June round-up and faves

It has been hot around here. Unseasonably hot – the breathless type of heat we usually get in August – minus the humidity. Everything was fine until the beginning of June: temperatures in the mid-20s with plenty of cool breezes. Then, one morning, we woke up and there was an eerie stillness compounded by a heat haze that turned the sky an unearthly shade of white. The sun worshippers are finally happy – me and my plants: not so much. so, I’m doing my best to stay thankful for the small things.

Life lately

Last month I shared some photos of my new hydrangea plant. Unfortunately, it’s not doing so well. The soil around it always seems to be moist but its leaves are drooping and some are dry and brown at the edges. The flowers wilted quickly and I had to cut them off. I hope I’ll be able to keep it alive during our long, hot summer. If anyone reading this knows what might be wrong, please leave a message in the comments. I know that some of you are avid gardeners. My other hydrangea is doing well, apart from a few dry edges on some leaves. Both plants are next to each other and, as recommended, in complete shade from early afternoon. I’ve taken a good peak at my new plant and I think I can detect some new growth. So maybe all is not lost.

Earlier this month we discovered a new (well, new for us) pizzeria in Valletta called La Vecchia Taranto. It’s tiny but the pizza is delicious. We will be back – although we will probably wait for the heat to move off because it’s more of a cosy type of place that will be perfect during the winter months.

On June 7th we attended the opening of the Unity in Diversity Art Exhibition. The opening night was very well attended, which was very encouraging for all the artists taking part. These are three of the four paintings that my husband exhibited.

As you can see, he is inspired by nature, architecture and landscapes. The exhibition runs until July 8th at the Wignacourt Museum in Rabat.

On June 15th we celebrated our 16th anniversary with dinner at Root 81. The food was excellent and the servers very attentive. The kitchen seemed to be rather slow but we were not in a hurry so we had ample time to relax and enjoy ourselves. I appreciate that restaurants here do not expect you to leave the premises as soon as you’ve swallowed your last morsel. We were too busy eating to take many photographs but I did remember to take a quick shot of my delicious lava cake.

School’s out for summer and my son is ecstatic as we head towards a more relaxed summer routine. The beach beckons but first we will be off on our vacation. We will be visiting the US this year – as we do every two years – and it will be a nice break for all of us. I don’t know whether I will have time to schedule any posts but I will be sharing photos from our travels on my Instagram account.

Favourite links

1. I’ve been looking around for some online photography courses so I was very happy when I cam across Mark Hemmings’ YouTube channel. This guy can explain photography even to people who don’t have a lot of experience with the technicalities of a camera – like me.
2. It’s that time of year when mozzies are out in swarms so if you prefer to use natural remedies to stop the itching, check out Gardenista’s 7 Best Natural Mosquito Bite Remedies.
3. And how about a blueberry ginger sorbet to keep cool during the upcoming summer evenings? Recipe from Love and Olive Oil.
4. If anyone of you is travelling to London, The Travelling Chic has come up with The Ultimate London Bucket List.
5. If you’d like to add more greenery around the house but are not sure which plants like to be indoors, check out this article about  10 Of the Hardest to Kill House Plants.

My favourite Instagram photo of the month

is David C Phillips' ((@reflectionsofvenice) black and white photo of some gondolas in Venice.

That's all for this month (or I should say last month. I didn't even realise it's July today).  I'll be back on the blog as soon as I get a chance. Have a wonderful summer. I'll try to keep sane in the heat while counting down the days to autumn.