The Hakgala Botanical Gardens were created in 1861 as a scientific site to examine the properties and potential for producing a variety of tropical plants for use throughout the British Empire. Its first, successful experiments began with the cultivation of the Cinchona plant, whose Quinine extract was a useful malarial suppressant (see previous article).

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In the mid 1850’s, British plans to continue to both build and develop the Empire were facing a serious problem – malaria. Although many of Britain’s best and brightest were being sent overseas, far too many were succumbing to and even dying from this deadly disease. Those lucky to survive an attack would also find themselves prone to recurrences, debilitating attacks of chills and fever that drained the body of energy for weeks at a time.

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My Winter months are spent on the south coast of Sri Lanka, which is very beautiful and has amazing sea food, however as the year progresses can be prone to occasional hot, intensely humid spells. I have a swimming pool I can dip into, and the beach is just five minutes away, but its also good to have a complete change of scenery as well.  What I like to do at such times, much as generations of expatriate Dutch and British did before me (the colonial and seafaring Portuguese tended to stay coastal and didn’t venture much into Ceylon’s interior) is to get to higher ground, where the temperatures drop, the air is fresher, and the climate more appealing. In fact, Sri Lankas’ Tea Country can be almost European in atmosphere – not for nothing is the highest Hill Station, Nuwara Eliya, also known as “Little Scotland”, while roses are grown at these altitudes.

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It’s back to Sri Lanka after my Russian winter, and what better way to reintroduce myself to my second adopted home than immediately going on safari? Wilpattu National Park is in the North-West of the island, an area I haven’t been before. The Park is renowned for its diverse landscape, which includes over 60 lakes, also making it ideal for birdwatching, and especially during the migratory season. Its also famous for Leopard, having the highest concentration of Leopard in the world.

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Actually the title of this piece is somewhat misleading. In my opinion, only Gin should be used in a martini, with options for olives or lemon additions depending upon the characteristics of the Gin being used. For Purists, it should ideally be Plymouth, mixed 3-1 and with a dash of orange bitters, which is how the very first original Martini was made. But I digress. This is about Vodka, not Gin.

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Sergei Prokofiev is one of Russia’s greatest composers, having written seven acclaimed operas, seven extraordinary symphonies, eight ballets – including the famous “Romeo & Juliet” – nine piano sonatas, two violin concertos, a cello concerto amongst hundreds or other pieces.

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Rodion Shchedrin is Russia’s greatest living composer, born in 1932 and working both throughout the Soviet era and contemporary times. He has a special affinity with the Mariinsky, from whom several new works have been commissioned, even as he reaches his eighties. He married Maya Plisetskaya arguably the most talented and beautiful Soviet era ballerina, writing several works for her to dance, such as Chekov’s “Seagull”. The Maestro has long taken Russian literature as inspiration for his work, and this trend follows with this adaption for opera of Nikolai Leskov’s translation of Nemcova’s fairy tale, which is better known as “The Twelve Months”. In operatic form it becomes “A Christmas Tale“ and is another in the operatic canon of winter plays within Russia during this Festive season – both Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov wrote similarly titled works.

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I have been fortunate enough to be invited to a private New Years Party in St. Petersburg, which is one of Europe’s loveliest cities and probably has the most Palaces. This year, the venue was the Mikhailovsky Palace which handily, is just across the street from my apartment. It was built by Carlo Rossi, the Italian architect whose statue also graces the Square I can look down upon from my balcony, in 1819, with the intention of it being a 21st birthday present for Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. Today, it is the main building of the State Russian Museum, and as such contains a huge amount of important Russian artworks (the Hermitage focuses on foreign art).

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Although I am fortunate enough to be able to live in Malta and Sri Lanka for much of the year, they do both have one serious drawback. They are too warm for Christmas. I’ve tried, and Malta is beautiful at Christmas with all the decorations in this most traditional of Christian countries, while Sri Lanka has its beaches and sunshine. But to feel Christmassy, I need to feel ice, snow, and serious frost. That’s probably because my ancestors were Vikings – I have the typical blood – when I was a child I had red hair, freckles and blue eyes. The eyes remain, although the hair has become whiter (good, it saves me a fortune on getting highlights) and the freckles have long given way to a semi perma tan. But I still need to feel cold, and celebrate Christmas and New Year with snow. If I don’t, I don’t feel right for the entire rest of the year.

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The great thing about Malta is the climate, and although it can get chilly in January/February – about the only months when it can rain – for much of the year the weather is warm,  washed over by sea breezes that temper what would otherwise be a searingly hot barren island.

Coupled with that, the island is surrounded of course by the azure swell of the Mediterranean – meaning sea food is readily available – I’m not a huge meat eater. Add in a proximity to Sicily and the wonderful Sicilian wines, cheeses, vegetables and fruits, the Mediterranean diet is as healthy as can be.

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