Heard in the Hive

It was a significant occasion for the Tallarini family - the first anniversary of their successful operation of the first class Ristorante Giannini in Valletta.

Claudio Tallarini, managing director of Mis en Place Ltd, the operating company, and also the restaurant's executive chef, together with his two sons chef de cuisine Ivan and chef du partie Marco, recently played host to a distinctive selection of guests at a celebration dinner.

Hosted to canapés and an aperitif welcome, guests, who included Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Frendo, Italian Ambassador Dr Alvise Memmo, Tunisian Ambassador Naceur Mestiri, and Valletta mayor Dr Paul Borg Olivier, were then offered an exquisite five-course meal which reflected Giannini's versatile refined cuisine projecting the traditional classic Italian and varied Mediterranean gastronomy.

The dishes were presented in a particular style and taste - they featured a stuffed baby squid Maltese-style, Ribollita alla Toscana, a traditional Italian dish, and steamed swordfish with a coffee bean aroma, so different, so striking and so colourful.

Under the personal guidance of wine service adviser Hubert Muscat, guests were presented with four types of wine: an aperitif served with canapés, Prosecco by Cinzano, a white wine, a Sancerre MD de Bourgeois 2003 by Henri Bourgeois; a red wine, a Rosso di Montalcino Campo ai Sassi 2002 by Marchesi di Frescobaldi; and a dessert wine, a Moscato d'Asti Nivole 2003 by Michele Chiarlo.

It was a night of excellence complete with the inimitable talents of violinist George Curmi known as Il-Pusé, who entertained the distinguished diners with a repertoire of classic Italian and Neapolitan songs.

"There is no future without a past," explained Claudio Tallarini, who originates from Milan, and whose family, for four generations, has enjoyed a tradition of making refined cuisine their proud domain. In his distinctive delightful style Mr Tallatini senior highlighted Giannini's new menu for the coming weeks.

He reserved his final words to thank his dedicated personnel for their loyalty and his esteemed clientele for their patronage.

WWII through a female perspective

Sireni u Serenati by Lina Brockdorff has just been published by Klabb Kotba Maltin. This new book provides a vivid description of Malta during World War II.

During the launching ceremony, ably compered by Charles Abela Mizzi and held at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta, excerpts from the book were read by Charles Arrigo and the author's sister Josephine Mahoney - herself a key protagonist in Sireni u Serenati.

Lawrence Mizzi and Anton Agius Muscat, experts on Maltese literature pertaining to this particular historical period, made critical appraisals of this work considered to be the first of its genre by a female Maltese author.

The book launch was presided over by former President Dr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, who also made a brief address.

According to the publishers, the book has already received a very encouraging reception.

Wedding photography competition

The Malta Institute of Professional Photographers (MIPP) is organising a photographic competition for the general public, themed "Weddings".

Photos can be posed or candid shots taken during a wedding, in colour, black and white, or digitally edited. The winner will be given a Fuji 330 digital camera.

The photos that the MIPP considers of good standard will be exhibited at the Weddings Fair in Naxxar from November 4 to 7.

This competition is being held to raise awareness and to improve the standards of wedding photography.

For more information about the competition rules or to obtain an application form, contact the MIPP PRO, Charles Zammit, on 7945-1246 or send an e-mail to photos@fotogenicstudio.com.

Spain returns to Villa Macedonia

For about 20 years Villa Macedonia in Balzan was the residence of the Spanish ambassador to Malta. However, in 1997, Spain closed down its embassy here and the villa was leased to third parties.

With the reappointment of a Spanish ambassador, however, earlier this year, in the person of Her Excellency Maria Rosa Boceta, Villa Macedonia has reverted to its status as the Spanish ambassador's residence.

To celebrate this "return", but mainly to mark Spain's National Day, Ambassador Boceta last Tuesday hosted a large reception, complete with a display of flamenco dancing, sangria and paella, which was attended by hundreds of guests led by President and Mrs Fenech Adami and the Prime Minister and Mrs Gonzi.

In her short speech, the Spanish Ambassador said October 12 marked the day of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, at the head of a three-vessel Spanish fleet, who named the island where he landed Hispaniola. This led, eventually, to the diffusion of Spanish language and culture in the New World.

Ambassador Boceta said that she was pleased to be hosting the National Day reception at Villa Macedonia again after an absence of seven years. She said that the day she presented her credentials to President de Marco, March 11, this year, has already gone down in history as the day of a savage terrorist attack at the Atocha train station in Madrid which killed 200 people.

She said she would do her best to promote Hispano-Maltese relations in trade, culture and other fields. This will not be difficult since, after all, Malta and Spain shared 300 years of history, and there were so many factors which bound the two countries, now both members of the European Union.

Ambassador Boceta said she hoped she would give added value to that relationship, urging Malta, which played an important role in the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue, not to lose its charm, identity and unique characteristics.

President Fenech Adami said he was very pleased to attend a reception in Malta marking Spain's National Day after a lapse of several years. He said Malta will of course retain its identity, but will now fulfil its role in the EU and in particular in promoting the Euro-Med dialogue, a process which started in Barcelona nearly ten years ago.

He hoped that he would be able to welcome King Juan Carlos, who has been invited to visit Malta.

President Fenech Adami said he was sure that the collaboration between Malta and Spain in various fields will continue to grow.

After the playing of the two national anthems, Ambassador Boceta and President Fenech Adami exchanged toasts.

Guests were then treated to flamenco dancing led by South Africa-born Rosanna Maya, director of the Alegria Malta academy, and including Maria Moro, the only Spanish dancer living in Malta, Ingrid, a Maltese dancer who works at Alegria, and Yolanda, who is from Switzerland and is studying English in Malta. The flamenco show was organised by Maria Moro, who is a friend of the ambassador's.

Ferrari/Olympus September winner

Ms E. Mizzi of Gzira and Mr G. Camilleri of St Julian's are the lucky September winners of the Ferrari/Olympus Lottery organised by Attard & Co Ltd.

Four more participants have a chance of winning the exclusive Ferrari/Olympus camera with two winners drawn at the end of each month up to November. To take part, simply take your film, digital shots/reprints for printing to any one of the Agfa agents and you will receive a free lottery ticket enabling you to participate. Five lottery tickets will be given on purchasing any Olympus Camera.

The Ferrari Digital Model 2003 is a special limited-edition model developed and introduced to celebrate Olympus' sponsorship of the Ferrari Scuderia Formula One Racing Team. It is the first and only digital camera currently sanctioned by Ferrari SpA. Only 10,000 units will be produced worldwide. The Ferrari Digital Model 2003 is based on the and all-weather Olympus Mju 400 Digital. It is designed to reflect the beauty and quality that are hallmarks of Ferrari's craftsmanship.

HSBC fund takes 250 children to Comino

The HSBC Cares for Children Fund, together with Captain Morgan, recently organised a trip to Comino for 250 children from various childrens' homes and organisations in Malta. Staff members from HSBC volunteered to accompany the children.

"This was a nice day out for all the children. They enjoyed a visit to Comino, a swim at Blue Lagoon, and got the opportunity to sail round the Grand Harbour and Gozo. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Captain Morgan for their hospitality and generosity in facilitating this trip," said Josef Camilleri, from the HSBC Cares for Children Fund.

This is the fourth time that the fund has teamed up with Captain Morgan to organise this annual event. Throughout the day, the children were not only able to enjoy swimming in the beautiful Blue Lagoon but also explored Comino, an island that many of the children never had the opportunity to visit before.

Successful BoV concert in Canada

Bank of Valletta's Canada representative office recently held the annual BoV concert in Toronto. The event was very well attended by the Maltese community.

The concert once again provided a fund-raising opportunity for a number of charitable institutions in Malta. Proceeds this year will support the Arka Foundation, Id-Dar tal-Providenza, Gozo Eden Foundation and St Paul the Apostle Church in Toronto.

The BoV concert was hosted by BoV's representative for Canada Albert E. Vella and Mrs Thérèse Vella and was held under the distinguished patronage of Mgr Lawrence Gatt, director of Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

The main attraction was the Nicolò Isouard Band which, under the direction of Mro Emanuel Spagnol, FLCM, LLCM (Hons), gave an excellent varied symphonic concert.

The concert also included a performance by Maltese-Canadian solo artist Natalie Pratt (née Ellul) who gave animated renditions of various classical songs. Natalie was accompanied on the piano by pianist Jim Bourne. Natalie's delivery and magnificent stage presence in fact left a lasting impression with the audience.

Mro Spagnol then led soprano Natalie Pratt, guest Canadian Opera Company tenor Victor Micallef and the Nicolò Isouard Band in the brindisi from Verdi's La Traviata.

This year's concert also featured two poems - Jimrah il-Mohh by Professor John Portelli and The Sea Also Laps and Splashes by John Vella. Both poems are from Professor Portelli's book of poems Bejn Zewg Dinjiet, a collection of 55 poems in both English and Maltese. The launch of this book last year was made possible by the sponsorship of the BoV Canada representative office.

Addressing the patrons during the concert, Mr Vella reiterated BoV's continuous efforts to promote Malta's artistic and cultural heritage even beyond Maltese shores.

"In Malta, Bank of Valletta is very active in undertaking initiatives that support the appreciation of art and culture and this commitment is part of the bank's efforts to play a vital and active role within the respective communities in which it operates. We are delighted that this year's BoV concert has repeated the same success enjoyed in previous years and this only confirms that the bank's efforts are reaping the desired fruit," Mr Vella said.

12 girls chosen for The Face by Rimmel

The debut of the 12 aspiring models selected for The Face by Rimmel will take place on November 6 during the J&B Malta Fashion Week. The Face by Rimmel is a model scouting competition which differs by far from a beauty contests.

The 12 promising girls were selected from hundreds of applications received, including entries from Bay Radio listeners and The Times' Weekender readers. The closing date for entries was October 9 and was marked by model scouts taking a last look at potential new faces during Steve Caesar's opening night at Matrix.

"We are amazed at the large number of potentially good aspiring models who applied. Most entries satisfied all modelling requirements and it was difficult to select our 12 girls," said Noelene Miggiani of DJ Burgess Ltd, organisers of the J&B Malta Fashion Weekend.

The selected 12, under the direction of Marisa Grima, also of DJ Burgess, are already attending modelling classes on a regular basis in preparation for the final night. Ms Grima started modelling in her teens and was the first Miss Elegance Cover Girl. She modelled for local and foreign fashion shoots and catwalk shows and progressed in her career as a fashion stylist.

The President and Mrs Fenech Adami's engagements October 18-24

Tomorrow
10 a.m. The President receives Central Bank of Malta governor Michael C. Bonello and is presented with a donation in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund at the Palace, Valletta.
6 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend a solemn Mass on the occasion of the International Convention of Priests at St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta.

Tuesday
10 a.m. The President receives Swedish ambassador Stefan Wrigstad on a farewell call at the Palace, Valletta.
10.30 The President receives the president and committee members of the La Valette Band Clubs on the occasion of its 130th anniversary.
11 The President receives the National Council of the Persons with Disability.
7 p.m. The President presides over the launching of the publication entitled Sorijiet Gerosolmitani, il-Knisja u l-Monasteru ta' Sant'Ursula at St Ursula's church, Valletta.
8.30 The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend a dinner hosted by the Australian High Commissioner and Mrs Palk in honour of Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, at their residence in San Pawl tat-Targa.

Thursday
9.15 a.m. The President receives the Prime Minister at the Palace, Valletta.
10.30 The President receives a group of Maltese and foreign teachers participating in a Comenius project entitled "Active Bodies, Healthy Minds".
11.30 The President visits the works at the Golden Sands Hotel building site.
1 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami visit the Danish Village Complex at Ghadira Bay, Mellieha.

Friday
9.30 a.m. The President visits the restoration works of Palazzo Falson in Mdina.
11 Mrs Fenech Adami visits patients of the Psychiatric Unit and Residenza Sant'Anna at the Gozo General Hospital.
11 The President presides over a Drug Forum meeting at the Palace, Valletta.
5 p.m. The President is interviewed by Alexander Prokharov, head of the Italian language service of the world network radio station Voice of Russia at San Anton Palace.
8.30 p.m. The President attends a reception on the occasion of the autumn meeting of the Permanent Working Group of European Doctors, hosted by the Medical Association of Malta, at the Radisson SAS Bay Point Resort, St Julian's.

Coeliac Association delegates attend international conference

The annual conference of the Association of European Coeliac Societies (AOECS), of which Malta is a member, was held recently in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Malta's participating delegates were Mary Rose Caruana and Raymond Caruana, chairperson and vice-chairperson of Malta's Coeliac Association.

This year's conference was different and more productive. The AOECS board of directors, composed of, among others, Dr Christian Scerri, MD, Ph.D. (Molecular Genetics), actualised the motto adopted AOECS is one of action and not of words.

During the session, a number of working groups were formed to widen the coeliac network and ensure a stronger voice for patients. The groups will now tackle finance and the future, codex labelling and gluten-free symbols, helping coeliacs and consumer affairs, and communication and research support. Mr Caruana will be playing an active role in consumer issues.

Three guest speakers were invited to give presentations: Professor Marco Londei from the Institute of Child Health, London, Josianne Scerri, B.Ed. (Hons), M.Ed., M.I. Biol., who is carrying out postgraduate research at the University of Nottingham, and Dr Georg Schappi from the Cantonal Laboratory in Zurich.

Professor Londei gave two different presentations: on current research and medical highlights relating to children, and about the latest scientific medical news on the condition.

Mrs Scerri spoke on living with the condition and its present and future prospects, and presented the results of a study investigating the psychological impact and presenting factors that could moderate the impact on the individual. Dr Schappi's presentation dealt with the benefits and problems of the new allergen labelling used in Switzerland.

Four member countries - the UK, Romania, France and Malta - were invited to give presentations on initiatives to encourage awareness. The Romanian delegate gave an account of the experiences under different political systems - the change from a Communist system to the present one, and its effect on coeliac sufferers.

Mrs Caruana talked about catering for the holistic needs of a Maltese coeliac population, basing herself on 15 years of experience. She stressed the work the society is undertaking in improving the quality of life of sufferers and their families and explained the society's plans to further increase awareness.

Participation at this year's conference was made possible through the continuous support of Air Malta, the Janatha Stubbs Trust and ABT Co. Ltd.