This is the second part of an article on a photographer documenting what is left of Malta's heritage. Read the first part here.

One of photographer Jean-Paul Borg’s favourite subjects is typical Maltese streets, found in the core of most towns and villages.

The Biblioteka in Republic Square, Valletta.

Such streets are usually lined with pretty, two-storey houses, each with colourful balconies with matching doors and apertures. There would be niches with statues dedicated to saints or to Our Lady tucked away in various corners and also on home façades.

“The houses have those architectural features that define our urban landscape. Apart from the balconies and doors, they typically have wrought iron gates and balcony railings too. Then there is the globigerina limestone that was so commonly used to build houses until a few years ago. The stone forms part of our heritage and is recognised worldwide,” Borg, who runs the Facebook page Kappa Vision, says.

He adds that, unfortunately, a good number of localities have changed drastically over the years, with modern, concrete developments replacing traditional builds and uglifying the areas in the process. He mentions Sliema, St Julian’s, Buġibba, St Paul’s Bay and Marsascala in Malta, and Marsalforn and Xlendi, in Gozo, as prime examples of places that have lost their Maltese identity due to overdevelopment.

St Lucy Street, Naxxar

Roaming daily around the islands looking for his next best shot, Borg also cannot help but notice the general lack of cleanliness in our streets and the lack of greenery. He appreciates people’s efforts to adorn their façades and front gardens but says it’s not enough.

St Augustine Street, Rabat

“A bougainvillaea growing on the façade of a traditional Maltese house really does make a big difference to its curb appeal. But what we need in Malta, in my opinion, aren’t more pot plants per se. Although these do improve the visual aspect of our streets and houses, what we really need are more trees.”

He also complains about the amount of street signage and, especially, the hanging ‘spaghetti’ cables found everywhere.

“The amount of wires hanging all over the place in Malta’s streets is a serious problem we have to tackle and solve, in my opinion,” he notes.

Recently, it was announced that six localities would go car-free as part of a pandemic-inspired plan to temporarily pedestrianise squares and roads across the country.

An alley in Birkirkara

Borg welcomed this initiative, saying it will definitely improve air quality in our surroundings and perhaps encourage more people to use alternative transport, such as bicycles, and do more physical exercise.

Two of his favourite localities will be among the first to implement this initiative, Żejtun and Qrendi. His other favourite spots to set up his camera are Senglea, Vittoriosa, Valletta, Kalkara, Għajnsielem, Nadur and most of Gozo.

As regards particular streets he loves, he says that many streets in Valletta and Mdina fascinate him because they are steeped in history.

“Every corner has a story to tell, if not every stone! Can you imagine what these streets have seen over the centuries? Sometimes I wish I were a stone in a wall in one of these streets 100 or so years ago!”

Visit https://www.facebook.com/kappavision for historical information and curious facts about the streets shown here. One can also visit the Instagram account @kappavision_gram.

Part one of the series was published on August 16. More of Borg’s work will be published next week.

In front of the Porto Salvo church, Senglea. Right: Villegaignon Street, Mdina.

St Ursula Street, Valletta