There are various ways to discover a country like Malta.

You could go round the island on a boat and be amazed by the sheer cliffs and rocky beaches.

You could ramble through country lanes taking in the odd solitary chapel and weather beaten farmstead, the razzett.

Or you could wind your way around the heart of towns and villages, a journey that will not only help you discover the simple yet fascinating vernacular architecture but transport you into the world of yesteryear when the best things in life were free.

This is what Joe Sammut has done with his series of watercolours that feature in this year’s calendar dedicated to Id-Dar tal-Providenza in Siġġiewi and issued by Banif Bank.

The refreshing watercolours seem to indicate a person who does this job of painting such scenes as full-time. Although Mr Sammut has held four personal exhibitions between 1990 and 2005, nothing could be further from the truth.

Mr Sammut, who, incidentally, chairs the board of directors of Banif Bank (Malta) plc, donated the watercolours to the bank, which, in turn, contributed €10,000 to the residential homes for the handicapped in Siġġiewi.

Founded in 1965 by Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi, Id-Dar tal-Providenza houses 104 persons with disability whose ages range between nine and 80 years.

The artist has occupied top posts in the civil service. He was appointed head of the civil service and secretary to the Cabinet in 1983 and between 1998-1990 served as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council States and High Commissioner to India, residing in Riyadh.

On July 31, 1995, Mr Sammut was appointed as Malta’s first Ombudsman by a unanimous vote in Parliament. The post was for a five-year term but Mr Sammut was reappointed in the prestigious post for a second term.