It was love at first sight for American photographer Michael Jurick, who lost his heart to Malta’s scenic views and traditions from the moment he stepped off the plane.
With his copious photos of the Maltese islands, Mr Jurick has become one of the island’s walking adverts. They are some of his “most prized travel work”, he said in a blog post called Magnificent Malta.
“I fell in love with Malta the day we landed and could not stop clicking the shutter everywhere we went. It is one of the most visually stunning countries that I have visited and would describe it as a perfect mix of ancient Jerusalem, ancient Rome and the Greek Islands,” he said.
The photos range from the Azure window to the village feast in Victoria, to a well-stocked bar in St Julian’s, Maltese wooden balconies and, of course, the pastizzi, which he and his family fell in love with.
“The food in Malta is incredibly good; insanely good. In fact it goes toe-to-toe with the best Italian food,” he said.
“I was smitten by the charm of the bars and restaurants. Our favourite lunchtime snack was the pastice (pastizzi) – a sublime flaky filo dough crust with herbs and seasoned mashed peas in the centre. Mmm,” he said.
He also fell in love with the bakeries “run by fourth and fifth generation” and Farsons Cisk, his “night-time treat”, which he described as “so crisp and refreshing”.
Mr Jurick describes himself as “the top family and mitzvah photographer” in New York.
He is the winner of several prizes including the Nickelodeon Best Family Photographer Award for two years running and the 2010 Juli B Style Awards in the Best of Arts category and shot covers for New York Family magazine and contributed to the New York Times and Rolling Stone.
“Malta is ancient, but impeccably preserved. There is so much charm, character and texture in the design of the doors, windows, and streets – it’s a feast for the eyes,” he said.
The photos can be seen on http:// jurickphoto.blogspot.com.