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

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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