Malta

Smart City Malta has grown to the top tech hub of the island. I was visiting BMIT, a colocation, and housing provider, talking about new data centers and synergies. It was interesting to hear that the design of their data center is copyright by Amazon Italia. I got a private visitors tour, where they showed me the roof deck with the diesel generators, the USV and battery rooms, the cooling and air circulation and the rack spaces for servers, routers, and switches. The setup is very professional with redundancy internet connectivity redundancy of first class providers like Level 3 and Thelia 2. Outside of the building, there are some chilling bars and restaurants where my colleague Massimo and I had a big Diet Coke with ice on that hot summer day.  🙂

Post processed with: Photoshop

• Camera: COOLPIX A
• Aperture: ƒ/4
• Shutter speed: 1/2000s
• Focal length: 18.5mm
• ISO: 200

The northern part of Malta has those classical sandy beaches with blue sea and sunshades. The sinking sun adds to that beach stereotype, then the warm breeze of air and the smell of salty sea water. Outside on the terrace of Baia Beach Club, you have the great view of the lagoon, this combined with a Frangelico on the rocks, and you have a lovely evening. The Frangelico is an Italian liqueur made from hazelnuts and tastes like a liquid Nutella. 🙂

Post processed with: Photoshop

• Camera: iPhone 6 Plus
• Aperture: ƒ/2.2
• Shutter speed: 1/33s
• Focal length: 4.15mm
• ISO: 160

The weather is a bit different in Gozo and Malta in the winter months; you can see green, lush grass, blooming flowers and bushes, warm weather, not too cold, pleasant. 🙂 Then if you can find such a lovely valley as here on the photo, you have good preconditions for landscape shots. Then if the friendly bus driver brings you to the next sight, you have a perfect day. 🙂

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: COOLPIX A
• Aperture: ƒ/7.1
• Shutter speed: 1/200s
• Focal length: 18.5mm
• ISO: 100

I have taken this shot at the northernmost part of Gozo, which is one of the Maltese islands. It is always interesting to think about how nature has built that hole in the rocks. Maybe it lasted millions of years. Especially it was a great location for a photographer, for sure.  😥  Today the Azure Window collapsed due to heavy storm, it’s completely gone and lost forever. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20170308/local/the-azure-window-lost-and-gone-forever.641810

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: COOLPIX A
• Aperture: ƒ/7.1
• Shutter speed: 1/200s
• Focal length: 18.5mm
• ISO: 100

Not many technicians can share such a great view from their workplace like here in the Smart City in Malta. The blue sea, mostly sunny weather, a lounge near the water pool, a nice environment to relax during the lunch break or go for an after work drink.  🙂

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: COOLPIX A
• Aperture: ƒ/4
• Shutter speed: 1/2000s
• Focal length: 18.5mm
• ISO: 180

I was standing on the deck of a ferry from Malta to Gozo. It was very windy and most of the guests were inside so I used the free space to walk around to take photos of the mediterranean sea  🙂

• Camera: COOLPIX A
• Aperture: ƒ/11
• Shutter speed: 1/1250s
• Focal length: 18.5mm
• ISO: 200

Those stony walls are typical for Malta and Gozo, you can see them all over the country, often arranged to terraces and bordered as fields for agriculture.

• Camera: COOLPIX A
• Aperture: ƒ/7.1
• Shutter speed: 1/200s
• Focal length: 18.5mm
• ISO: 100

During the winter months you can see green grass and blooming flowers in Gozo, the sister island of Malta. Compared to Middle/Northern Europe you think you are in the spring with the nice temperature of about 16 degrees Celsius. 🙂

• Camera: COOLPIX A
• Aperture: ƒ/2.8
• Shutter speed: 1/1000s
• Focal length: 18.5mm
• ISO: 100

Since Malta lies in the same latitude as Northern Africa you can expect warmer nights during the autumn and winter months. These photos have been shot end of October where you could walk around with a T-shirt during evening and night, a big difference to central Europe where you need a winter jacket during these seasons. The first photo shows the Portomaso tower on the left, which is Malta’s highest building.

• Camera: COOLPIX A
• Aperture: ƒ/22
• Shutter speed: 20s
• Focal length: 18.5mm
• ISO: 200

If I’m abroad and there is a possibility, I want to see tech cities like here in Malta. This one is called Smart City and is the home of Maltese Internet providers, data centers and high tech companies. I could get a visit at the BMIT data centre, this was absolutely cool, because it has been built with the support of Amazon.

• Camera: COOLPIX A
• Aperture: ƒ/4
• Shutter speed: 1/1600s
• Focal length: 18.5mm
• ISO: 320