. A lonely shrub, giving no shelter from the sun's rays which are slowly heating up the atmosphere, is visible from above.


The stillness in the air gives a sense of peace, only the occasional sound of the fire heating up the balloon giving it the fuel to rise over hills, disturbs one's thoughts. The smooth ride gives one the feeling of being in flight just like a bird.

An hour flies by and its time for us to land - another dry patch of land in the desert...... its back to reality

Wise Words

Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.......
So love the people who treat you right,forget about the ones who don't........
Believe that everything happens for a reason......
If you get a chance take it.........
If it changes your life,then let it...
Nobody said it would be easy...
They just promised it would be WORTH IT........

Ready for take-off

The adrenaline is pumping, the heartbeat is going faster and faster as I prepare myself for my third paraglide. Although it's not the first time I am preparing myself for a jump, the feeling is always the same.

Once I am kitted out and securely tied to my instructor, we run towards the edge of the cliff. As I run towards the edge I start shouting "Geronimo" much to the amusement of the instructor......but I don't care it feels good!

Smiling Ladies

Photo courtesy of Gino Galea



Saturday, 21st October - Royal Malta Yacht Club Manoel Island

I love this photo which was taken during the start of the 2007 Rolex Middle Sea Race. All of us - Sue, Adele and myself were very relaxed and it shows. Well done Gino!

Rolex Middle Sea Race 2007

Copyright Maria Vella-Galea 2007

Memorable Quotes

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

I don't know the name of the author of this quote, but I felt compelled to include it in my blog as I think it is so true.

We (myself included) do so tend to forget to turn on the light at times, but we must always remember that we make our own happiness - sitting around for the light to switch on its own does not happen unfortunately.

Turning on that light can be quite an effort at times but in the end its generally well worth it!

Reaching for the sky

Copyright Maria Vella-Galea 2007

Scenes from the Bedouin tent.....Episode 3

All photos courtesy of Domenic Aquilina

Scenes from the Bedouin tent....Episode 2

All photos courtesy of Domenic Aquilina



Ivan needs no introduction so I ain't givin any! Was great you guys could make it!




Bodyguards......hmmmmmmmm



Corinne and Ondre......friends from Kilimanjaro Challenge 3 and now neighbours!




Vodafone meets Kilimanjaro Challenge :)

Scenes from the Bedouin tent

All photos courtesy of Domenic Aquilina





Mum and I......Mum partying out late and thoroughly enjoying herself....now that's where I get it from :)



Rosie, Helga & Charmaine......very important friends:)



Vodafone meets Go Mobile......Life is Now!!!




I think this tent was much more comfortable than the ones we had on Kili guys! (L to R - Steffi, Sweety (sprawled across), Adele, JP, myself and Alec)



A bear hug from Hilary :)



Friends from Vodafone (L to R - Tania, Chris, Malcolm, Kurt, Lorraine (Kurt's better half :) ) and myself



NECC meets Euro Changeover project leader... (L to R - Daniela (NECC), Michael (Euro Project Leader) and me!



More friends from Vodafone - well not all - extreme Left - Yolande, extreme right Antoine, guy next to me Anton - no connection with Vodafone.....except for his SIM :)



Adele and I......my buddy on Kili.....but didn't stop there!

Welcome to the Bedouin Tent

Wednesday 10th October........ My 35th birthday and I wanted to celebrate in style :) so with the help of Anton Borg Olivier, Nat Spiteri and Claude Muscat Doublesin a bedouin tent in Tigullio was created.......






Photo courtesy of Domenic Aquilina

Memorable Quotes

"A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home"

Author unknown

Memorable Quotes

“Love is something you work at. It doesn't come easily. There are going to be bad days. You are going to have to work at loving someone when they are being an idiot."

Kelly Clarkson

Let's set the record straight

A year ago today a group of intrepid Maltese trekkers, forming part of the Kilimanjaro Challenge 3 left Malta for Sicily to climb Mount Etna (the world's most active volcano, standing at about 10,910 ft (3,326m)) as part of their intense training programme designed to prepared them for the gruelling climb on Mount Kilimanjaro - the roof of Africa in December 2006.

The team started their training on Saturday 7th October, trekking up Etna from the Nicolosi side, ending up at the restaurant found at the last cable car stop. The plan for the next day was to resume the climb from there up till the summit.



Sunday 8th October .......the adventure began around 9am when the team set off towards the summit. The weather was cloudy, the permeating smell of sulphur hit combined with an unaccustomed altitude had an effect on the some of the team members, but a good slow steady pace saw the team reach the first rifugio in good time for a healthy lunch of nutritious snacks and warm drinks.


An hour or so later the team set off on the last leg of the upward journey, that of reaching the summit of Mount Etna. The weather by then was slowly deteriorating with low cloud and fog increasing slowly. Although initially visibility was acceptable about two hours later and a few metres below the summit the team decided to head down due to the increasingly deteriorating weather conditions.




Within minutes of starting our descent we were engulfed in a thick fog, making it impossible to see a few metres ahead of us. But then that is nature, it is unpredictable and a force not to be underestimated. We slowly started descending to lower altitudes and only decided to ask for help because it was the sensible thing to do. It was not a case of panic, despair or danger as many people thought or assumed.

Unfortunately people think that Mount Etna is a small area - possibly this perception is due to the amount of day tourists that go to Mount Etna by coach from Catania, see the summit from a couple of thousand metres below and therefore do not realise that with an area of 1,190 km²(460 square miles) its is actually larger than Malta.






The events that followed were eventually blown out of proportion by the media with stories describing 'real' facts such as us burning our clothes and passports to be warm etc etc. As if we would have done that - our clothes first of all were clothes that we bought for Kilimanjaro - apart from being expensive, they were doing their job that of keeping us warm. We were well equipped to sleep on the mountain if the necessity arose!

By 11pm the adventure came to an end with members of the Corpo Guardia Forestale Gran Parco dell' Etna guiding us down to the entrance of the park. We had been walking for over twelve hours, which made us look an even sorrier lot than we actually were!

Our mobile phones did not stop ringing, since our families got to hear the "Breaking News" around 8pm. The next day wasn't different either, with members of the press contacting us for a comment and wanting to know the whole story - whether some of them wanted to know the truth is a different story!

Landing back in Malta later on in the evening, we were greeted at the airport by members of the press, TV, Radio, print media all jostling to get a comment out of us. Some called it a publicity stunt, some called us crazy, some just laughed.

But did this adventure put us off our Challenge? No, we were even more determined to succeed. Was this adventure a publicity stunt? No, definitely not! Did this adventure help our cause? possibly, many people hadn't heard of the Kilimanjaro Challenge 3 before this event, did this adventure give us an ego boost? Not at all! - one year down the line I still get teased about it, but its fine, I can take a joke!


Copyright on photos on this post belongs to Ian Cremona.

Thanks Ian, it was great trekking with you in Sicily and Tanzania!!!

FAVOURITE PICTURE SERIES (12)

Clearing up some of my stuff last week I came across this photo, which was taken almost 10 years ago. These bunch of friends were my team mates from the St. John Rescue Corps of which I was a member of for quite a few years.

During my 25th birthday party, someone 'stole' my camera and took this picture, which came out reall well.

Some of the people in this picture I still am in contact with - Sharon, Louise, Pauline, others I see once in a blue moon, others have lost touch completely.

If any of you guys out there see this pic, please drop a line, would be nice to hear from you!

Malta Airshow - Sunday 23rd September 2007

Copyright Maria Vella-Galea 2007

The trouble with me.......feedback :)

The amount of feedback received on my post The trouble with me was quite impressive!

No I am not going to publish all the comments received, whether via this blog or through other channels.

In that posting I was referring to a particular person, not me nor any of those people who emailed or texted me about this blog.....so don't worry guys :)

Keep those messages coming, its nice to hear from you and receive your feedback

Wake up and smell the coffee

What a lovely smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is....whether its the first thing you smell in the morning or during the day its always a lovely smell.

This morning a very good friend of mine sent me this quote which in a nutshell is all about being positive even when we feel like throwing the towel!

Thanks Chris......

The trouble with me

On my way to a meeting this afternoon, I switched on my iPod and the first song I heard was Robbie Williams' song The Trouble with Me, the words I'm a basket case don't refer to me, just in case you were wondering but to someone else :)


You see the trouble with me
I'm a basket case
I don't think I can love, love, love

You see the trouble with you
Is your in love with me
What a strange thing to do
What a brave place to be

So we dive
On sunset strip
Our hearts so deep
I drown in it
And as it breaks
I swim through cracks
And leave with words
I can't take back

You see the trouble with me
Monkey see monkey do
There's no u in tomorrow
A better offer came through
You see the trouble with you
There's no trouble with you
So when you say that you love me
That stops me loving you

So she stays
On sunset strip
Our hearts so full
I drown in it
She's waiting for
My words to break
The one true love
I couldn't make

So she walks
That golden mile
Men will try
And catch her eye
We both know
What could have been
On sunset strip
Our broken dream

Faces of Tanzania

Copyright Ondre Camilleri Gaglione

This collage was compiled by my friend and fellow Kilimanjaro Challenger, Ondre Camilleri Gaglione.

Thanks Ondre for allowing me to place it on my blog!