A stylish celebration at Caffé Cordina
Those of us who weren’t born yesterday cannot forget Cesare Cordina, standing upright, elegant and poised, summer and winter, in a well cut suit, impeccable tie and pochette, shoes always shining, making certain that everything in his café was running smoothly. There were no style consultants or interior decorators then and it is evident that Mr Cordina had innate good taste – indeed as most Italians seem to possess and which by and large, inspite of our proximity to that beautiful country, seems to have flown over the heads of some 90 per cent of us Maltese. Not only was good taste evident in his clothes but also in the way the café was decorated. He had the vision to commission the great Maltese painter Giuseppe Calì to paint the vaulted ceiling with exquisite paintings which symbolize the previous rulers of Malta and the diverse eras in Malta’s history. And the present generation of Cordinas followed in this tradition and commissioned more paintings, the latest one, to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the café, was painted by the renowned French artist Alain Despert who was present with his American wife Karen. His studio is now in Strait Street and he is holding a retrospective exhibition of around four dozen of his paintings at the Auberge d’Italie in the coming weeks.
Cordina’s, no matter how many cafés and eateries open in Valletta, is still the café to surpass all other cafés in our capital city. It is still the meeting place for socialites, businessmen, lawyers, intellectuals and tourists. This is where you pick up the ‘hottest’ news if not at the law courts which are also a hotbed of gossip and information.
Cordina’s is reminiscent of the classic cafés in continental Europe. Of course nowhere as famous as the Café de la Paix in Paris, the Café Greco in Rome, some of the delectable ones in Vienna, Budapest or Lisbon. A couple of my favourites are in Oporto Portugal. My daughter and Portughese son-in-law make certaub I discover yet another one or two of these cafés whenever I visit that country I like so much. The Café Guarany in Porto is a great favourite and the Majestic, also in that charming city, an even greater one with its Belle Epoque interior and attractive winter garden. The prices, when you can get a table, are most reasonable when compared to similar cafés in other European cities. But then if one wants good value for money, Portugal is the place to visit, though getting there from Malta is not easy at all as there are no direct flights.
How different these 19th and early 20th century cafés are when compared to the modern chains and what vision, Cesare Cordina had when he created his Valletta café. He must have visited cafés in Rome and Sicily before establishing his café in Valletta for like them it is all mirrors, gilt, wood, marble and of course good coffee – and that indefinable quality - allure.
On the day of the reception on 5 December it was raining. I went with a friend and we parked the car at the Central Bank carpark and found our way to the café in high heels, just before the heavy downpour started making the streets slippery and out hair lank. Ever optimistic we did not even bother to carry an umbrella with us.
There were several familiar faces at Cordina’s including the talented Maria Fleri Soler, one of Cesare Cordina’s daughters and her equally stylish husband George. Also Linda Cordina, John’s wife, in a classic black lace dress. There was also Frida Gellel, who is very closely associated with Cordina’s where she worked for over 40 years.
The white tent outside with tall tables already gave out a festive air and inside chandeliers shone and waiters were busy serving canapés while cakestands had been placed strategically so that guests could help themselves to Cordina’s traditional fare. I was not in a self-denying mood and enjoyed what I was offered. I have never been steeped in Catholic guilt and do not think that food and drink are naughty. Everything in moderation is my motto. I am hardly one to bite my bottom lip, when offered a glass and utter, “Well I shouldn’t…” for the pure delight of giving in finally. My generation has never equated alcohol with transgression. But from what one reads it seems that Malta, especially where the young are concerned, is turning into another Sodom and Gomorrah. Our attitude to alcohol has always been normal and healthy. In modernation, as with everything else, we have been taught. Drink is an enjoyable accompaniment to food, not a wild libertarian statement. Not so these days it seems. The New Normality is to overdo everything, especially drink, drugs and sex. How very sad. In spite of the abundance of food and drink that evening, we all emerged from the café sober and happy.
I had got talking with a couple – she was a rather silent Eastern European girl – the young man whose name I did not catch told me that he orders the coffee for Cordina’s every week on a Thursday from Italy and it arrives by catamaran on a Saturday I think he said and it is fresh every single week. Now I know why it is so good. After much talk and canapés and wine, we had a last cappuccino and decided to walk back to the car but disaster struck as it really was pouring by now. My ever resourceful friend went up to a van which was in the vicinity and asked the driver if he would take us to the Central Bank carpark, which he did, no doubt thanks to her blonde good looks! It isn’t just gentlemen who prefer blondes it seems. Well, that saved the day. Let me end my compte rendu by assuring you that it was a most enjoyable celebration. I wish the Cordina’s many more years of success and inspiration.
Wayne Marshall at St Augustine’s church
Another friend of mine met the world renowned organist and conductor, Wayne Marshall with his daughter at Cordina’s one morning before Christmas. He told her that he would be playing the organ at St Augustine’s church on New Year’s Eve during midnight mass. So off we went on that evening. The church was truly decked out beautifully and was so full by the time we arrived that we had no seat. However, it was worth the slight discomfort just to hear Wayne Marshall play so very beautifully. I almost longed to be in heaven among the angels and archangels, such was the ambience he created with his playing. The priest, at the end of mass was moved to thank him. Now, I have never heard a priest to that, ever. But then, how very spoilt we are to be able to go into a church and listen to this great organist play so inspiringly. Thank you Wayne!
Sister Agnes needs us
Please allow me to remind you that Sister Agnes who in her 80s is looking after over 100 refugees needs our help. She believes in divine providence and we simply have to help her. Please send your small or big donation to her at: Sister Agnes Azzopardi, Good Shepherd Convent, Idmejda Street, Balzan.