Roqueta August 2023 Issue 358

AUGUST 2023 - ROQUETA MAGAZINE

THE TOURIST SEASON DOES NOT START IN EARNEST UNTIL THE WEEKEND OF 15TH JULY AND THEN THE MADNESS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 26TH AUGUST WHEN THE SPANISH, ITALIANS AND MANY OF THE FRENCH WILL DISAPPEAR BACK TO THE MAINLAND TO PREPARE FOR THE RETURN TO WORK. IT IS 6 WEEKS OF FULL RESTAURANTS, CROWDED ANCHORAGES, BUSY BEACHES AND OF COURSE THE HOTTEST WEATHER OF THE YEAR WHICH LEADS TO SHORT TEMPERS ON THE ROAD.

For most of the year the locals are happy to sit and wait while shopping is unloaded, gas bottles are delivered, a hot chicken is picked up for lunch., or simply for friends and cousins (there are countless cousins) to stop and have a chat as they pass each other in the street. I could also mention the tabacs, where drivers will abandon their cars on the main road as they dash in for some cigarettes. In summer this behaviour Is upsetting for the outsiders who are in a rush and start honking their horns after 30 seconds. On the other hand, tourists upset locals as they stop on roundabouts and dangerous corners to consult their maps. And then of course there is the local way of driving around a roundabout which is a whole article in itself. In summary, always be prepared for cars in the right-hand lane to be turning left. However upsetting this can be to a visitor, this is how they are taught for their test and so there is nothing to do except expect the unexpected.

In July and August boat drivers will also be causing mayhem out on the water, both in anchorages and in the harbours. The right of way rules we are taught when learning to sail (keep to the starboard side and pass ‘port to port’) will be largely ignored as boats race in and out of harbours to make the most of the day or to get back to beat the queue at the fuel berth. There are strict speed limits in the port and they are there for good reason. Boats breaking the 3-knot limit cause a wash which can lead to destruction, damage and injury. To give you a few examples from last month our friend Mike lost his brush overboard as he was rocked violently while cleaning his boat on the pontoon, beaches have been washed away on Isla del Rey and in Cala Corb two friends were washed onto the rocks as they were swimming. Out in the anchorages the small boats which can be driven without licences will be getting themselves and other boats into trouble as they drive over anchor chains, get in the way of large boats or simply capsize!!

I can’t finish without mentioning the weather. Yes, it has been hot here in July, but we can count ourselves lucky that we are in many ways shielded from the dangerously high temperatures that they experience on the mainland and in Sicily and Sardinia. As we go to press the highest temperature recorded at the airport was 37 deg C in the shade in mid-July. I read that the hottest day ever recorded in Menorca was July 26, 1983 when 39.6°C was registered. In the past we have been lucky that days with these sorts of temperature have been few and far between. We should also be grateful that we now have fridges, freezers, A/C and fans. As Graham tells us on page 18. In the late 60’s he had to collect a large block of ice from the Bodega (still there) in Mahon every morning and take it in his car to his bar in Cala en Porter!! Personally I am not good in the heat and I am grateful to live up high in Menorca where there is normally a breeze.

IN THIS ISSUE

ISLAND NEWS

FOOD AND DRINK

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

LOCAL NEWS

WHAT’S ON

READERS’ CORNER

Liz ParrJohn Davies

NEWS

FISHMONGERS RETIRING

Both the fish markets in Mahón and Ciutadella are finding that no one is bidding to run the stalls to sell the locally caught fish and shell fish. In Ciutadella only one stall has been confirmed and if no more come forward there will be five empty places, even though the ayuntamiento has reduced the rents.

In Mahón, Peixos (fish) Lino has closed after three decades due to the retirement of the stall holder. His daughter who has helped him for many years cannot afford to take over the business. She says it is difficult being self-employed and the numbers just don´t add up. She comments that bad weather, fishing restrictions, a lack of fishermen, rising prices etc. make life complicated meaning there is little profit and sometimes none at all. Earlier this year another stall closed (La Port Llansa) and there are only three still open in Mahón. One of them laments that young people don´t have the knowledge about the sea, the fishing industry or the vocation, adding that when these three retire that will be the end of the stalls in the fish market. He says anyone can go out fishing but to do it well is another story. The fishmongers still have their faithful clientele, many live locally and prefer fresh island fish to buying in the supermarkets. Lots of people who go for tapas in the other part of the market have a look round and show interest, but they rarely buy anything. The stall holders want the history of the fishing industry on the island documented and the emblematic market preserved.

New restrictions have affected the professional lobster fishermen on the island. Previously they could leave the trammel nets in the water for 48 hours; this has been reduced to 24 hours affecting their catch. Fishermen in Fornells say from 1st April to 28th June in 2022 they caught 4.703 Kilos and for the same period this year the catch was reduced to 3.462 Kilos. Mahón and Ciutadella tell the same story. Prawns, from the large Langoustines to the small shrimps are unaffected. All Menorcan lobsters must be identified as having been caught legally (this law applies throughout the Balearics) and restaurants must abide by this.

By Christine Brooker

A TAXI AND A WALK

People taking taxis to Cala Tirant to the apartments on the far side of the beach opposite Playas de Fornells have complained to the Ayuntamiento in Es Mercadal that taxis are leaving them where the tarmacked road finishes; they then have to walk two kilometres, often with luggage. The taxi company confirmed that this is correct. The problem is that this is a private road, (similar to the situation in Binimelà where there are also complaints) which it is up to the owners to maintain. The taxi drivers say that potholes and dust damages their cars. An added problem is that the coastal authorities have to approve any changes as the road passes the Basses de Lluriach which at certain times of the year is a wetland.

CINEMA FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

Two cinemas in Menorca are joining the government initiative to encourage those over 65 to start coming back to watch films. On one day of the week they will be able to buy tickets for two Euros. Cinemas Canal Salat es Moix Negré and Ocimax Multicines are taking part. It doesn´t say if the reduction applies to the original or Spanish versions of the movies.

FIESTAS

We are still in the fiesta season, so a quick look back at Sant Joan in Ciutadella in June. Per la Mar Viva (For a living sea) installed a net by the Pont de Ferro (Bridge) in the port to prevent too much plastic being washed into the sea. They collected 113.47 kilos including 1.800 bottles, 2000 beakers and straws, and non recyclable plastic bags, now prohibited by law. On the same day the paper reported that the air being breathed in Menorca contained particles from the forest fires in Canada... Another anecdote is that a huge poster was displayed (albeit for a few minutes until the national police removed it) stating Ferreries 52, Ciutadella 0, in reference to the fact that women are still not allowed to ride in the fiestas there (incredibly!) and that they have been allowed to in Ferreries for the last 52 years. I imagine in some of the other towns it may have been longer.

DAVID DE GEA TIES THE KNOT IN MENORCA

David de Gea the Spanish footballer who was goalkeeper for almost 12 years at Manchester United got married on 1st July (the day after his contract finished in Manchester) in Menorca to Edurne, a well known singer in Spain who has represented the country in Eurovision and is a judge on the Spanish programme “Got Talent”. Both are from Madrid. The setting for the marriage was the Lithica quarries near Ciutadella - these have lovely medieaval gardens and a mazeunfortunately the photo released to the press (they didn´t sell an exclusive) did not present the area at its best showing a large crane in the background! Fortunately this was edited out by Hola! (Spanish Hello!). The guests also enjoyed a prenuptial dinner at Isabellas in Playas de Fornells and a reception at a rural hotel in Alaior. Spanish international and ex Man U players Ander Herrera and Juan Mata attended the wedding. When asked why they had chosen Menorca, David told the press, “We really like this island, it has a special charm and in summer you want to be near the beach… I am not one to get emotional, but I have been quite excited,” The celebrity couple shared photos of the wedding, on Instagram. Between them their accounts have 17 million followers.

COSTLY SUNBEDS

The cost of sun beds, pedalos and general beach services have often been a cause for complaint as the ayuntamientos tend to “auction” them off to the highest bidder, and those who have the concession obviously want to make a profit. Now there are more problems in Ciutadella and Son Bou. In the beaches at Son Xoriguer, Cala en Bosc and Cala Blanca the prices charged for sun beds, umbrellas, kayaks, surf boards and pedalos are double those stipulated. A pedalo that should cost 12 Euros for an hour has been charged at 25; kayaks that have a maximum price of 40 Euros for eight hours are being rented for 50 Euros for four hours, and in Macarella 25 to 30 Euros for an hour. There is also an absence of boards stating the official prices that is signed and stamped by the ayuntamiento in Ciutadella. The ayuntamiento and the department for the environment are making enquiries. In Son Bou sun beds and umbrellas are being “rehired”. The tour operator, Around Portugal, has complained on behalf of guests who had left their belongings on the sun beds while they had lunch, only to find that when they returned these had been jumbled up in a box with other peoples possessions, none of which were separated or labelled and the sun beds “rehired”. The tour company says one of the employees threatened a 75 year old client. It would seem much simpler if the ayuntamientos just employed people themselves instead of taking the money and forgetting about the service.

ORGAN DONORS

In the first five months of the year three people have donated organs, the same amount as the whole of 2022. Donations in Menorca started in 2001 and thanks to the solidarity of 57 donors and their families 177 organs have been transplanted. The profile of the donors shows an average age of 56, 49% men and 51% women. 84% with the blood group O positive and most had brain (encephalic) deaths. Since 2017 it has been possible to extract organs from people in Menorca. Both the Spanish National Health service and the local organisation Alcer (which is sometimes thought to just represent kidney patients, many of whom receive dialysis, but they represent all those waiting for organs) are asking people to go to their health centres and register their wishes to donate.

MIRO’S HOMAGE TO THE TAULA

The Cayón Gallery in Mahón has Joan Miró as the star of this summer’s exhibition. One of the sculptures was inspired by the taulas, the T shaped monuments, unique to Menorca and part of the Talayotic culture. The sculpture dated from 1977 consists of a fragment of wood, a rectangular shaped stone a cardboard box of books entitled “History of Humanity” and on top a whetstone shaped like a half moon. There is also a photo of the taula at Trepucó with Miro´s sketches and ideas for the sculpture. The exhibition is open until 9th September and there is a catalogue written by Sir Peter Murray O.B.E., Founder of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

BE CAREFUL, YOU ARE BEING FILMED

SON VILAR PETROL STATION CLOSED

Local police from Es Castell officially sealed the pumps at the Galp petrol station in Son Vilar on 29th June. The “Tribunal Superior” had ruled that the licence granted by the ayuntamiento in September 2019 is inadmissible. At first Galp ignored the court order and continued to open. The legal action was taken by Servicio Rosselló S.L. after the courts had annulled the original licence; Joan López Oleo, owner of Galp (Gasolis Low Cost Menorca) says the last thing they want is for the ayuntamiento to have to reimburse them which of course would implicate all the residents in Es Castell. The supermarket has also been closed and five employees in total are in an uncertain situation. Lluís Camps, the alcalde, says they didn´t grant permission until all the reports were favourable and this took two years from 2014 to 2016. The latest news is that the original order to demolish the petrol station (the date has now expired) has been delayed due to GALP’s appeal. Apparently Rosselló don´t like the fact that the petrol station is situated near to theirs in Fort de L´eau (by the rusty roundabout), and have claimed that the site is in a built up area. Presumably they haven´t noticed the huge blocks of flats near their petrol station (?!). Many of these were built later, to be fair, but permission was granted. Residents in Es Castell, Son Vilar etc. wonder why they can´t have a petrol station as most towns on the island are well served, especially Mahón. There has always been a supermarket too which was useful for locals and tourists alike.

Local police in Ciutadella have purchased four body cameras which were used in the recent town fiestas. The cameras are worn at chest level and people can see that they are being filmed, which is hoped will make them pause for thought. The videos and sound are of high quality and can be used in evidence, and the software enables the recordings to be seen live at the police station where they will be encrypted to comply with data protection. The police activate the panoramic vision cameras if they feel the situation warrants it and they are always in readiness and record the moments before they are activated. The total cost of the four was nearly 9000 Euros. Now the police must submit a request for a more permanent use of the equipment as this was granted specifically for the local fiestas of St. Joan.

TWO OF THE LARGEST AIR RAID SHELTERS ON THE ISLAND

The 154 air raid shelters including galleries and cellars in Menorca dating from the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) are in the process of being catalogued by Miquel López (historian) and Carlos de Salort (archaeologist), 50 to 60 of these have not been studied before; for the survey, organised by the Consell the men have been consulting historical and military archives in Menorca and Mallorca. Construction of the network of shelters began in 1938; in Mahón most of the shelters were small and connected up the cellars in the same streets. In Ciutadella there are fewer, but these are larger and had direct access from the street, one of the largest stretches for 200 mts. under Ses Voltes (the arches) from the Nova plaza to the Cathedral square. A huge hangar was built under the Aeroclub de Menorca (the old airport) near Sant Lluis to safeguard planes. Menorca was bombed by Italian planes with a base in Mallorca under the orders of General Franco; the Republicans in Menorca worked hard to finish the runway so that they could defend the island. López says that the study is nearly complete but they are still collecting information about shelters in Alaior and Sant Lluis.

GO WEST

CIUTADELLA’S SPECTACULAR SUNSET SPOTS

One of the ‘Top Things To Do’ on any seaside summer holiday is to schedule a time to see the sunset over the sea. In most places, this is something you can only do if the coast where you are is facing west. However, on the small island of Menorca, spectacular sunsets over the Mediterranean and the mountains of Mallorca can be seen from different vantage points not only on the western coast of the island but also from several spots on the north and south coasts too. This is one of the most appealing aspects of Island life, having the time to embody the local lifestyle philosophy of #slowlife. Well before selfies, social media and hashtags were a thing, or Slow Life was a trending digital movement, the Menorcans have had phrases that are often said and well lived by: ‘No frissis’ (Menorcan for ‘Don’t Rush’) and ‘Poc a Poc’ (Literally means ‘bit by bit’). Both are said to remind you to slow down, take it easy and make time for what is most important to you. Delight in your life and the daily magical moments that are already yours yet you may not have the time to savour. I like to time my walks out in nature within the last 30 minutes of the sun setting over the sea. The scenery changes as the seasons do and the sunset moves from going down behind the Mallorcan mountains to over the Mediterranean Sea. Depending on when you are on Menorca you will get a different view.

The most colourful sunsets of all are caused by the wind and accompanied by sparse clouds which can produce a full range of colours from dark blue to pink to bright yellow simultaneously. The locals know the more pink and orange the sunset, the more wind is likely the following day.

And it’s not just the colour of the sun or the sky that changes, but also the shades of liquid gold and midnight blue that appear on the surface of the gently wavy sea. If you are lucky, a sailing boat or two will be passing by just at the right moment for you to easily capture THE perfect filter-free photo. Nature does like to remind us that it can produce a daily miracle so amazing that it’s worth scheduling in time to witness it.

Just this week I went to one of the most popular sunset spots on the island on my regular walk, the same spot that is deserted in January was full of cars and hundreds of people to witness the colour show for themselves and take dozens of photos to get a selfie as awesome as the scene itself.

Yet in those last few moments before the sun went down everyone was captivated by the experience of being there, so much so that once the sun completely disappeared there was a round of applause from the crowd!

For the sunset!

This happens every single day, yet we have to wait for the weekend or to be on holiday to appreciate it. I smiled to myself as I passed a family of three generations who were all in awe of the sight. I was tempted to make a joke and remind them that there will be a repeat showing tomorrow: same time, same place, guaranteed. Sadly we tend to miss so much of the magic in our busy lives, yet it must have been so special for three generations to be together. That sunset that day and the photos they took together will remind them of how they felt in that moment for the rest of their lives.

So to quote the Village People (unless you prefer the Pet Shop Boys), when you are ‘Together, Go West’, to discover some of the best spots to enjoy your magical Menorcan Sunset.

Take the Me-1 main road across the island towards Ciutadella and then head either North, South or straight into town to find each of the following spots (and keep singing if you want ‘Go West, life is peaceful there, lots of open air, where the skies are blue, this is what we’re gonna do’).

by Vanessa Jeny, Menorca Blue

TOP SUNSET SPOTS IN THE WEST:

On the southern side of Ciutadella:

To get to the following spots, turn left at the roundabout at the end of the Me-1 (La Carretera) and then take the RC-2 (Ronda Sur) passing straight through another 5 roundabouts and turn left at the 6th roundabout and follow the signs from there.

1. Far de Cap d’Atrutx - Cap d’Artutx Lighthouse

Situated on the southern-western tip of Menorca the lighthouse is an excellent vantage point to enjoy the sunset. If you position yourself on the southern side of the lighthouse you can get the best photos with the lighthouse in the shot. The lighthouse is also home to a restaurant and chillout bar called Artrutx Sea Club Cala’n Bosch with a full menu, cocktails and DJ sessions during the summer months. From the end of the Me-1 turn left at the roundabout and follow the signs to Cala Bosch and then Cap dÁrtrutx.

2. Miradors de Cala Blanca - Viewpoints of Cala Blanca

Situated on the southern side of Ciutadella, follow the signs from the Ronda sur for Cala Blanca turning left at the 6th Roundabout. There are two Mirador viewing spots at the midpoint of the street called Avinguda de Cala Blanca which is a one-way street heading south. You can view from any point on the street with limited parking available and there are some bars and restaurants towards the end where you can enjoy a meal or a drink, The Blarney Stone Irish Pub is a popular spot for many years.

3. Torre des Castellar - Castellar Tower, Sa Caleta

A small historical defence lookout point that remains in excellent condition despite the occasional beatings from the sea due to strong western winds in winter. The tower is synonymous with Sa Caleta and Santandria and sunset photos with the tower in the foreground are always stunning.

4. Castell de Sant Nicolau - Saint Nicolas’ Castle, Ciutadella

The best vantage point in the centre of Ciutadella is arguably at this small ‘Castle’ which is another tower in pristine condition that sits at the mouth of Ciutadella Port. If you position yourself on the south side of the castle you can capture photos with the castle in the foreground, the Sa Farola Lighthouse in the middle (on the northern entry point to the Port) and the sun setting down behind it.

On the Northern Coast of Ciutadella:

Turn right at the roundabout at the end of the Me-1. For all the following spots turn left at the next roundabout onto the RC-1 Ronda Nord, with the exception of Cala Morell where you turn right at this second roundabout.

5. Coastal Roads of Sa Farola, Cala Blanes, Cala Brut, Cala’n Forcat and Cales Piques.

There are 5 coastal roads around the picturesque coves that sit to the north of Ciutadella where you can enjoy a clear view of the sunset every day. Go straight on the Ronda Nord till the roundabout where there is the Eroski supermarket, go straight ahead to get to the Sa Farola coastal road, or turn right to get to the other vantage points. There is a well-known spot with a view, a recently reopened restaurant called Coral Menorca. It sits on the Avenida de Los Delfines, the one-way coastal road between Calas Piques and Cala Forcat at the end of the Los Delfines urbanisation.

6. Pont d’en Gil, Calas Piques - ‘Gil’s Bridge’

This natural wonder has become one of the most popular spots to watch the sunset, a bridge shape cut into the coastal rocks by the sea that closely resembles the now collapsed Azure Window on the island of Gozo in Malta made famous by the first season of Game of Thrones. From here you can see the sunset with the Pont in the foreground and the sunset in the horizon next to Cap de Formentor on the north coast of Mallorca. It’s so popular that when I went to visit yesterday there were two marriage proposals in the space of 5 minutes! One Spanish couple and one English couple. Both got a round of applause from everyone!

To get to the Pont you park where you can on the street and walk to the right on foot along the coast for 5 minutes. You can see the sunset perfectly from that road if you don’t want to walk over the rocks, and during the summer the Sea Club Menorca Apartment Complex has a pop-up bar with a DJ in the evenings.

7. Punta Nati, North Coast - Punta Nati Lighthouse

This spot is worth it but is a bit of an adventure to get there. Due to its popularity during July and August, it’s restricted to bus access only in the evening, with no car parking access at all from the turn-off at the roundabout from Ciutadella. Information online about bus access and timetables, the bus is 4€ return and 15 minutes duration. If you go by car any other time of the year, there is parking close to the end of the road, then there is a 1km walk to the lighthouse and the coast along the rest of the road and rocks. So you want to know the time the sun sets and calculate 45 mins earlier so you are not rushing.

8. Cala Morell, Ciutadella North Coast

Whilst technically on the north coast and not the west coast, this list would be incomplete without including Cala Morell. There are two beach bars/restaurants with a view that are open in the evening: Enricana and Ivette. What makes the view of the sunset from Cala Morell so special is the Elephant shaped rock formation that sits at the tip of the cove. An unforgettable view at any time of the day at sunset is particularly remarkable. Its position means that you can see it from any point around the cove, but the best photos are arguably taken from the ‘Mirador Elefante’ as markets on Google Maps which is located on the far northern side of the bay. Ideal for capturing the sun setting in the west.

If it’s a showstopping sunset that stops you in your tracks and commands you to slow down then so be it. Sometimes you will catch it as you are in transit from one place to the other, but for me even after all the years of living here, the sunset is always a good reason to intentionally just be. Menorcans also say ‘Hi ha temps de tot’, meaning ‘There is time for everything’. So choose to invest it in what matters to you most.

If you do capture the sunset at any of these locations, let me know by tagging @menorcablue on Instagram, Facebook or Tiktok. I would love to share the moment with you.

BIG

THEINTERVIEW

JULIÁN MÁRMOL WITH

The Lago Resort describes itself as the most complete Eco resort in Menorca. It has certainly transformed and uplifted much of the area of the Cala’n Bosch surrounding the lagoon. We had not visited for many years as the low bridge over the entrance to the marina means that sailing boats cannot enter and therefore it was not a place frequented by our sailing charter clients. In our earlier days running Holiday Hires (over 15 years ago), Casas del Lago was on our route to deliver toasters as it had many Irish clients whose children demanded toast for breakfast. Today Casas del Lago is a 4* Hotel with its own Arena Beach Club, home to the Thai Garden restaurant. It is just one of four choices of accommodation on offer alongside Villas del Lago, Bungalows del Lago and the 5* Suites del Lago.

The resort is a major gastrohub with 24 bars and restaurants in total. Guests can sign up for a Foodie Passport giving them access to special menus designed for food lovers at each of the restaurants of the Lago Resort.

At the 5*Suites del Lago the restaurants include:

KAYPA the Peruvian cuisine and Pisco bar directed by Omar Malpartida, a distinguished chef awarded with a SOL from the Repsol guide in Maymanta Ibiza. You can eat on the terrace or be served in your hammock or on your Balinese bed next to the pool. Kaypa has a Ceviche Bar with 7 different choices, and a selection of ‘Creole Fire’ main dishes. There is exclusive access for residents during the day, but non-residents can book from 7pm to 11pm. +34 689 84 84 47

FOC ECO BRASSERIE is the main hotel restaurant, and it features a Menorcan charcoal grill and vines from the neighbouring Binitord winery. The vegetables and fruits come from the hotel’s own organic garden and the lettuces that they grow hydroponically in the same dining room. The eggs are from their “Chicken Villa” and the fish come from their boat in Ciutadella. Non-residents can book from 7.30pm to 10.20pm. +34 971 38 13 06.

For this article we are concentrating on GODAI. the ‘first JapaneseMenorcan restaurant in the world’ led by Julián Mármol. Intrigued by the stories of a self-taught chef with a Michelin star who has prepared sushi for the stars, we wanted to find out more and he was only too happy to meet up and chat.

Julián Mármol opened GODAI restaurant in the Lago resort of Cala’n Bosch in 2021 and immediately hit the headlines when the footballer Ronaldo published a picture of himself at the restaurant with his friends, sports journalist Edu Aguirre and physical trainer Tony Falco. Julian has many friends in celebrity circles and it was Richard Gere who helped to put his first restaurant Yugo the Bunker on the map. He now has several restaurants in Madrid and GODAI in Menorca. Godai are the five elements in Japanese Buddhist thought of earth (chi), water (sui), fire (ka), wind (fu), and void (ku).

Tell me how your career as a chef started

I worked in the car industry for 15 years, latterly as a Commercial Director for Nissan in Madrid. The company paid for me to do a Masters in Asiatic Studies which introduced me to the Japanese culture. Once I had discovered sushi I was hooked and it became my obsession. I was invited to participate as a sushi chef at a private party in Madrid and it was such a success that people suggested I should change career. To begin with I dismissed the idea but after a few more similar experiences I began to realise it could become a reality.

So tell me about your first restaurant

I set up Yugo the Bunker as a private club in Madrid. My idea was to replicate the idea of a traditional Japanese pub or izakaya. In the basement there was a private room for club members, based on a bunker from WW2. It became quite well known and then the food writer José Carlos Capel from El Pais visited and wrote a review. Richard Gere and his Spanish partner, Alejandra Silva, soon followed and then the phone never stopped ringing. I had to move to new premises with an open restaurant on one floor and a private dining club in the bunker below. In 2019 we were awarded a Michelin Star for the first time and it has been renewed each year, including 2023

Julián Mármol

And you now have 6 restaurants in total?

Yes, I have KUU which I call our R&D centre where a group of 12 people help us develop all the recipes for all the restaurants. The Japanese Ambassador explained the concept of KUU to me; it translates as self-taught, creating something without any foundation or out of empty space. Shikence is a project that I have been developing for five years and it is Mexican cuisine with a Japanese philosophy. Monchis is an offshoot of this idea based in Canalejas Food Hall in Madrid. I create tacos and tamales as tiny perfectly made snacks under the influence of Japan. The Eight is a grill, also in Canalejas Food Hall, which redefines hamburgers and sandwiches, the meats being cooked on a Japanese charcoal grill.

Why did you choose to open a restaurant in Menorca?

I wanted a restaurant next to the sea and Menorca offers superb local fish and my favourite ‘mariscos’ or shellfish. The hotel has its own garden less than 2 km from the restaurant and so we can source the best local products. I call my cuisine ‘fusion without confusion’, based on how I like to see sushi and interpreting it in my own way. I always respect the main product and add something to balance or to improve it but never to mask it.

What can diners expect at GODAI this summer?

I combine the Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine, taking the finest local ingredients and preparing them with the minutest attention to detail to create unique taste sensations.

You can choose from our a la carte menu but if you want something special we have a tasting menu which can take you on a journey from Menorca to Japan. It can be paired with Spanish wines or with Sake or with a combination of the two. The Tasting Menu has 10 different sushi such as Island red prawn Nigiri with Japanese Garlic, tempura lobster with coral broth slaw and Su Mai of sardine with citrus béarnaise from our lemon trees. There is then a choice of black cod Shiromoso with miso and yuzo chives from our own garden or Wagyu hamburger and for dessert there is Matcha French toast or chocolate Milcrep with Menorcan apricots (Tasting Menu Price 135 € )

How much time do you spend in Menorca

The restaurant is open from June to September (adults only) and I spend 7 days a month here over the 4 months. I have two daughters (from different mothers) and they have been here for holidays too.

Do you have new ideas for the future?

I have a new project called Club Unique and I am excited by the idea of introducing new sensory experiences to our gastronomy. This is Kuu through technology, sounds, aromas and projections and we hope to achieve a unique experience.

Julian is 47 years old and despite his fame, he is open and friendly and was happy to spend time talking to us. He showed us pictures of his amazing home in Madrid which is furnished with many beautiful objects including an illuminated onyx coffee table and a full tree inside the apartment. He laughed when John suggested it was not exactly Feng Shui. With so many restaurants and a home designed for entertaining it is perhaps easier to understand why he has never had time to visit Japan!

Yugo the Bunker in Madrid

SPAIN’S GOLDEN VISA

By Cathal Rochford, Partner, Blevins Franks

If you are in a position to make a significant investment in Spain, the Golden Visa could give you the freedom to spend as much or as little time here as you please.

EU nationals have no restrictions on the number of days they can spend here each year, but UK and other third-party visitors need to carefully follow the ’90-day rule’.

Resident permits generally commit you to spending six months of the year in Spain and being tax resident here (so liable to Spanish taxation on your worldwide income, gains and wealth and subject to the local succession regime). This is not suitable for holiday homeowners and often does not work for those who divide their time between Spain and the UK either.

The 90-day rule

If you are not an EU national and do not have an official Spanish residence permit, you are limited to spending 90 days in Spain in any rolling 180day period without a visa.

This 90-day limit applies across the EU Schengen zone, so you cannot pause or reset your days by spending time in another member country. Once you have used up your allowance you will not be permitted to enter another Schengen country until you have spent enough time outside the area.

Anyone caught overstaying could risk deportation, fines and a record in their passport that can complicate future travel and visa applications.

If you want to spend more time in Spain, you have two general options: apply in advance for a visa for each extended stay or apply for a residence permit.

The benefits of Spain’s ‘Golden Visa’

While Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa and Residency Permit works very well for retirees, you need to spend around 183+ days a year in Spain to maintain it. This is not a problem if you are making a home in Spain, but if you do not intend to live here full time, the Golden Visa may be an option.

The Golden Visa and Golden Residency Permit offer a more flexible residence option for third-country nationals who can make a substantial capital investment in Spain. There are virtually no limits to how little or long you spend in Spain. These resident permits provide the freedom to come and go as you wish without having to become fully resident.

There are two options:

1. Spanish Golden Visa, which you apply for at the Spanish Consulate in the UK before moving.

2. Spanish Golden Residency Permit, obtained through the Large Business and Strategic Groups Unit in Spain.

Golden visa requirements

Both options require you to make significant qualifying investment in Spain, which can be one of the following:

• Buy Spanish property worth at least €500,000 (as at July 2023). If you already own one, it will count if acquired after September 2013. You can purchase a second property to make up the €500,000 minimum if necessary.

• Buy shares in a Spanish company or make a deposit in a Spanish bank, both with a €1 million minimum, or purchase at least €2 million in Spanish Treasury securities.

• Invest in a new business that offers employment opportunities or other significant local benefits.

You then need to satisfy certain requirements. This includes:

• Proof of financial means. You need to demonstrate that you can meet the minimum income requirement (4 x the Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples (IPREM), so in 2023 this is €28,800 for an individual or €36,000 for a couple), or roughly double this deposited in a Spanish bank to support yourself and any dependants.

• Suitable medical health insurance from an approved insurer.

• Medical record check from an authorised doctor no more than 90 days old.

• Clean police records.

• No ban on entry into Spain or have been found to be there illegally.

Validity

The Golden Visa is initially valid for one year and the Golden Residence Permit for two. Renewals can then be made for successive five-year periods. You must reconfirm sufficient financial means and healthcare insurance at each renewal if you are residing in Spain.

If, after five years, you have lived in Spain for at least six months a year in each of these five years, you can apply for a permanent residence permit, valid for 10 years.

So, if you are still working in the UK but intend to relocate to Spain when you retire in a few years and wish to enjoy long periods in Spain between now and then, you could buy your (qualifying) Spanish property now, apply for a Golden Visa to avoid the 90-day rule, then make your move permanent once you retire.

Future of the Golden Visa?

These are the rules at the of writing (15 July 2023). Following scrutiny of these ‘golden visa’ schemes in various countries, there have been reports that the Spanish government is debating whether to increase the minimum property value (reportedly to €1 million) or perhaps even abolish this visa completely.

For now, this remains speculation and you still apply for a golden visa as outlined above.

A note on tax residency

While golden visa holders do not need to worry about the 90-day rule, you do need to pay attention to the number of days you spend in Spain and how strong your ties are here, so that you know whether you meet the tax residence criteria or not.

In summary, you are considered resident in Spain for tax purposes if any of these apply to you:

1. You spend more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year, or

2. Your ‘centre of economic interests’ is in Spain, or

3. Your ‘centre of vital interests’ is in Spain (i.e. if your spouse lives here).

If you meet any of these criteria, you will benefit from planning ahead. A Spain based adviser with cross-border expertise on both taxation and residence is best placed to help you meet your obligations in the most tax-efficient way and take advantage of suitable opportunities in Spain.

This is a summary so take personalised advice. All information is based on our understanding of legislation and taxation practice at the time of writing; this may change in the future.

PROPERTY NEWS

HOUSING IN MENORCA

Every ten years the National Institute for Statistics in Spain publish a census of properties. The latest was taken in January 2021 and shows that Menorca has over 60.000 properties and almost 9000 are empty or being used for less than 3 months, an average of one in seven. Es Mercadal and Es Migjorn have even more where three in ten are unoccupied. 37.619 properties are main homes and 22.904 are second homes, a considerable rise from the 10.000 in 2011. The method used to calculate if a building is empty is by electricity consumption, if this is lower than 15 days per annum the property is considered unoccupied (2000 in Menorca); and if used for three months it is classified as “of sporadic use” (6.100). Figures are slightly less on mainland Spain where 14.4% are unoccupied compared to 16.1% in the Balearics; the total for the islands is 105.423 empty out of 652.123 properties. Over half of the properties on the island have only one or two people on the census.

FLATS WITH SQUATTERS FOR SALE

On 17th July, flats with squatters were put on sale at reduced prices, mostly by banks. Potential buyers are sent to a website of an estate agent experienced in this type of sale in Palma in Mallorca. They stay involved until the purchaser receives the keys of the property. Prospective clients are informed that they may not view the property as it is occupied

MENORCA POPULATION BY NATIONALITIES

MAPPING FOREIGN POPULATION IN MENORCA

Reproduced with kind permission of Home Menorca

A total of 110 different nationalities and 11.430 foreigners live in Menorca, representing 11.8% of the total population of Menorca. The island, according to the demographic data of the 2022 census released by the Balearic Institute of Statistics, is experiencing a slight recovery in the foreign population, with 176 foreigners more than a year ago (an increase of 1.6%). Despite the recovery recorded in recent years, it is still far from the more than 15,600 immigrants who came to reside in Menorca in 2009.

By continent, almost half of the foreigners, more than 5.500, come from the European Union, while almost 3.000 come from South America, representing 26% of the total, and 15.4% (1,763) are African.

By nationality, the ranking continues to be capitalized as always by the United Kingdom, which is by far the country with the most foreign residents in Menorca, up to 2.053. Although the British colony on the island has increased in recent years, it should be noted that it has been in decline for years. Indeed, ten years ago Menorca had twice as many Britons as now. The British represent 18% of all foreigners living in Menorca.

In second place we find Italy, with 1.387 Italians residing in Menorca, a figure that has remained stable over the last decade, albeit slightly decreasing. Morocco follows with 1.321 residents, with a similar evolution to Italy, which ten years ago was at the top of the ranking, being the second most frequent foreign nationality in Menorca. In fourth place we find Colombia, with 969 immigrants and a considerable increase (almost double) compared to ten years ago.

A special mention is deserved for France and Germany, which are respectively in fifth and ninth place. Ten years ago Germans were the fifth most common foreign nationality and the French the seventh. It is not lost on anyone that Menorca has become very fashionable in France, as can be seen with the steady increase in French tourists in recent years. 728 French people currently live in Menorca, a hundred more than ten

and only cash sales are accepted, there is no possibility of a loan. A 74 sq. mt. flat in the centre of Mahón is on sale for 109.000 Euros, the normal price would be 185.000. Local estate agents say it is difficult for private owners to evict squatters and for large financial entities such as banks it can take years. Isabel Petrus from Casas en Menorca says that the new law covering the Right to have a home, that came into force on 26th May this year, (after two years of heated arguments) favours those who are installed in the property, not the buyers and will not help the housing situation on the island. José Pons in Bonnin Sansó says that owners think twice about renting their properties for fear of unpaid rents and squatters.

AMERICAN BUYERS ON THE RISE

Since regular flights have been organised in the summer from Palma to New York, American buyers have started buying in Menorca. Engel and Volkers estate agent says that in 2022 they accounted for 10% of their sales, equalling the British and overtaking the Germans, whilst the French accounted for 16%. Some properties have changed hands for over 5.000.000 Euros. They also note that since the moratorium on tourist licences, a property with a licence sells for 20% more than one that doesn’t, adding that a luxury villa can be rented out for 15.000 Euros a week in August, a more modest one with four bedrooms can command 4000 Euros.

years ago (+15.7%). As for the Germans, the opposite situation has occurred, there are fewer and fewer Germans residing in Menorca, just 329, compared to 843 in 2012.

The top 10 of foreign nationalities is completed by Ecuador (458), Romania (443) and Argentina (344) in sixth, seventh and eighth place; and is closed by Peru with 309 residents on the island.

Read more articles on the Blog: https://www.homemenorca.com/blog

By Christine Brooker

POLITICS ELECTIONS

Regional Elections were celebrated throughout Spain on 28th May, and the next morning the map of Spain showed that the colour of the town halls (ayuntamientos) and regional governments had changed in the majority from red (PSOE Socialist) to blue PP (Conservative). But it was not quite as simple as that because in many places they had the majority vote but not enough to form councils or regional governments.

In Menorca over 1300 non-Spanish residents were eligible to vote, but only for the local ayuntamientos, not the Consell (Island Council) or the Balearic Government and Parliament. The abstention was high in Menorca where nearly half the population didn´t vote. Finally the eight municipalities in Menorca have been constituted as follows: -

Mahón, Hector Pons, formerly a teacher, repeats as Alcalde, the only socialist municipality left on the island, he was backed up by votes from Ara Maó, the radical left wing party that was in coalition with them previously. This time no agreement has been reached yet between the two; the inauguration finished with cheers for the King, which will not have gone down well with the left-wing party...

Ciutadella was more complicated, the new alcaldesa is Juana Marí Pons for the PP right at the last minute; if the two socialist parties PSOE (National) and PSM (Menorcan) had come to an agreement, they would have had a majority but after endless wrangling they could not reconcile their differences, so Pons has a minority town council.

In Alaior there was a clear majority for the PP and José Luis Benejam (his previous career was in communications, the radio in particular) will repeat as alcalde with eight new council members of the thirteen members of the council - only four are women.

In Es Castell Lluis Camps is back again for the PP , after four years of PSOE, he has an absolute majority but has added one councillor, Florencio Condé, an independent, who had worked with Camps before.

In Sant Lluis the PP didn´t have an outright majority but Loles Tronch was voted as the alcaldesa with the extra vote needed from xBalears. She said that she is still Loles the English teacher from the Cap de Llevant School and that if she gets too big for her boots the electorate has permission to rap her knuckles!

There are strange bedfellows in Es Mercadal. What looked like a victory for PSOE was snatched at the last minute when the biologist Joan Palliser from L´Entesa (left wing) became alcalde with a team of young people from the PP . Palliser says he wants to include all parties in the town council, but at the moment PSOE are not listening.

In Ferreries, Pedro Pons (PP) has a clear majority and is the new alcalde, opposition parties have promised to work with him.

The smallest and newest municipality Es Migjorn, (it separated from Es Mercadal in 1989) is led again by Antonia Camps PP with a clear majority; Es Migjorn has the youngest town council on the island.

The Consell, the Island Council, has changed colour from PSOE to PP; Adolfo Franca will be the new President, replacing Susana Mora from PSOE. Two of the elected councillors have resigned before the council took power citing personal reasons, possibly they didn´t expect to win! The Diari de Menorca spotted bags and bags of shredded paper in the recycling bin outside the Consell whilst they still have control. It has now been announced that Vilafranca will take over on 8th July. He doesn´t have an outright majority and we still don´t know whether he will allow VOX the extreme right wing party to rule with him as they disagree on many points, the new Biosphere law, the main road and the territorial plan for the island.

Again, after long negotiations the Government and Parliament in the Balearic Islands has just been formed, the PP has had to make concessions to VOX which are causing a lot of controversy. Marga Prohens the potential candidate to lead the Balearic Government has ceded the presidency of the second house, the Parliament to Gabriel Le Senne for VOX. This was commented on all the national news channels yesterday as Le Senne is known for being homophobic, against abortion, he believes the population is being replaced by immigrants. He has already made the Parliament replace the term “violencia machista”, a huge problem in Spain where every year women are killed by abusive partners, to “violencia intrafamilia”. One good thing is that Catalan will no longer be a requirement in hospitals, this extreme law has caused endless difficulties to get qualified doctors and nurses for the islands.

Meanwhile, Pedro Sanchez the president of the Spanish Government announced general elections for the 23rd July, the day after the regional and local elections. This is hardly a convenient time for the Spanish with work and holiday commitments. He did not mention PSOE´s wipe-out or take any blame, merely saying he wants the country to decide where they want to go. He also has made pacts with Catalan Nationalists, and the Basque party BILDU who are the political arm of the now defunct terrorists ETA; they even had some convicted assassins on their lists until there was an outcry from the public. Sanchez also has a pact with Podemos, the extreme left wing group that was virtually annihilated in the recent elections because one minister passed a law theoretically against violence to women that caused many rapists to be released from prison early. She has refused to resign and the president to sack her. By the time we go to press the general elections will be over. We will update you next month!

PEDRO’S BOAT

SEA RAY TO SOLARIS

Last month we reported on Candela, the electric boat from Pedro’s Boat. Samuel Pons from Pedro’s Boat was keen to point out that they sell a wide variety of sports, recreation and motor boats that cater to different styles, preferences, needs, tastes and budgets, depending on whether you want to go out for the day or to stay on board overnight. The brands you can choose from include Sea Ray, Sessa Marine, Key Largo and Rodman.

Solaris Power, is a relatively new addition that has emerged from a brand renowned for its high-performance sailing boats. Their motorboats reflect the expertise in sailboat construction applied to motorboats. It has an elegant Italian design, coupled with the latest technology and premium materials, provides practicality, comfort, and quality putting it at the top end of the range of 44-foot vessels.

Aquila, produce a range of luxury catamarans, which are spacious and versatile vessels that combine comfort and performance. There are a wide range of customizable options, including the possibility of incorporating a hydrofoil to achieve additional lift and fuel efficiency reduction, Aquila provides a top-tier sailing experience for those seeking luxury and elegance on the water.

Samuel says, “At Pedro’s Boat, we take pride in working with these renowned brands, as they enable us to offer our customers a wide selection of exceptional boats. Our goal is to ensure that each customer finds the perfect vessel to enjoy an unforgettable experience onboard.”

SEAT MO SILENCE

By Miquel Triay

All my life I have had a motorcycle and for many years there was no other choice than two or four strokes. When the first electric with an acceptable finish level appeared on the market, I bought it but despite the fact that it was of very good quality, it had some drawbacks including being very large and heavy. Some time later, the factory closed so I sold it.

Then the Silence brand appeared on the market, a motorcycle made in Spain that is also the manufacturer of the Seat Mo. It is a light, powerful motorcycle, originally designed for rental fleets, so it is robust and simple. For urban use it is perfect, light, very stable and with good acceleration. It is capable of doing one hundred kilometers on one battery charge in ECO mode, and it can normally be recharged at home in about five or six hours. If it is completely discharged it may take a little longer.

The brakes are very effective, it has a huge storage box which can fit two helmets, and it has a flat platform with a hook to carry a bag.

There is a subsidy of €1,210 via the MOVES III plan, which can be deducted from the retail price or a maximum of €1,430 if the old vehicle is scrapped (definitively deregistered).

Finally, I’d like to mention that the technical service is offered by SILENCE Menorca where the manager Jose Bisquerra will assist you in a professional and friendly manner.

Features of the Seat Mo Silence

The most novel feature is the MO’s demountable battery with a remarkably simple detachment system (complete with handle and wheels). This allows you to remove the 40kg battery and wheel it into your house for charging or you can charge it in situ in your driveway or garage. The detachment system makes a pretty good anti-theft mechanism, too.

Despite the mechanical differences, riding the MO is very similar to a 125cc petrol scooter, apart from the fact that there’s no engine noise (just a lowspeed gear whine that declines with speed) and an almost complete lack of vibration.

There are three riding modes, Eco, City or Sport, selectable via a switch on the handlebars. Eco saves the battery but restricts performance, City allows more performance but coasts when you close the twist-grip and Sport gives most performance (0-50km/h in a brisk 3.9sec) but limits range to around 80 km. Eco and Sport both offer regenerative braking (displayed on a neat instrument graphic).

The MO’s performance benefits from the well-known instant torque of electric motors off the mark, and in Sport it will slingshot you quite quickly beyond 80 kph, plenty of speed for what is a fundamentally a city-bound bike.

Portella

The Port Authority police in Mahon have two Seat Mo’s for silent operation!

LIFE WAS DIFFERENT THEN

THE GOLDENEYE WATER-SKI CLUB

by Graham (Ricky) Capel

I first came to Menorca in 1965, and life here was really different then. This was only a few years after Franco, and as Menorca had been the last of the Balearic Islands to surrender at the end of the Civil War, it got very little of the subsequent Franco era funding in the late 1950s, early 1960s. This worked out quite well in the long run as Menorca suffered none of the high rise building and lager louts of Majorca, the Costa Brava and Costa del Sol in the 1960/70s. It made the conscious decision in the 1980s to become a family island which it is today.

We first came here in July 1965 on an Autair charter flight. This was a turbo-prop and took nearly 3 hours. If the headwinds were against it, they had to refuel in Perpignan to get here! We landed at the Sant Luis airport as it was then, which is the Flying Club today. As a pilot, I recall helping out in the Control Tower once for a British Caledonian flight to land. The pilot said, ‘How nice to hear an English voice here’.

When we came in 1966 our vehicle had to be craned aboard the ferry at Barcelona and craned off in Mahon. There were no drive-on/off ferries in those days! The harbour edge in Mahon was half the width it is today and only partly made up, and there were still many bodegas and warehouses on the harbour edge. One sold blocks of ice in sawdust which you carried away on a sack on your shoulder to break up to pack into your non-electric ice chest at home or in your bar/café. Life was very different then! There were not many bars and restaurants along the port in Mahon. The Club Maritimo was there but not for foreigners like us, and the best harbourside restaurant then was the Rocamar on the point in Fonduco – it is still there but a wreck of its former self. The American Bar was the popular meeting place along with the Andalucia Bar, both of which are still there. The market in the Cloisters of Carmen was mostly stalls selling vegetables from many of the small farms around San Luis, Villacarlos (Es Castell) etc, each promoting their own fresh produce individually which was delightful. In the entrance was the butcher’s shop of Gomilia Llambias, with his one gold tooth, chopping up and selling fresh meat to all and sundry.

We had heard about Menorca, and Cala en Porter in particular, in an advert for ‘Villas in the sun for £500’ by a company called Gale Developments who operated from above a shop in Green Lane, Ilford, Essex. We came out on one of their inspection flights for £30, with the promise of waterfront property if we would open a Water Sports Club to help promote their development. In July 1965, standing at the top of the steps looking down at the azure blue bay of Cala en Porter as a first impression was ‘magic’. We had seen nothing like it before on the South Coast of England where we had learned to Water Ski!

We walked down the steps to the beach with Simon Vidal the developer. We waded out into the warm, crystal-clear sea, and when the depth reached our chests, we said that we would like to build our Water Sports Club on that piece of cliff. Simon looked up and said that it would cost us £800. Peter and I, two 25-year-olds from Surrey, had a quick conference up to our chests in the warm sea, and decided that it was too expensive for us. A salary in England was then £5/600 pa or £10/12 per week. We asked if we could buy the bottom half only. ‘That is simple. That will be £400’ said Simon. So, we bought it. ‘Come back next May and we will blast out the cliff for £200, we will build a 2-bedroom Gale Developments villa on the platform, and steps to it, and you can start your Water Sports Club’ said Simon Vidal. It cost us, in-all about £1800.

Mahon Harbour 1970s

Cala en Porter bay in the late 1960s

Next year, 1966 we came out with our van loaded with 6 beds and mattresses, tables and chairs, bottles of English Orangeade and Lemonade, towing our speed boat with Ski Club painted on the side by Barbara, and with Ian Warren to help.

The road to Cala en Porter was unmade after San Clemente, and the taxi drivers of the day were reluctant to take you there. The Playa Azul Hotel was only 2 storeys high and it was the only hotel with additional villas in its grounds. The cliff path down to the beach was 192 steps, and the Rustic Bar and Los Barriles were beside the lovely sandy beach. There was also a beach bar run by Pepe from Madrid who carried a large container of water across the beach each day which sufficed to wash the glasses all day! Club Menorca had just been built on the headland and was called Barbarella, after the 1960s Jane Fonda film.

We parked our van on the unmade road on the top of the cliff and walked down the cliff path – once called Nelson Escalera, but certainly Nelson never visited there! Sure enough, there was our Gale Villa, all built ready to become Goldeneye Villa Club (named after Ian Fleming’s house in Jamaica and a subsequent James Bond film). We unloaded all the beds, etc down 91 steps from the top. We moved in and put our pictures, etc on the walls. We towed the speedboat down to the beach and launched it from the beach into the crystal-clear water. We were in heaven.

Cala en Porter was not really a town as it is today, just a collection of shops/ bars and restaurants. Behind the Playa Azul, there was a restaurant called La Salamandra which ran for years. Sa Paissa was on the corner, but it was open fields with stone walls right back to Bar Pon’s. The 007 bar (James Bond was the thing then!) had just been built and was the highlight for quizzes, if you could get there and back at night as there were no streetlights. Curbs and pavements did not arrive until the 1990s. On the way into Cala en Porter was the Gale Developments sales office on the right - still there as a villa, and a little further on was Molly’s Bar, run by a lady from Dagenham and her husband along the lines of an Essex Transport Café – now a boarded up exChinese restaurant. A little further on at the bottom of the dip in the road on the right there was a laundromat and mini supermarket. On the top of the rise was S’Galera, run by an early resident Larry Smith with open land all around. A bit further on, beach bar owner Pepe eventually built ‘Pepe’s Castle’ on the left with accumulated profits from years of the beach bar, and this still stands today. In those days not many villas had swimming pools. Bar Pon’s and Molly’s Bar both had swimming pools behind with a garden open area for sitting/sunbathing. Tourists living in the Gale Villas congregated there to swim, sunbathe and drink all afternoon – that was tourism then!

We had been impressed with the Menorcan stone walls, so we excavated out the cliff below the villa and built a stone wall of our own watched daily by Orfila, a local who always carried a bottle of local gin and glasses which we all helped him drink. Many of the stones were excavated from the sea and thrown up the cliff in relays. When the stone wall was built, we got a local builder to construct arches on top (still there) and by Midsummer the Goldeneye Bar was completed – no permissions, no planning, nothing that I recall. Amazingly, it is still standing! We then started water-skiing with the boat in the daytime and running the bar at night. Pete had brought out from England the latest 35 amp stereo amplifier. We could bounce sound off the opposite cliff. The Goldeneye Bar was very popular that year, and for the next few years as well. My mother came down and made us a Goldeneye Flag which flew from a slightly bent flagpole to show where we were. We also painted a Goldeneye on the villa terrace facing into the bay. This was still there until a few years ago when the current owners painted over it (sad – a landmark destroyed!).

Shopping was very different then. Alaior was the nearest big town, but the road from the present Alaior roundabout on the Cala en Porter road all the way to Alaior was unmade and very bumpy. There was only one furniture shop and that was Triay. Their stock comprised rush seat and back spindle Spanish chairs which were most uncomfortable. The choice of settees which converted into beds was very limited, and so hard that you rolled off when trying to sleep. Local delivery transport was by donkey cart, so we used to tie any furniture on the roof of our hired Fiat or wedge soft furnishings on the ‘deck chair’ canvas rear seat. I remember the Cala en Porter rubbish collection service. This was in iron dustbins which were collected weekly by a donkey cart which could only hold 6 bins. The Donkey, who wore a hat with cut outs for his ears, was called ‘Brilliante’ which was the last thing that he was, poor thing.

We had a lot of fun with guests coming out from England, and Pete, Ian and I teaching water-skiing. In 1967 we added 6 rooms on the roof using a local builder with the 3 of us carrying all the materials to the site from where they had been delivered at either the top of the cliff path, or the car park by the beach. We were very fit that year! In 1968 we put on the first Cala en Porter water fiesta. We had Orfila with a huge searchlight on the cliff on the far side of the bay, and we had another by Goldeneye. We night skied, firing rockets from the bow of the boat circling the bay with 2 skiers towed behind, and the Goldeneye music blaring out. The whole of Cala en Porter - probably only about 300 people at most watched from the beach or the cliffs. The finale was Orfila jumping the 40/50 feet from the cliff into the bay with all the searchlights illuminating him. Orfila died several years later winning a ‘holding your breath underwater’ contest with a German tourist. He had wedged himself under the Playa Azul swimming pool bridge and did not come up!

We left Goldeneye in 1971 when we both got proper jobs in England and elsewhere, but we left Ian Warren behind, and he is still here. So is Goldeneye, now ‘Ocho de Oro’, no longer a Club and Bar, but a very up-market waterfront house which featured on the front cover of the Engels & Volker property brochure a couple of years ago at €1 million. I am still amazed that it did not slide off the cliff into the sea!

Everything has changed over nearly 60 years to the present convenient modern lifestyle in Menorca and I am still here enjoying Menorca today. I am glad that I saw some of the earlier ways of life to make me appreciate the present.

The Goldeneye bar in operation 1967

Completed Goldeneye Villa Club 1969

Completed Goldeneye 1968 (far right)......with ski club boat

The caption on the front cover reads Pia Van Eck from Holland who is here for the summer. Can you tell me more?

I was working at the Hilton Hotel in Rotterdam and my youngest brother was at boarding school when I decided that I missed my mother so much that I would follow her to Menorca. To be honest, I cannot remember the photo being taken, I was 24 at the time and there was a lot of partying!

My father had retired from his wholesale business selling 2nd hand tyres and they had first bought a house on the Costa Brava. Then, my father’s friend was developing property in S’Algar and so he decided to swap the house in mainland Spain as he thought it was becoming too crowded. My mother was furious!

My mother was very creative, and she opened a fashion boutique in Mahon in 1969/70 called PIAN which was on C/ Orfila 59. It was a combination of her names Pia Anne Meike. She sold Haute Couture, exclusive costume jewellery, leather belts and handmade shoes. It became quite a famous shop as it was the only one in Menorca which was selling custom-fitting clothes as found in Paris and other capital cities. She bought the material from Barcelona and employed several local ladies to do the sewing.

I remember there were very few shops in Mahon at all at the time and people used to pay a weekly amount to individual shops. Local people would also open their doors onto the street and sell the fruit and vegetables grown on their allotments from their hallways.

When did you eventually settle in Menorca?

After a couple of years of partying, my father put his foot down and demanded that I get a job. Through a contact on the island, I got a job in Barcelona at a Private Detective Agency. In those days divorces had to be proved and so I was paid to spy on people. After 18 months I came back for a summer before going to live with friends of my parents in Madrid where I paid for my room by sewing and making curtains.

I came back to Menorca to live when I met my first husband, a local lawyer, and we had a daughter. The marriage didn’t last, and I was alone for a while before I met my current husband, John Ellison. We met when John had been on his own for 10 years. He had four children, two girls, and two boys who were born here. Many people will know his daughter Victoria Ellison who runs the private care home Casa Remei.

WITH PIA VAN ECK

When John and I took over Roqueta we inherited the first ever issue from May 1973. I showed it to a few of the magazine contributors and they recognised Pia Van Eck on thefront cover. I went to meet her at her house in the centre of Mahon to find out more. Pia told me to take the private vacuum lift to the 2nd floor but it looked a bit too intimidating! I took the stairs and Pia welcomed me into her beautiful home in Calle Angel and was very happy to answer all my questions.

When we first got together, I wanted to make sure that our children were going to get on before committing to a relationship. My mother had just died, and she had always wanted me to go to Goa. She was a real hippy, believing in gurus, and she used to go every winter and spend time at an ashram. Therefore, we decided to go and spend 3 months in Goa to see how we all got on. We all had a wonderful time! How do you enjoy your current life in Menorca, do you still travel?

John is very creative and musical, and he used to travel to Thailand a lot. Now we are very keen on Morocco and rent a house every winter on the coast. We were just about to go when lock down began for COVID. I did my best to recreate the house in Morocco on our top terrace in Mahon, decorating it with, throws, cushions and awnings and the lamps and objects we have collected on our travels. I love cooking and so I prepared Moroccan dishes for a week such as tagines, cous cous, and Shakshika

We lived in a house in Son Vilar for many years but now we live here, which was my mother’s house. We love being located in the centre of town, being able to go out for coffees and drinks with our friends who regularly knock at the door. We have been in the house for 12 years and John spent the first year renovating it to make it our own. John loves his garden which is a beautiful enclosed large patio at the back of the house, full of his wonderful plants, and with a big table for entertaining.

When John first came here it was difficult to get a work permit. He had a farmhouse in Pou Nou and started the well-known t-shirt business from his home but then split up with his partner. He then had a ceramic shop on the main road to Ciutadella but, when they extended the Poligon Industrial area, the shop had to close and so he was forced to retire. He now spends his time at the Aeroclub playing snooker and at home writing songs. He has a music recording room in the house where there are posters of his days performing with his sister and their group at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.

Between us we now have a granddaughter and grandson, 2 great granddaughters and a great grandson. My daughter Estefi works at the Consell in tourism and my son-in-law Jordi is in charge of Los Naranjas hotel in S’Algar.

At the end of the interview Pia poured me a large glass of wine and showed me around the beautiful house. This gave me enough courage to try the vacuum lift on the way down. Watch out, Pia warned, first it will jump up a little bit, before you start to go down! I was transported safely back down to the ground floor.

CASA FERMIN Punta Prima. Tel: 971 159264.

€€ By Lorraine

Founded in 1952, so amongst the venerable historic establishments (see July Roqueta), yet now one of the innovative! The “strip” in Punta Prima offers something for everyone these days, and in early July all the restaurants were full at lunchtime. So booking, as always, is advisable, especially in high season.

A lovely selection of starters, such as “Little balls of Russian salad with a mixed nuts topping” (12.50 € ), unusual salads, for example “Fresh watermelon and feta cheese with Greek yoghurt, almonds and lettuce” (12.95 € ). They offer five different pastas, four vegetarian choices, nine different homemade pizzas plus 10 meat and fish main dishes ranging from 16 € to 29.50 € for a grilled fish platter.

If that’s not enough, then they also are offering some great freshly made sushi dishes (27 varieties) and seven Wok stir fries, with rice or noodles. I could happily eat there for a week without repetition! Plenty of terrace seating and a smart inside dining and bar area.

TAMARINDOS ES GRAU Tel: 971 359420.

€€€ By Lorraine

Part of the Bonita Menorca SL, Tamarindos is unusual as it has tables on a platform right over the sea, bang in the middle of the charming village of Es Grau. They are open for business from 12:00 until 22:30 (closed Mondays). Lots of sharing dishes and different rice offerings. We had some delicious Mussels cooked in a Thai broth to share, with a crunchy Green Papaya Salad. This was followed by “the catch of the day”, a big sea bream, beautifully presented on a platter ready to dissect! Because of the “fish of the day”- the price depends on the weight and can add quite a lot (€100) to an otherwise reasonable bill. But it’s such a pleasure to enjoy it for a special treat!

EATING OUT

By Lorraine Ure and the team

EL GRILL Just by the Airport. Tel: 971 367903.

€€ By

Lorraine

You don’t have to be going to the airport to visit this great restaurant, serving Menorca for more than 30 years, but it has so often been a “life saver” when flights are delayed or fall right into the lunch or dinner period! It has great outdoor seating, and apart from the occasional plane engine revving up, you’d never think you were near a busy airport. Seeing a few flight crew in their uniforms is, of course, a bit of a give-away! But we also like it in the winter when we sit inside, which still has the feeling of an old Menorcan farmhouse with a lovely smell of woodsmoke. The Grill is known especially for its amazing array of meat and poultry, all on display in a chiller cabinet, but the fish is great too. “Calcots” with Romesco Sauce are a highlight when in season, but they grill plenty of other vegetables too. The owner, the amiable Luis, almost always puts in an appearance, and checks on the service. He knows exactly who is having what! A great year-round choice. Great steaks and suckling pig (a big helping!). A meal with two or three courses averages at 25 €. A good wine list too, especially amongst the reds, which of course can add substantially to your bill!

S’ANCORA DES CASTELL, Carrer Ruiz y Pablo 95.

Tel: 655 337735 By

Lorraine

Very good to see this old restaurant location back in action again, under new direction. It’s on the toplevel overlooking Cales Fonts, almost behind Sa Punta. Over the years it’s had several names such as Sa Foganya and more recently “S’Ham”.

I always judge the quality of the restaurant by their Pan con Tomate, and, wow, do they vary! It can be a pretty vile orange spread from a jar, or a concoction of the finest fresh grated tomatoes, the best olive oil, the crunchiest salt and the freshest ground pepper, with many versions in between! The bread is important too, and we believe that Pan Cristal offers the best base, being so light and crispy. At S’Ancora we enjoyed one of the best, presented partly as a DIY version, so one can season as one chooses. It was delicious at 5 €. Unusually, a Cheese Plate is on offer as a starter at 18 €. I’d personally like to see more Menorcan cheeses on menus in restaurants, as an alternative to sweet courses as well. We need to showcase our native offerings!

Other starters include the ubiquitous Croquetas at 3 € each, which were superb, plus shrimps, scallops, squid, octopus and cuttlefish with Sobrasada. The top price starter at € 21 is Red Tuna, Mango and

Avocado Tartare, a delicious combination. Moving on, there are five rice dishes to share between 18 € and 28 € (lobster). And four other lobster dishes (prices depending on the market. The House Speciality is a Meat or Fish Skewer at 28.50 € which certainly sounds intriguing.

Do try this new establishment! It’s a bit “out of the way” being “above the action of the “Fonts” but a great alternative when it gets too busy down below!

Restaurante La Guapa Fornells Carrer Major, 29, 07748. Tel: 971 158497 or 664 877082 by Ann Jones

Fornells is rightly famous for its wonderful fish restaurants located alongside the newly refurbished harbour. However, tucked away behind the front line is somewhere well worth a visit. La Guapa is a family run restaurant in Calle Major. The interior is small, but welcoming, and there are tables outside. The service is very friendly and efficient.

On arrival you are given complimentary sobrasada with honey while you select from their menu which offers high quality meat and fish dishes. The Argentinian Beef is an excellent cut of meat, cooked to your request ‘a la brasa’ (21€ /30 € ) Unusually, La Guapa has a selection of fish, meat and vegetarian paellas and fidueas for one person. The vegetable paella (24 € ) and the seafood fiduea (30 € ) were both delicious. Many of the salads and vegetables are from the family’s own allotment so are particularly fresh. Homemade desserts, especially the cheesecake and tiramisu come highly recommended. The wine list offers a choice of international and Menorcan wines. La Guapa is well worth a try.

Pintarroja Carrer Moll d’en Pons 10, 07720 Es Canstell. Tel: 608 762427

By Larissa le Sage de Fontenay

Set on the quieter arm of the harbour just around the corner from Cales Fonts, tucked beneath the Barceló Hamilton Hotel and next door to the ever-present Ana Luisa, is the stylish new pop-up restaurant Pintarroja, all the way from Barcelona. With its rebellious bright red painted doors, chilled ambient music and a relaxed chic decor, Pintarroja is a buzzy place, serving an array of locally sourced food.

Chef, Eugeni de Diego, has kept things simple with a fresh and succinct menu that is deliciously and religiously prepared. The local seafood is the central theme and rather than being hidden or stripped of its natural flavour, it has been enhanced

with creative twists and subtle combinations such as grilled mussels with sobrasada, individually dressed and elegantly served.

You will find all your favourites on the menu - Mahon cheese, anchovies, tuna tartare with avocado, which has been wonderfully refined; marinated codfish that just melts in your mouth and fried potato with eggs and shrimp which seems to be one of the most popular dishes! Grilled prawns, razor shell clams, scallops and crayfish are prepared with care and the sirloin steak with foie gras is a great addition for those preferring an alternative to fish. One of my favourites on the menu is the simplicity of the chocolate truffles for dessert, which offer you a little something sweet to completeyour meal without having to plough into a heavy ending.

The service is friendly and charming and you can feel all the staff want all their customers to have a fantastic experience. Rumours have it that more Pintarroja will be popping up on other islands, I just hope it pops up again next year, after its closure in September. Pintarroja perfectly fits the place, pace and promenade of the island.

The experience is not cheap but sensibly priced for the quality of the food and the views. This is my second visit to this niche restaurant and it certainly won’t be my last.

Clementina Gastro Bar Carrer de Sant Lluis 20.

Tel: 871 03 98 38

By Lucy Gemmell

The owner and chef of this deliciously inspired restaurant in the heart of Sant Luis is British Chef, Mike Kernall. Mike has a wealth of experience having worked for some of the top restaurants and caterers in the UK. Mike has travelled and worked In LA, Australia and spent some time in India on a culinary pilgrimage learning the true authentic art of spice!

Mike was classically trained under the French Michelin star Chef, Anton Mosimann - all this explains his imagination in his creative fusion menus. Mike has embraced the whole charm of Menorca and his energy and passion for food is obvious - the menu is an eclectic selection of European meets Asian - his menus are overflowing with ideas and cleverly constructed seasonal flavours - every mouthful is a party in your mouth and full of fun and flavour!

Clementina has such charm and sitting in the summer outside in the cobbled street is all part of the journey - the menus regularly change and Clementina is well known for its Asian Thursday, Fish and Chip Friday and my favourite fun dish, Lobster, egg and chips! The sharing plates are his go-to favourite and items like Crispy Duck Hoisin Pancakes and seared tuna Niçoise are mouth wateringly simple and good!!! Clementina is also exceptionally good value and the portions are not for the faint hearted

Mike wears his delicious personality on a plate and this is a definite place to visit! Definitely worth booking as the space is limited but rest assured if you go more than once you will have lots of new taste sensations on each occasion!

Bambú Menorca Passeig Maritim 38, Binibeca Vell. Tel: 971 358 969

By Lucy Gemmell

In my opinion probably the ultimate ‘destination restaurant.’ Bambu sits on the south coast of Menorca near Binibeca enjoying spectacular sea views and incredible sunsets. Ben Grieg, the owner of Bambu, had a vision to bring a touch of Asia to the island whilst also complementing the local produce

and sustainability. This year he has brought in a new chef to support his ever- growing team - Alejandro Corral has come from the mainland and his arrival has brought fresh new ideas and presentation for the summer 2023 Menu.

Bambu has the luxury of indoor and outdoor dining in two incredible spaces as well as the Zen Garden area which is separate to the restaurant. In the Zen you are able to have cocktails and simple bar snacks - this definitely has a vibe more akin to Ibiza! Chilled music and fabulous sunset and delicious hand-held snacks!

The menu in the restaurant currently has a clever selection of tasting plates which I think they do so well - the Salmon takati was outstanding - the Galician style octopus was incredible (even my husband ate this and he won’t normally eat anything unless it’s surrounded by a bun and covered in red liquid (ketchup!). Their signature Bao buns are delicious and very cool branded with the Bambu stamp!There is so much to choose from the selection of starters it’s hard to manage the main courses as well. However,the Thai Green Curry is authentic with the perfect amount of heat and the sea bass is absolutely outstanding. For dessert you must try the cheesecake which is one of the best on the island or the chef’s new take on a warm ensaimada. You have to take your hat off to an ambitious Brit following his dream to set up a large restaurant in this small island but the bravery has paid off and this is one of the busiest restaurants on the island. The ambience and vibe is super cool and the talented team, headed up by brilliant Giacomo Persina and talented Dean Lafosse is a testimony to the success of this great place and the initial vision.

Restaurante Es Port Passeig Maritim Poeta Gumersind Riera 5, Fornells. Tel: 971 37 64 03

By Debbie Bayley

This is a great fresh fish restaurant situated right on the bay of Fornells. We had fried lobster and Richard the owner (he’s Menorcan but we all call him Richard!) is a great host. His specialities include Lobster stew (Caldera de langosta) and seafood paella - delicious. He also has home made ice creams. You will need to book as he is always full.

Bar Restaurant Es Canutells Tel: 971 18 89 34

By Debbie Bayley

SItting above the bay and pretty beach, the restaurant has a lovely terrace overlooking the sea. Great paellas, sole, mussels and clamsplusa speciality for some pigs trotters! Again, you will need to reserve. Closed on Wednesdays.

BAR ESPAÑA 2023 Calle Victori 48, 07720 Es Castell. Tel: 971 36 32 99

By Christine Brooker

We were delighted that the Bar España in Es Castell has reopened. Originally founded in 1948 by Lorenzo Porcell from Mallorca and Magdalena Melía from Alaior, it was always the place to go to for a good, reasonably priced menu of the day, or if you wished a very good a la carte menu. I remember it when it had the local cinema next door with an entrance from the restaurant. Lorenzo (an excellent chef who had worked in France) and Magdalena, ran it for years. She died some years ago and Lorenzo continued with help from his son Balthazar and Salva (Salvador Lopez) who had worked there since a young boy. Eventually Lorenzo retired but he was still a fixture as he came every day for lunch until he died in his nineties.

Balza married and his wife Brigida Gomila helped behind the bar. Eventually he became ill with a

long debilitating disease which eventually caused his death. Salva carried on virtually running the restaurant with Brigida. The restaurant was then rented out but didn´t seem to be quite the same. Now José Saavedra from La Murada Bar in Mahón and Fernando Pons also from Mahón and an excellent chef (for many years he worked with his brother Mario in Ca´n Nito in the port of Mahón) have taken over. They intend to reinstate some of Lorenzo´s classic dishes, the Giant prawns a la Americana, and the Soufflé Alaska.

The weekly menu of the day is now 17.50 € which consists of three courses, with wine, water and bread. The Sunday one includes the same but costs 19.50 €. Four of us went on a Sunday when the selection of starters was Mixed Paella, Melon with Ham, Moules Mariniére, or Stuffed eggs. The main courses were a choice of Baked Gilt Head Bream, Secreto Iberico, Grilled entrecote, or Grilled Swordfish. My companions all enjoyed the mussels which they said were local and I had the appetizing stuffed eggs that were garnished with salad. For the main course two had the Secreto Iberico, which is a very tasty pork cut, it was served in a sauce with vegetables, one had the Gilt Head Bream which she said was good, it was a whole fish. I had the entrecote steak which came rare to order and it was also a reasonable size, All the mains were served with homemade fried potatoes. There was a selection of desserts, the men had whisky tart, extra whisky was poured on, and we had cream caramels (they gave us two each with cream). We decided against the house wine and had a Viña Pomal 2016 Reserva. We also had water and coffees, and one huge Baileys which our friends put in their coffees (ask for a ‘Carajillo’ con Baileys). Afterwards they invited us to a glass of cava each. Although we went early and there was a queue at 14:30, we were not rushed. Salva has retired but some of the waiters are from the original restaurant and the new ones were very helpful. We saw lots of people we knew. Like the old Bar España there was a mixture of locals, Brits and holiday makers. Our bill came to 106 €. We shall certainly return.

La Florinata Moll de Llevant 222, Port of Mahon. Tel: 620 620 829 By Liz Parr

Located next to the old Pierros (now Metropolitana) in the Port of Mahon, we visited this new restaurant with friends and we were delighted by the quality and flavour of the pasta dishes (they don’t do pizzas). We were welcomed by the lovely Marco Lascala who showed us the many different handmade pastas on offer. Be sure to ask him to explain the dishes on the menu as they are named after the pastas and you don’t want to miss out (you can choose different pasta options if you prefer). He will bring you a complimentary amuse-bouche while you chat. After delicious starters of Burrata and Bruschetta, I chose the aubergine pasta, while John had the gnocchi with bolognese. One friend had bucatini with pesto, cherry tomatoes and swordfish while another chose the seafood risotto with blue rice. His partner chose the same seafood dish but with pasta and it was the best she has tasted since Villa Madrid. We shared some lovely homemade desserts: one pear and chocolate tart and one semi freddo with almonds. We chose the Torralbenc rose as recommended by our Master & Commander expert last month and it was delicious. The pasta dishes are mostly between €12 and € 20 euros and excellent value for money.

We welcome reviews from readers and please don’t forget to include some photos.

By Michael Stevenson

WINES OF THE TERRA ALTA

CATALONIA

Since I discovered the small Catalan DO (denominacion de origen) wine region of Terra Alta I have rarely been disappointed by their wines, only surprised that they are not as widely known as they deserve. Terra Alta, as its name implies, is a highland region in the extreme south of Catalonia, with Aragon to its east and comes to within a few kilometres of the Communidad de Valencia in the south. The main town is Gandesa which boasts a

The vineyards are mainly at an altitude of around 400 metres, providing excellent microclimate opportunities. Though not quite

the onshore sea breezes; not quite the highest from the freshness that altitude brings..

The star of Terra Alta’s grape varieties is Garnacha (Garnatxa in Catalan) in its white, red and hairy (really) form. Garnacha makes up more than half of Terra Alta’s grape production; Syrah, Macabeo and Muscat and other varieties are also grown. The climate is a mixture of Mediterranean and Continental resulting in long hot dry summers and cold winters. Rainfall is low at 400mm per annum and the Mestral from the River Ebro valley, a dry wind, keeps the humidity low and therefore protects the vines from disease.

Picasso was very much inspired by the landscapes of Terra Alta and depicted the landscape over several summers. His paintings are a perfect introduction to what shapes the region’s terroir. Patchworks of vineyards dominated by rock formations, picturesque mountain villages and undulating rivers making up the lovely scenic countryside, the most important being the River Ebro on its final stretch before reaching the sea. Vines have been cultivated in Terra Alta since Roman times. In the Middle Ages the Knights Templar planted vines. During the 19th century the vinos rancios from Terra Alta such as Amber

Blanc achieved great fame. However the area was devastated by the phylloxera bug in common with most of Spain and France. The current vineyards were replanted between 1920 and 1950 by grafting onto American rootstock as the local new co - operatives were created. The DO and its Regulatory Council were created in 1972 with their headquarters in the town of Gandesa.

A selection of leading winemakers and bodegas in Terra Alta would include the following:

BARBARA FORES. Boasting a long wine growing tradition, this family has been pioneering modern wines in the area since the 1994 vintage. The entire production of around 70,000 bottles is still handled in the ancient cellars of the family house in the centre of Gandesa. Their Garnatxa Blanca has long been a benchmark in the area. De Vins stock their wines.

CELLER PINOL. This is one of the region’s most most notable historic producers with manager Juanjo Galcera Pinol representing the fourth generation. He started with his mother in 1995 vintage. The family owns 70 hectares of vineyards and produces around 400,000 bottles. Their best known wine is L’Avi Arrufi.

EDETARIA . This is a family-owned bodega in Gandesa run by Joan Angel Lliberia who returned home to work the family vineyards and started a project of considerable size. The vineyard consists of 35 hectares of their own and 15 rented. They are working towards organic farming and they hope to have the certification in three year’s time. De Vins are stocking some of their wines.

HERENCIA ALTES. Despite its recent foundation in 2013 this is one of the most ambitious and successful projects in Terra Alta. Set up by Nuria Altes who was born into a local winegrowing family and a UK born businessman, Rafael de Haan. They now have over 30 hectares of old vineyards and have a state-of-the-art winery in Gandesa. Their range features nine different wines, most of which use local grapes. De Vins stock a wide range of their wines.

GANDESA CO-OPERATIVE. With 128 members working 800 hectares of vines the winery currently produces 300,000 bottles of wine per annum. Toni Coca started consulting for the co-operative five years ago and a whole range of wines has been re - vamped. The Cooperative building was designed by Cesar Martinell, a pupil of Gaudi, in the early 20th century.

MORE NOTABLE BODEGAS WHICH I SHOULD MENTION ARE:

• Cellar Frisach owned by the 28 year old Fransesc Ferre Frisach whose wines are making a name for his winery.

• Lafou Celler run by a young entrepreneur Ramon Roqueta whose wines are stocked at De Vins and Enrique Penalver

• Xavier Clua who produces around 85,000 bottles a year.

Do seek out these Terra Alta wines. They are not expensive for what they are. They show a purity and individuality which sets them apart from the more everyday Spanish wines.

HERE ARE MY AUGUST RECOMMENDATIONS:

TINTOS

MERCIA ALTES, CUPATGE NEGRE, GARNACHA, CARINENA, SYRAH 2021 TERRA ALTA 14.5% ABV DE VINS 7.95 €

Dark ruby with a ripe dark fruit nose. Rich fruit, plums and blackberries. Some power with good balance and harmonious tannins and a hint of pepper rounded with a long finish. HIghly recommended for the price. Good with red meat.

HERENCIA ALTES, LA PELUDA, HAIRY GARNACHA, 2016, TERRA ALTA. 15% ABV, DE VINS 12.5 €

Very dark indeed with a big nose. Very spicy in the mouth with a nice ripeness and savoury tannins beginning to soften and a hint of port. A long big finish. Good with meat and stews.

MASSALUCA, GARNACHA AND CARINENA (SANSO) 2020, BODEGAS

RAMON ROQUETA , TERRA ALTA, 14% ABV DE VINS 7,95 €

Deep cherry in colour with an intense ripe fruit nose. Good ripe fruits with hints of vanilla and chocolate. Quite complex and mid to full bodied with a long finish. Good with roasts.

ROSADO

TORRES DE CASTA ROSADO 2022, GARNACHA, CATALUNYA 13%

ABV, VEGAN. EROSKI AND WIDELY AVAILABLE 5.40 €

Pink with a hint of orange, lovely dry fruity nose. Lovely garnacha rosado, fruity, dry and quite complex.Pomegranates, well balanced with good acidity, not sweet but well made with a good finish. Good as an aperitif and with fish and tapas.

BLANCO

HERENCIA ALTES GARNACHA BLANCA 2021 TERRA ALTA 13% ABV DE VINS 7.95 €

Delicate pale green with white peach and melon nose. Good stone fruit flavour, peaches, greengages with a hint of citrus. Elegant and classy,good balance and fresh with a crisp clean finish. Highly recommended for what it is. Good with shellfish and grilled fish.

HERENCIA ALTES, LA IMPRUDENT, GARNACHA BLANCA 2021, 13% ABV VEGAN DE VINS 7.95 €

Vibrant green with a citrus nose, lemon and lime. Very crisp and pure, initially good balance and structure which opens up to more ripeness. Lime and white stone fruit, layered and great finish and length.. Great value, lovely wine. Would be good with oysters, other shellfish and delicate white fish.

Happy August drinking!

ROQUETA RECIPES

MONTEVIDEO BERRY

By Fernando Blanco - Hammett’s Mestizo

The bar is showcasing a unique selection of premium Latin American spirits and inspired cocktails. Our diverse and Latin American fusion cocktail list is full of flavours from Mexico to the most southern tip of the continent. Our wine and cocktail lists have all been curated by Fernando Blanco. With 25 years as a mixologist and 16 years as a sommelier, our operations manager has brought together a selection of distinctive flavours from Latin-American.

Montevideo Berry

Glass: double rocks

Ice: cubed/crushed

Method: shake

Ingredients:

Wild turkey bourbon / 50 ml

Fresh passion fruit / 1/2 unit

Raspberry puree / 25 ml

Lemon/lime juice / 30 ml

Honey / 20 ml

Garnish / Passion fruit shell, mint, raspberry

Shake all ingredients, serve in a double rock glass with cubed ice and top it with crushed ice. Place the passion fruit shell, mint and raspberry as a garnish on the top.

WHITE COURGETTE & MAÓ CHEESE FRITTATA

Menorca is well known for producing delicious cheeses. Made from cows’ milk, the recipes below use two different categories of the distinctively sharp salty cheese from Maó.

Ingredients:

1 white courgette

150g semi-curado Maó cheese (grated)

8 medium size eggs

50ml milk

1 heaped tablespoon crème fraîche

1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon

(or half a crumbled stock cube)

Twist of black pepper

Grate the courgette into a sieve and with your hand lightly squeeze some of the water out over the sink. No need to make it too dry. Leave to one side while you prepare the pan and the rest of the ingredients.

Ideally use a non-stick 20cm skillet or frying pan which is oven proof. Alternatively, you can use a deep cake tin or flan dish but to avoid sticking, place a round of baking paper on the bottom. Oil the bottom and sides well with olive oil.

In a bowl, whisk 8 eggs together with a fork. Add the milk, crème fraîche and bouillon into the egg mixture and lightly blend. Crumble the grated cheese and courgette into the egg mixture

Olive oil for greasing the dish Pre-heat oven at 180’C.

and fold together using the same fork adding a couple of twists of black pepper.

Place the mixture into the prepared dish and bake on the middle shelf for 20-minutes. Turn the oven off but leave the dish in the oven to cool for a further 15 mins.

To remove the frittata, place a wire rack over the top and turn over. If using a lined dish, peel off the baking paper at this stage. Turn back on a colourful serving plate or board. Refrigerate for at least 2-hours before serving.

Tip; Try alternative vegetables such as sautéed leeks and salad peppers. Or, for a meat version, add diced serrano ham.

BONITA

MENORCA

In 2020 a new company, Bonita Menorca SL, was established to manage cool places in Menorca. These places now include Tamarindos, the iconic restaurant on Es Grau Beach, Binifadet, the family-run winery in San Lluis, and Cantina, located at the Hauser & Wirth Art Gallery on Isla del Rei. The group no longer runs the American Bar but it still has hopes to return to the Bucaneros beach bar at Binibeca in the future.

Bonita Menorca was founded by the managers of the Binifadet Winery, Luis Anglés, and Patricia Menéndez, along with Xavier Llansó. It is a local company focusing on local businesses and it aims to create “spaces where the natural world, gastronomy and production exist in perfect harmony”. They have chosen emblematic venues that represent Menorca and the three aspects that they believe make it unique: the land, sea and culture.

TAMARINDOS

Bonita Menorca took over Tamarindos in Es Grau last year. The restaurant is named after the trees around it, said to be the most numerous of their kind in Menorca. It was chosen for the spectacular view from its platform over the sea, “where you can enjoy a perfect beach meal, in an informal and cool setting”. They serve tapas and plates of rice and fresh fish and also classics such as Caesar salad and dishes with an Asiatic touch, such as mussels in Thai sauce. The Chef, Marcelo Bonavetti has worked at restaurants in the group for a long time, starting at Binifadet and also working at Bucaneros and Cantina. If you do not want a full meal, Tamarindos is also a perfect place to enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine while the sun sets.

CANTINA RESTAURANT AND BAR

The restaurant at Hauser & Wirth Menorca is a relaxed canteen focused on local products. The tables are located under the shade of the ullastres or olive trees of Isla del Rey, with a beautiful view over the Port of Mahon. They offer imaginative starters with seasonal vegetables, fish and shellfish to share, and a great selection of wines. You need to book on the Hauser & Wirth website and also reserve a place in advance on the Yellow Catamaran shuttle to the island.

BINIFADET

This year Binifadet has some new innovations such as an open kitchen, and a wine bar area where you can sit and enjoy a drink without the need to book in advance. The bar is open all day from 12 noon to 11pm. The restaurant kitchen is open Wednesday to Monday from 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm and from 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm. You can book online or if you have any special requirements or would like to make a reservation for a group of more than 12 people, contact them directly at info@binifadet.com.

On this year’s menu local products have become more evident with traditional dishes such as homemade pâté, meatballs and stuffed aubergines.

If you want to make the most of the vineyard experience, you can book the Pairing Menu with a different wine for each of the 6 courses. This costs 70 Euros. If ordering from the normal menu, it is also possible to ask for a medium glass option with your meal so that you can try different varieties with each course.

Binifadet is over 40 years old. It was founded by Carlos Anglés, driven by a desire to revive Menorca’s wine-growing culture, which had played such an important role on the island during the 18th century. He planted his first vines in 1979, up to 40 different varieties, in order to see which ones were best suited to the island’s climate and soil. In 2001, after almost 20 years of home-experimentation, he acquired the Binifadet estate, expanded the plantation and built the winery, which was officially opened on May 15, 2004.

In 2014, Carlos handed the generational baton to his son, Luis Anglés, who introduced his own style of viticulture and winemaking. It was during this period that the estate produced its Tanca and Pieles ranges, planted native varieties and started its journey to becoming the winery it is today. The latest wine is Buri, a new sparkling wine in white and rose varieties, dedicated to Carlos’ father.

You can visit the vineyard and taste the wine every day with tours in English at 11:30am and 5.30pm price 12 Euros. Book online on the website https://www.binifadet.com/visitas

Their wines: BINIFADET

These wines showcase the minerality, freshness and smoothness added by the north Tramuntana wind and calcareous marès subsoil. Delicate and refined but with plenty of character, they are Binifadet’s hallmark.

TANCA

These are the higher quality wines made with grapes selected from the best tanques, or plots of land. The production processes of these wines enhance the complexity and capacity for evolution in each bottle. These are produced in limited quantities with Tanca 12 being the best white wine.

PIELES

This is called an “orange wine”. It is a white wine, 100% chardonnay, fermented in earthenware jars with the grape skins and pips. It leaves a lasting impression with an intense colour and a powerful flavour.

MERLUZO

This is a very Mediterranean wine said to represent Binifadet’s vivacious and carefree lifestyle. An easy wine, which they say is the perfect company for wonderful moments by the sea.

BURI

A sparkling rose or white wine with fine bubbles produced as a legacy to Carlos’ father who broke the land.

BY RACHAEL ADAMS

FRUIT FARMING MENORCAN

This afternoon I’m riding down into the Barranc d’ Algendar to visit an organic orchard that produces avocados. While I sit at Vimpy cooling myself in the shade with a beer, the farmer calls to say she’s stranded and can’t get the car out because of the ice. Yes, the ice. It’s early May.

There used to be close to 50 orchards in Menorca – today there are but a handful left. I’m curious about the challenges these remaining farmers face, and how they manage their water. Especially when climate change means we now get hail in May and flash floods that drown horses. On my visits, I discover a wonderful array of oranges, nectarines, lemons, limes and grapefruits, apples and pears, sweetsops, persimmons, figs, apricots and avocados. Oh and nectarines and ginjols.

The south of Menorca is riddled with long and winding ravines (barrancs) that were carved out by rivers thousands of years ago. Torrents run along the bottom and natural springs flourish at the edges. These cool moist channels are perfect wind-sheltered havens for growing fruit. Pottery fragments reveal that Al- Andalus settlers first farmed the ravines from the 10th to the 13th centuries, before they were thrown out by the Catalans in 1238. They brought new crops that needed watering, and developed an irrigation infrastructure that also extended the growing season. From a spring near the top of the ravine, water was diverted down either side of the torrent through channels cut from sandstone blocks (‘mares’) to the crops. Sometimes these channels were cut directly into the rock. As one spring dried up another one was tapped into lower down the ravine.

Later, around the mid-1800s, waterwheels or ‘sínies’ powered by mules were used to lift water into ‘safareigs’ where it was stored before being diverted along channels to higher terraces. Remains of ‘Sinies’ can still be seen today, usually whitewashed and draped in Bougainvillea. Mules were eventually replaced by engines to turn the cogs. Today we use solar-powered water pumps instead. Another way to raise the water to higher terraces was by making dams. Over the years cereals, vines, vegetables and even rice have been grown here.

Most Menorcan farms still have Arab names. All the ‘Bini’ or ‘al’ somethings, and ‘rafals’. My first stop is the Barranc d’ Algendar in Ferreries. I zoom down through the shady wonderland on my road bike, derailleur and chain rattling for dear life. I can’t believe how cool, green and lush it is. How sheer the sandstone rock faces are and how immense yet crumbly they seem at the same time. This place is a magical sanctuary home to rare birds, bats, insects and flowers. Oh, and caves where people took happy drugs.

Soon, bizarrely, just through the gates to Es Molí de Baix, I find the ice: piles of hailstones the size of marbles. And a car stuck in the middle of it. I wade through it to meet Flora Ritman – who tells me the hailstones have just destroyed her avocados, their delicate flowers are in tatters. This ravine receives water that runs all the way down from es Pla Verd — originally a marsh but later drained for agriculture. Now that spongy filter is gone, and with climate change altering rain intensity, flash floods downstream are increasingly violent.

Thick old walls called ‘fortins’ run perpendicular to the torrent to protect crops from flooding. Though they weren’t enough in 2021 when many of the trees were flattened in the infamous September floods, losing their fruit at a cost of thousands of euros. They’re now all curiously propped up with notched branches. Ducks amble placidly under their shade.

Conversely, dozens of illegal bore-holes and the rampant waste of water across Menorca mean our water table has dropped dramatically. Thus, most of the springs here are dry, and the torrent carries but a quarter of the water it once did. Flora manages with a small spring and a cistern delivering water to a drip irrigation hose around the trees. She advocates repairing the rest of the cisterns we have lying around unable to gather rainwater.

Though the barranc is designated an SSSI, ANEI, SEPA, BIC, LIC you name it, the Govern Balear who are responsible for maintaining the torrents don’t do enough. The retaining walls are tumbling down. Grants for farmers to carry out the work themselves are small and often inaccessible due to political constraints. Despite donkeys Paco, Piet and Clotilde’s best efforts, the torrent is overgrown with canes.

Flora’s secrets to conserving water are to mulch around the trees and keep the ground covered to reduce evaporation, hence she strims as little as possible. She sees herself as a temporary caretaker, and calls her home the “forgotten paradise”. After the floods, the mulch needs to be replaced again. Done by hand. Life here is a struggle, - but it’s still paradise.

Over to the east of the island is the second main fruit-producing ravine; the Barranc de Cala’n Porter. This one has a more open, shallow profile and apples and pears seem to do better here.

Joan Fortuny and his family have been growing fruit here for five generations. At least they think it’s five. They can’t even remember. Today I’ve caught them in the middle of their ‘nispero campaign’. They grow three varieties of what we call a Japanese loquat and father and son are dashing about on quads with buckets. Their water comes from five wells and is extracted with solar-powered pumps.

experimenting with tropical fruits like papayas and mangoes. Menorcan fruit tastes so sweet because it’s picked when it’s ripe, unlike a lot of fruit that is picked prematurely and then shipped across the world. Ripe fruit lasts but a week on the tree hence the mad working hours.

I’m most intrigued by why his fig trees are trained horizontally on a single plane, like vines. It’s to protect hands from the highly irritant leaf sap. These trees were also beset by hailstones, the size of golf balls this time. While they survived, they were severely damaged, and two-inch scars remain where the wood was cut open.

Fruit flies and moths are monitored here, as elsewhere, with ‘deltas’ or small card traps. These are laced with glue containing attractive pheromones that insects stick to and die. By counting the casualties, the farmer knows when and if he needs to treat his trees with insecticides. And with 10km of trees, it’s a way to save both money and the environment.

This orchard also uses water pumped from wells now because what’s left of the torrent is a polluted smelly green trickle. Gone are the days of channelling its water directly to the trees.

Today, orchards are larger and farmers have fewer workers but more machinery to house. Yet the ravines are so heavily protected (this one is at least an ANEI) that it’s near impossible to repair infrastructure. And they daren’t touch the watercourses that run through their land! Once so important, these are now overgrown, polluted, and running dry.

Year after year, investment in agriculture has been cut, with nearly all of the budget going to tourism. To the point that the Consell Insular’s agriculture department calls itself an “endangered species”, and one farmer says “we’ll end up eating computers and microchips”.

As I walk home at dusk all I can hear is a donkey braying. The Scops owls begin to hoot as the stars come out. A pine marten rustles in the elms above my head. I’m miles away from the tourist masses. In a haven of peace.

Unlike mainland Spain, we don’t see cheap labour here and this is reflected in the price of our fruit. Fruit farmers generally earn a good living, but the consensus is that it’s dying out because it’s too much like hard work; having started at 5.30 this morning, work continues late into the evening picking fruit and preparing what they need to sell locally the next day. Luckily, winter is pruning time and they get plenty of days off for hunting and fishing.

They are concerned their pears and apricots aren’t doing well since we’ve had such mild winters. What with peaches, apricots, and plums to sort out, I am lucky to get ten minutes out of them, “You have to love it!” Joan calls over his shoulder from his fast-departing quad. On my way home, I notice tree guards around somebody’s pear orchard. These are to prevent trees being damaged when they’re sprayed with glyphosate weedkiller.

My last stop is at Biniarbolla, towards the top of the barranc. Jordi shows me peaches, plums, pavios and persimmons. He’s also

I’ve discovered that our barrancs are staggeringly beautiful but threatened systems. The families working there today are still very much a part of our cultural heritage. Beyond sometimes crippling environmental designations, the waterways need regular maintenance. And the farmers need support from our government.

https://agroxerxa.menorca.es/ is a website that lists the local produce of Menorca. The farms mentioned can all be found on the site along with shops selling the products.

Es Moli de Baix – Flora Ritman is Dutch and came to Menorca in her late teens. She studied biodynamic agriculture in Holland and is now a registered custodian of around 400 fruit trees in the Barranc d’Algendar.

Hort d’en Rosello – known as Hort Fortuny since the 1800’s and now run by Joan Fortuny Melià in the Barranc de Cala’n Porter

Hort de Biniarbolla & Binimatzoc – run by Jordi Quintana Pons, a family business for 30 years, he bought Binimatzoc more recently and began a plantation from scratch.

CA N’OLIVER

Ca n’Oliver is one of my favourite places to visit in Menorca. It is a gallery packed full of historical maps and pictures of the island. There is a room dedicated to the British Minorca as well as an illustrated cartography collection. The Oliver family was one of the primary families of the bourgeoisie of the 18th and 19th century Mahon. Llorenç Oliver Morillo (1766-1810) was the first to diversify the family business acting as a contractor of military supplies while he simultaneously maintained business relations with ports around the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. As a symbol of his increasing influence, he had the family estate constructed in an up and coming area of the city. This beautiful house is now converted into a fantastic gallery and there is even a viewing tower on the roof with great views of Mahon.

MENORCA I LA LLUM DE NORD

There is a special exhibition at the gallery running until 24th September 2023. It features Northern European artists that have made their home in Menorca, attracted by the light and the landscape of the island. It is dedicated to Hans Hartung and Anna Eva Bergman who built a house in Cala Tirant in 1933, the first example of rationalist architecture. There are works from 10 different artists on display, from the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Belgium and Norway. In addition to the works of Hans Hartung and Anna-Eva Bergman, there are displays by Arnulf Bjorndal, Hermann Pabst, Ron Webb, Bettina Gleiss, Francois Perri, Alfred Hutchison, Theresia Malaise and Lindsay Mullen. The exhibition has been organised by Maó Town Council and Menorca Island Council

Carles Jiménez, the curator, took us on a guided tour of the exhibition. We started in the room dedicated to the work of Lindsay Mullen. Lindsay arrived in Menorca in 1972 at the age of 16 to learn Spanish and she started to paint here on the island and experienced an ‘epiphany’. Influenced by Turner and Constable, the mysterious island had an influence on her work and the canvases became a portal for the expression of her feelings. Lindsay moved to Biniarroca in 1983 which she described as ‘the finest picture I have ever painted’.

Hermann Pabst was a gifted portrait artist and draughtsman who built a house for himself in Binisafuller Roters in 1964. He used charcoal and graphite to create dark portraits in the years of the dictatorship and war but these gave way to more delicate and luminous drawings.

Arnulf Bjorndal and his wife Ulla first lived in a cave in Cala Tirant in 1962. In 1963 he opened the first art gallery in Menorca, La Taula in Fornells with a group of Spanish and Dutch artists. He was a painter, engraver, actor, poet and cultural activist. Unfortunately, he felt his work received a limited response and he left the island in 1969.

Hans Hartung also had an unfortunate end to his life in Menorca. His abstract paintings containing spots floating in space were interpreted as a secret code and he was accused of spying. He had to leave the island with his wife in 1935 but fortunately his paintings were saved by his friend Joan Gomila, President of the Tourism department.

Alfred Hutchinson, from the Orkney Islands, arrived in Menorca in 1984 seeking a tranquility missing in Mallorca. Ciutadella became his natural home where he said ‘the light and sea are ever present’. He first works were reinterpretations of Celtic Mythology of Scandinavian origin but he has more recently turned to more abstract paintings.

These are just some of the artists with fascinating stories to explore in this exhibition.

Ca n’Oliver Col·lecció HdezSanz-HdezMora is located close to the American Bar at 2 Carrer Anuncivay.

Summer opening Hours:

Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 am to 1.30 pm and from 6 to 8 pm.

Sundays, from 10 am to 1.30 pm

Closed on Mondays

D’ECO VELAS

Viviane Pelletier is a talented sailmaker who set up her business Velas Fonduco in Menorca in 1986 in the Fonduco area of Port Mahon (close to the Miramar and Rocamar Hotels). As her business grew she moved to the industrial estate in Mahon and then to a sail loft in Es Castell. Now Viviane has handed over the sailmaking business and has started a new venture in the Port of Mahon calles D’Eco Velas. Over the years, she collected many sail related items, and made many contacts and now she recycles old sails into beautiful new bags and cushions.

Viviane was born in Perpignan, and she learned her trade at a sailmakers in Britanny, northern France, in the 1980´s. As boat owners, we watched in wonder as Viviane arrived to measure up for a new bimini or sprayhood. With her tape measure, pins, paper patterns, a great eye for detail and high degree of spatial awareness she quickly made up a pattern for a beautifully finished bimini or sprayhood which fitted like a glove. Now she is enjoying a new sense of freedom by using these talents to design and manufacture a range of items made out of sails, canvas and other boat related materials. There are several companies manufacturing bags out of sail cloth but what sets Viviane apart is that she will design and make a unique bag, taking into account the taste and requirements of the customer. Bags can be made out of second hand sails if they are not too worn. This involves a lot of work cleaning and preparing the sail before it can be up upcycled into beautiful new objects.

Viviane speaks 5 languages, French, Catalan, Spanish, English and German, which she says has helped her to build new relations with visitors passing along the port.

D’Eco Velas, C/ Anden de Levant in Port Mahon, near the Bar d’Es Port

VICO CERÁMICAS

You may have seen the distinctive fish pottery of Antonio Vico in a few select shops in Ciutadella, Fornells or in Es Claustre. You may not know that you can visit the workshop of this talented ceramist in Trepucó, the talaiòtic village between the towns of Es Castell and Maó. The garden is decorated with his work and it is a special, tranquil place where you can meet Antonio and see all the pieces being handmade, one by one. Everything is done manually, from the molding of the clay to the selection of colours, the painting and the firing of each piece. All the pieces have the the small imperfections that make ceramics a different, unique art.

Antonio Vico started working with ceramics in 1989 in the Port of Mahon, in the workshop of Cerámicas Lora, next to Akelarre. They allowed him to use the facilities to develop his skills when the shop was closed. In 1992 he independently took courses in rakú, serigraphy, ceramics and high-temperature glaze configuration and he held his first exhibition of his work. Since then, he has participated in many different individual and group exhibitions, always in Menorca. He is a registered artisan of the Balearic Islands with the Charter of Master Craftsman and his work is recognized by the Consell Insular de Menorca with the Quality Guarantee mark.

Antonio’s products are sold in Menorca and Barcelona and over the summer you can look out for them in some craft markets during the fiestas. He also does commissioned work for associations, groups or individuals. We visited with a friend to pick up a special bowl he had made for a wedding present with the name of the couple fired on the base along with the date of the wedding, a lovely unique gift. We also saw the plaques he was making for the VII Vesprades art exhibition and a selection of plates of different sizes to be presented to the winners of an annual cheese competition.

If like the Beatles, you would ‘like to be under the sea in an octopus’ garden in the shade’ Antonio’s garden could be the next best thing. Antonio’s website has full details and pictures of his products.

https://www.ceramicavico.es/

Summer Opening Hours Monday to Friday: 10h-13h, 17h-19:30h

GRAPEVINE

BY ROSE EDWARDS

ALOHA BAR

MANOLI AND EDUARDO

My interview with Manoli and Eduardo started off outside the garage of their house which is joined on to the Aloha cocktail bar. Manoli showed me one of the bushes that had been there from day one and now had grown to surround the whole area! We sat down outside and I chatted to this amazing couple that have put Cala’n Porter on the map with their amazing unique cocktails and enchanting live music and who can forget the karaoke!

Manoli explained she comes from Valencia, and Eduardo is from Cordoba and they both met here in Menorca in 1970. Eduardo was working as a bar manager at the Playa Azul hotel and Manoli worked at the supermarket underneath the hotel. In 1974, they got married and started renting the 007 the first Cocktail bar on the island! In 1976 they opened the Aloha Cocktail Bar.

Now, working with your partner can be hard at times yet in the 28 years I’ve been here, I have never heard them argue. I went on to ask, how did they meet? Eduardo said ‘it was love at first sight.’ ‘Yes it really was!’ chipped in Manoli ‘and this year will be our 48th wedding anniversary!!’ as she took a sip of her chupito, ‘working at night time, working in a cocktail bar ‘till silly o’clock in the morning and being together 24/7 isn’t easy, but I listen to him, he listens to me, and if there’s a problem we’ll talk about it.’

We then went on to talk about the cocktails they are well known for! They are original cocktails, such as the Scorpion, Pago Pago and Suffering B.!! Everyone has a favourite! Each one has its own original shaped glass. You could easily stay mesmerized, watching how Eduardo gets given the order and before you know it, there are five fantastic cocktails in their own original glass ready to go.

‘Another hobby of ours is raising money for charity or even locals who may have had a hard time. We just like to help if we can. ‘ They have organised events for cancer all over the island raising a total of €7,400.

They have also raised money for R&R, Rest and Recover. The last event raised over €3000 when the injured soldiers came out with some of the Gurkhas. The daughter of one of the Gurkhas went over to Manoli and gave her a flower and thanked her for all that she had done. Manoli is now trying not to cry telling me about the touching story of this little girl thanking her for helping her dad to recover after fighting in the war.

So to change the subject, I asked about her children. They went on to tell me they have Sergio and Patricia. Now, if you were wondering if working and living with so many English has had an influence on them whilst growing up the answer speaks for itself. Her son Sergio has an English wife, they were childhood sweethearts and now have an 8-year-old son. Patricia married a British guy and now lives in the UK with their two children, one of 4 years and the other, 10 months. Every occasion they can they are out in blissful Menorca.

Manoli and Eduardo have had enough of the long, exhausting, hot days and nights working in the Aloha and are ready for retirement. They want to be able to enjoy their grandchildren and enjoy the summer season relaxed. Manoli told me she has never been to the Rustic bar on the beach and just chilled! If you do get the chance to pop in for a cocktail, soft drink, tropical juice or just to experience a night at the Aloha it is recommended to book a table so you can be near to the stage to hear the amazing live acts like Nathan Daniels, or the sometimes ‘surprising’ karaoke. It’s not to be missed!!

- Every Thursday from 9pm - Nathan Daniels – Souled on Motown

- Every Friday from 9pm - Karaoke!

Aloha Bar: Carrer de Xaloc, 10, 07712 Cala en Porter, Illes Balears

A STUNNING MORNING WALK

By James & Caroline Warne

This beautiful island is a walkers and cyclists heaven. It’s an island of ancient treasures, beautiful coastline, caves, gorges and reminders of a rich and turbulent history, all sitting side by side with nature and a landscape of outstanding natural beauty. Many of Menorca’s walks are well documented in several books and of course the 180km Cami de Cavalls coastal path which circumnavigates the whole island is the most famous of them all. But for us, living in Mahon, we were keen to find a varied and unspoilt morning or evening walk we could do from our front door, without getting in the car; one we could do time and time again and never get bored. The coastal path along the estuary to Es Castell is lovely but a little short. We have, however discovered a real gem of a walk, one that keeps you away from traffic the moment you leave the port, cuts through beautiful countryside, past a pretty, little-visited Chapel with a rich history, along a gorge – and back home in just six miles. We call it “the figure of 8” and for those living in Mahon, it’s an absolute treat.

The walk starts from the busy roundabout at the far entrance to the port, at beginning or the road along the port, Moll de Ponent (the junction for the road to Fornells and Cala Llonga) Take none of these main roads but cross onto the little lane, the Cami Baix Sant Joan. (Pic 1) This lane winds peacefully out into countryside, passing pretty little farms, allotments and fields boasting a stunning variety of crops. This rich farming land is here by no accident, it was the exceptionally important “garden of Mahon” – a large area of former marshland - drained, cultivated and developed by Nelson in the late 1700s to feed the hungry sailors of his huge fleet during the English occupation. A walk along here for a mile or so rewards us with so many different crops seen in on Mahon’s market stalls – and the landscape changes throughout the year. In May for example, many of the fields lush with wild flowers and poppies.(Pic 2)

You soon arrive at another hugely important emblematic sites in Mahon for the British navy, the chapel of Sant Joan dels Vergers. (Pic 3) Dedicated to St John the Baptist, it dates back to 1533 with origins in 1287. When King Alfoso 111 recaptured Mahon from the Turks he ordered that a Te Deum be celebrated here in thanks to God and reputably built the first chapel. A cavalcade used to ride to the Chapel to celebrate Compline and High Mass. The nearby fountain of Sant Joan filled the little reservoir next to the church and the British built a sophisticated pumping station to transport the water to a spectacular underground tank at the naval base in Mahon.

For a shorter walk, you can climb the path up the beautiful and fascinating Alfafaret gorge behind the Chapel which eventually arrives at the main road not far from Ikea, from where you can walk back into town.

But for our walk, continue away from the site of the Chapel along the lane we approached on (Pic 4), which bears right past a strawberry farm to the little bridge over the stream. Just before the stream there is the interesting remains of an old water wheel/well and the sophisticated irrigation system that used to run in hollowed out stones along the tops of the walls.(Pic 5)

Crossing the bridge turn immediately left along the pretty lane flanked with bamboo and the stream on your left. After approx. 500 metres, watch out for a path on the right, Cami d’en Ceba, a lovely shady path (Pics 6 & 7) which arrives at the main Mahon to Fornells road. Here turn left along the side on the road for 100 metres, turning left at the sign for the mushroom farm onto Cami dels Alzagotzars. Follow this lane, bearing left at the bottom, passing the most lovely fields and fincas (Pics 8 & 9)– the lane turning into a pretty shaded cobbled path which arrives at the Font d’en Simo, the now dried up source of the spring of Simo. It’s a crossroads where we now must turn left along the footpath, the Cami Font d’en Simo which brings us back to the lane we walked up lined with bamboo. Here we turn right across the same bridge and back to the Chapel, but now we take the Cami de Dalt Sant Joan (Pic 10) directly opposite the chapel which takes us back to Mahon. We carefully cross straight over the road down the hill from the Repsol Garage (the Rda.de Mao) which is now cobbled and gives a lovely view over the gorge (Pic 11) before we arrive back in Mahon – entering through the old town gate. This stunning walk is approximately 6 miles and one you’ll return to again and again. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

By Chris Carrington

SUSTAINABILITY AND GLAMOUR

These aren’t words that naturally go together but the 52 Super Series is part of a movement to change that attitude by using its status and glamour to influence positive changes to sustainability and the environment.

The 52 Super Series – What is it?

It is renowned as the world’s leading grand prix monohull racing circuit. Each yacht is based around a carbon-fibre hull and costs north of 2.5 million euros. In a similar way to Formula 1 cars, the yachts must comply with a strict set of regulations such as sail area, hull length – not surprisingly, set to 52 feet – weight etc. This still gives the teams scope for fine-tuning, where even small incremental changes can give a winning advantage. Each of the 5 regattas has around 10 races and the ‘first past the post’ is the winner. As the regulations are so tightly enforced, the boats are sufficiently evenly matched in design that there is no handicap system in place.

Primarily, of course, they were here to race and have fun…

The port of Mahon was buzzing from the 4th to the 9th of July, with the arrival of the 52 Super Series racing teams, along with the support crews and owners, for their third time racing in Menorca. It was their third regatta of 2023, having previously raced in both Saint-Tropez and Scarlino, Italy.

There is no monetary prize for the owners, simply the kudos that comes from winning but that doesn’t make the races any less competitive! For this visit, 9 teams competed over 5 days of hard-fought, exciting racing, paring down weight, wherever possible, in order to get the maximum speed. The overall winning team for the week was the German team, ‘Platoon’.

In addition to the teams, there is a stack of other people involved with the regatta, to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that fans can track the activity in real time. In fact, almost 400 people were involved. This represents a lot of money being brought into the island, with the large number of hotel rooms and restaurant bookings.

The Sustainability Angle

I was fortunate to grab some time with the Marketing and Sustainability Director, Lars Böcking, to find out the latest environmental initiatives being promoted by the Series. He told me how they continue use the BlueWater water filtration system, which could be seen at the end of the pontoon. This was available to all the teams and to any members of the public who wanted to fill their water containers. The estimate is that the use of this system, may prevent the use of up to 30,000 single-use plastic bottles, each year.

The Series has a policy of engaging with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) at each of their racing venues. Working with the NGOs, they jointly decide the most efficient way to make the best use of their limited time, in order to make a positive impact.

Lars informed me that they had worked with environmental groups in Menorca and were trying to arrange for about 100 schoolchildren to participate in a beach clean-up.

In conjunction with local divers, a large amount of rubbish was also removed from the harbour. This was certainly less than in previous years, which is an indication of how effective previous clean-ups have been.

Anchors Away!

Each year, the Series has worked on reducing their carbon footprint and respecting the environment. One example of this is their use of ‘Robot Race Marks’, in place of the traditional marker buoys, used in yacht racing.

These are self-propelled buoys that are remotely controlled and can be sent to their course locations via a smart phone app. Simply set the course with the app, drop the buoys in the water and off they go on their own. They are also self-correcting, and using onboard GPS sensors, they can remain almost static, without the need for anchor chains. This means that there is no more damage to sea grasses, something of particular importance to Menorca, which has the largest Marine Biosphere Reserve in the Mediterranean. As well as being very ‘cool’, this system also reduces the amount of fuel used by the support boats, as there is no longer a need to transport the usual heavy anchors and chains, or to drive around the course to make changes to the layout.

Food For Thought

An additional area of waste reduction is with the food provided to the Series participants. Firstly, the teams are encouraged to buy only locally-sourced products, with a minimum of single-use containers. Inevitably, there is still food remaining at the end of the day and the Series distribute this to local people in need. For the Menorca regatta, the leftover food was provided to the Red Cross.

And That’s it for This Time

And that’s it for this Menorca visit. The yachts have been loaded up into their steel cradles on a freight ship and taken to Barcelona, where it all kicks off again on 21st August. Life is a little quieter in the port, since the departure of the teams but hopefully, there is at least a little of their legacy remaining. Small changes can be the building blocks for something much bigger!

MENORCA PRESERVATION

“RADICALLY CHANGING THE WAY WE UNDERSTAND AND PROTECT OUR MARINE ENVIRONMENT”

Those of us who love Menorca and have travelled this beautiful island from one end to the other, know very well that the Sea is one of the island’s most important environmental assets. As oceanographer Dr. Sylvia A. Earle says, “No water, no life. No blue, no green”. Our ocean is the source of life so if we want to protect our environment, it is key that we start doing so by preserving, protecting, and regenerating our marine environments. In this regard, since our constitution in 2017, we at Menorca Preservation have awarded over 300.000 € to over 35 local initiatives focused on investigating, regenerating and raising awareness about our marine environments and its species. To date, slightly more than 40% of these funds have been allocated to preserve, protect and regenerate natural habitats, while 38% have been used to support marine research and the protection of marine species, whilst the balance has used to support projects related to reducing pollution and further increasing environmental awareness of marine environments.

SEA: MENORCA PRESERVATION SUPPORTED PROJECTS AND THEIR IMPACT

Moby Mummy Campaigns to protect Sperm Whales

We have supported 3 consecutive years of scientific research campaigns carried out by Tursiops Association, that have led to the identification of a very special sperm whale breeding area located in waters to the north of Menorca.

In addition, the data collected through the first two campaigns has contributed to fundamental management measures aimed at the conservation of Mediterranean Sperm Whales. In February 2022, a petition for the inclusion of the Mediterranean Sperm Whale in the Spanish Catalogue of Endangered Species (CEA) as “Endangered” was registered at the General Secretariat of Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity.

Only in last year’s campaign, Tursiops collected 185 hours of environmental data and sighted a significant number of individuals in the north of Menorca: about 40 sperm whales including 8 calves, most of them in social groups, along with 41 sightings of other marine species. Also, they manifested the high presence of sperm whale calves for the second consecutive year, as well as the high frequency of Risso dolphin encounters.

Marine Research projects to better understand our local marine environment

Menorca is recognised for its crystal-clear waters and beautiful beaches. And in order to understand and mitigate against the detrimental effect of excessive fishing, anchorages on important areas of marine ecosystems, mass tourism, marine pollution and waste, we at Menorca Preservation have awarded more than 100.000 € to thirteen marine research projects carried out by the Socio-environmental Observatory of Menorca (OBSAM).

Sperm whale sighted by Tursiops Association during the Moby Mummy 2022 campaign.

Menorcan students at Algaiarens beach for the Learn Through Surfing project, 2023 Edition. Project carried out by Surf and Clean Association.

These projects have contributed to increase our knowledge on the actual conservation status of Menorca’s marine environment: our Posidonia meadows, our fish populations vulnerable to fishing practices and, among others, our shallow bays.

All these studies have contributed to important data that, on one hand, has contributed to the creation of the Marine Reserve of the Isla del Aire, but also, has enabled the OBSAM to develop new projects aimed at conserving and restoring the affected environments, such as the Conservation and Restoration of shallow bays project or the Restoration of Posidonia meadows project, both currently being carried out by OBSAM and supported by Menorca Preservation, among other organisations.

SUPPORTING MENORCA’S YOUNGER GENERATIONS

Kilometres of Plastic for Iris: promoting our local 0 Plastic Warriors

Through this wonderful project carried out by 0 Plastic Menorca, young students between 13 and 19 years old are encouraged to organize conscious walks in nature with friends and family as well as to think about ways to reduce plastic pollution in their islands. This initiative was launched 3 years ago and, by 2023, it is being carried out across the Balearic Islands, in collaboration with Mallorca Preservation and IbizaPreservation, reaching over 400 young students and walking over 30,000km.

“We are striving to reduce or even eliminate plastic pollution on our island and in our seas, as well as to help the marine species and coastal birds that die as a result of this human-made pollution.” Dominique, 0 Plastic Warrior - 2023 Edition, Menorca

Learn through Surfing: More than 500 local students learning about marine conservation and surfing

An educational and sports project run by the Surf and Clean Association, which seeks to improve and strengthen the bond between children and the sea through the practice of surfing and stand-up paddle-boarding. This initiative, first implemented in other regions of Spain, started in Menorca in 2020 and, over these three years, has gradually grown from engaging around 150 students in year one to reaching over 500 in the 3rd edition launched last May.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP PROTECT OUR SEA?

Find and scan the 0 Plastic Experiences and 0 Plastic Menorca will clean-up 1kg of plastic from the Sea!

Menorca Preservation and 0 Plastic Menorca, through our Plastic Free Menorca Alliance, have launched 0 Plastic Experiences, an amazing initiative aimed at promoting experiences for travelers and residents who want to enjoy our beautiful Menorca while reducing their plastic footprint. You can find 0 Plastic Experiences in Plastic Free establishments and activities such as hotels, restaurants, activities, art centers, filtered water fountains and the beaches included in our reusable beach items boxes network... In addition, each 0 Plastic Experience is assigned a star shaped QR code, and by scanning one 0 Plastic Experiences Star, 0 Plastic Menorca will clean-up 1kg of plastic from the Sea!

0 PLASTIC EXPERIENCES MAP

This initiative is part of a long list of actions focused on reducing the use of plastic on Menorca, worked on during the first year of life of our Plastic Free Menorca Alliance and included in the “Action Plan to reduce plastic pollution in Menorca 2030” developed by the Alliance and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2021. To continue with this roadmap, Menorca Preservation has secured funding from the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 to continue our support to the Plastic Free Menorca Alliance and to carry out these initiatives.

Menorca Preservation exists thanks to strongly committed businesses, fabulous collaborators, wonderful local entities and individuals, like yourself, with a deep connection to Menorca and who wish to preserve its precious environment. If you feel you can support Menorca Preservation or our Plastic Free Menorca Alliance in whichever way, please do reach out to us!

www.menorcapreservation.org

Menorcan 0 Plastic Warriors for Kilometres of Plastic for Iris, 2023 Edition. Project carried out by 0 Plastic Menorca.

Filtered water fountain located at Mahón Harbour. Installed by Plastic Free Menorca Alliance.

Reusable beach items box located at Cala Blanca. Installed by Plastic Free Menorca Alliance.

CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS

AGE CONCERN MENORCA LIFELINE NEWS

One of the most important services that Age Concern offers is called Lifeline. As the recipients of help from Lifeline are kept in complete confidence it is often the case that no one has heard of what it has done and what it can or cannot do

Initially it is there as a confidential service to offer help and information on key problems which we all at some time might face, for example:

• My mother has a new hip and is on her own, what help can she expect to get on Menorca?

• We have just heard our father needs some medical treatment, is it possible for a translator to accompany him to medical consultations?

• We don’t know if Social Services can help with our problem, could someone come with us to meet them?

As a small island there are few facilities for care and recuperation but at Age Concern we hope that Lifeline can point people in the right direction of the excellent facilities that are available.

Lifeline does not provide care or long-term financial solutions but we are always prepared to look at individual needs on a one-off support basis, either through financial help, medical support or long term loan of equipment. (Our own Medical Equipment Service offers only short-term loans.)

One of our regular developments with Lifeline has been the provision of a Christmas Hamper of “Goodies “to people on the island who need a boost at this time of year. The hampers are very well received. Many of our regular supporters offer items for the hampers too.

Carole, our previous Shop Manager, coordinates Lifeline. She has a small team of volunteers who help out with individual cases. She is always looking for new recruits to help with the many individuals we try to help. Here is a little background to our Lifeline coordinator. Carole tells some of her story, ‘I first visited Menorca in 1978 with my family and stayed in Santa Ana and fell in love with the Island. We visited many times over the next few years and bought an apartment in Es Castell in 1984, finally moving here permanently in June 1993.

‘In UK I worked as a pharmacy assistant for two years, five years in care homes for the elderly then opened my own residential home in 1983. After running the home for ten years we decided to move to Menorca to “live the dream”, but I got bored after six months not working.

Over the years I have worked in Tourism as Health and Safety and Airport Supervisor, then for Salus as PR/Translator then setting up a business delivering “Welcome Packs” to all the major Tour Operators, then running the Coach and Horses for a year before starting to work for Age Concern as Shop Manager in 2014.

Since 2018 I have also been responsible for our helpline, “Lifeline”, which brings me back to my “roots” as helping the elderly which I find extremely rewarding.

Age Concern was set up by volunteers to assist the elderly of any nationality and provide social events and advice to all and we help wherever we can!

I retired from work in 2022 but still work on the Lifeline as a volunteer but we are always looking for people to volunteer so if you have an hour to spare, please get in touch with the Shop Manager, Lee.

If you speak Spanish or any language we need your help visiting people in hospital or at home, helping with medical appointments, doctor’s visits etc; or just giving advice or helping to fill in forms.

Lifeline has its own confidential telephone line and email: Mobile 0034 676904487 email

lifelineacmin@gmail.com

Carole relaxing with a well-earned refreshment

KEY INFORMATION:

Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday, 09.45 – 13.15. (Closed Afternoons)

For the latest information and current offers follow us on facebook or visit our website.

General Email: Menorca@Ageconcern.org.es

Visit Our Website: Www.ageconcernmenorca.com

Follow Us On Facebook: Age Concern Menorca 2015

Social Secretary: Menorca@Ageconcern.org.es

Sandy: 699 901 777 or 650 729 439

Chris: 669 949 370

Membership Secretary:menorca@Ageconcern.org.es

620 017 437

Lifeline: Lifelineminac@Gmail.com

676 904 487

Medical & Mobility Equipment Loan

By Appointment Only: Acmenorcamedequip@Gmail.com

629 016 307

Shop: Menorca@Ageconcern.org.es

971 156 110

Shop Manager: Menorca@Ageconcern.org.es

636 347 286

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

ART IN MENORCA

ART GALLERY IN SA CALETA

Maribel Fernandez Ponseti is a painter born in Valencia. She loves travelling and lived in London for 10 years, which partly accounts for her fluent English. She moved to Menorca at the beginning of the 1980s. Maribel has been painting professionally since 2004 and has exhibited in Florida USA, Madrid and Menorca.

This year Maribel’s workshop in Sa Caleta is open to the public every Thursday and Saturday from 20:00 to 23:00 all through the Summer Season. There she displays her best pieces at her address, Signe d´Aries 15, Sa Caleta, Ciutadella.

On Saturday evenings she is also inviting artists from other disciplines. These evenings will start on 5th August 2023 with the actor and coach Paolo Girelli with his play “El Camino del Humano Imperfecto” - Imperfect Tour

Other evenings to be confirmed will include the presentation of Luis García Alucha books and there will also be Poems and Music… Those evenings will be exciting and worth visiting. Free entrance. Everybody welcome!

ART AND SOLIDARITY!

Maribel also had a supporting exhibition at Pinzellades d´Art Gallery in Alaior until last month based on photographs of Madagascar children. Now the Collection “Va de petits Gegants” - “It’s about little Giants” - is back at her home and they will be shown at the workshop from the 1st August 2023 onwards. The sale of these pieces will go partly to Malaria 40 (www.malaria40.org) to improve the life condition of the most needed through their projects on health, education and emergencies. Look out for more information on Instagram: m_ponseti

THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE - FROM BELGIANS TO MR BEAN VIA BABEL

The former Menorquín politician, Maite Salord, recently appeared in a lengthy column in the Menorca daily newspaper (the Diario, as it is popularly known) to express concern about the risk of the loss of the language that is derived from Catalan, but still quite distinct in Menorca. Those of us who have devoted much time and energy towards trying to be able to understand and be understood in Castilian Spanish might groan a little at this, especially because it seems that an awful lot of official communication, from road signs to missives from the Ayuntamiento, seems only to appear in Menorquín. And let’s set aside for now the rather odd decision to post signs only in Menorquín about parking restrictions that really apply primarily to tourists.

In that vein, we might spare a moment of sympathy for a seminarian from the Netherlands, studying in the northeast of England, who was given a placement in Stockton - where there is a very strong local accent. There was an occasion when two new couples, one from Belgium, appeared at the entrance to the church, and I sent someone who had worked in Brussels to talk to them. At first, he chose the wrong couple, but then came back and said, ‘After completely failing to understand the people from Solihull, I had no problem with the Belgians!’ We do not all speak the same English.

Language can be seen as an inconvenience and an obstruction to communication. The Bible has something to say on the matter. The Old Testament story of Babel imagines a time of one language, with people unified in communication. This led to the planning of audacious deeds, most notably the building of a tower to the heavens. As the book of Genesis presents it, God did not favour the plan, and confused the people’s language. This is open to different interpretations. The scattered people of Babel can be seen to have been punished by the action.

However, another way of looking at it is to wonder whether to have only a single way of describing the world, only a single way of depicting human life, might impoverish us. Unity can be great, but uniformity less so. In one of the Star Trek series (Next Generation), the Borg appear: a people, a species who are cybernetic organisms (cyborgs) linked in a hive mind called ‘the

Collective,’ under constant supervision and guidance to ensure uniformity. The assimilation into a unified mind leads to lack of dissident voices which might be seen as the root of a conscience, leading to ruthlessness. Uniformity robs us of the possibility of alternatives, of choices, of checks and balances in our ways of making decisions.

So, the confusion imposed upon the people of Babel (in effect, upon humanity as a whole), while potentially being a punishment, might be one of those two-edged swords which also has a benefit, and can be a blessing. There are four gospels in the New Testament, each of them telling a story from a slightly different point of view. Someone once used the analogy of four witnesses observing a traffic accident, who see the same thing, but report it differently. Human beings trying to relate divine truths will inevitably run up against the limitations of human expression of things beyond our comprehension.

As the Bible sees it, the voice of ‘the other,’ whether in the form of the voice of a neighbour, or the voice of the divine creator, is a voice to which we need to listen. Truth is seldom one-dimensional, and we depend upon one another to explore different ways of seeing life.

Language may often seem to be a barrier, but it might really be a doorway. Other languages help us to experience something new. As the Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines, who is fluent in German, has said on a number of occasions, learning another language becomes as much about learning a culture as about understanding vocabulary and grammar. When I was working in research and development in the 1980s, in the early days of personal computing, and long before the current form of artificial intelligence was anything but science fiction, we were thinking about ways to measure the competence of software programming. One of the younger members of the team came up with this criterion: the computer tells a joke; people laugh. He had grasped one of the truths about language: humour is one of the most difficult things to communicate, which is why Mr Bean’s popularity transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries.

Different languages and voices lead us towards other visions and perceptions, and they expand and broaden our understanding of one another and of life. We can treat this as an inconvenience, or we can treat it as an opportunitysomething that applies to many areas of life! The disappearance of minority languages diminishes all of us. And even though it can be an inconvenience to struggle with Menorquín after learning Castilian Spanish, as I have often reminded people, when a native of Menorca speaks to us in Spanish, they are doing us a favour, by using their second language to help us to understand and be understood. This is why it might be at least polite to reciprocate, and try to meet them halfway, through our endeavour to learn Spanish - something else that applies more broadly in life, when someone tries to meet us halfway. And the lesson of language might lead us to try to look through what may appear as a difficulty to unearth a blessing.

CHURCH NEWS

Worship in the church of Santa Margarita takes place on Sunday mornings at 9am and 11am, as well as at 11am every Wednesday and morning prayer with a focus on healing at 11am on Friday (also on Zoom). Perhaps it is worth noting, as the month of August brings its customary sweltering heat, that the church is air conditioned! Santa Margarita continues to offer worship online, to respect the needs of those unable to worship in person at the church.

The church web site will continue to be the place to seek up-to-date news and information about online worship: anglicanchurchmenorca.com.

The phone number for the chaplain, Paul, is +34 617222382 and his e-mail is chaplain@anglicanchurchmenorca.com

NORDIC WALKING

Beverley Ward will be familiar to readers of Roqueta as the writer of regular updates on the volunteer work at the Isla del Rey and other fascinating articles on the history of Menorca. However, you may not know that Beverley is also a keen swimmer and a Spanish National Champion in the sport of Nordic Walking. She takes part in the activity with a group led by Elena Segzdaite of Camina con Elena.

Beverley started in the sport 3 years ago. She had always been a keen swimmer but took up Nordic Walking as it is a very complete activity which exercises the whole body. She says “Anyone can take part and there are groups on the island for different levels. It is great to walk around the Cami de Cavalls, or discover quiet paths in the countryside, but it is important to learn the correct technique at the start. “My teacher Elena is extraordinary. She was born in Lithuania but lives in Menorca and she has taken part in walking or running races around the world in places such as France, Nepal and the Sahara. She set a new and still unbeaten record in the RENNSThike World Championship in Germany in 2021. Her company Camina con Elena takes groups of walkers out twice a week, starting at 6:20 am or 6pm from various locations in the area of either Mahon or Ciutadella as there are groups at both ends of the island. They walk for normally 7-10km for about 90 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Mahon and on Mondays and Wednesdays from Ciutadella, with the option of other additional days of physical training.

The National Championships

There are several Nordic walking groups in Mallorca (none in Ibiza) and so 4-5 times a year there are competitions between the islands . The best four women and four men are then selected to represent the Balearic team in the National Championships. This year the competition will be in Seville. The sport is part of the Federacion de Muntanyisme I Escalada (Federation of Mountaineering and Cllmbing). Beverley has competed in La Coruna, Vitoria, Valencia, Pontevedra, Madrid and Navarra. She has won the Individual Federation Medal in her category each time, and the overall ladies champion for Baleares in 2021 and 2022.

Beverly explained that during the races a penalty card system is used for various infringements. You must be careful to walk and not break into a run and the style is very restricted; arms must be kept in the correct position, the stick must be placed on the ground midway between your two legs and you can’t bend your knees too much or wiggle your hips! If you receive 3 white cards you have to add 2 minutes to your time and a red card can mean a penalty of up to 6 minutes.

How you can get started

If you are looking for a more relaxed approach to the sport then there are other groups on the island also. Beverley started at the age of 68 and the average age in her group is approximately 45 so there are no age barriers. It does not cost a lot of money and you can borrow some sticks when you start. The sticks are not the same as those used for hiking. Footwear should be trail sports shoes with embossed soles for grip but not trekking boots.

Elena often takes out groups on Sundays for daytime walks, from Son Bou for example, and she even organises moonlight walks. She also arranges special events for those with disabilities or those with illnesses such as cancer or Parkinsons. In September there is an Elite Chip Nordic Walking competition being held in Menorca with a course of 12 km around the military land of San Isidro.

Benefits of Nordic Walking

Nordic Walking involves walking in a natural way while using sticks to accompany the instinctive swing of the arms. It is a smooth low-impact sport that exercises 85% of the muscles of the body. The sticks facilitate the forward movement of the body and integrate the movement of the trunk and arms with the lower part of the body. They help to keep the body in the correct alignment when walking.

It is adaptable to the individual, with the objective of improving the physical and emotional well-being of those who practice it.

Nordic Walking originated as a cross-training exercise for elite skiers in Finland, and now it is practiced by people of all abilities worldwide. Scientific studies have shown that the health benefits of Nordic Walking are significantly greater than regular walking, trekking or even running.

Benefits listed on menorcanordicwalking.com

• Increases cardiopulmonary capacity.

• Increases calorie consumption up to 45% compared to walking without walking sticks.

• Release neck and shoulder tension.

• Favours the prevention of back pain, osteoporosis, heart disease or asthma.

• It improves the symptoms of patients with fibromyalgia, lumbar pain, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, Parkinsons and respiratory diseases among others.

• It is indicated to prevent and / or control lymphedema derived from breast cancer.

• It can contribute to strengthening the immune system.

• Improves the psychosocial state of patients with depression or stress.

• Improves functional capacity and quality of life.

• Improves joint mobility.

• It helps in postural re-education.

• Generates a feeling of well-being.

Contact: Camina con Elena Tel: 671 135 632 OR Marxca Nordica offers sessions with two types of intensity, Nordic FIT and Nordic SUAU (SOFT).

Website: https://www.menorcanordicwalking.com/

email: menorcanordicw@gmail.com

c/ Tramuntana, 9. Es Grau, Maó – 07701

Tel (+34) 644 751 498 (+34) 669 097 977

ISLAND INFORMATION

CONSULATES

How do I contact the British Consulate?

You can call or send an email to our contact centre

Tel: 933666200

Email: spain.consulate@fco.gov.uk

(Make sure you put ‘Menorca’ in the subject line)

They will be able to answer most general enquiries and will pass you through to the team in Palma, should you need further assistance. www.gov.uk/government/world/spain.

Germany

San Andreu 32, Mahón.

Tel 971 36 90 12

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

General Emergencies 112 (equivalent to 999 in UK). 24 hour service in 4 languages.

Domestic Violence 016

Local Police 092

National Police: 091

Police station Mahon: 971 363 712.

Police station Ciutadella: 971 363 066

Fire Service 971 35 10 11

Sea Rescue 900 202 202

Emergency Ambulance 061

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

Tourist Information visit

www.menorca.es.

Offices in Mahón and Ciudadela

Taxis 971 36 71 11

Chemist shops are closed on Sundays, but some are open on Saturdays.

Shop Opening Hours 09.00 – 13.30 and 16.30/17.00 – 20.30

Larger supermarkets Monday to Saturday 09.00 – 21.00 Sunday mornings in summer

Banks Monday to Friday 08.15 – 14.00

If hiring a car, you are required to keep with you: Hire documents, driving licence and a photocopy of your passport. NB: Seat belts are compulsory, and children must be in the back of the vehicle

For a comprehensive list of all bus times on the Island, please visit www.tmsa.es

Internal flights in Spain from Menorca: Iberia – www.vueling.com, www.iberia. com

POST OFFICES

Carrer de Ciutadella, 76, 07701 Maó

Plaça des Born, 9, 07760 Ciutadella de Menorca

Carrer Llevant, 5-7, 07720 Es Castell Carrer Lepanto, 43, 07740 Es Mercadal Carrer de sa Lluna, 13 (antes, Carrer de Sant Esteve, 14), 07710 Sant Lluís

HOSPITALS WITH 24 HR EMERGENCIES

MAHON

Hospital Mateo Orfila

Rda. de Malbúger, 1, 07703 Mahón, Phone: 971 48 70 00

CIUTADELLA

Canal Salat

C/ Sant Antoni Maria Claret, s/n 07760 Ciutadella

Tel: 971 480 112

PRIVATE CLINICS

CLINICA JUANEDA

Avenida Vives Llull, 6 07703 Mahón

Tel. 971 351 115 info.menorca@juaneda.es

CLINICA JUANEDA

Jose Delfin Serra, 10, 07760 Ciutadella

Tel. 971 480 505

info.menorca@juaneda.es

POLICLINICA VIRGEN DE GRACIA

Av Vives Llull 6, 07003, Mahon

Tel: 971351115

RED CROSS

CREU ROJA MAÓ

C/ Josep Anselm Clavé, 162 ·07703

Tel.: 971 36 11 80

Creu Roja Ciutadella

c/ de la Creu, 2 07760

Tel.: 971 38 19 93

CREU ROJA FERRERIES

Av. Jaume Mascaró, 66, 07750

Tel.: 971 37 31 39

Creu Roja Es Mercadal

C/ Veterinaris Gomila, 12, 07740

Tel.: 971 37 53 00

CREU ROJA ALAIOR

C/ Orient, 39 · 07703

Tel.: 971 37 12 38

CREU ROJA SANT LLUÍS

C/ Pere Tudurí, s/n · 07710

Tel.: 971 15 10 01

CHEMISTS

Chemists or Farmacias are found around the island. For emergencies out of hours, there is a list of duty chemists displayed on the chemist door.

GAS

All cooking gas used in Menorca is bought from REPSOL BUTANO. Bottles can be exchanged at petrol stations and at the depots.

Mahon: Avinguda de Fort de l’Eau, 125, BJ, 07701

Mahon: Main Road. Maó-Ciutadella ME-1, Km. 3,5. 07714

Ciutadella: Cala Morell Road, c/ Algaiarens, km. 1,5, 07760

See the website for opening hours

https://gasmenorca.es/centros-dedistribucion/

FLIGHTS FROM THE ISLAND

For all information and timetables regarding travel by air and sea to and from the Island please refer to the airline websites. To contact the airport, call 971 157 000

We will update the website as and when we receive the most up to date information which is kindly supplied by Viajes Pons Sans.

REAL AEROCLUB DE MAHON

The entrance to the Aeroclub lies snugly between the Guardia Civil buildings and the Hippodrome, mid-way between Mahón and Sant Lluis. The bar is well known to the Choir, dancing clubs, the billiard club and others, providing ample space for weekly meetings or special celebrations and providing easy access and parking; but the actual aerodrome which spreads over 750,000 sqm has an interesting history.

The First Runway

The beginnings go back to 1939, nearly at the end of the Spanish Civil War when the first runway of Menorca was prepared over 850 m and constructed out of compacted earth and thereby suffering the inevitable problems of ‘determined vegetation’. This was a military runway with little activity for several years, but it provided an emergency landing for aircraft of various different nationalities that found themselves in difficulties during WWII. Most of these ended up lying there abandoned for years until finally being removed for scrap.

However, ten years later, in 1949, Aviaco started a regular weekly flight to Barcelona carrying passengers, post and cargo. It’s hard to imagine nowadays the Bristol 170 parked in front of a new terminal of 300 sq m while the two pilots and the hostess would wander over for a coffee between flights, the passengers carried their luggage out to the plane and cargo was dragged over on a wheelbarrow or pulled by a mule. It became obvious that improvements were needed to the runway especially when puddles from heavy rain caused a plane to veer off the runway onto rocks. Some 50 prisoners from La Mola were paid 2 pesetas per day to extend it by another 100 m, later followed by more compulsory purchase of land and by 1961 the runway stretched to a reasonable 1250m.

These were different times for flying. Imagine boarding your plane but then being asked to get off again as one engine wasn’t starting. You waited on the runway while the captain took off on one engine and watched as he managed to start the other while in the air, then returned to the runway still keeping the engines running and you were told to board again. A true story and all landed happily in Barcelona.

Tourism, as is so often the case, was the key to development in Menorca. By 1965 there were one million tourists coming to the Baleares, but a whopping 89% went to Mallorca, 9.4% to Ibiza and Menorca lagged well behind with only 1.3%. A serious lack of infrastructure was largely to blame, the limited facilities of the airport, only 2 hotels on the island, and lack of activities for tourists amongst other factors. The change began in 1969 when Horizon Holidays offered the novel idea of charter flights to Menorca, with hotel and activities included. The Director, Jim Maps did a brilliant job of inventing activities and entertainment to keep the British visitors happy and BEA flew here regularly. This was a key factor in the decision to build a new airport. So, in 1969 the new airport opened and the old aerodrome was offered, together with a small AISA taildragger plane to a group of aviation enthusiasts. The Aeroclub was born.

The Early Days

It was the then mayor, Gabriel Segui who negotiated with the military for the use of the land and runway and he became the first President of the Real Aeroclub of Mahón. But there were no pilots, fairly important, so it was arranged for an instructor to come over regularly from Mallorca to teach a few well-heeled Menorcans how to fly. Of this early group it was Dr Vicente Roca who subsequently went on to become an instructor and trained up (for free) many of the present pilots over the next 30 years or more. At first it seemed like an elitist group, but this changed to a very “normal” group of pilots who just loved to fly and during the first half of the 90’s it was at its peak with a lively social life and plenty of aeronautical activities and excursions such as flying all the planes to Reus or Igualada or Mallorca for a weekend away. It was much more relaxed then, without so many restrictions or controls as nowadays and no need to draw up a flight plan. Any evening or weekend you would find people around the hangar to chat to, and although fuel had to be obtained from the main airport, you could go off flying at the drop of a hat.

Recent Years

In the years that followed we’ve had Formula 1 using the runway for straight line testing and taking advantage of one of the longest runways in Europe for an aeroclub.

It’s 1,800m or a nautical mile long, (very useful when you are needing to improve your landing technique!).

We now have nearly 100 members and 4 planes of the Aeroclub plus 7 other privately owned planes in the hangars.

There have been visits from flying clubs that are united with a common plane such as the Cirrus or Diamond. There are clubs formed of ultralight aircraft with up to 40 aircraft flying in together and there have been air races and planes who include Menorca as part of their tour of Spain. We must not forget the visits from the Spanish Patrulla Aguila or the Red Arrows. The latter will once again be visiting in September and the Aeroclub as always will be hosting a reception for them and the local dignitaries. Throughout the summer months we have growing numbers of visiting light aircraft from all over Europe, and it is often a surprise to see so many planes of all shapes and sizes.

The Future

Since its inauguration in 1969 until the present day the Aeroclub has been owned by the Ministry of Defence who allowed us to make use of the facilities in exchange for maintaining them. Over the last few years their intention has been to sell, and following recent negotiations there is now an agreement between the military and the Consell Insular for the purchase of the land and installations. This is currently in the process of being finalized. This heralds a very positive step for the Aeroclub since our future is now more secure than it has been since 1969.

Learning to Fly in Menorca

f you’ve ever dreamt of going up in a light aircraft or maybe even to learn to fly, then you should get in touch with us. An Air Experience flight can be arranged with an experienced local pilot in a four seater Piper Archer and you can choose the duration, but 45 minutes or an hour is recommended.

If you are tempted by the idea of becoming a pilot, you can also ask for a trial flight with one of the english speaking instructors who will be happy to give you more details of the courses available, both practical and theory. We have two instructors who speak excellent English and an examiner, so courses are provided for new pilots to learn to fly for a PPL or LAPL, or also for ultralight aircraft with an instructor from Mallorca. The examinations can nowadays be done in English and all radio communications also, so although having a good level of Spanish is always useful, it’s not obligatory. Don’t hesitate to get in touch for prices or more details.

info@aeroclubmenorca.com or our website

https://www.aeroclubmenorca.com/

ADMIRAL FARAGUT AND US FLEET MEMORIAL DAY

By Lorraine Ure

It is amazing how our little island of Menorca so often features prominently in important aspects of world history! Not everyone realises that the world-famous US Sixth Fleet was established in Port Mahon, and the fleet remained stationed here for about 40 years in the early 19th century. (They are now famously headquartered in Naples, Italy). One of the ships is still afloat today, USS CONSTITUTION. Nick-named “Old Ironsides”, she was built in 1794, and can be visited in the Boston National Historic Park.

But back to Admirals…David Glasgow Farragut was born in 1801 in Tennessee, but his father had been born in Menorca, no less. He left the island as a young man to fight in the US Revolutionary War. His son, David Farragut, was very active during the American Civil War, and was awarded the rank of Admiral, the first ever. His famous comment at the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864 was: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead”! (The torpedos referred to at the time were a type of floating land mine).

Whilst the Americans were stationed in Menorca, they set up a number of shore facilities to support their fleet, including a naval hospital under the direction of Dr Jonathan M.Foltz (since disappeared), a factory for making uniforms, on the Isla del Rey, and an Officers Training School on the Isla Plana, since demolished.

The United States Navy League Madrid Chapter recently held a modest day of events to honour their illustrious Admiral. firstly at the Monument to Farragut by the St Nicholas Castle in Ciudadela in the presence of the new Mayor, Snra Juana Pons, the Commander of the Naval Base, CF Federico Perez Dueñas, Sr Joe Mondejar of the USNL Madrid and others, myself included. We then proceeded to the Naval Base in Mahon for refreshments, prior to a visit of dedication and wreath laying at the Anglo American Cemetery on the north short of the port of Mahon. Next year there are plans afoot for a much larger and more inclusive event around Memorial Day.

Evening of Music

Aeroclub 2 September

Here’s

Our choir normally performs two concerts a year - one in the summer, the other at Christmas time. However, this year it’s been decided to have a further ‘Evening of Music’ at the Aero Club on Saturday 2nd September 8.30 for 9pm. There will be a pay on the door charge of €5 all of which will be given to a chosen charity. If you would like to enjoy an evening of several of the choir’s favourite songs do please join us for a fun evening, with one or two surprises!

Our Christmas concert practices will begin after the September performance, for which detailed information on a start date will appear in a forthcoming edition of Roqueta.

We meet twice a week at the Aero Club - 4pm on Tuesdays and 10.30am on Fridays and the Friday rehearsal is usually followed by a members’ catch-up over late morning coffee. If you would like more information about coming along to any of our practices with a view to joining a happy band of like minded individuals who love to sing, please let me know.

Elaine Martin Secretary

Mob:

0044

7855 325894

Email: elaine.martin2265@gmail.com

a photo of the choir performing the Beatles’ ‘When I’m 64’ at the 2023 summer concert with members dressing to look the part - note the 1960’s headgear of the ladies!

EMBASSY VISIT TO MENORCA

Sarah Cowley, DHM Madrid (Deputy Head of Mission) visited Menorca on the 20th June, as part of her tour of the Balearics. She is second to the Ambassador, and also based in Madrid.

She was accompanied by Lucy Gorman, CROM (Consular Regional Operations Manager) who is responsible for all the Consulates in Spain. She was welcomed by Luisa Rose Coll Hellyer, British Honorary Consul Menorca.

Sarah met with Susana Mora, then President of the Consell Insular de Menorca. The purpose of the meeting was to talk about the British in Menorca, both visitors and residents. She was interested to know about our joint cultural and historical links. Both Sarah and Lucy thanked Susana for the joint work between the Consell and Consulate over the last years.

Sarah and Lucy also met representative from the main associations on the island to learn more about what they do here. She also thanked them all for their amazing work.

This was hosted at the Hotel Artiem Carlos in a reserved area of the dining area with amazing sea views, overlooking the Isla del Rey.

• Ladies Probus Menorca - Janet Quayle

• Ladies Luncheon Club - Jane Wolstencroft

• Age Concern - Tony Rickwood (invited, not able to attend)

• Fundación Hospital Isla del Rey - Beverley Ward

• Red Arrows - Ian Warren, BEM

• Anglican Church - Paul Strudwich (invited, not able to attend)

• Menorca Preservation Fund - Rebecca Morris (invited, not able to attend)

LADIES PROBUS

We had a beautiful meal at Es Furat in Binibeca Vell in July and the food was excellent. Richard serenaded us before lunch and a few ladies used the pool. There were no formal seating arrangements so we could sit where we liked. The raffle again was overseen by Sandra and went down well before the afternoon ended with dancing and more music from Richard. This was first time we had used Es Furat as a venue and would certainly go back again.

LADIES LUNCH

The July lunch was held at the Oveja Negra in Punta Prima. Jayne our president explained that it was too hot to have speakers in the summer months and it was indeed a very hot day and people had to stand by a fan to cool down. (Stop press, we may have a speaker for August!) Jayne also told us a cautionary tale about a make-up mirror that had had focused the sun onto a wardrobe which then caught fire. Check your mirrors! There were many varied raffle prizes with one in four for the number of members at the lunch and the profits do help the club and charity. Elizabeth who runs the raffle had kindly donated a Kipling handbag, and we had our usual plants, cava and wine, plus a small battery fan that was very useful. Any donations for the raffle will be gratefully received. The food was good as it always is at the Oveja Negra, but they were rather slow at serving the wine which didn´t arrive until 13:45. (Maybe that was healthier for some of us!)

Our next Lunch is at SAMOA in Cala en Porter, a new one for us. We used to have a regular venue at El Picadero, which long standing members will remember well. Terry Hazzard who owned it, assisted by Lito served a wonderful carvery and many people would order food to take home. If we were celebrating an event, a Royal Marriage, Ascot, the Queen mother’s birthday (!) or something similar he would always theme the meal appropriately. If any of you have memories do tell me at the next luncheon. Jon you can remove this in red if too long

Sarah Cowley in blue dress / Lucy Gorman in beige dress.

Summer Cricket is now up and running at Menorca Cricket Club on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It Is open to all and anyone from 8 years old to 80 can have a game! Get there at 10.00am prompt for 10.30am start.

At the first game Graham Croft captained Grahams Lambs who took on Jamie Kernalls Mandarins. So a case of experience against youthful enthusiasm! Would you believe it, the match ended in a tie, and the first super over of the year! Although Jamie’s tactic nearly worked,Graham shepherded his lambs to victory in the super over! Thanks to all that helped score, umpire etc. Sad to know the Crofts are now heading back to UK, but fitting they left on a win! Thank you Amelie Dow for your help as well!

On 19th July “The Whipps” captained by Bradley Bover took on “We Love Tiger” captained by Andy Tiger Tysoe. We love Tiger batted first scoring an impressive 88 off their 15 overs. The Whipps managed to get 10 off the last over to get another tie! In the super over The Whipps took the win.

Full details on the website https://www.menorcacricketclub.com/

MENORCA’S WILD ANIMAL RECOVERY CENTRE

Located next to the Lithica - Pedreres De S’Hostal on the outskirts of Ciutadella is the Wild Animal Recovery Centre for the Island. The Centre is run by GOB and last year they cared for 1388 animals of 81 different species. The majority of animals that enter the centre have suffered from accidents due to human activity: on roads, power lines, collisions with large windows, and other dangers from urban environments. GOB also deals with the effects of invasive species on the local animals.

652 tortoises were brought to the Centre in 2022 and they are by far the most assisted species. Most of them came from captivity, but 175 were involved in accidents, mostly on the road. Other admissions include bird chicks that have been born in towns or fallen out of their nests and abandoned or birds that have collided with cars or flown into large windows.

35 birds were brought in because of electrocution by power lines last year. Those affected are usually large birds such as ravens, raptors and gulls. Other causes of injuries are abandoned fishing nets and plastic ropes that affect gulls and marine turtles. Attacks by dogs and cats on wild animals led to 19 admissions. Also notable were 19 cases of birds falling into water tanks, including raptors. It is possible to reduce this problem by putting floating ramps in the tanks so that the animals that fall in accidentally can get out.

Exotic invasive species are a problem for wild animals, especially water turtles from Florida some of which have been freed into the wild and have established themselves in different damp areas of Menorca. Now the law prohibits ownership of these turtles, and anyone owning one should take it to the Centre and never release it into the wild. Last year they received 28 exotic turtles.

The facilities have a flight space, which facilitates the rehabilitation of birds that need to recover their full ability to fly, and also a space where animals live if they cannot be released from back into the wild.

The Centre of Recuperation of Menorca is able to work thanks to a collaborative effort of many volunteers and organisations. Its management by GOB is made possible through a collaboration agreement with the Consorci de Fauna de les Illes Balears (COFIB). Essential, also, is the help of the Lithica Foundation which provides the space for the Centre. The Centre is supported by the veterinary clinic of Jaume Pons, the Consell Insular (Menorca Island Governing Council) and the town Halls of Ciutadella, Maó, Es Mercadal, Ferreries, Sant Lluis and Es Castell. The local police, the Environment Agencies and SEPRONA (The Nature Protection Service of the Guardia Civil) also offer their help, as well as shops and businesses providing food.

Judith with Fausto an African tortoise from the Sahel. Eleven years ago he was found run over, badly injured, on a road in Menorca.

How to Get involved

You can Sponsor an individual animal or the animal hospital with donations starting at just 20 Euros. There are pictures and descriptions of each animal on the website https://aporta. gobmenorca.com/

The Centre could not operate without a group of 20 volunteers which take home and care for the chicks. Volunteers can also get involved in the maintenance and improvement of the facilities. The Centre holds open days and organises school visits to explain to educate children about the species that come to the Centre and the problems they suffer. Since 2013 the Centre has been open to the public and tickets are available when you visit the Lithica. A Lithica ticket is 4€ for residents, or 7€ for non-residents. (Under 13 years old free of charge). Once inside you can then visit the Centre, where they will ask you for a €2 supplement. It is recommended to buy the ticket for the Lithica in advance at https://lithica.es/visita/ , although it can also be purchased on site. The access to the Pedreres de s’Hostal is on the Old Road of Ciutadella, km 1.

I have found an injured animal. What I do?: call 619 834 597

WILDLIFE EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER:

619 834 597, 971 350 762, 112

GOB’s Animal Recovery Centre offers the following tips to keep in mind if you find an animal needing help. Each species has particular habits and needs and it is necessary to act in a specific way so as not to cause further damage. If you have any doubts you can call them for advice.

Before you take it: check first that you need their help. Sometimes an animal has fallen out of the nest, but the parents continue to feed it. If its not hurt or in danger, it’s best to leave it where it is. Wild animals are often afraid, and try to defend themselves when you want to catch them. To avoid grabs and bites, it is better to catch them with a towel or a thick sweater.

Transport: if you can, put the animal inside a cardboard box, covered so that it is dark inside, with small holes so that air can enter and a pad or a towel at the bottom. Do not put food or water. And remember not to leave the box in the closed car if it’s hot.

Feeding: an injured animal should never be fed or given water as this could kill it if it is dehydrated

Care: do not try to cure it on your own. It is better to have it done by a vet.

Management: it is necessary to minimize the contact of the animal with people or domestic animals. Fear produces a nervousness that is detrimental to its situation. Deliver the injured animal to GOB as soon as possible

Pick up and transfer: The injured animal can be delivered to any of the GOB facilities. If it is impossible to deliver the animal, there are volunteers who can pick it up or it can be taken to the local police station.

Tapio was found in a garden in Ciutadella. He has an ulnar fracture in the right wing, which makes flight so difficult that it would not survive in the wild.

Igor is an iguana found on a street in Es Castell.

CANINE CARE

by ROQUETA’s VET Caroline Langlois

Phone or WhatsApp: +34 685753292

Email: vetmenorca@gmail.com

C/Santa Victoria 30, 07701 Mahon

CANINE LEISHMANIASIS: A CHRONIC DISEASE TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN MENORCA

What is leishmaniasis and how is it caused?

Leishmaniasis in dogs is a chronic parasitic disease that puts many pets at risk each year. It is caused by Leishmania infantum, which is a member of the trypanosome family and is transmitted by the bite of an insect called Phlebotomus. This insect, a close relative of the mosquito, feeds mainly at the end of the day and beginning of the night, at minimum temperatures of 18-22°C.

Where is it present?

It is widespread throughout the Mediterranean region, and particularly in Spain. It is more common and even endemic in places where there are areas with abundant water or humidity, since this is a very favorable environment for an abundance of transmitting mosquitoes. The Balearic Islands are the Spanish territory with the highest percentage of dogs which have tested positive for leishmaniasis. A total of 57.1% of the canines in our autonomous community are carriers of this potentially lethal disease. This implies a difference of more than 20% with respect to the rest of the provinces analyzed.

What are the clinical signs in dogs?

The development of leishmaniasis in infected dogs varies greatly from one individual to another: some dogs will naturally eliminate the parasite, others will be carriers without showing any signs of disease and others express the disease to varying degrees. When they do appear, signs of leishmaniasis can occur from 2 months to 8 years after the Phlebotomus bite.

In its classic form, it is characterized by a wide range of symptoms:

General signs: fatigue, depression, weight loss

Skin signs: hair loss, dandruff, ulcerations

Swollen lymph nodes

Abnormally long claws, nose damage

How is it diagnosed?

Canine leishmaniasis is diagnosed by a veterinarian. He will first carry out a complete clinical examination of the dog to detect any symptoms of the disease and will also ask you questions about the dog’s lifestyle, and finally, blood tests will confirm infection.

How to treat it?

Unfortunately, there is no definitive treatment for leishmaniasis in dogs. However, with early diagnosis and adequate treatment, it can be controlled. It’s possible to significantly improve the condition of sufferers, but even if all signs of the disease disappear, the dog remains a carrier of the parasite.

There is a specific treatment for leishmaniasis in the form of injections and tablets. This is a longterm treatment with potentially significant side-effects, notably on kidney function, and requires regular follow-up by the vet. In parallel, other symptomatic treatments may be prescribed to manage complications of the disease, such as secondary infections or kidney disorders.

Treatment must be administered over a long period, often several months or even years, depending on the evolution of the disease and the dog’s response to treatment and a leishmanic dog needs to be monitored by a vet for the rest of its life.

How can I protect my dog from leishmaniasis?

Given the guarded prognosis and difficulty of treatment, prevention of leishmaniasis is essential. The most effective strategy to avoid the contagion of this canine disease is based on the combination of three basic principles:

• The first consists of reducing the risks of bites by making use of insect repellent collar or spoton. Don’t hesitate to ask your vet for advice on which product is best suited to your dog and its lifestyle.

• Also, it is important to apply vaccines that target the immune response.

The latest research estimates that an adequate vaccination protocol decreases 4 times the probability of suffering from canine leishmaniosis. It can be carried out from the age of 6 months. Beforehand, a blood sample must be taken to check that the dog is not infected with the parasite. The vaccine is followed by an annual booster and must be at least 1 month apart from the other vaccines. The vaccine does not prevent infection, but increases the dog’s resistance to infection.

However, it does not guarantee a totally effective protection and must be combined with the application of repellent substances.

• Then, we must also control our pets in a more special way if we live in rural areas, with nearby wetlands, swimming pools, or irrigated areas, in addition to minimizing walks at dusk since their activity increases and this can increase the risk of exposure of our pets to Phlebotomus, which can increase the percentage up to 15 or 20%.

In conclusion, canine leishmaniasis is a potentially serious parasitic disease transmitted by Phlebotomus bites. It can have a variety of symptoms and affect various organs. It’s important to diagnose the disease early and treat it appropriately to improve the dog’s prognosis and quality of life. In an endemic region such as Menorca, preventing leishmaniasis is very important, and involves the use of appropriate anti-parasitics and vaccination.

TREBALUGER EQUINE RESCUE CENTRE

Update on Abuela from Sam

This weekend I found Abuela on her stable floor, she didn’t want to get up, was very lethargic and in obvious pain. We called the vet and he gave her pain relief and she’s had 24 hr care, but we had a few very scary days of trying to get her moving and keeping her cool. She is terrified of water from a hosepipe and injections, so as you can imagine, stressful times for all! After 3 days she was asking for food and was quite annoyed that she was being given small portions but at least she was up and moving about. It’s so hard when they look at you with huge eyes for help but she knows she is loved and cared for.

Abuela is a special horse who is 30 yrs old. She came to us about 4 years ago emaciated and coved in ticks, scared and not knowing what was happening to her. She had obviously been left without food and water for quite a while so it’s taken a long slow process to get her back to health. Every action scared her but through patience and love she is the most grateful and loving of horses.

Trebaluger Equine Rescue Centre

10A Cami De Ses Cometes Trebaluger, Es Castell Menorca, Spain 07720

9.30-12.30 every day Others times can be arranged via WhatsApp +34 689 802 108 (Spanish & English Speaking) trebalugerequinerescue@gmail.com

WHAT’S ON

AUGUST 2023

Every month we try to list events that we know are happening to help you plan ahead. Of course if you hear of anything else yourself that is of interest to the readers, then please let us knowinfo@roquetamagazine.net

LOCAL FIESTAS DATES AUG / SEPT 2023:

Llucmaçanes: Sant Gaietà 5-6 August

Alaior: Sant Llorenç 12-13 August

Sant Climent: Sant Climent 19-20 August

Ferreries : Sant Bartomeu 23-24 August

Sant Lluis: Sant Lluis 26-27 August

Sant Lluis: Sant Lluiset 2-3 September

Mahón: Mare de Deu de Gracia 7-9 September

Es Mercadal: Sant Nicolau 9-10 September

Cala’n Porter: 16-17 September

BANK HOLIDAYS

Everything closed, although in the summer months, many shops tend to stay open. All shops and businesses remain closed during the respective local fiestas.

15 August: Assumption Day

12 October: Spain’s National Day

1 November: All Saints’ Day

6 December: Constitution Day

8 December: Day of the Immaculate Conception.

25 December: Christmas Day.

GETTING AROUND THE ISLAND

If you prefer using public transport as an alternative to taking the car, there are three bus companies covering different parts of the island. Buses are very punctual, although bear in mind timetables vary greatly depending on the time of year. Up to date bus timetables can be checked online.

TORRES www.bus.e-torres.net

Torres buses run between Ciutadella and resorts along the west coast, as well as to the unspoiled beaches to the north and to the south of Ciutadella.

TMSA www.tmsa.es

TMSA buses run across the island connecting all the main towns, as well as routes to the resorts on the southern coast and eastern coast

AUTOS FORNELLS https://www.autosfornells.com/ Connecting Mahón with the north-eastern coastline up to Fornells, also connections to Alaior and Es Mercadal.

MARKETS

FARMERS’ MARKETS

Ciutadella: Wednesdays and Saturdays 8am to 2pm in Plaza de la Libertad (by the fish market).

Mahon: Sundays 9am to 2pm, in Carrer de s’Arravaleta and Carrer Nou (by the American bar).

Mahón Tapas by the fish market: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 11.30pm. Also open Sundays in July and August.

Ferreries: Saturdays, 9am to 1pm in Plaza España (main square).

CRAFT MARKETS

Mahón: 3 June to 30 September, Tuesdays and Saturdays, Plaça del Carme, 9am to 2pm.

Mahón: 20 June to 12 September, Tuesday evenings, in the streets of the town centre, 8 to 11pm.

Mahón: 15 June to 31 August also 9 September, Thursday evenings along the Moll de Llevant, in the port, 8 to 11.30pm.

Ciutadella: 1 June to 15 September, Mondays and Fridays (also Wednesdays in July and August), in Plaça des Born 7pm to midnight.

Ciutadella: 1 June to 30 September, daily, on the steps down to the port, 7pm to midnight.

Ciutadella: 1 June to 30 September, daily, in Portal de la Mar (slope down to port), 7pm to midnight.

Es Castell: 15 June to 15 September, daily, in Cales Fonts, 7.30pm to 1am.

Es Migjorn Gran: July, August and September, Tuesday evenings in the town centre, 7.30 to 11pm.

Alayor: 1 June to 15 September in the town centre, Wednesday evenings, 7 to 11pm.

Es Mercadal: July to end September, Thursday evenings, in the town centre, 7 to 11pm.

Es Mercadal: October to end May, Thursday mornings, Carrer Nou, 10am to 1pm.

Ferreries: Saturdays in Plaça Espanya, 9am to1pm.

Fornells: 12 June to end September, Mondays, Carrer Major and Plaça Esglesia, 7 to 11pm.

Sant Lluis: 15 June to 15 September, Friday evenings in town centre, 7 to 11pm.

STREET MARKETS

Mahón: Tuesday and Saturday 7am to 3pm in the Plaza Esplanada.

Mahón: Daily, Pla de Baixamar, 10am to 8pm.

Ciutadella: Monday and Friday 8.30am to 3pm in the Plaza Borne.

Alayor: Thursday morning in town centre.

Fornells: Wednesdays, 9am to 2pm in Carrer de la Mar.

Sant Lluis: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10am to 1pm in Pla de sa Creu.

Es Castell: Mondays and Wednesdays, 8am to 2pm in Plaza Esplanada.

Ferreries: Fridays 9am to 1pm in Plaça Espanya.

TEATRE DES BORN

https://www.teatredesborn.com/

Tickets can be obtained online or from the ticket office in the theatre (open Tuesdays 11.30am to 1pm and Thursdays 7 to 8.30pm, as well as one hour before the start of the show).

17 August: Marco Mezquida and Salvador Sobral, 9pm.

TEATRE PRINCIPAL

This is the oldest opera house in Spain, dating from 1829, with a wide programme of shows and concerts. Address: Carrer d’en Deià 40, Mahón Guided tours in Spanish on Thursdays at 12 noon.

See website for full programme. Tickets available online or from the box office.

Box office open mornings Tuesday to Saturday 11.30am to 1.30pm. Afternoons: Thursday and Friday 6.30 to 8.30pm. www.teatremao.com

3 August: Ballet gala show, Fundació Rubio, 9pm.

10 August: Drama Nomeolvides. 9pm.

16 August: Marco Mezquida and Salvador Sobral, 9pm.

22, 23, 29 and 30 September: Cartografies sonores: Maó. Ciutat submergida.

24 September: Flamenco Rocío Marquez + Bronquio, 1pm.

30 September: OCIM (Menorca Chamber Orchestra) performing Bach and Handel, 8pm.

5 November: Concert performed by the Orquesta Sinfónica de las Islas Baleares with Xabier Anduaga and Susana Markova, time to be advised.

FOSQUETS DE LÍTHICA

Festival taking place in Líthica quarries, on the outskirts of Ciutadella. Tickets available from www.fosquetsdelithica.com

1 August: Full Moon night. Folk and dance show performed by Deira i A plom i vol, 10pm.

6 August: Cor Jove Nacional de Catalunya, 8.30pm.

10 August: Concert of Persian music performed by Yassamin Shahhosseini, Efrén López and Ruven Ruppik, 8.30pm.

17 August: Concert by Ismael de la Torre y su Trova, 8.30pm.

24 August: Bach concert performed by cellists Ramon Bassal and Frances Barlett, 8.30pm.

31 August: Drama Informe para una Academia by F. Kafka, performed by Cant del Cigne, 8.30pm.

2 September: Quimera, dance performed by Art en Moviment, 8.30pm.

10 September: Guiem Soldevila performing Intimari, 8pm.

SUMMER CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL MAHÓN

www.joventutsmusicalsdemao.cat/

2 August: The Barcelona Clarinet Players, 9pm in la Mola.

16 August: Marco Mezquida and Salvador Sobral, 9pm in the Teatre Principal.

SUMMER CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL CIUTADELLA

www.jjmmciutadella.com/

6 August: Choir Coro Jove Nacional de Catalunya performing at 9pm at Líthica quarries. Tickets available from fosquetsdelithica.com

7 August: Irene Mas Salom (soprano) and Marc Serra (piano), performing at 9pm in the Claustre del Seminari, Carrer des Seminari.

14 August: Lucie Horsch and Justin Taylor, performing at 9pm in the Claustre del Seminari, Carrer des Seminari.

21 August: Juan Pérez Floristán (piano), performing at 9pm in the Claustre del Seminari, Carrer des Seminari.

28 August: Kaleidos Trio, performing at 9pm in the Claustre del Seminari, Carrer des Seminari.

MENORCA MUSIC FESTIVAL

4 – 11 August: sustainable music festival held in the Recinte Firal in the town of Es Mercadal. Doors open 7.30pm. Concert starts 9.30pm.

4 August: Amaia

5 August: Melendi

6 August: Crystal Fighters

7 August: Tom Odell

9 August: Vanessa Martin

11 August: Pablo Lopez

More info and tickets: https://menorcamusicfestival.com/

LAZARETO FESTIVAL

This year the festival is to be held at Castillo de San Felipe, at the mouth of Mahón port. Live music featuring well known groups, food trucks etc.

1 August: Village People

2 August: Earth, Wind and Fire Experience

3 August: Gipsy Kings

4 August: Sara Baras

5 August: Tony Hadley

6 August: Boney M feat. Maizie Williams

7 August: Antonio Orozco

8 August: Chambao

More info and tickets from https://www.lazaretofestival.com/

CRANC FESTIVAL 2023

21 September: Nada Surf. The Cicely Satellite, Es Claustre, Mahón. 22 September: Belako/La Paloma. Por las Noches. Black Sea Deluge. Barrera, at Bar Akelarre (port of Mahón).

24 September: Rocío Marquez. Bronquio/Tercer Cielo, at Teatro Principal, Mahón.

More info and tickets from www.crancfestival.com

MENORCA GROOVE FESTIVAL

15 -17 September in Es Claustre, Mahón. http://www.menorcagroove.com/

VISIT THE 18TH CENTURY HOSPITAL ON THE ISLA DEL REY

Guided tours in English on Sundays at 9:15 and 11:15am

Guided tours in Spanish every day

Tickets can be obtained online or bought on arrival 10€ per adult Children up to 18 free

Catamaran 10€ for adults and 3€ for children from 3 years to 18 years old.

Further details can be obtained from:

https://www.islahospitalmenorca.org/

https://www.yellowcatamarans.com/en/kings-island

EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL

3 – 10 August in Es Migjorn.

musicaantigaesmigjorn.com The Migjorn Gran Traditional Music Festival was born in 2011 with the aim of promoting music performed with original instruments and historically documented criteria, on the island of Menorca. It is a pioneer Festival in this field.

Quietud Musical: held in Lithica’s Medieval Garden every Wednesday during the summer.

Concerts held at 7.30pm in August and 7pm in September.

Tickets available from www.fosquetsdelithica.com

MUSIC FESTIVALS SUMMER 2023

PEDRA VIVA

Music and scenic arts festival in beautiful locations.

25 and 26 August: Els Pirats, (an adaptation of the Gilbert and Sullivan musical comedy, The Pirates of Penzance), 9pm at Torre-Saura.

Full programme and tickets from www.pedravivamenorca.com

LIVE MUSIC AT ES CLAUSTRE

The courtyard in Es Claustre, by Iglesia del Carmen in Mahón town centre is the scene of many live concerts, including jazz concerts every Sunday evening until 1st October. Free concerts on Tuesday evenings in summer. https://www.esclaustre.com/es/agenda/

LIVE MUSIC AT JAZZBAH

Located in the port of Ciutadella, jazzbah regularly holds live concerts. See full programme on https://jazzbah.es/

NIGHTS OUT:

La Terraza Discoteca Menorca: DJs nightly from 9.30pm to 4am until September. More info re guest DJs on Instagram: laterraza_discoteca.

Cova den Xoroi: sunset and night sessions. Guest DJs. Tickets from https://www.covadenxoroi.com/

Karaoke nights: every Monday evening in August 8.30 to 10.30pm in Sa Plaça, Alaior.

Karaoke nights: every Friday from 9pm Aloha Bar, Calan Porter

Nathan Daniels - Souled on Motown every Thursday from 9pm Aloha Bar, Calan Porter

LIVE MUSIC IN THE CENTRE OF MAHÓN

Every Tuesday until 29 August, there will be music in the streets of the town centre from 9 to 11pm. Musical styles range from pop and blues to soul and jazz. In Ses Moreres street and in the following squares: Bastió, Colón, Reial, Espanya and Príncep. Shops stay open late.

Guitar recitals performed by the Balearic Guitar Foundation, every Tuesday evening in August, 8pm in El Carme church in the centre of Mahón. Admission free.

Live music in Fornells

Tuesday evenings in August: live music at 9pm performed in Castell de Sant Antoni, in Fornells.

LIVE MUSIC EVENTS

7 August: Jam session, open to the general public in Es Freginal park, Mahón. 8 to 9.30pm.

18 August: Concert performed by Coque Malla, 9pm in Casino 17 de Gener (Av. Constitució 18, Ciutadella).

2 September: Mediterranean pop concert with Antonia Font, 7pm in Es Freginal park, centre of Mahón.

21 October: Concert performed by Menorcan band Pèl de Gall, 9pm in the Casino !7 de Gener (Avinguda de la Constitució 18, Ciutadella).

Jam sessions: every Wednesday in Plaça de Sant Climent, 8.30 to 11pm.

SAVE THE DATE

12 August: Vintage cars displayed along the harbour front in Mahón.

9 September: Festa al Port, with live music and fireworks on the harbour front.

26 September: The Red Arrows are coming back to Menorca, in celebration of the 20 years of volunteer work at the Isla del Rey. The display will take place along the southeastern coastline, between Biniancollla and Cala Torret.

11 October-10 November: Menorca Doc Fest. Documentary film and photograph event. See website for more details.

https://www.menorcadocfest.com/

20-22 October: Cheese festival to be held in Plaça Esplanada, Mahón.

FILM AND CINEMA

Menorca Film Festival cancelled. The film festival is no longer taking place in September, due to red tape and funding difficulties.

OCIMAX CINEMA MAHÓN:

https://www.aficine.com/cine/ocimaxmahon/

Open Wednesday to Sunday, 4.30 to 9.30pm.

Cineclub films shown in the original language on Thursdays at 8.30pm.

10 August: Aida, Verdi’s opera, screened from St Margarethen, Austria.

24 August: La Traviata, Verdi’s opera, screened from the Breganz Festival, Austria

CINEMES MOIX NEGRE CIUTADELLA

http://www.cinesmoixnegre.org/

Check the website for films in Original Version V.S.O.E

3 August: Jonas Kaufmann Bajo Las Estrellas, screened from Waldbühne Berlin, 8.45pm.

17 August: Madam Butterfly, Puccini’s opera, screened from the Breganz Festival, Austria, 8.45pm.

31 August: Aida, Verdi’s opera, screened from St Margarethen, Austria, 8.45pm.

FILMS SHOWN IN FERRERIES

6 and 13 August: ‘Cinema a la fresca’ in Ferreries. Outdoor film screening, at 9.30pm outside the Auditorium. 6 August: ‘Seis días corrientes’. 13 August: ‘As bestas’. Admission free.

CANDLE LIT EVENINGS IN ALAIOR

17 and 31 August: the street lights are turned off and the town centre is lit up by candle light, with live music at various spots throughout the town centre.

STAR GAZING IN CIUTADELLA

The Astronomy club of Ciutadella is organising star gazing sessions from the astronomical observatory in Ciutadella on 23 and 24 August, also 21 and 22 September. Tickets are 4 € and can be booked on the town hall website www.ajciutadella.org. Once on the website, click on English in the top right-hand corner. Then click on Culture, and then on Tickets.

STAR GAZING AND SUNSET TOURS AT LA MOLA FORTRESS

Star gazing: Wednesday evenings at 9.30pm.

Sunset guided tours: Friday evenings at 7.30pm in August, and at 7pm in September.

Information and bookings: info@fortalesalamola.com, also phone numbers: 686 659 400 / 971 364 040.

FOLK DANCING

Thursday evenings throughout August, at 8.30pm in Claustre del Carme, Mahón.

6 August: 8.30pm in Plaça Jamma, Ciutadella.

13 August: 8.30pm in Plaça Jaume II, Ciutadella.

27 August: 8.30pm in Plaça Joan de Borbó, Ciutadella.

SPORTS EVENTS

29 August- 2 September: 19th Copa Del Rey Classic Yachts sailing regatta. www.velaclasicamenorca.com

16 September: The Trail Fars Nocturn, night run, consisting of two races, setting off from Favaritx lighthouse (23km) and Es Grau (13km). https://traildelsfars.com/nocturna

24 September: Artiem Half Menorca Triathlon. www.artiemhalfmenorca.com

24 September Elite Chip Nordic Walking competition being held in Menorca with a course of 12 km around the military land of San Isidro.

13-15 October: Mountain bike tour of Menorca. www.menorcabtt.com

20-22 October: International cycling tour. www.menorcacicloturista.com

WINE TASTING

Binitord is a small family run bodega located just south of Ciutadella. Guided tours in English with wine tasting on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 5pm, and Wednesdays at 10am. Bookings and more information on the website https://www.binitord.com

Wine Tasting Tours at Binifadet - You can visit the vineyard and taste the wine every day with tours in English at 11:30am and 5.30pm price 12 Euros. Book online on the website https://www.binifadet.com/visitas

Street Art Ciutadella: Another edition of street art in Ciutadella. Artists have created temporary works of street art in the town centre, which will be left up until the end of September. For a map of the art works and more details about the artists, go onto the website www.ciutadellaantiga.es, then in the column on the left-hand side, click on Street Art Intervenciones and Street Art Mapa Interactivo.

EXHIBITIONS

Deux ex petra, photographs by Carlos Permuy at Can Victori, Camí des Castell 28, Mahón. Open Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm, also Tuesdays and Thursdays 5 to 8pm. Until 10 September.

Joan Miró at the Galería Cayón. Open Mondays: 6 to 9pm. Tuesday to Saturday: 10.30am to 2pm and 6 to 9pm. Open until 9 September. Carrer de Sant Roc 24, Mahón. Admission free.

LÔAC: Contemporary art gallery located at Calle Santiago Pons Quintana 56, Alaior. Open Tuesday to Sunday 5 to 8pm, also Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 1.30pm. Admission 5 €

Menorca i la llum del Nord: Can Oliver. Calle d’Anuncivay 2, Mahón. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 1.30pm and 6 to 8pm and Sundays 10am to 1.30pm. Until 24 September. Admission 5 €

Menorcan House museum: Calle Isabel II 4, Mahón. Open Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am to 1pm.

The broken series by Batuel Bayarri Pareja at Sala Sant Antoni, carrer s’Arraval 32, Mahón. Open Monday to Saturday 6 to 9pm. Also Saturday mornings 11am to 2pm. Until 26 August. Admission free.

HAUSER & WIRTH

Contemporary art exhibitions on Illa del Rei. Admission free.

After the Mediterranean, curated by curator, writer and art researcher Oriol Fontdevila, until 29 October. Exhibition: Come in from an Endless Place Christina Quarles until 29 October. Several activities (tours, concerts, workshops, etc) are organised throughout the summer. Please see website for more information.

https://menorca.hauserwirth.com/en/home

GUIDED TOURS

Museum of Menorca Throughout the month of August, the Museum is running a tour about 10 objects of particular interest in the Museum. Tours in English are Thursdays at 11am (duration, about one and a half hours).

Fort Marlborough: Fridays at 10am (in English). Tickets online

https://www.menorca.es/en/Visitas_guiadas_al_Fort_de_ Marlborough/16037

Torre d’en Galmés: Sundays at 10am (in English). Tickets online

https://www.menorca.es/es/Visitas_guiadas_al_poblado_de_ Torre_den_Galmes/15447

Es Castell guided tours in Spanish and English of the town centre every Saturday at 7pm, from 17 June to 9 September. Departing from the tourist information centre in the windmill Molí de sa Creu, Plaça s’Arraval vella, Es Castell. Free.

Cova de s’Aigua, in Cala Blanca: guided tours in English daily at 9am and 3pm.

https://www.menorca.es/es/Visitas_guiadas_la_Cova_de_ sAigua/14052

Lazareto Quarantine Island: Guided tours in English on Thursdays at 5pm. Departure from Cales Fonts, Es Castell. Tickets from tourist information offices and from nanventura.es

C18th Hospital on the Isla del Rey: Guided tours in English on Sundays at 9:15 and 11:15am Guided tours in Spanish every day. Tickets can be obtained online or bought on arrival. 10 € per adult Children up to 18 free, Catamaran 10 € for adults and 3 € for children from 3 years to 18 years old. Further details:

https://www.islahospitalmenorca.org/

https://www.yellowcatamarans.com/en/kings-island

LÍTHICA

Guided tours in Spanish of the quarries Pedreres de s’Hostal every second Sunday of the month at 11am.

Stone cutting workshops held every Saturday at 9.30am.

https://lithica.es/en/lithica/

NUTRITION AND FITNESS

WITH TOM AND JESS

Qigong 101 - my go-to tool to reduce stress and up energy.

Would you like less stress and more energy?

If I asked 100 people if they would like to reduce their stress and increase their energy, do you think anyone would say no? Ok, some may ask, “what’s the catch?” “There is always a catch”, they’ll say. The catch is: you’ll get more mobile and flexible, feel more relaxed at a base level, have improved breathing techniques, and feel better and more together.

Many have heard of the benefits of meditation; now, I find meditation challenging. My mind drifts, I get bored, it feels uncomfortable. Now I know you must overcome all of this, and I have improved over the years; however, if something gave similar results with the added benefits of increased mobility and without the mind drifting, boredom and discomfort, would you be keen to hear more?

Qigong is an ancient Chinese healthcare system integrating focused intention (meditation), breathing techniques and physical postures. It is the foundation of practices such as Tai Chi and Kung Fu.

Qi (pronounced like the chee from cheese) refers to lifeforce energy that flows through all living things. It is with us and around us. It is internal, which we can control, and external, which we cannot. Many of us can stress over what is external, which we cannot control, oft en living in the past or the future. Yet, they do not pay enough attention to the internal and the present moment (now) and focus on a calm and happy state.

Gong means practice. Practice makes progress. You may notice that I did not say that practice makes perfect. Focusing on progression rather than perfection is the vision here. Striving to be perfect can often lead to unrealistic expectations and, thus, ultimately, upset. Focusing on progression, or constant and incremental positive changes, is key to long-term benefits. Progression and not perfection is a big philosophy in all the coaching Jess, and I do, whatever the outcome or goal.

So, qigong is like moving meditation, exercise and stretching rolled into one. There is zero pressure to do it perfectly, just the intention to get better over time and to enjoy it. You don’t need any equipment, and anyone of any age can do it.

Simple.

I discovered qigong after having a very unexpected stroke while hiking on Table Mountain in South Africa. It was recommended as part of my rehab as it helps with the brain’s neuroplasticity and gets the body to do what the mind instructs again. As you can imagine, I was out of balance between body and mind after the stroke! Mine was a haemorrhage caused by an AVM, with which about 1/5000 of us are born. Unbeknownst to us!

1/10,000 of us have them rupture like I did. From 1 to 100 years old, it is the lottery as to when it happens. Many are not as lucky as I was in their recovery. Qigong was one of my secret recovery weapons.

The origins of qigong can be traced back thousands of years to ancient Chinese culture and philosophy. It draws inspiration from various sources, including Taoism, Buddhism, and traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture, shiatsu massage, herbal treatments and nutrition). Over time, different styles and forms of qigong have emerged, each with unique movements, breathing techniques, and meditation practices.

I learnt through a master instructor from California called Lee Holden. My instructor qualification is as a Holden-certified Qigong teacher. The qigong practice typically involves gentle, flowing movements, often performed in a standing position. These movements are designed to open up the body’s energy channels and promote the smooth flow of qi. Combined with deep breathing and focused intention, qigong exercises help to relax the mind, release tension, and improve physical and mental vitality.

Regular practice can enhance self-awareness, concentration, and inner peace. It is often used as a moving meditation to quiet the mind, reduce stress, and cultivate mindfulness. Regular qigong practice can have numerous health benefits, such as improving cardiovascular health, boosting the immune system, reducing chronic pain, and enhancing the overall quality of life.

Pretty cool, huh? But it refers to the ‘gong’ in the name and the need for practice. You don’t just do one session and are enlightened, just like you don’t just do one workout and are ripped with a six-pack. If you would like some recommendations of videos to follow along to in the comfort of your own home, then DM me with the word ‘Qigong’.

hello@jessntom.com is my best email, and I’ll send you some followalong videos to get you started. No cost and zero strings attached; I’d love to get this way of moving the body out to more people.

Tom

Nutrition Support - Personal Training - Yoga - Island Hikes - Cooking Workshops

www.jessntom.com

5 of my favourite healthy brunch spots in Menorca!

Travelling or hosting often means the time you have to prepare your meals becomes compromised. It’s easy to just think ‘oh it’s too hard, I’ll get back on my healthy eating journey when things are calmer’, yet, in my experience, ‘calmer’ is often further away than we might think, or rarely ever comes!

An ‘all or nothing’ mentality is rarely helpful. If your life consists of a lot of hosting or a lot of travelling, then I’d urge you to review this way of thinking and see if you can prioritise your nourishment amongst the change of routine or being away from home because I promise you you will feel better for it.

If looking after your health remains a priority, you will almost always find a way to make it happen, sometimes it just takes a bit of upfront thought and planning, but this upfront planning is what I work on with my clients as embedding a few core habits that you know make you feel good is totally doable and totally worth it.

Of course, if you only go away for a couple of weeks in a year, it may feel good to adjust your priorities during your break. Eating in an out-of-character way for two weeks will have little impact compared with what you do for the other 50 weeks of the year – I always tell my nutrition clients ‘your body remembers what you do most of the time, not what you do occasionally’, so it’s great to let your hair down on occasion and not stress about what food is or isn’t available.

Here are 5 of my current favourite brunch spots on the island. I love having a handful of places to take friends and family to, or just to take myself to, with healthy options to choose from so those who fancy a croissant can have a croissant, but there’s other more health-giving foods on offer too.

I hope you enjoy them and if you have any other healthy eating spots you love, please let me know on hello@jessntom.com as I LOVE trying new spots and I can write a fuller article in the future with more options once I’ve tried them.

Sant Lluis

Esforaster (@esforaster) – a cafe/creative store run by Luis and Abraham, this is my go-to local brunch spot. I love the decor but mostly the overall vibe - it’s relaxed, fresh, and so creatively designed. They have a green juice and a red juice on the menu (I love it when you don’t have to make too many decisions!), smashed avocado and feta on sourdough with sun-blushed tomatoes and rocket, delicious combinations. Their bread and croissants are all sourced from Pigalle, and they get their avocados, rocket and other sourdough toppings from the fruit and veg shop directly opposite, so I love knowing I’m supporting many businesses in one, and it’s as local as you can get. Their coffee is great, as is their selection of herbal teas. While you wait for your feast to arrive, you can browse the beautiful clothes, books, artwork, jewels and dog accessories.

Cala Torret

Bakery Cala Torret (@bakerycalatorret) - hidden in a courtyard amongst the coastal cluster of white terraced houses, you’ll find the Bakery. It’s open Monday - Sunday, 8 AM-2 PM and has a great juice menu as well as bocadillos and toasties with avocado, hams, scrambled eggs etc. They do a delicious vegetable quiche and all the normal goods you’d expect from a bakery, so it’s a nice one to go to with friends as you can be as healthy as you like, knowing anyone who fancies a croissant or a slice of cake has got that option too. They also have a takeaway option, so if you fancy picking up some juices and bocadillos for the beach for a prep-free picnic, you can order to go!

Mahon

Essència (@essenciamenorca) - This is my go-to spot for a juice pick-me-up when I head into town. I go for their ‘ACE’ juice (apple, carrot and ginger), or their greens juice and then pair it with a poached egg on toast with avo or salmon.

Ciutadella

Nibs (@nibshealthybar) - Open Wednesday - Monday (closed Tuesdays), from 8:30 AM - 8 PM in the summer months, this is by far the best brunch spot on the island, and I only wish they had one on the east of the island (but my bank balance might agree otherwise!). The food is incredible, and their presentation is spot on. If you fancy a decadent treaty brunch, then you’ve got that option: stacked pancakes and french, but there’s also acai bowls, poached eggs and avo, smoothies and juices, and everything they do, they do it well.

Piqniq (@piqniq_menorca) - Open Tuesday - Sunday (closed Mondays), this is my favourite place for healthy takeaways. Their salad and poke bowls are delicious and they also offer hot meals such as hamburgers, pulled pork burgers and Middle-Eastern curries. They do various dishes of the day, such as pad Thai or rice paper rolls with coriander and prawns, and everything they do has a great depth of flavour. Again, this is another one I’d love to clone for the Mahon-end of the island, but my bank balance is grateful it’s tucked away in Ciutadella!

I hope you enjoy them and they add to your Menorcan memories.

Part of me would love nothing more than to create and open an incredible brunch spot. I love feeding people and adore making healthy food delicious and creating a space which feels homely and welcoming, but with the two little ones and looking after my nutrition clients and our yoga and fitness clients there aren’t enough hours in the day, so in this lifetime, I’ll be a very happy and grateful customer and cheerlead the spots that are doing it well as I know what a hard business catering is.

Enjoy the above eating spots and I hope the reminder to look after yourself whilst hosting/travelling with an ever-changing routine resonated and it’s given you a nudge to make you a priority!

Jess

Nutrition Support - Personal Training - Yoga - Island Hikes - Cooking Workshops

www.jessntom.com

By Rachael Adams

PIG TALES

THERE’S A PIG IN MY TENT! DOTTY’S SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS

It’s not that surprising she loves the tent, because pigs really do like blankets. When we first got Dot as a piglet, we gave her a thick one with orange and red squares on it. And no matter how many beds she grew out of, it always went with her. At first, she slept in a wicker laundry basket and on the couch, then in a dog bed with a tent over it to give her some privacy. Finally, at about a year old, I built her a wooden house on the patio and have since extended it. Twice. In both length and height. “Have you tucked the pig up?” was the last thing we checked before bed.

Just as dogs turn in circles before lying down, Dot has her ritual of rootling up the rugs before she settles in front of the fire. This can take ages and become very annoyingespecially because she pulls the blanket off the couch, even if you’re wrapped in it yourself. In time we learnt that to short-circuit her pre-settling behaviour we had to throw her blanket over her (and retrieve it from down the garden at a later stage).

Uff, uff, UFF!.....UFF!!!! An onion-shaped nose is pushing itself frantically through my tent fabric. I need to act fast or she’ll demolish it. Heart pounding and eyes glued shut, I know it’s only 6 am. “Let me in!”- the birds are singing and Dot’s ready for action. Her morning greetings are hard-wired into my system by now. I unzip the door and collapse back onto the ground mat. “Not so fast!”, she says and shovels me into next week. I’d begged and prayed for this to happen. I well up. Again.

Dot and I are apart. I had to leave her for now because of the housing situation in Menorca. I visit her every six months, but during the previous two visits she had been too upset with me to relax and lie down. She hadn’t had her belly tickles and I feared she’d never snuggle up to me again. I was deeply distressed because she loves contact, and needs a cuddle just as much as I do. So, on the third visit since leaving her in 2021, I decided to take a tent and see what happened…

On that first morning in her field in Alaior, she was wary of the tent but came over for a sniff nonetheless. She finally lay down outside, close enough that I could scratch her chin from my sleeping bag. I was overjoyed. The very next day, however, she’d decided she wanted in!

I’ve barely opened the zip as she blasts through the door. She’s very excited and playful - she throws a plastic bag in the air and does a spin. To settle her down, I put my arm across her back and pull her in for our nap. Still rootling around my feet, she has her bum in my face. Due to all the fat underneath it, her skin feels lovely and cool. Finally satisfied with the new ridged tramlines she’s gouged out of my ground mat, and having pasted plenty of red soil liberally around my tent walls, she flops down and sighs. I curl around her like a grub in my sleeping bag. Bliss.

Not only does she love blankets, but building nests too, particularly when the weather turns. I discovered her first messy nest one morning when I couldn’t open the patio shutter. After a good heave, I discovered what was blocking it - a foam mattress, and a mountain of green stuff poking out of her house. Piggy fast asleep atop it. Bemused, I followed the trail of papyrus stalks to the pond, where I found tiny piles of munched-up chives. From there the muddy stream of destruction led me past the remnants of a hibiscus bush, broken twigs hanging at bent angles, to what was once a stand of clivia - now as obliterated as a clear-cut forest.

Sometimes she makes nests inside the house, which is worse. It takes her a whole afternoon to gather what she needs from the bathroom and kitchen: bathmats, doorstoppers, the brush and dustpan, and the dog’s lead off the hanger. I watch enthralled as she pauses with one trotter mid-air. She’s deliberating whether to yank my coat off the back of the chair. BANG! - goes the chair across the room. Still not content, she does multiple trips to my bedroom for trainers, clothes, my diary and books, and ruffles it all onto a pile in the corner.

Back on our camping expedition, she’s retired to her house for the night. I tuck her up in her orange-squares blanket, taking a few minutes to lie my head on her cheek as she snores her piggy snoozy noises. Night night. I well up again as I make my way down her field to my filthy tent.

See you next time my pig.

FUN IN THE SUN

Across

1. He penned hits, some unfinished sadly? (7,8)

9. Everyman starts to get awfully enormous (4)

10. Finally sag - not tall - crumbling (2,4,4)

11. Rushes (runs forward) to find help at a wedding (6)

12. Old males confusedly kept changing direction (8)

13. Slays pirates (6,3)

15. Starter of frogs: to consume is an act of daring (4)

16. A little prat, with an idiot (4)

17. Clues in meandering letter suggesting insobriety (9)

21. Former squeeze: ‘I will give you beef’ (8)

22. Bank not originally allowed to give you trinket (6)

24. Inept golfer’s cry - what he’s done - what you now are! (10)

25. Celebrity’s retiring? Oh no (4)

26. Secrecy is virtue, working here? (8,7)

Down

2. Time to argue for mutiny? (7)

3. Tool that’s rudimentary called out (5)

4. Goes past the Spanish church’s recesses (7)

5. Fluffy ‘sciences’ I cast off, wanting independence (4-11)

6. Notification on nutrition forswearing adipose tissue, primarily? (3-3)

7. Date movie (9)

8. Study Pietersen’s opening in cricket? (7)

14. A neurotic trembled, wanting liqueur (9)

16. Vacuous tortoise appeared to find a flower (3,4)

18. Bandage cut, drinking whiskey (7)

19. Putrid conservative penetrating? I’m not so sure (7)

20. A week in large African country – or a small one? (6)

23. Drink of vodka at openings in Russian ballet company (5)

MARKET PLACE

WANTED

Menorca Cricket Club is looking for someone to make teas, and serve food. Weekends starting from September through till the first weekend in November. Call Dan for more information 670 378 919

Menorca Cricket Club is looking for a scorer. Full training given. Digital scoring system. Weekends. Paid job. Contact Dan for more information 670 378 919

FOR SALE

Furniture/Household items Sofas, Dining table/chairs, Coffee tables, Armchairs, Yamaha Upright Piano & Piano Stool, Book cases, Bedside tables, Mirrors, Rugs, Curtains, Lamps, Paintings, Single bed hardly used, Designers Guild single bedding duvet sets/sheets, vases, candlesticks, cushions, throws, cafetières, lovely ornamental items, DVD’s/ CD’s, books, plant pots. Contact Angie for further information: angie@roquetamagazine.net

Designer Clothing/Shoes for sale Vintage/pre-owned Designer label clothing for sale size 8/10 and Designer label shoes for sale size 4/37. Gucci/Dolce & Gabbana/Prada and many more. Contact Angie for further information: angie@roquetamagazine.net

Tofinou 9.5 Sailing Boat. year 2006. New paint and varnish in May 2022. New cruising sails, full set of racing sails with gennaker and code 0. Trailer. 90000 € tel John 609851186/ email menorcajohn@gmail.com

Harley Davidson 1200 custom, 2004 injection and 6500km. Price 8500 euros Call John for photos and spec of this beautiful bike. 609851186/menorcajohn@gmail.com

Triumph Thunderbird 900 custom, 1999, around 50k kilometers, all parts to restore bike to original, 5000 euros Tel 609851186 for photos menorcajohn@gmail.com

WRITING TALENT

ROQUETA is always looking for new writing talent to enhance the content of the magazine. If you would like to make a regular or occasional contribution, we would love to hear from you. The subject matter is always Menorca focused and the topics that we are specifically looking for are in the areas of maritime and nautical matters, recipes, music, entertainment and fashion.

If you would like to be a part of the ROQUETA team, then drop me an email. Please outline your general area of interest, suggest a few specific themes within this area that you could address, and attach a sample article of no more than 500 words that you would consider appropriate for publication in ROQUETA. info@roquetamagazine.net

TO RENT:

Large family villa in Es Castell. Quiet location overlooking Calas Fonts and the harbour of Mahon and a few minute’s walk from restaurants, shops and all the amenities of Es Castell. Not a resort. 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 sitting rooms, pool, garden, BBQ, terraces in a residential area with wonderful views. No air conditioning but high up so always a breeze. Fans for all bedrooms. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms downstairs, 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms upstairs. Very well-equipped kitchen as it is a family home. Wifi, toys and children’s books. TV for DVDs only. 2 cots, stair gates, 2 highchairs etc. 2023 fully booked but now booking 2024 mid June - early September. Contact owner email stevos.chiswick@btconnect.com or 00447917717919

SERVICES

Sports/Remedial, Cranial & Reflexologist Therapist. Experienced and fully qualified. Tel Vicki +34 680227145

Physiotherapy and Acupuncture. Jan Peter Van de Graaf, Calle Madrid 22, Bajo Mahon. Tel: 971350850 619500200