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This blog is dedicated to Malta - my island home. My aim is not to bore you with history but to share my thoughts and a few facts together with a photo or two. For a more in -depth background of the island please go here. The purpose of this blog is not to point out the short-comings of the island. There are plenty that do that already. My wish is to show you the beauty of an island at the cross roads of the Mediterranean, a melting pot of history; a place where fact and fiction are sometimes fused to create unique myths and legends; a country that has been conquered so many times that our culture is a mish mesh of the lands that surround us and of lands far away. I confess that my greatest desire is to make you fall in love with this tiny enchanting island.

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Monday 4 October 2010

Wayside Chapels (4) – St Mary Magdalen

On a breezy day a couple of weeks ago, we drove to the little town of Dingli and then headed on towards the cliffs which drop vertiginously into the deep blue sea. The summer heat and drought has de-nuded the cliffs and, shorn of the short-rooted plants that grow in the garigue in the cooler months, their jagged edges look sad and forlorn, waiting patiently for the rain that will give them back life.

Dingli Cliffs 015

It is on these cliffs that the chapel dedicated to St Mary Magdalen is situated.

Dingli Cliffs 004

Three steps lead to a small one-roomed building. With the sheer cliffs behind it and the towns of Rabat, Mtarfa and Mdina in the distance, this chapel commands one of the most outstanding views on the Island.

Dingli Cliffs 013

Dingli Cliffs 012

Dingli Cliffs 001

Dingli Cliffs 010

 

I could not find much information about this chapel other than that it was built in 1640 to tend to the needs of the farmers that made a frugal living from the little terraced fields in pockets of soil on the cliff-face. During the winter months this area is a favoured picnic stop by many but, in summer, it is surrounded by silence and the gentle sighing of the wind.

      Dingli Cliffs 016

9 comments:

  1. Loree!!...lovely..so gorgeous..and I love MM! wonderful tribute to her!Beautiful photos..stunning and peaceful!
    Kiki~

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  2. Beautiful photographs Loree.

    Absolutely stunning.

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  3. The photographs give a panoramic breathtaking view of this area of Malta. The limestone chapel is simple but beautiful overlooking the terraced fields. I'm not sure that I would want to picnic anywhere close to that mountaneous cliff!

    Loree thanks for posting these photos and the story too.

    Bises,
    Genie

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  4. Oh wow! Panorama pics from a place like heaven! Thank you for sharing this with us!!! Hugs from Luzia.

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  5. Wonderful blog, excellent post, lovely island!!

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  6. The small chapel has a look of serene solitude.

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  7. Wow, what a beautiful place !

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  8. The chapel is charming and the views...breathtaking!

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  9. So beautiful ... love this little chapel.
    Perfect example of "location location location" as well! Spectacular spot!

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