Maria and Juliane

IMG_2404, originally uploaded by smile l dee dee.

Maria and Juliane are leaving us. They interned at inlingua for 3 months and today is their last day. I want to wish them both the very best of luck for everything they do in the future. It was a pleasure having them here.

This photo was taken last week when the inlingua staff went to Mdina. First we took a ride around the area by train - http://www.melitatrains.com/ and it was so much fun that we have now included this trip in the Mdina tour that we organise for our students. After our train ride we went out for pizza and this is where I took this photo. Its a great photo. We will always remember your smiles.

Girls, we are going to miss you! Come back and see us anytime. We will never forget you!

Good luck!

smiling, happy people

If you happen to have a copy of inlingua Malta's new 2009 brochure, you will see this photo on the front. I took it myself one sunny September morning. It was the day before the deadline and I still had no photo for the front cover. Everything else was ready but until we had a photo nothing else could be done. You must be thinking that leaving something like this to the last minute is not so smart..well I didn't leave it to the last minute. All Summer we took photos but for some reason none of them seemed right. This time had to be different. I had to get the perfect shot. Luck was on my side that day. Within minutes I had 8 students all wearing bright clothes and big smiles. We made our way to the sea which is literally seconds away from our school and the rest, as they say, is history. I love this shot. It's bright, its natural and it is real. No models, no sets, no professional photographers. Just my camera + happy students + lots of sunshine = one perfect photo :)

a feast for 5000

So imagine this; a HUGE pot. Really huge. So huge, it made it into the Guinness World Book of Records because it is so big. This pot was made in Italy and is being brought over to Malta in aid of charity. This pot was used in Italy to make the worlds largest risotto - so large that the cooks had to use wooden oars to stir it instead of wooden spoons!! And now, chefs from the Institute of Tourism Studies in Malta will also be cooking a risotto in this pot which will be sold to the public. The money made from this will be donated to the Dar tal-Providenza and the event will take place during the Birgu by Candlelight Festival on Friday the 17th of October.

You can read more about it here:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081008/local/record-breaking-pot-at-vittoriosa-by-candlelight/

let it rain

The weather forecast says a storm is coming. Now for most people that is usually bad news but not for us. A nice long rain shower is exactly what we need to wash away the summer heat and welcome in the cooler weather. Its been a long, hot, dry summer and I am happy to see the end of it for another year. I love the smell after rain. The smell of clean, damp earth. Malta is a country of two colours. In summer Malta is the cool blue of the Mediterranean Sea but in winter it turns green. It is so beautiful. And when the sun comes out after the rain we get rainbows!!The weather forecast says a storm is coming. The weather forecast has been wrong before...... fingers crossed.

rockstars and bread

I'm sure you must be thinking there has got to be more to this island than bread; and there is! Lots more. But everywhere I look I keep coming across testimonials about how good our bread is and I want to share them with you. Last weekend Duran Duran ended their 3 month tour with a final concert in Malta and they really rocked it. Fantastic show, fantastic crowd, and of course, fantastic music. They loved Malta and you will too. Read about it here:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080730/local/maltese-bread-and-jellyfish-leave-their-mark-on-duran-duran

No more bread posts. Promise.

don't just take my word for it

After writing yesterday's entry, I was browsing through http://www.timesofmalta.com/ and I came across this letter which really proves that there is nothing better than a proper Maltese loaf....despite some of the (unusual) consequences!

Tuesday, 22nd July 2008
Mouth-watering Maltese bread
Brian J. Simmons, Kent, UK

I refer to Don Willcock's comments about the wonderful Maltese bread. Here, in the UK, the often-bland supermarket bread can be both awful and expensive. Unless you can afford to pay about £2 or more for a specialist loaf, or make your own, you are stuck with it. Holiday in Malta, find a baker (not always easy for tourists to find as they are quite often tucked away), buy the traditional Maltese round loaf at an extremely reasonable price and make an appointment with your dentist! I have had a filling and part of a tooth removed by excessive enthusiasm with these loaves but it will never stop me eating them! If only I could take some home! Sadly, that is not an option because, firstly, it would not be as fresh and tasty as it is straight from the baker and, secondly, I suspect that I would have eaten it at the airport while waiting to board!
I agree with Mr Willcock, it must be arguably one of the best breads in the world. Long may it continue.

Live like a local (1): Hobz biz-zejt

Get hold of a fresh Maltese loaf (hobza). The crust should be cracked and crunchy and the middle soft and white. Cut thick slices of bread and dip one side into a plate of good olive oil. Half a couple of ripe summer tomaotes and rub the cut side over the oiled bread, making sure to squeeze hard so that the juice and pulp gets into the bread. Sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy!!
Best eaten on the sand, watching the sun set, the salty sea smell lingering on your skin and an ice cold Cisk to wash it down.