• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Malta InsideOut

Insider Destination Info

  • Home
  • About
  • Categories
    • Arts & Culture
      • Film & Photography
      • Music
      • Theatre
    • Attractions
    • Beaches
    • Countryside & Environment
    • Climate & Geography
    • Education & Schools
    • Events & Festas
    • Expats
    • Family & Kids
    • Food & Drink
    • Gozo & Comino
    • Health
    • History & Heritage
      • Folklore & Crafts
    • Language & Literature
      • Learn English
    • Leisure
    • People & Opinion
    • Property
    • Nightlife
    • Shopping
    • Sports
    • Towns & Villages
      • Valletta
    • Work & Business
    • Your Stay
      • Getting Around
  • Favourites
  • What’s On
You are here: Home / Countryside & Environment / The Salt Gatherers

The Salt Gatherers

by Liz Ayling
August 21, 2011September 18, 2016Filed under:
  • Countryside & Environment

This short film clip needs almost ‘no comment’. Suffice to say that salt gathering is a time-honoured labour. For centuries, farming folk have turned to the sea to make a bit of a living when the heat of summer leaves fields parched. There are still pockets of salt pans in action and a few people who keep this traditional work alive like these salt gatherers at Xwejni Gozo. A time capsule shared with us by Mario George Vella.

“This was truly an amazing experience and came purely by chance as I couldn’t sleep. The sunrise and most especially conversing with the salt gatherers was just great.” (Mario George Vella)

Tagged:
  • farming
  • sea

Post navigation

Previous Post Sand dunes: one of Malta’s rarest habitats
Next Post Paceville: Malta’s night life hotspot is not for everyone

About Liz Ayling

Liz Ayling is a serial blogger, feature writer and self-taught geek who has been an expat in Malta for over 20 years. She founded destination site Malta InsideOut in 2009. You'll find her at at her screen in an old village farmhouse which she shares with her Maltese husband, teenage son and two cats. Liz considers herself an insider nowadays but never ceases to be surprised by all that Malta has to offer.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elizabeth Ayling says

    August 23, 2011 at 09:18

    Patricia, totally my sentiment too on this scene. Very humbling. Some pans date back around 400 years (Salina, Malta). Most are ancient. A reminder that in days before fridges and in days when sailing ships plied the Maltese waters, salt was a very, very precious commodity indeed.

  2. Patricia says

    August 22, 2011 at 22:53

    Beautiful pictures and somewhat humbling – reminds one that salt doesn’t just ‘happen’ in little containers on supermarket shelves.

  3. Elizabeth Ayling says

    August 22, 2011 at 18:07

    For more on the long history of salt pans and production in Malta, which dates back at least to the time of the Knights of St John, see here: http://www.allmalta.com/folklore/past21.html

Primary Sidebar

Menu

  • Home
  • About
  • Categories
    • Arts & Culture
      • Film & Photography
      • Music
      • Theatre
    • Attractions
    • Beaches
    • Countryside & Environment
    • Climate & Geography
    • Education & Schools
    • Events & Festas
    • Expats
    • Family & Kids
    • Food & Drink
    • Gozo & Comino
    • Health
    • History & Heritage
      • Folklore & Crafts
    • Language & Literature
      • Learn English
    • Leisure
    • People & Opinion
    • Property
    • Nightlife
    • Shopping
    • Sports
    • Towns & Villages
      • Valletta
    • Work & Business
    • Your Stay
      • Getting Around
  • Favourites
  • What’s On

Archives

Footer

Featured Events 2016-17

Malta International Air Show 2016
Big Sporting Events in Malta 2016
Valletta Baroque Music Festival, 2017
© Copyright 2009-22 Malta InsideOut · All Rights Reserved ·

Privacy, Data & Cookie Policy · Disclaimer· Terms & Conditions

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Twitter