Greenery in Malta- Pembroke
Today was one of those days where I didn't have any inspiration and I really wasn't sure what to write about. The quantity of good photography has really gone downhill since I got rid of my iPhone (can you tell I'm missing it?) so I had no snaps on the back burner worth sharing. So I did what I had to do; I got up a little earlier to get a few hours of work done, then took an hour for myself to go outside and just walk. I walked all the way (well, it's not as if it's far!) to Pembroke and just wandered around aimlessly. It's very hard to get lost in Malta, especially around this area when you can see the Portomaso Tower wherever you are, but I wandered off the beaten track and got back to nature.
I was not at all dressed for the occasion. As those of you who live here will know, however warm it is outside in winter, inside it's always freezing. We don't have central heating in this part of the world (really no need) so the flats do get chilly, especially the cold tiled floors. Expecting it to be just as chilly outside, I wrapped up in jeans, boots and a festive Christmas jumper, only to be outside 10 minutes and realise the sun was out in all it's glory- bright and hot! I spent the rest of the walk an absolute sweaty mess and almost missed the biting chill of England (almost).
Pembroke is a very picturesque area of Malta, filled with greenery and nature as far as the eye can see. It has a lovely newish garden park with rivers and waterfalls and, further down, stretches of rocky beach. I don't know Pembroke at all and I only meandered around a very tiny part, but it was perfect.
I ended up walking in a circle, starting at the Pembroke Gardens then walking along a dirt track, leaving it every now and again to walk further into the fields and get a nice snap. It's a plan I'd definitely recommend, it doesn't take long to wander up and down and it'll really show you a different side to Malta, without having to travel far. Too often I hear people from Gzira to St Julians saying how bleak and built up Malta is. No- you're in a very tiny part and judging an entire island. There are some breathtaking views all over this island and Pembroke just shows you don't have to travel far to find them.
After a long and winding wander through some fields, I came to the sea. I think wherever you walk in Malta, at some point you'll end up at the shoreline. It's a wonderful plus of living on such a small island- the vast and wondrous expanse of the Med is never far away. It's warm today, mindblowingly warm for December, but it's windy and the waves were treacherous, smashing into the rocks with a ferocious intensity.
Something like Blogmas is really good for me. The commitment to posting more regularly than I usually would, pushes me to come up with good, quality content more often than I'd usually bother and on days where I can't find inspiration, it pushes me to get off my ass, get outside and find some. Do something I've not done before, see something I've never seen (and snap it 100 times so I've got a good pic to share of course!). Without making myself feel forced, and therefore possibly blocking creativity more, it really pushes me to be better.
For lots more pictures of my walk, keep an eye on my Facebook page :) I always post extra pictures there!