The counting up to three has a special meaning. It often signals that an event is about to begin. This could be true about events in Valletta:

1. The trees in front of Castille are removed and behold a magnificent building is unveiled and can be admired in all its glory.

2. Some of the trees in front of St John's Co-Cathedral are cut down and we can see the façade as the focal point of the harmony of the rest.

Then we take a deep breath to better pronounce the number three, and we have the creation of St George's Square where light and the sound of splashing water play in an open space and the Grandmaster's palace dominates the area as it should.

3. What is now awaited is to announce the number three and remove the trees from Queen's Square to reveal the architectural beauty of the National Library and the balcony of the palace which has been recently restored.

I am not against trees but there are trees that are well suited to the many gardens the city is surrounded with and decorative trees that give a dash of green against the patina of beautifully weathered stone. Shearing the first to resemble the second does not do.

The counting of three, as we said, marks the beginning of an event; to have completion we have to count up to 10. This is a longer process and then Valletta would have taken off.