In between those 300 days of sunshine, there's always time for a little rain.
Everybody seems to visit Malta because of the sunshine - after all, the Maltese do brag about the 300 days of sunshine whenever and wherever they can (and who can blame us?) But while I'm the first to love that important detail about the Maltese Islands, here's why I also love it when it rains.
It's alive
The rain brings with it a fresh, cleansing, vitalising energy. Afterwards, the earth smells great, the land turns green and everything is clean. The dust is washed away. The air smells earthy and alive as the soil drinks the rain in thirstily and plants and crops take on a new lease of life. The parched brown landscape quickly turns into a joy for the senses: beautiful, sweet-smelling and uplifting to witness life grow and thrive.
Sometimes it gets exciting!
Let's face it. Malta rarely experiences a drizzle. It rains like the gods are throwing bucketfuls from the sky. Add a dash of lightening, roaring thunder and gale force winds, some spectacular waves in motion and the whole thing could land on the news. Roads flood, boats crash onto land, trees fall over, objects fly and everything is a mess. It's definitely something to talk about.
Having an excuse to be late
This makes sense now that you have envisioned the previous scenario. Traffic goes mad and you're expected to be late. Even in milder situations, caught unawares you're simply waiting not to get drenched. It comes down hard and it comes down fast and it's over before you know it - there's no point venturing into it. Everything and everyone will just have to wait.
It fills the wells
Malta has this wonderful geological feature that consists of an impermeable blue clay layer that holds the rain water. Gushes of rain not only increase the water table that many farms tap into, but also many residential wells, which were compulsory since the times of the Knights of Malta until only recently. With rain being scarce in Malta and most potable water recycled from the sea via reverse osmosis, any rain water collection has to be a good thing!
We tend to complain when it rains yet it's really a blessing, not a curse! It nourishes the soil that feeds us, fills the wells that quench our thirst, cleans our environment and moves our spirit. Thanks for the rain.