Saint Lawrence

The Knights Hospitaller apparently discovered what is popularly known as the Malta Fungus, growing on the rock's flat top. This plant, which is a kind of parasitic flowering plant, not a fungus, has a repulsive smell. Doctors at the time believed that it had medicinal properties. The Knights used it as a styptic dressing for wounds and a cure for dysentery. The Knights so prized it that they often gave gifts of Malta Fungus to distinguished noblemen and visitors to the Maltese islands.

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The enormous natural arch on the West coast of the Island of Gozo, I was desperate to come here and shoot this before it vanishes, only a few years left with erosion then it will become a sea stack or pinnacle. I had to come back for a second day to get the shots I wanted as the wind / waves were that fierce on the first attempt it took me 4 hours to get about 3 decent shots with sea spray / and bad camera shake even on a tripod with me shielding it, made for some good big waves pics, composition again v limited due to the weather conditions. the second attempt was totally different, bit of a breeze and no waves, like a totally different place.. But, I only had 25 mins to get some shots, Annoyingly the last bus / ferry i could catch to get back to Malta was 5 mins before sunset, so I missed the 30 minutes afterwards, sea spray ruined many of the shots and was extremely frustrating, but was still worth it to grab the shots I got. I'll add more of these soon.

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A second shot from the Azure Window rock formation in Dwerja, Gozo. This was the last shot I managed before sunset and having to leg it to get the last bus into Rabat, for another bus to get to the ferry to Malta, to make the last bus back to the resort, I wasn't sure whether or not I would have time to catch some sunset tones in the sky or not but more than happy with this, especially with the light on the rock formation, this made up for 4 hours of mainly disappointment with the gale force winds and sea spray ruining the majority of the shots I took.

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The Knights Hospitaller apparently discovered what is popularly known as the Malta Fungus, growing on the rock's flat top. This plant, which is a kind of parasitic flowering plant, not a fungus, has a repulsive smell. Doctors at the time believed that it had medicinal properties. The Knights used it as a styptic dressing for wounds and a cure for dysentery. The Knights so prized it that they often gave gifts of Malta Fungus to distinguished noblemen and visitors to the Maltese islands.

If you like my pictures please support me buying a print from my shop www.pixael.com/en/pictures thanks!

You can follow me on https://www.facebook.com/giuseppemilophoto https://twitter.com/pixael_com https://instagram.com/pixael/

Malta Gozo. During the occupation of the Knights of Malta, unauthorised access to the tiny rock was punishable by three years’ oarsmanship in the galleys! Why? Because there grew an endemic fungus which was highly prized for its medicinal properties.