About a fortnight ago I had an appointment in Valletta and when this was over I decided to visit Castille Square. This has been pedestrianised and there are some new and comfortable large benches in place.

But was there a genuine reason to remove all the trees in the centre to make the square ‘pedestrian friendly’ may I ask? Of course, one may say that they have been replanted somewhere else but they were ideal there. There was living colour and life in them. There’s no shade whatsoever now, no bird life and also no harmful carbon dioxide gas removal. The place resembles a desert especially when the heat builds up in summer.

At least there is one sole relief. There is just one brave tree standing and it is near St James Cavalier, a beautiful tree with lovely red flowers. A lone survivor in the unrolling carpet of concrete! I wonder what type of tree it is because I have never seen one like it before.

As regards the piazza, the smooth surface has been replaced by cobblestones not the type  like those more pronounced in certain European squares, thank goodness. The cobblestones were very popular long ago because people used to wear clogs.

Still the uneven surface of the piazza is not suitable for elderly people, especially those with weak limbs. Honestly, I would have prefered a level ground as it was before.