ROQUETA
03
SPRING 2024
WELCOME SPRING 2024 - ROQUETA MAGAZINE SPRING IN MENORCA Traditionally, at this time of year we would be waiting for winter to loosen its grip and for the gentle warmth of spring to envelop our beloved island. This year we feel like we have been living in an eternal spring with the thermometer often registering over 20 degrees and the sun beating down from clear blue skies. Our beaches are scattered with families and ramblers enjoying the Cami de Cavalls, stopping to rest and paddle in the clear still water. The fields have been covered in a beautiful carpet of yellow Bermuda buttercups for several weeks, giving a vibrant contrast to the green, blues and whites of the island. These are an invasive species (Oxalis pes-caprae) from South Africa which colonised the Mediterranean in the 18th and 19th Centuries. The plant is known here as “vinagrella” due to its sour taste and high levels of oxalic acid which are not good for cattle or sheep. It mostly grows in fields of crops and ploughed fields and you will also find it invading your garden. Spring in Menorca is a time of transformation, as the countryside becomes a patchwork of wildflowers, with daisies and vibrant red poppies blanketing the fields, and with wild irises and 30 species of orchids shyly waiting to bloom and to be discovered. It’s a sight to behold, for those of us lucky to be here before the arrival of the summer. But spring in Menorca is not just about embracing the outdoors; it’s also a time to celebrate the island’s rich cultural heritage. From traditional festivals honouring the arrival of spring to food fairs, musical concerts and art exhibitions showcasing local talent, there’s no shortage of events to enjoy. Whether you’re exploring the charming streets of the towns or indulging in Menorcan delicacies at a local market, springtime offers a tranquil glimpse into the island’s soul. At this time of year, take a moment to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. Let us revel in the simple pleasures of a wildflower, the song of a bird in flight, and the embrace of a gentle breeze. In these moments, we find solace, inspiration, and the true essence of Menorca.
Publisher: John Davies Editor: Liz Parr Printer: LV Grupo Grafico y de Communication, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat Dep Legal ME: 187/1973 No. Registro: 1037/3.992 The Publisher reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication.
All prices quoted were correct at the time of going to press No articles may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher For Editorial contact info@roquetamagazine.net For Advertising contact roquetajohn@gmail.com For Subscriptions contact roquetajohn@gmail.com
ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
Liz & John
IN THIS ISSUE ISLAND NEWS
04
FOOD AND DRINK
26
GRAPEVIVE
32
ART IN MENORCA
34
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
38
WELLBEING
49
LOCAL NEWS
52
WHAT’S ON
59
READERS CORNER
64
ISLAND NEWS
04
SPRING 2024
ISLAND NEWS
By Christine Brooker
NEW RUBBISH COLLECTION A new rubbish collection system is gradually being introduced into Menorca starting with Es Castell and Mahón. There have been some teething problems, and people living in blocks of flats are concerned. The system has been introduced where we live in Son Vilar. Every home has been issued with their own cream coloured bin with a microchip, along with a fridge sticker (ours was in Catalan) showing the days of the week and times of the collections. Organic rubbish is three times a week, plastic twice, “resta” once, which is anything that is too dirty to be recycled or not biodegradable, and paper and carton once. In our area glass is collected once a week in the morning. Some flats have metal “trees” where residents can hang the bins. We faithfully recycled and so it does save loading up the car. Many people in quite surprising zones did not recycle, and that is one of the reasons the system has been introduced. I do think it is better than in some places in the UK where all the front gardens are full of unsightly bins. The alcaldesa in Ciutadella has complained and asked to be the last municipality to have the new system. She doesn’t like the removal of public bins and says that the idea of having enclosed areas near blocks of flats will be “a nest of rats”, adding “if citizens do not see a reduction in taxes they will never recycle!” (we hope she is wrong there). Ciutadella is of course the largest municipality on the island and has many hotels, but a lot of these have “green” credentials. I am sure readers will have comments. What happens to the tourists, will they be correctly informed? What if they are staying in an illegal rental in a residential zone? Food for thought.
CASE DISMISSED The boy from the U.K. who caused chaos by sending a message on snapchat just before boarding an Easyjet flight to Menorca with five friends in 2022, saying that he was a member of the Taliban and was going to blow up the plane, has been cleared of the charges. Born in India, he is an excellent student, a chess champion, and has now started university. The Ministry of Defence asked for 95.000 Euros because they deployed two F18 fighter jets to accompany the flight to Mahón; however the judge ruled that the message was sent to a private group of six friends and was picked up by Gatwick Airport Security. He said there was no intention to blow up the plane, just a teenage prank that went wrong with spectacular, expensive results. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC The National Geographic Magazine has included Menorca Talayotica as one of the twenty best tourist experiences for 2024, along with a safari in Kenya or diving with sharks in Australia.
FLY-OVER The fly-over by the Rafal Rubí prehistoric site on the Mahón-Alaior road has been reprieved again. When PSOE was in charge of the Consell, they intended to demolish it because of the environmental impact and its proximity to the Rafal Rubí site. Now the PP, who originally started the bridge, intends to complete it at a cost of 4.1. million Euros as they say that the area is already part of the World Heritage site. The argument continues, meanwhile improvements to the main road are always delayed... D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
05
SPRING 2024
NO INTEREST IN PUBLIC CONTRACTS There is a tendency for local builders not to bid for contracts to build public works. Builders say many of the budgets are outdated and do not allow for increased costs. They prefer to work with private companies as there is a lot of restoration work for private promoters at the moment. The crisis in the Red Sea has affected costs and public projects tend to drag on. An example is the new school in Es Mercadal that the town has been asking for and needed for years. No-one has bid for the 6.782.557 Euro project and the price will now rise by 15%, over a million Euros. The plan was first mooted in 2016, to be built in 2018 and the price was two million Euros. Another factor is the lack of workers. The industry is trying to attract young people to the trade. RADARS AND FINES More radar checks have been introduced in Menorca and some of the existing ones are going to start levying fines. Es Migjorn has imposed nearly 5000 fines since last August, the four radars picking up an average of 22 people speeding a day. At first the ayuntamiento was so inundated that they couldn´t cope as they don´t have enough staff. Now they have signed a contract with the CGi group who specialise in collecting fines for local administrations. The maximum speed permitted in the town is between 30 and 40 km/hr. Car hire companies are not happy. Autos Pons, based in Ferreries says that on one day they received 63 letters with fines, mostly from August and September. They fear that a lot more will arrive and if they phone the ayuntamiento they are redirected to the company who helpfully inform them how to pay in bulk! Another summer resident says that he has received no information from the town hall and it is not his obligation to always be consulting Facebook. Providing the speed is not more than 20 km/hr over the limit the fine is 100 Euros. If it is more, then it can be up to 600 Euros and the loss of points (in Spain they take points away). Ciutadella has installed radar on traffic lights in town. Mahón will start fining in the town from 29th February on Josep Anselm Clavé, Sa Lluna and Carrer Sant Jordi. The 30 km/hr signs that up until now have served to “dissuade” drivers are now under the “eye of the great digital Cyclops” as the Diari so neatly puts it. Cameras were introduced in 2022 to prevent unauthorised vehicles in the historic town centre; and they have managed to reduce vehicles that drive through the Explanada. The radars on the Via Ronda (bypass), the industrial estate and the entrance to Sant Climent will start levying fines at the end of March after larger luminous signs have been installed and more local police contracted to cope with the extra administration. The ayuntamiento in Mahón expects to receive 1.5 million Euros in 2024 from the fines.
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION The latest census for Menorca dating from 1st January 2023 has been published by INE (The National Institute for Statistics). There are a total of 98.335 people on the census, compared to 72.696 in 2000. Next year the figure is expected to be over 100.000 according to recent reports. One in four live outside of the towns and villages, with over 17.000 in urbanisations and 6.000 in isolated houses or industrial estates. In Sant Lluis the total population of 7.019 is spread out with 480 in S´Algar, 450 in Punta Prima and 286 in Pou Nou-Consell while in Ferreries the 5.051 people include 213 in Cala Galdana and 164 on farms etc. with the majority of 4.674 in the town. Cala en Porter alone has 1.140 people out of the total of 9.748 in Alaior. Ciutadella has 31.443, the highest population registered, with 23.441 of them living in town whilst Mahón with 29.902 has 26.981 in town. Es Castell has 7.670 inhabitants; Es Mercadal which includes Fornells with 762 has 5.939, and Es Migjorn only 1.563. Altogether we have eight municipalities and the Consell (Island Council) decides what happens on the island...
GOYA FOR MENORCA Margarita Huguet has brought a Goya award (the Spanish equivalent of the Oscars) to Menorca for the Production Supervision of the “Society of the Snow”. The film has also been nominated twice for the Oscars in the Best International Film, and Hairstyle and Makeup categories, and for a Bafta. The film tells the true story of the 1972 Andes plane crash, where only 16 out of the 45 passengers survived. ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
07
SPRING 2024
JELLYFISH Large amounts of jellyfish were washed up in Menorca and on the Spanish Mediterranean coasts in January; they were mostly the Pelagia noctiluca, the most common type. This species can live for many years reproducing in the spring and autumn. The changing climate is having an effect; warmer water allows the jellyfish to eat more and reproduce more. When it rains and the torrents run into the sea, the fresh water forms a barrier with the salt water and prevents them from nearing the shore. Scientists are studying them all year round.
SPLASH WATER PARK
COASTAL LAWS CHANGED BACK The Supreme Tribunal of Justice has annulled the Spanish government´s 2022 decree for Ecological Transition which regulated buildings on the public coastline. This affected many beach bars and the traditional small fishermen´s or holiday houses on the coast. An appeal had been made by those affected and now the 2014 law will apply again, whereby concessions are granted for 75 years (these had been reduced to 30), and the beach bars will be able to occupy the spaces they had taken before, which had been severely reduced. Thanks to the change, the old waterside house at Fonduco in the port will not be demolished, (APB) the Balearic Port Authorities have reprieved it. The ayuntamiento in Es Castell and Amics de la Mar, (Friends of the Sea) in the port of Mahón have been trying to save it for some time. Another result has been that the go ahead has been given, after a 17 year wait, to ABAQUA (Balearic Society for water and quality permission); which will also cover Es Canutells and parts of the Sant Lluis coast. In view of the change in the law, interest has been revived in the projects for the Rocamar Restaurant and the Miramar Hotel in the Port of Mahón which had been paralysed because of the laws. The Balearic Islands, and other communities, are trying to renegotiate the transfer of coastal laws back to the community which took place last July. This transfer did not provide any extra staff or infrastructure to enable the islands to look after the coastline. Two months ago a letter was sent to the minister in charge in the central government, Teresa Ribera, about the deficiencies but no reply has been received to date.
Splash water park at Biniancolla, next to the Hotel Sur Menorca, will remain open in 2024 but the future is uncertain. The Consell is not prepared to pay the promoters (Protume) of the water park the 30.6 million Euros compensation requested for its demolition. Protume (a company for promotion and tourist development in Menorca) is already planning to ask for more compensation. Permission was originally granted on the protected rustic land by the Consell when the PP party was in power in 2014. The project had been declared of “General Interest”, (the Consell says that this was after they were pressurised by the promoter) but the ayuntamiento in Sant Lluis later annulled the municipal licence for the construction and activity. Problems started when another aqua park in the Los Delfines urbanisation in Ciutadella took the Consell to court and judgement went against the Consell and this was ratified by the Supreme Court in the Balearics. Meanwhile Hoteles Globales have taken over the water park in Ciutadella and to date they have not asked for the demolition order to be executed and so at least for this summer it will also be open. The water park is popular with tourists and residents as they do not have to drive to Ciutadella! PELLETS WASHED UP In January lots of micro-plastic pellets washed up in Menorca, particularly in Cavallería, and they were also heading for the beaches on the south coast. This was after a boat lost its cargo off the coast of Portugal and the beaches in Galicia in northern Spain were inundated. Sadly this is not the first time that this has happened in Menorca. In 2020, Cavallería was also covered. The Generalitat de Catalonia (the local government in Catalonia) is taking steps to prosecute eight petrochemical companies in Tarragona that cause a constant problem with pellets on the beaches in that area and in the Balearics. Volunteers and ecological entities were out in force to clean up the pellets. Alianza Menorca sin Plastico even constructed a “trommel”, which is cylindrical and separates the plastic from the sand, using the idea from the U.K. Per la Mar Viva and others also helped.
PADEL TENNIS CUPRA FIP TOUR 2024 Menorca will be one of eight Spanish localities chosen for a new international padel tennis championship, the Cupra FIP Tour 2024 which will take place between 14th and 20th October this year thus ensuring that elite players will still come here. The island was not on the list for the World Padel Tour this year. ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
08
SPRING 2024
FORM TO REPORT ILLEGAL RENTING TO TOURISTS
CORAL COLONIES Colonies of Cladacora caespitose, the coral that is found in the Port of Mahón, were successfully moved last year from the quays At Cala Corb in Es Castell to the Isla Plana when work was taking place to extend the pontoon. Now more are proliferating at the quay at the Isla del Rey, and will be moved to another part of the small island. Those at Fonduco will also be moved to an undecided location..
The Consell now has a form available so that citizens can make a report if they know or suspect that a property is being illegally rented to tourists. These “denuncias” cannot be anonymous although it is not clear if the person that has complained is named in the follow up. The councillor in charge of territorial organisation and tourism, Nùria Torrent, says the objective is to encourage citizens to help in combating this problem and to help the seven inspectors. Local police are also being asked to help by providing information when there are complaints about noise. The form must include details about the property including the rateable value (valor catastral). Apparently, this is made easy as a link is provided on the form which will be available on the Consell and all the ayuntamientos websites. When completed, it can be sent via the internet or taken directly to the Consell. There is a similar form for building infractions. Renting agencies on the island have been warned about their responsibility if they advertise illegal rentals. A separate line of action is being taken to facilitate information about legal renting and to give incentives (no details) to owners who rent to residents. There is a serious problem with the lack of rentals for permanent and temporary residents who work seasonally that we have covered ad infinitum in Roqueta.
CHILD HOME WITH HIS FATHER The general public in Menorca has been concerned all winter about the disappearance of a boy whose parents are separated and had joint custody. He had been on holiday with his mother and should have been returned to his father Francisco Marqués to start the school term in Ciutadella. The last contact he had with his son was on 27th September. There has been a big campaign and demonstrations on the island for his safe return. Finally on 26th January, the mother was arrested in Brussels and the child is now safely back in Ciutadella. A judge has given total custody to the father.
ITV UPDATE There are only two ITV stations on Menorca which can issue MOT certificates. These are run by Certio and due to a strike and lack of staff the backlog became so great that there were no appointments available at all in 2024 on the website booking system. On 1 February, the Consell and Certio decided that the website should be closed and now reservations can only be made 15 days before your ITV is due to expire, by telephone or in person at the offices. This is to give order of priority to those users whose certificate will expire first. Certio has doubled shifts at the Maó plant (from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.), and has also incorporated more staff in Ciutadella, to reduce waiting lists as much as possible. PIME, the small business association, has denounced the collapse of the ITV stations which is a unique case on the island. In mainland Spain: all Certio stations give appointments within 10 days
HOTEL FOR INSECTS In Torret, Sant Lluis, a new “Insect Hotel” has opened for bees and other insects, similar to others near Mahón and Sant Lluis. These “hotels” help maintain nature´s balance. This one did not receive sufficient votes to get council funding and so it has been possible thanks to the neighbours and the rubbish dump.
The Minister for transport said he was optimistic that with the new system it could be resolved in a couple of months. Regarding complaints, Delgado said that “we must see where we are coming from, with a waiting list of eight thousand vehicles that has already been reduced to one thousand.” However, as more ITVs expire every day, we are waiting to see how successful it is. The Certio concession expires in November and those in charge are looking to learn from the mistakes and establish conditions that allow for an effective service. They have already said that the next concessionaire will have to build a second pit in Ciutadella. They ruled out the possibility of allowing other garages to issue certificates as happens in the UK.
D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
09
SPRING 2024
PROPE RT Y
NEWS PROPERTY COMPARISON 2022/23 By Juan Mateo, Bonnin Sanso This study of the real estate market in 2023 enables us to compare it with the data from 2022. Across our five offices in Menorca and Mallorca, in 2023 we successfully sold nearly 300 properties, obtaining a total value on deeds of €80.000.000. The average amount per transaction hovers around €275.000. Furthermore, we procured a total of 812 properties during the same period. These statistics underscore the robust performance and continued excellence in our real estate endeavours. In contrast to the previous year, transactions valued up to €100.000 retained their market share at 14%, whereas those within the €100.000 to €300.000 range witnessed a decline from 56% to 51%. Those falling within the €300.000 to €500.000 bracket remained stable at 16%, while the sales of properties valued at €500.000 or more showed a noteworthy increase, rising from 14% to 18%. Concerning the buyers’ nationality, 61.7% were Spanish, indicating a slight decrease compared to the preceding year (62.8%). There was a significant increase in British buyers, accounting for 13.5% compared to 9.6% in 2022. French buyers maintained a stable share at 12%, while German buyers experienced a slight decrease from 5.3% to 4.3%. Other nationalities including Americans, Belgians, and others, comprised 3.2% of the total. Regarding sellers, the predominant group remains Spanish, constituting 73.2% of the total. However, there is a slight decline compared to the figures from 2022, where they comprised 76.5%. On the other hand, the British have seen an increment in their share of sales, reaching 20.3% as opposed to 16.2% in the previous year. The German vendors maintained a steady 2% share. The remaining 4.5% encompasses sellers from various nationalities, including French, Italian, Dutch, and others.
Regarding property types, there was a minor drop in apartment sales, moving from 48% to 44%, whereas villa transactions saw a notable increase, rising from 16.2% to 18.3%. A noteworthy increase was observed in the sale of commercial premises, escalating from 4% to 6.7%. The remaining 31% was distributed among farms, buildings, and other property categories. Looking to 2024, I think the Market will continue to stabilise. The number of buyers shouldn’t drop much more and prices may drop slightly. But Menorca, thanks to “the green” political parties, has been kept very authentic and wonderful with green fields, virgin beaches, etc. But this green initiative has backfired on them now, as the great conservation of the island is one of its greatest assets. This is making MORE people want to come and see it, creating tourism, the very thing “the green” parties were trying to avoid! So the fact that Menorca is a small island with limited buildable space, and the green parties fighting hard to keep it that way, the property market will always be very valuable in Menorca.
PORTAL MENORCA REVIEW By Simon Cotton, Home Menorca Regarding last year, sales were better than expected throughout the year. We had a very good 1st quarter and then things slowed down during the summer months. It was looking like an average year until November and December when there was an increase in sales. We have a similar problem to last season where there is a lack of stock and this continues to push the prices up. Buyers by nationality: 60% Spanish, 17.5% French, 14% English, 4.2% Italian, 1,4% German. Nationality of vendors: 77% Spanish, 16% English, 2.3 % French, 1.9% Italian.
ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
11
SPRING 2024
SOLMAR IS BY YOUR SIDE A L L T H E WAY T O T H E P O O L CELEBRATING 30 YEARS – STARTING IN MENORCA 2024 marks a significant milestone for Solmar Villas as it celebrates 30 years of unparalleled service in the villa holiday sector. This remarkable journey has seen Solmar evolve from a modest beginning to now boasting an impressive portfolio of over 2,000 villas scattered across more than 30 coveted destinations throughout Europe and Florida. Each villa, without exception, offers the luxury of a private pool, ensuring that Solmar’s promise of exclusivity and comfort is consistently delivered. Menorca is where the Solmar journey began in 1994 with founders John and Maria Tayler deciding to rent out their apartment, and they quickly began renting out their friends’ properties too. This turned into renting out villas, and the rest is history. Today, Solmar features over 150 carefully selected villas on the island, 115 of which are exclusive. This is a 32% increase on properties compared to 2023, with Solmar continuing to grow strongly across all destinations. Solmar’s Menorca portfolio is spread across many popular holiday resorts, including Cala’n Forcat, Binibeca, Cala’n Bosch, Cala Galdana, Son Bou, Arenal d’en Castell and Punta Prima. 2023 saw Solmar Villas being crowned as the ‘Best Travel Company for Villa Holidays’ at the prestigious British Travel Awards, as well as the 2024 Feefo Platinum award for outstanding customer service. These accolades are one of many awards Solmar has proudly accumulated over the past 9 years, each serving as a testament to their commitment to their guests. Solmar Villas sets itself apart not just through its handpicked properties but also through the comprehensive support system it offers to its guests. With Villa Managers stationed on the ground in most destinations and a dedicated Concierge team available 24/7, Solmar ensures that every guest’s need is met with promptness and efficiency. Solmar proudly works closely with several key property management agencies in Menorca as well as direct villa owners. Offering a guaranteed income for the holiday season, a wide distribution amongst its partners, dedicated marketing campaigns as well as in-resort support for its guests, renting out your villa with Solmar is a hassle-free process. Interested in renting out your villa with Solmar? Get in touch with our Menorca based Contracts Manager Mandy Peacock on +34 (00) 620 202 678 or email contracts@solmarvillas.com Visit www.solmarvillas.com/villa-owners for more information. ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
12
SPRING 2024
SEMANA SANTA: EASTER TRADITIONS IN MENORCA by Vanessa Jeny, Menorca Blue
As winter loosens its grip and spring blossoms on the horizon, Menorca prepares to welcome Easter with a mix of cultural traditions and culinary delights. Holy Week or ‘Semana Santa’ is the grandest and most reverent of the annual church celebrations across the whole of Spain. The processions that are held during the week in many cities and towns are highly anticipated, emotional and spectacular events to witness. From Palm Sunday to Easter Monday, Semana Santa transforms Menorca’s towns and villages into stages for solemn processions, heartfelt rituals, and as always accompanied by traditional food for this season of the year. Let’s delve into the customs of Semana Santa across some of Menorca’s towns and offer insights into the 2024 celebrations. Palm Sunday - Diumenge des Rams: March 24, 2024 In keeping with the international catholic tradition for Palm Sunday, a special mass is held in all the local churches in each of the towns around the island. Mass times vary depending on the church, but most of the Palm Sunday Masses have a mid-morning start time of between 10.00am and 12.30pm. In Ciutadella, one of the Palm Sunday traditions is observed with the blessing of the olive branches to the faithful (congregation). Once blessed the olive branches bring luck and harmony to the home when hung close to the front door. The Sisters of the Convent of Santa Clara every year maintain their tradition of Palm weaving as they have done for decades, which is the art of taking the palm leaves and braiding them into intricate formations for children. There are different designs for both boys and girls. They also hold a simple procession at the time of the mass at 10.30am surrounded by the people of the town. Holy Thursday - Dijous Sant: March 28, 2024 Mass services in different towns are held to commemorate the “Misa de la Cena” (Mass of the Last Supper). Most services start between 6.30pm and 8.00pm. Check the times at your local church. Highlight: Mahón - Church of Santa Maria 8:00pm Event: The “Misa de la Cena” (Mass of the Last Supper) marks the beginning of Semana Santa. Following the mass, a solemn procession, “Procesión del Silencio” (Procession of Silence), winds through Mahon’s historic streets. Locals, dressed in traditional robes, carry intricate lanterns as a symbol of reverence.
Good Friday - Divendres Sant: March 29, 2024 In keeping with the main tradition in all parts of Spain, Good Friday is the biggest celebration of Easter week in the form of the procession called the ‘Processó del Sant Enterrament’ featuring ornate floats depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ. Both Ciutadella and Mahón host the largest processions, where each church is the caretaker for one float adorned with candles & flowers for the event. Each church has their own ‘Cofradía’ which translates to ‘Brotherhood’ who are responsible for carrying the adorned statue/float on their shoulders through the streets of the town or city. For weeks beforehand, they practise marching slowly in rhythm to the beat of the mournful drums from the band. Coordinated breaks are timed by a bell that calls for the statue to be lowered slightly to rest on stilts for a minute or so. It’s no easy task to coordinate, these floats are big and heavy, and the procession moves slowly whilst the ‘Cofradía’ are dressed in costumes. Each Cofradía is dressed in cloaks and a ‘Capirote’, which is a Catholic, coneshaped pointed hat with a mask made from silk or velvet material. The origin of these headpieces for the Cofradía date back to the 17th century in Spanish culture, and each Brotherhood wears a different colour. It is said that they cover their faces to remain anonymous and not draw attention to themselves but to the float instead. They work as one entity in service and march slowly in unison falling into the procession in order of the Station of the Cross that their float represents. The procession starts after nightfall combined with Mass. Usually the procession starts around 8.30pm in most towns, except for Mahón & Ciutadella where the procession starts at 9.00pm. Mahón - Church of Santa Maria The “Santo Entierro” (Holy Burial) procession begins at the Church of Santa Maria and then the procession moves through Mahon, culminating in the evening with a mass as a poignant display of reverence. Alaior - Parish Church of Santa Eulàlia Alaior’s Good Friday procession offers a more intimate experience. Locals gather at the Parish Church of Santa Eulàlia, where the figure of Christ is carried on a float through the streets in a solemn procession. The atmosphere is one of deep reflection and community spirit.
D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
13
SPRING 2024
Es Mercadal - Parish Church of Sant Martí Es Mercadal’s Good Friday procession commences from the Parish Church of Sant Martí. Adorned with flowers and candles, the procession winds through Es Mercadal’s historic centre, inviting spectators to witness a centuries-old tradition of faith and remembrance. Ferreries - Parish Church of Sant Bartomeu Ferreries’ Good Friday procession begins at the Parish Church of Sant Bartomeu. Here, locals and visitors gather to witness the sombre yet moving procession, as the figure of Christ is carried through Ferreries’ quaint streets, accompanied by mournful music. Highlight: Ciutadella de Menorca - The Cathedral of Menorca 9.00pm Ciutadella’s Good Friday procession is the largest, held at the island’s Cathedral. Known also as the “Processó dels Dolors,” this very solemn and majestic procession weaves through the historic streets of Ciutadella, drawing a multitude of spectators. Elaborate floats are paraded through the town, accompanied by ‘Cofradías’ from each church carrying candles while the town band plays majestic music to keep the marching beat. The atmosphere is one of reverence and awe as the procession moves slowly, allowing onlookers to reflect on the significance of Easter. Diumunge Pascua - Easter Sunday: March 30, 2024 Easter Sunday Morning Mass services are held in all the churches around the island, with times varying between 9.00am - 11.30am. There are also evening services in both Mahón and Ciutadella. Curious Custom of Ciutadella: ‘Els Bujots’ 12:00pm Every year on Easter Sunday at Midday in certain points around the town, scarecrow type figures, dressed up and stuffed with straw are hung in front of a number of participating bars. Until 2020 these were destroyed at 12 noon by several locals with very loud shotguns but the law was changed to prohibit the use of firearms at fiestas and so now they are now destroyed with flares and firecrackers. This is one of those idiosyncratic customs that is hard to explain and may cause alarm if you happen to see one hanging or burning on your Sunday stroll through Ciutadella. These figures usually represent a negative act or experience of the past year that when burned, signifies a protest or the release of the negativity that it represents. The figures are dressed in costumes or have signs symbolising what is being burned. It can have personal meaning for the bar or a more collective, critical or satirical protest about a current event or past act. For example, last year one of the Bujots was dressed as a soldier and held a sign that said ‘No more war’. There have also been Bujots with signs protesting against tourist massification, real estate speculation and the operation of the local incineration plant. The burning act only lasts a few minutes. It’s certainly something different to see on Easter Sunday and only a practice in Ciutadella. Indulging in Easter Traditional Treats Menorcans also take the time to make and eat traditional Easter treats. Although these pastries are available all year round, it’s tradition to make and eat them at Easter. ‘Crespellets’ are delicate pastries flavoured with aniseed and dusted with sugar. Ideal to enjoy with your morning coffee. ‘Formatjades’ are a pie type pastry; all three types are different in appearance and flavour. ‘Formatjada de Carn’ is usually either diced pork or lamb meat mixed with spices, sobrasada and lard. Variants depend on personalisation of the recipe. Often sold cold in bakeries on the island, they taste best heated up in the oven or microwave for 10 seconds before eating. ‘Formatjada de Formatge’ in addition to being a mouthful to say, they are a delicious mouthful to eat as well. Made from fresh soft cheese that sits in a pastry base, when baked in the oven the cheese puffs up souffle-style and is best eaten still slightly warm from the oven. ‘Formatjada de Brossat’ is the sweet option, baked sweetened ricotta cheese encased in a sweet pastry crust envelope. I must confess these were my first favourite many years ago when I discovered them but now I’m not sure which cheese version I prefer as they are both so good! Easter in Menorca is a great time to be in the island, not only to witness the traditions but also to enjoy the beauty and tranquillity at this time of year. It’s a wonderful season at the start of Spring to really experience the local lifestyle and countryside before the busier hotter months ahead. Slow down and savour every moment and morsel, it’s the only way to make it last longer! Wishing you all a Happy Easter! ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
THE
14
SPRING 2024
BIG
INTERVIEW WITH
GEORGE ANSON
George Anson was born in Canada, grew up in the USA but has spent his entire working life in the UK. He was one of the founders of HarbourVest Partners which became one of the largest private equity investment management companies worldwide. George and his wife Kirsty bought a house in Menorca in 2007 with the long-term view that the island would be the perfect place to spend their retirement. As regular visitors they have become fully immersed in its history and environmental concerns, contributing to projects on the Isla del Rey and taking an important leading role in the formation of Menorca Preservation. George has a very famous ancestor, Commodore (later Admiral) and 1st Baron George Anson (1697-1762). He became a household name after circumnavigating the globe in 174044 in HMS Centurion and returning with more than 1.3 million pieces of eight from the capture of the Spanish Galleon Nuestra Senora de Covadonga. However, arguably his greatest achievement was reforming the British Navy. I heard through the Menorca grapevine that the current George Anson had recently travelled the world to visit the places where the Commodore had made landfall during his often-arduous voyage. I spoke to George to find out more.
George with Kirsty and their eldest son Douglas
You grew up and were educated in the USA and so were you aware of Commodore Anson as a child? My father is British. He left the UK at the age of 26 and moved to Canada where he met my mother in 1957. I was born in 1960 in Ontario, Canada, but we soon moved to the USA and settled in Iowa, where my father ran a wood veneer company. I grew up there with my 3 brothers and sisters and I studied finance at the University of Iowa. There were one or two books on Admiral George Anson around the house but we took little interest in someone so remote from our everyday lives. It wasn’t until I made my own voyage across the Atlantic to live in England that I took a real interest in his story. You moved to the UK in 1984 where you have lived ever since. How did you make that move? After finishing University, I went on a 2-week holiday to the UK and stayed with a friend of the family who had been my father’s best man. In a “sliding doors” moment, he suggested that I apply for 2 months’ unpaid work experience in the City of London. He arranged an interview with an upand-coming fund management company called GT Management. When my 2 months were up, I was offered a job on £8000 a year. I discovered that with my British father and Canadian passport I was able to stay and work in the UK. It was at this time that I met Kirsty who was working at the same company. In 1987 the private equity team I was working with went independent and I bought a stake in the new company which later became Pantheon. The company completed several high-profile deals making it very successful and I stayed there until 1990 when I was approached by Hancock Venture Partners, a Boston based company, to set up their office in London for European expansion. The London office grew and expanded, and in 1997 became HarbourVest Partners where I remained for 20 years until my retirement in 2017. Can you tell me how the idea came about to retrace the steps of Commodore George Anson? For my 60th birthday I wanted to do something different, and so we decided to go around the world to all the places where Commodore Anson had anchored and gone ashore from his ship, the HMS Centurion. Of course, England was at war with Spain at the time and so he could not land on any shores under Spanish control. This meant that we would need to travel to many out of the way places involving several private charters and at least one helicopter to get us there. The plan was to do the trip in two chunks in the first half of 2020; however COVID intervened and we were not able to complete the second part until 2022.
George and Kirsty in the Galápagos Islands
To give you some background, Commodore Anson was put in command of a squadron of 6 war ships and 2 transports sent to attack Spanish possessions in South America at the start of the War of Jenkin’s Ear in 1739. After a delayed start, the ships sailed to Brazil, with the plan to round
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ISLAND NEWS
WINTER 2023 The Centurion capturing the Covadonga by Samuel Scott
In Macao, Guangdong (formerly Canton)
Cape Horn and patrol the west coast of South America up to Acapulco in Mexico. However, the squadron encountered successive disasters due to big seas, bad weather, the ravages of scurvy and their lack of accurate navigation instruments to tell them their exact position. Their only major achievement was to sack one small port city of Paita in Peru. By 1742 HMS Centurion was the only ship still seaworthy and the surviving crew from the other ships were taken onboard. After crossing the Pacific, Anson rested on the island of Tinian (near Guam) before continuing his journey to Macau. From there, his plan was to intercept one of the Manila galleons on the famous trade route between Acapulco and the Chinese merchants in the Philippines. It was off the Samar Islands south of Manila that he succeeded in this aim and took his famous prize of the Nuestra Senora de Covadonga. The Spanish Galleon was laden with gold, silver and paying passengers and it was captured after a 90-minute battle. After sailing to Canton to sell the Galleon, the Commodore returned home with his treasure and valuable contents via South Africa, rounding the Cape of Good Hope, and reaching England in June 1744. How much of the journey did you manage to complete before COVID and what did you discover? Our plan for the first stage was to visit South Africa and the Far East. In late 2019 we flew to Cape Town, to see the Cape of Good Hope, and meet with local historians. We then continued on to Hong Kong, Macau and Canton, arriving in January 2020. From there we flew to Tinian Island, just south of Saipan which is part of the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). These islands are the ‘westernmost’ islands of the US in the Pacific, although to us in Europe they are in the Far East. Tinian is where Commodore Anson landed after crossing the Pacific and where he discovered the breadfruit plant which was to prove to be a dramatic cure for the crew’s scurvy, helping them to regain their strength. The island now is home to many WW2 historical sites and beaches. A marine archaeologist there has located two of the original anchors from HMS Centurion and he took us to see them. Although they are located at a depth of 20m the anchors were visible from the surface as the water was so clear. As it is a historic war site, diving is prohibited and the anchors are not allowed to be moved. After visiting Tinian, we travelled on to the Philippines where we chartered a plane to fly us over the exact spot where Commodore Anson encountered the Nuestra Senora de Covadonga and took his prize. The pilot thought we were a bit eccentric wanting to fly over an uninhabited part of the ocean, with nothing to see, but for me it was an important part of the voyage. We returned home from Manila on 24th January 2020 and due to lockdown, we did not complete the journey for another 2 years. So for the second part of your journey you travelled around South America. How many places did you visit there? In April 2022 we set off for South America and spent 2 months travelling down the East Coast of South America from Brazil all the way round to Acapulco on the Mexican coast. We followed the journey of the ill-fated fleet around Cape Horn, visiting Patagonia, Chile, Peru and, the most significant port of the time, Acapulco, from where the ships set sail on the spice route. However, we didn’t stay long in Acapulco when we discovered it is one of the top murder capitals in the world with around 600 homicides per year.
Above: Tinian Island Left: Lord Anson by Thomas Hudson
On our travels through Chile we were determined to visit Wager Island, which was where The Wager, one of the ships in Anson’s fleet, was shipwrecked and thought lost. David Grann has recently published a book entitled The Wager, about the shipwreck, the mutiny of the crew and the tales of the survivors who finally made it back to England. The island is so remote that we needed to fly by helicopter and stop twice to refuel. The adjacent island is named Byron Island, after a crew member John Byron, the grandfather of the poet Lord Byron. Many of the places we visited had been totally changed by 280 years of development, but on the smaller islands such as Wager and Tinian we could recognise the coastline from the drawings and charts made in Anson’s time. We had wanted to visit the Juan Fernández Islands (one of which is Robinson Crusoe Island) but they were still closed to visitors in 2022 following COVID. In his early career (before 1740), George Anson was Captain of the Station Ship based at Charleston so, in addition to South America, we visited South Carolina where he had purchased 64 acres of land. There is still an area known as Ansonborough with a George Street as well as an Anson Street. Interestingly, when he captured the Spanish Galleon he came into possession of their many valuable charts which greatly increased the British knowledge of the pacific islands. The Anson Archipelago, a group of islands between Japan and Hawaii, was also named after him. Many books were written about the voyage by members of the crew who survived and returned to England. Do you have any of these or other artefacts from the voyage? Commodore Anson wrote up his journey in his book “A Voyage Round the World”, published in 1748 several years after his return, and I have three of the First Editions. I collect as many of the books as I can find, such as the one written by John Byron “A Voyage round the World”. I have a silver snuff tray with the Anson coat of arms dated 1750 and some of the coins that were minted from the silver and gold that was brought back from the Galleon. They are dated 1746-49 and stamped with Lima to boast of their origin. Commodore Anson became an extremely wealthy man from his share of the prize money, renovating his family estate, Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire. Unfortunately, three generations later, his descendants got into debt and the entire contents of the house were auctioned during a two-week long sale in 1842; with many important items dispersed or lost. In 1960 the Hall passed into the hands of the National Trust in lieu of death duties although another Anson, Patrick Anson, better known as Lord Lichfield, leased an apartment in the Hall until his death in 2005.
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ISLAND NEWS
16
SPRING 2024
Wager Island from the helicopter
Apart from travelling the globe, how have you been keeping busy in your retirement? Kirsty and I have lived in Buckinghamshire since 1990 and we have three grown up children and two grandchildren. In 2021, I took on the role of The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire. This is an independent, non-political Royal appointment for a single year with no renumeration or expenses although I did get to wear a ceremonial uniform. The origins of the office date back to Saxon times when the “Shire Reeve” was responsible to the King for the maintenance of law and order. My role was to visit the police, prisons, law courts, coroners, fire and rescue services in Buckinghamshire and to act as their ambassador and provide support. It was a massive learning curve for me to see how these institutions work and it led me to becoming a trustee for the Heart of Bucks Community Foundation, and the Buckinghamshire Historic Church Trust which looks after historic church buildings of all religious persuasions. Kirsty and I have a real love of the arts and are patrons of a number of cultural institutions in the UK. In Menorca you have also taken a leading role in Menorca Preservation and made generous donations to projects on the Isla del Rey. Can you tell me about your involvement in these local organisations? Menorca Preservation is part of the wider Conservation Collective which operates across 16 islands worldwide to protect them from the impact of climate change and the biodiversity crisis. In 2017, Menorca Preservation was founded with local support and the hiring of Rebecca Morris, the current Director of MeP. It is a privately funded organisation and I was Chairman for the first three years. We work alongside key local organisations focused on environmental projects on Menorca. Our Steering Committee comprises Menorcans, international environmentalists and local homeowners, all of whom share a common love for the island. Since its inception, we have funded nearly €1m to worthy projects. We were introduced to the work of the Hospital Foundation on the Isla del Rey when we first arrived in Menorca. Obviously I had a strong interest in British Naval history and although Admiral Anson never visited the island, it would have been under his purview during his time as the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty. In fact, the failure of Admiral Byng to save Menorca from the French invasion under his watch in 1756 resulted in a political upheaval that caused Anson to leave office for 7 months, although he was soon reinstated under a new government. We were also involved with the restoration of the Anglican Chapel on Isla del Rey.
We keep a motorboat in Mahon and one of our favourite places to go on a day trip is to Binigaus where you can anchor safely in the sand in 5m of beautiful clear water. We like to explore new places on each visit and it is our ambition to walk the entire Cami de Cavalls one year. Currently, we are in the process of doing our bit to help the environment: re-landscaping our garden, removing our thirsty lawn, and replacing it with appropriate indigenous plants that need much less water. Admiral George Anson was a highly gifted administrator and reformer. He became First Lord of the Admiralty and is referred to as “the father of the Modern Navy”. Some say he is more influential to its success than Nelson himself. Andrew Young has written about his legacy and goes as far as to say that “without George Anson there would have been no Trafalgar”. Even his book “A Voyage around the World 1740-44” is described by Glynn Williams as “a work of information not amusement”. The George Anson we know in Menorca has himself been described as being highly organised and having immense industry knowledge combined with great diplomatic skills. One feels that there must be something in their shared genealogy to make both these Ansons such a success in their respective careers.
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I’d like to finish by talking about your house on Menorca and what you do here to relax here on the island. Our house, which is located along the east coast just outside Mahon harbour, was built in 1993/94. We visited the house in 2005 and 2006, before having the opportunity to buy it in 2007. It was another “sliding doors” moment for us, and we have been happy here ever since.
1. Paita in Peru 2. High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire 3. George with son Douglas on Wager Island
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ISLAND NEWS
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HISTORICAL NOTES War of Jenkins’ Ear The War of Jenkins’ Ear was a conflict running from 1739 to 1748 between Britain and Spain which mainly took place in the Caribbean. In April 1731, Robert Jenkins, captain of the British Brig Rebecca, allegedly had his ear cut off by the Spanish coastguard while they were searching his ship for contraband. British historian Thomas Carlyle gave the conflict this name much later, in 1858
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The incident went largely unnoticed until opposition politicians used it seven years later to incite support for a war against Spain, hoping to improve British trading opportunities in the Caribbean. Great Britain failed to achieve these ambitions and Spain successfully defended its possessions in the Americas. The war is remembered in British naval history more for George Anson’s Voyage around the World. The Prize Papers Project Letters and documents seized by the British from roughly 35,000 captured ships and galleons during prize-taking between 1652 and 1815 are now available to the public through the “Prize Papers” project website. This activity was at its peak in the 17th and 18th centuries, and so the collection proves a fascinating insight into this period of history. Although referred to as “Papers” they include items such as logbooks, passports, official documents and small objects such as jewellery, textile samples or gifts as well as many unopened letters. They were initially deposited in the Tower of London and later at the National Archives at Kew, southwest London, until they were discovered in 2018.
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The papers seized from La Nuestra Señora de Covadonga captured by George Anson feature as a case study on the website. These include the ship’s register, with detailed records of all the silver onboard, and the muster book, which records that there were 128 children making up half the crew, with another 18 criminals chained below deck. Private letters detail gifts that were sent to relatives which never arrived, such as a white beaver fur hat trimmed with gold sent from Acapulco to a brother in Manila.
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Prize-taking was not an act of piracy. A ship could be legally captured if it belonged to an enemy party or was supporting the enemy’s war effort. The final ruling on the legality of a capture had to be made in court. Therefore, every piece of paper on board the captured ship was confiscated as evidence for the court process. The “Prize Papers” project is led by Professor Dogmar Freist, an expert in Modern history at the German University of Oldenburg, with a PhD from Cambridge. website https://www.prizepapers.de/ https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/ stories/papers-of-nuestra-senora-de-covadonga/ The Wager A new book called The Wager by David Grann tells the tale of the shipwreck and mutiny of the ship of the same name. The Wager formed part of the squadron of George Anson but ran aground off Patagonia. Some of the crew survived and made it back to England to tell their differing versions of events. The Valentine Pattern Porcelain In 1743 while staying in the harbour at Canton, George Anson and his men were instrumental in saving Canton from a fire which would otherwise have destroyed the entire city. In recognition, a porcelain service known as the “Valentine Pattern” was commissioned for Anson, depicting items drawn from the sketches of his resident artist on that voyage. These include a soup plate, which can be seen in the British Museum, depicting the breadfruit tree on Tenian Island.
Credit: John Pennington, in: “Military History”, June 2003 (p.60)
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1. 1st Baron Anson by Joshua Reynolds 2. Soup plate at the British Museum 3. Muster book from the Nuestra Senora de Covadonga 4. George Anson Medal at the British Museum
ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
18
SPRING 2024
By Beverley Ward
ISLA
DEL REY A delightful and well-maintained path takes you all round the perimeter of the island with truly magnificent harbour views - our very own miniature Cami de Cavalls! Rooms with flaking paint have been spruced up and repainted ready for our visitors, and gardens de-weeded (well mostly). New season activities Until 11th May, we will continue our volunteer work on Sunday mornings, and visitors are very welcome, zodiac transport departing Moll de l’Hospital, Calle Fontanillas , Es Castell at 08.30am and returning at 11.30am. On 11th May, Hauser & Wirth will be opening, exhibiting the works of American artist, Roni Horn, and our well-known Spanish sculptor, Chillida. From that time the yellow catamarans will be responsible for the ferrying of people to and from the harbourside at Mahon.
Winter activities The winter seems to have passed in a flash and it’s such a different situation when we are alone on the island. Peaceful and more friendly than ever. British visitors have been scarce but there are always a few Spanish who have heard of us and are curious to see our progress. And progress there certainly has been in many directions:
Due to demand, we’ll then offer an additional visit in English so visitors will have the chance to enjoy a guided tour on both Tuesday and Thursday mornings as well as the usual Sunday mornings. The prices of the catamaran and visit have yet to be confirmed but you can check this on the website: https://www.yellowcatamarans.com/en/home or https://menorca.hauserwirth.com/es/inicio
The Director’s room on the top floor has a new and very elegant floor and it won’t be long before we can offer these rooms as a unique honeymoon suite. We haven’t actually got a bathroom yet, but we’ll get there - I wonder if the Tourist board will approve it? The longed for, and fought for, ramp to help people with mobility difficulties, which will go from the jetty up to the highest point, finally has a licence, and the contract is out to tender as I write. Work will soon start - and probably continue all through the busy summer months! New medical rooms are being prepared to display an even greater variety of old medical equipment - and they will make you wince even more! D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
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The latest big project is to raise funds for the restoration of the section symmetrical to the Red Governor’s building. This collapsed some time ago, we’re not even sure exactly when, but we’re going to rebuild it as it was in the late eighteenth century. The estimated cost is approximately 600,000€. So back to some serious fundraising activities; we’re planning a crowdfunding scheme with the help of a very smart volunteer company who will set up and run it for us. Maybe start the ball rolling in London this summer? The restoration of this structure will provide a centre all year around for important conferences or meetings with up to 100 people, something often requested but which we haven’t been able to accommodate as yet.
SPRING 2024
Interested in joining us? We’re always pleased to have new volunteers and if after an initial visit and tour, you want to help us, then don’t hesitate to come over on a Sunday morning. All nationalities, races, religions and ages are welcome, we’re already a pretty mixed bunch! There is always plenty to do in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, whether you like gardening, restoration work, helping prepare exhibition rooms, not to forget dusting and sweeping which is also vital. Do you have any specialised skills to help us - technology, architecture, etc? The General, Luis Alejandre, will likely put them to good use. If you need any further information you can check out our website: https://www.islahospitalmenorca.org/en/home/ or contact me on: beverleyjeward@gmail.com
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ISLAND NEWS
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SPRING 2024
AXOPAR x AGAPI BOAT CLUB IN MENORCA
Chris Reeve, Director of Axopar Menorca, explained “being a member is similar to being a member in a premium golf club with clear rules and a strong community culture based on the core values of respect and responsibility. There will be a maximum of 6 members per boat in the club”. The club handles everything for the members, keeping the boats ready to go and providing full concierge services upon request. In 2024 there are 2 Axopar models within the club available. Once you have chosen your preferred boat you can select a level of service suited to your own needs. Lower categories of boats are always included, and you can upgrade your membership plan at any point in time. All memberships include an unlimited number of bookings that can be done in various ways:
Axopar Menorca, based in Mahon Harbour, have been selling the popular brand of Axopar Boats in the Balearics and mainland Spain very successfully since 2015. Three new Axopar 37s are arriving this year and there is strong interest in the new larger Axopar 45. Axopar Menorca is now offering another way for you to enjoy two of the boats through their new boating club “Axopar x Agapi Boat Club”. By paying an annual membership fee you can have use of their brand new Axopar 25 Cross Top or the Axopar 29 Sun Top without worrying about depreciation, annual maintenance costs, mooring fees, or indeed the lack of a mooring. The service falls in between boat ownership and boat charter and could offer an ideal solution for some residents or regular visitors.
PLANNED DAYS can be booked in advance. The number of days, starting at 2, depends on the membership level. It is not possible to book more than these 2 Planned Days in advance, but once these days are completed (or cancelled) your next Planned Days become available for booking. SPONTANEOUS BOOKING All memberships include an unlimited number of so-called spontaneous bookings. These are one day bookings that you can make within 24 hours of departure if there is a boat available. EXTRA DAYS can be purchased to book longer periods, such as an entire week or to book several specific dates. It is important to note that when an Extra Day has been used, it is considered consumed and cannot be re-used. The price for an Extra Day depends on the boat model, season and region.
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ISLAND NEWS
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Example
Axopar 25 Cross Top – Category A Unlimited Membership A Silver Membership of a Category A boat costs 9,450 Euros per year. This includes 2 Planned Days, and a single use Extra Day costs 550 Euros per day in May-September. You can pay for a second family captain or you can use a skipper service at 300 Euros per day. All memberships include 50 hours of engine time and there is a user guarantee for low usage. For example, if you use the boat for less than 5 days you get a 25% discount on your renewal fee. Onboarding is mandatory when you join the club. This includes a practical test at sea with an instructor, as well as a personal introduction to the booking systems and routines. For example, the boat must always be returned with at least 60% of its fuel level. If the ”Refuelling” service is included in your membership, you can return the boat at a lower level, and the team will refuel it for you. As a new member you start by topping your digital fuel account with 100 litres via debit/ credit card. All members are expected to checkout leaving the boat in at least the same condition or better as when checked-in for the next member. This includes taking off the rubbish, tidying the cushions and giving the boat a quick wash down to remove the salt. There is a no-shoe policy on all the boats the whole year. Agapi software is used on the boats and via a phone App to give you instant access to your individual data and a record of your usage. As a member you will also have access to any of the current or future Axopar+Agapi Club locations worldwide. For example, with a membership in Menorca, you can already travel and enjoy boating in Ibiza and St Tropez. In an era of increasing interest towards electrified boats, the Axopar x Agapi boat club will also place the first Axopar electric boats into the club. This will attract both new people out on the water as well as existing members wishing to try out electric boating. Axopar Boats OY have bought a 10% stake in Agapi Boat Club and they have a member on the Agapi board. This commitment means that the network of Axopar x Agapi Boat Clubs will be continuously expanded to key boating destinations around the world, with ambitions to grow this network into more than 200 centres by 2030. Axopar currently has over 110 dealer locations. Contact: Axopar Menorca – Serenity Yachting SLU, Moll de Llevant 186, Puerto de Mahon, 07701, Menorca, Spain Telephone: +34 971 355 101 Email: info@axoparmenorca.com
www.axoparmenorca.com
BALEARICS REDUCES WEALTH TAX By Cathal Rochford, Partner, Blevins Franks
Spanish wealth tax has effectively been eliminated for most residents and property owners in the Balearics. From this year onwards, only those with assets above €3 million will be liable for wealth tax. In welcome news, the government of the Balearics autonomous region announced significant changes to the wealth tax allowances in December.
deductions mentioned above. The major difference is that it is applied at state level and the autonomous governments cannot change it.
Changes to Balearics wealth tax
If you pay Spain’s regular wealth tax, you deduct the amount paid from your solidarity tax liability, so you do not pay tax twice.
As part of the agreement reached by the leading PP and Vox parties on the regional budget for 2024, the general wealth tax deduction has increased from the standard €700,000 to €3,000,000. This applies from the 2024 wealth tax returns, which are submitted in 2025. This change does not affect the application of Spain’s temporary Solidarity Tax, which applies on taxable assets exceeding €3,000,000. A reminder of Spain’s wealth tax rules In Spain, wealth tax is calculated based on the value of your assets as at 31 December each year. If you are resident in Spain, it applies to your worldwide assets. For non-residents it affects Spanish assets only. The tax is payable on the net value of most of your capital assets, such as real estate, savings and investments, shareholdings, jewellery, art, antiques, cars, boats, etc. Each individual, resident or otherwise, receives a personal tax-free allowance of €700,000 under state rules. Spanish residents can get an additional allowance of up to €300,000 against the value of their main home (excluding properties owned through corporate structures). Couples owning assets in joint names can effectively double the allowances (although they submit separate returns). Importantly, the autonomous regions can vary wealth tax rates and allowances, which is how the Balearics has increased its personal allowance to €3 million. If you are resident in the islands, you also have the €300,000 main home allowance. Individuals with wealth exceeding the allowances will pay tax at 2.35% for the excess up to €5,454,958, then 2.9%, then 3.45% for anything above €10,909,915. This reform helps the Balearics compete with Andalucía and Madrid which both provide a 100% tax-free relief. A second wealth tax, Spain’s ‘solidarity tax on large fortunes’ was introduced in 2022 as a temporary levy. The rules, rates and allowances are the same as the standard wealth tax but only applies on wealth above €3 million, and you then get the two ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
Balearics wealth tax case studies These two examples (for illustrative purposes only) show what a difference this Balearics reform will make. Example 1 John lives in Mallorca and owns a property worth €1,000,000 and other assets worth €500,000. Before the changes, he would have had to pay the higher of the wealth tax liability of approximately €2,300 or solidarity tax of nil. For 2024, he will not have any wealth tax to pay due to the increased allowance or any solidarity as the liability is nil. Example 2 Julia lives in Menorca and owns a property worth €3,500,000 and has investments worth €800,000. Before the changes, she would have had a wealth tax liability of approximately €50,000 and a solidarity tax liability of €5,100. Therefore, she would have paid just the Balearics liability since the wealth tax is higher than the solidarity tax. Under the new rules, her wealth tax liability would reduce to approximately €7,500. Again, the solidarity tax liability is lower than the wealth tax liability so only the liability in the Balearics is payable. Tax planning This Balearics tax reform is certainly welcome news, offering substantial tax savings. But it emphasises the need for specialist advice from experienced advisers, to not only take advantage of these changes but also other aspects of the regional Spanish tax system. Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; individuals should seek personalised advice.
Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www.blevinsfranks.com
ISLAND NEWS
22
SPRING 2024
MENORCA, BETWEEN MASS TOURISM AND SUSTAINABILITY
By Miquel Camps Coordinador Política Territorial, GOB
The phenomenon of uncontrolled housing rental to tourists is causing an overwhelming increase in tourist forecasts. The Territorial Plan had foreseen systems to avoid excessive tourist loads on the basis of regulating urban growth on coastal areas. But the current situation is different, based on the use of already built houses and flats for tourism. In addition to the 30,000 tourist spaces authorised for this type of accommodation, there are at least another 30,000 that are being used without authorisation. This means a substantial increase in the number of people who, logically, require water, energy, roads and parking, and who generate solid and liquid waste that must be processed. With slightly more than half of them in an irregular situation, no taxes are paid and no contribution is made towards the maintenance of these types of public services.
A proposal to build a main road around the island was stopped by campaigners
Planning Battles leading to the Biosphere Reserve The island of Menorca has worked hard to avoid following the same model as Ibiza or Mallorca. The Menorcan population reacted strongly against the planning designed in the 1970s, which included the construction of orbital roads and the urbanisation of most of the coast. As a result of citizen organisation and demonstrations, many projects involving the drastic transformation of areas of high natural value were stopped. From the intense debates that were generated in those turbulent years, the idea of declaring Menorca a Biosphere Reserve emerged, something that finally materialised in 1993 and was transferred to regulations through the Territorial Plan of 2003. In the discussions occurring 40 years ago, there was a clash of interests between those who called for the conservation of high-value areas, and the economic interests that had placed expectations of abundant profits on those initiatives. There seemed to be two opposing and irreconcilable choices. Either the environment or the economy. But time has put things in place. Indeed, the constant work carried out to conserve the territory has allowed a series of emblematic spaces to survive to this day. Today, these areas are the most common images used for the tourist promotion of the island. Macarella, Albufera des Grau, Trebalúger, Cala en Turqueta, Favàritx and many others have become icons of Menorca, precisely because they have been preserved without major changes, which gives them a special value. The island is currently promoted as a Biosphere Reserve, boasting the many locations preserved in their natural state. The photographs that most often appear in tourist promotions do not show hotels, villas or roads. They show virgin beaches, clean waters, the Camí de Cavalls or lighthouses in the middle of nature. So, at the end of the day, nature conservation has become an asset for the economy. Overcrowding and Uncontrolled Rentals These issues are a recurrent topic of controversy in Menorca. In recent years, the dispute has been brought back to the table due to mass tourism, and the overcrowding of vehicles, boats and people, which is experienced in the summer. Although later than the neighbouring islands, our island is also being immersed in new forms of tourism, which means that many houses that used to be a place for residents to live have now become places for tourists.
The aforementioned large increase in tourist spaces available, real but unofficial, has occurred in less than 10 years. And it is accompanied by a worsening of access to housing, both for the year-round resident population and for people who come to work during the high season. This situation, which has been known in Ibiza and Mallorca for a longer period of time, has reached Menorca and is worsening from year to year. The withdrawal of thousands of former residential dwellings,which are now destined for tourism (estimated at least 12,000), together with the significant increase in the price of both purchase and rent, is putting a brake on the future projects of many young Menorcans, who cannot emancipate themselves from their families unless they share a flat as they did when they were students. Possible limitation of vehicle numbers Faced with this worrying situation, the possible limitation of the arrival of vehicles during the tourist season, as Formentera has already done with great success, appears to be one of the levers that could be used to redirect Menorca onto the path of sustainability. The Biosphere Reserve Law, approved in 2023, allows the Consell Insular to decide each year how many cars should be on the island. This regulation basically affects rental car fleets and cars coming to the island via ferry. Formentera’s experience has decongested the roads and car parks, while increasing the use of public transport and taxis. It has also served to pacify tourism and lengthen the stay of people visiting the island. Again, conservation and economics can go hand in hand. But this confluence never happens by chance. It has to be actively pursued. The GOB carries out numerous initiatives and is grateful for any help that allows Menorca to continue to be an example of co-existence between the environment and human activity.
A study by the Centro de Estudios en Transportes y Mobilidad published in 2023 from the data of 2022 reported that 45% of daily journeys were made by non-resident vehicles. Of this percentage, 2% are in their own vehicle (arriving by ferry), while the remaining 43% are rental vehicles. In the month of June, the surplus of vehicles based on the capacity of the Menorcan road network was 17%. The surplus was 29% in July, 30% in August and 19% in September. Between October and April, there would be no need to apply restrictions, although it would be positive to improve public transport and promote it among the resident population.
D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
23
SPRING 2024
VENERABLE LAMA LHEKSHEY CHHOTTAR BISTA F R O M T H E P E M A T S ’A L S A K YA M O N A S T I C I N S T I T U T E In 2012 and 2013 Roqueta ran a series of articles on Lhekshey Chhottar Bista, a monk from Nepal. The first was written by Beverley Ward who many of you know from her work on the Isla del Rey and many sporting activities. Beverley first met Lhekshey when she visited his monastery in Nepal for 3 months in 2012 to teach English. Beverley returned to the monastery several times and over the last 10 years Lhekshey has become part of her family. All 3 of Beverley’s sons have been to Nepal and Lhekshey came to Menorca for one of their weddings. Last autumn the plan was for him to visit again with his sister, who Beverley sponsored to go to boarding school in India from the age of 13. They tried every avenue to get a visa to allow his sister to come to Menorca and return to Nepal; Beverley even had to submit the deeds of her own house and her tax returns. Regrettably, the application was turned down by the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi on the grounds that there were doubts that she would return to Nepal. Lhekshey told me that one of the main Buddhist practices is to deal with emotions and accept the impermanence, and so I was interested to understand how he had coped with this disappointment. He told me that he always knew it was going to be difficult and so he had told his sister that he would only go ahead and try if she understood that they might fail. He gave me the example of buying a glass to try and explain the philosophy further. When you buy a glass, you have to know that the nature of glass is fragile as it is breakable, so when it does break you should not be angry or disappointed as it was inevitable. Lhekshey and his sister meet twice a year. In winter, his mother and sister come to visit him at the monastery, near Pokhara, in Mustang, as it is a warmer place and there is nothing for them to do high up on his mother’s farm. He also has a one-month vacation in the summer back at home. It is a long journey by bus and then by jeep when the roads get too rough. On the farms in his home village they grow wheat and barley, red mustard, buckwheat spinach and potato and they have apple, apricot and peach trees. They also keep cows, yaks, sheep and goats for their milk and meat. Although Buddhists do not eat meat generally, in the remote villages it is essential for their survival. Lhekshey‘s family home is within an Ancient Kingdom called Lo-manthang. His sister volunteers on projects to restore the 500-year-old monastery in the walled city of Mustang. Any travellers wishing to visit must pay a $500 permit to enter Upper Mustang, which is located in northern Nepal on the border with Tibet. Until now it has remained one of the most isolated and inaccessible areas of the world. It is one of the few places where social and spiritual life has remained unchanged for centuries.
but after 3 years it moved to the present location in Pokhara where it has grown to become a large educational monastic institution with plans to become a great University. The Monastery Life When the young boys arrive at the monastery at the age of 5 or 6, they take one vow which is made up of some simple rules for how to lead a positive life, such as not to harm others, not to lie and not to steal. They are taught a normal school curriculum and take the same exams including English, maths, science, Nepalese and Tibetan. The boys are called for prayers at 5am and their studies and classes do not finish until 9:30pm, although they have several breaks totalling 3 hours during the day. Poor families send boys there to receive a good education, but it is also seen as a blessing on the family if one of their sons becomes a monk. At the age of 14 the boys become a shamen and start the life of a monk, taking a further 9 or 10 vows. Then at the age of 20, they become a fully ordained monk by taking the final 253 vows as a Bhikshu. Lhekshey went on to study a Masters degree in Buddhist Philosophy which takes a further 9-10 years. Of the 30 monks that started with Lhekshey, 10 are still at the monastery while the others decided to leave and to lead a different life. Lhekshey’s life today It has now been 5 years since Lhekshey finished his Masters degree. In this time, he has attended several silent retreats and he has been recognised as a talented artist which has opened up many opportunities. He was called upon to attend the World Peace Prayer festival in America where he spent a month, day and night, preparing the offerings. In addition, he has travelled to many Asian and European countries to perform rituals and create sand mandalas. He now has numerous extra responsibilities at the monastery, involving many administrative and practical tasks. For example, if a child is ill, he has to drive them to the hospital and stay with them. Lhekshey told me that it costs $35 a month or $450 per year to sponsor a child, to pay for clothing, food and medical care. There are currently 20 new boys that don’t have a sponsor and it is one of his tasks to raise money. He told me that he has had to learn that asking for money abroad is very different to fundraising in his home country. There, giving money to a monastery is part of the way of life and it is seen as a path to receiving blessings; traditionally food was given to monks for good karma in the days before they went to live in monasteries and donations are given in order to receive prayers for energy.
Lhekshey is now 35 years old and has spent his whole life at the monastery, having been sent by his mother and uncle at the age of 11. He was one of 30 children who started there when it was first established in 1999. Today there are 150 monks and boys between the ages of 5 and 36. In addition there are 15 teaching and non-teaching staff. The monastery provides a modern education, alongside spiritual prayers classes in which they have to memorise more than 600 to 700 pages of prayer text. Students then move on to college studies including a Buddhist philosophy class.
If you would like to visit, the Pema Ts’al Sakya Monastic Institute runs retreats and gives Buddhist teachings and meditations for visitors, individuals or groups, who can stay at the guest house and experience the life of the monks firsthand. It is located at Pokhara, surrounded by the mountains of the Annapurna range.
The Monastery began in a rented apartment in Katmandu
Guesthouse Website: hotelpematsal.com
Monastery Website: pematsalsakyamonastery.org.np/ E-Mail: sakya.pematsal@yahoo.com
ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
24
SPRING 2024
SOCIAL SERVICES FOR YOUNG AND OLD Have you Considered Fostering? Carmen Reynés, the Minister of Social Welfare in Menorca, invited Roqueta to the Consell Insular in Malbuger. She wanted us to meet her team and to alert our readers to the fact that there are children in Menorca urgently needing foster homes. Carmen took over the Service in May 2023 when there was a change of local government. She quickly recruited Daniel Garcia Del Mar, a former judge, to take charge of several departments including Family Services and Immigration. Foster care in Menorca Dani told us that there are children of between 4 and 17 in the Childrens’ Residential Centre in Mahon. They include children who have not been able to stay with their families in Menorca for a variety of reasons but also unaccompanied children who have arrived in Spain as immigrants from other countries such as Africa and Algeria. Menorca is not on the main migrant route for boats with only 6 boats having landed here direct since 2018. However, each municipality in Spain takes responsibility for a quota of the many unaccompanied children arriving in places such as the Canary Islands. Menorca took in two of these children in 2022 and two in October 2023.
A child can be fostered by a couple or a single person of legal age and resident on the Island of Menorca. The foster family is granted custody of the child, which implies that it will look after the child, providing company and take responsibility for food, education, and training. The child will have visits to his or her biological family if this is possible. If you would like to find out more about fostering in Menorca you can arrange an interview by calling 971 361212 or sending an email to menorca.cime@silme.es
New Services for the Elderly Melissa Manota Brooker also took over in 2023 as the Director of Elderly, Dependency and Functional Diversity at the Consell Insular. She explained to us the new home care service being introduced for the elderly which started with a pilot programme in Sant Lluis. High Intensity Home Care Service for the Elderly
There are a lot of very small children and others that have been waiting for homes for more than 4 years. Dani explains that there are many well behaved children who are in need of a loving home. They have recently launched a campaign to promote fostering in Menorca which shows the unlimited potential of all the children to go onto successful lives and careers. Dani told me that there is a 12-year-old at the home who arrived speaking 5 languages and he is quickly learning more.
The Sant Lluís City Council and the Menorca Council have launched the High Intensity Home Care Service (SADAI), a pilot project to implement a new way of caring for the elderly without the need for them to enter a geriatric residence or a day centre. Two family workers and a social worker were employed to launch the first phase of this programme, allowing care service to be extended over the evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Fostering may be carried out by an extended family where there has been a previous relationship between the host person and the child. Otherwise, the child is taken in by an individual or family with no family ties but who has been assessed as suitable by the team at the Insular family Service.
In the second stage, the plan is to offer new services which help improve people’s quality of life, such as helping with shopping, preparing menus, offering advice from a nutritionist, and providing physiotherapy at home in order to improve the mobilisation and independence of the users.
D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
ISLAND NEWS
25
SPRING 2024
The Home Care Service pilot programme is being applied in Sant Lluís for two years, with a financial contribution of 400,000 euros from the Menorca Council. The aim is to be able to double the number of people using the Service, to analyse and improve it and then to extend it to other municipalities in Menorca. The new residence in the Quarters of Santiago A new residence for elderly people in a situation of dependence is being built in the old military barracks of Santiago, in the centre of Mahon. This is the first social services facility in the Balearic Islands financed by the European Union through the Recovery Aid Fund for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-UE). The expected cost is 10.3 million. The works, which began in October 2021, were originally forecast to be completed at the end of 2023, but this deadline was not met. This new residence will have a ground floor, two further floors and underground service parking. It will have 120 places, distributed in 96 single rooms and 12 double rooms. In Menorca there is a current investment of more than 23 million euros for residences in addition to services such as teleassistance and home help services. Carmen Reynés, Daniel Garcia Del Mar and Melissa Manota Brooker
As part of the launch of the SADAI, the Sant Lluís City Council activated a campaign to find new people interested in being users of the Home Care Service, and thus expand its scope. This campaign was carried out primarily through the Social Services but they also appealed to its citizens to inform them of people who have specific needs that are not being attended to currently. They are asking relatives, acquaintances, tradespeople and professionals to bring these potential users to the attention of the Social Services, so that they can be contacted and analyse what help can be offered. It is about reaching as many people as possible, also those people who do not currently need basic care services, but who may require some of the complementary services that will be offered.
Since 2016, Menorca has added 46 new places for the elderly including the extension of the Ferreries residence, with 13 new places. There are now plans to add a further 40 in Migjorn Gran, 24 in Sant Lluís residence and 57 in Es Castell. New Citizens Advice Drop-In Centres From January 2024 the Consell has started a new multi-lingual service for the elderly and disabled though their Ventana Unica (Single Window) service. People will be able to walk in without an appointment (hurrah) to get help and advice with paperwork, form filling, financial legal problems etc. This will be a great relief for many elderly people who have struggled to operate the Cita Previa system and navigate the complex local bureaucracy made more difficult by language barriers.
https://www.cime.es/portal.aspx
ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
FOOD & DRINK
26
SPRING 2024
EATING
OUT
By Lorraine and Roqueta’s Team of Tasters
We hope all our readers and fellow “diners-out” had a pleasant winter season, and for those of you who remained in Menorca it was certainly remarkable in terms of weather. I would like to pay tribute to those restaurants which remained open throughout (or during most of) the “quiet months” enabling us to enjoy many sunny al fresco lunches in very pleasant and peaceful surroundings.
SPRING 2024
Having no direct flights until April was a big blow to everyone in the hospitality industry, and I trust this will not be repeated. It’s all very well to talk about “year-round” or “an extended season” of tourism; but with no direct flights this will never be achieved. It’s as simple as that! Surely our governing authorities could exercise a bit more clout in their negotiations! Restaurants we have particularly enjoyed in recent months have mainly been reviewed before, but bear another mention, and of course we hope to have new readers all the time. We would very much appreciate and enjoy receiving more reviews from readers in other parts of the island, and particularly the Ciutadella area, blessed with numerous innovative establishments at every level. Your review can be as elaborate or not as you wish or just a couple of lines highlighting what makes a place “special”.
RESTAURANTE ES CHIC Carrer Major, 71, 07749 Es Mignorn Gran. Tel 971 19 96 85. €€€ We do enjoy going a little further afield occasionally and a special mention goes to Es Chic right in the centre of Es Migjorn Gran. This restaurant is a collaboration between the Triay Barber family, with several establishments and a lot of experience in the sector, and the renowned Mallorcan chef Miquel Calent. We were delighted to see that they decided to open during the winter months. A real “day out in the countryside” to enjoy the open roads and have a wander around the charming village, maybe enjoying a coffee or aperitivo in Bar Peri first where everyone in the area congregates! Es Chic have offered a delightfully varied menu this winter. It is not always possible to sit outside overlooking the lovely valley, but there is plenty of seating in the light and airy interior. Currently open for lunch daily (closed Mondays), and in the evening on Friday and Saturday. They’ve also been offering special “Burgers Y Burritos” nights (€) with a takeaway option… so it’s not just all about “fine dining”. A great initiative!
D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
FOOD & DRINK
27
SPRING 2024
RESTAURANTE SA PUNTA
THE CARDAMOM (INDIAN)
Carrer Miranda de Cales Fonts, 2, Es Castell. Tel. 690 85 46 71. www.sapuntamenorca.com €€€€
Moll de Llevant, 267, Port of Mahon. Tel. 871 504 602. www.thecardamommenorca.com. €
We enjoyed a great lunch here on Christmas Day with a group of friends. It was a very non-English traditional menu, but we were well aware of this and enjoyed a wide variety of starters, mains and desserts, accompanied by a welcome glass of Cava, a sampling of their own Gin and of course their delicious herbal digestifs “Hierbas” in sweet, medium and dry varieties made from very old family recipes.
They now close on Tuesdays, but otherwise have been doing good business with their wide range of dishes to suit all spice palates. Their highest chilli rating is 5, which even I find a bit daunting! (Incidentally Rainbow Spice on the port has now closed for good.) We had a home delivery one evening, brought by the owner himself. There’s a minimum charge of 30€, but very well worth the pleasure of staying at home on a cold evening with their delicious food! Take-away available of course.
The restaurant has opened for lunch every day throughout the winter, and as an additional inducement provided the opportunity to bring one’s own wine on a Tuesday without charging corkage. A clever and welcome incentive. This offer remains in place until Easter week. In March Sa Punta held some special “themed dinners” including a THAI DINNER (with a pairing of Grahame Pearce beer) at 42€. Look out for more.
RESTAURANTE EL GRILL Carretera del aeropuerto s/n, Mahon, 07712. Tel. 971 36 79 03. www. elgrillmenorca.com. €€€ As in recent years, El Grill was closed over Christmas but reopened early in the year, with a smartly revamped interior decor. The lovely weather enabled some lunches to be enjoyed al fresco with few “aircraft interruptions” at this time of year, not that this is ever a big problem despite the airport’s proximity. As I write, the “Calçot” season is upon us - those giant spring onions, barbecued and served with Romesco sauce which are one of the restaurant’s specialities, along with some very high-quality cuts of meat. Their fillet steak is really “melt in the mouth”! The suckling pig and baby lamb are not to be missed either! Everything is cooked in full view on their giant brazier. They also serve a range of fresh fish and vegetarian dishes. The service is very professional and a warm welcome awaits. A fine selection of reasonably priced wines. Never a problem with parking here either.
SA FACTORÍA DES BAIXA Sinia des Muret, local 8 I 9, Mahon. Tel. 871 033 059 €€ Under new management, this spacious restaurant with its unusual “orange box” decor has offered us some very different dishes to sample. The owners’ interests are based on outside catering, so this restaurant mainly operates in the low season. A sample Menu del Día at 18.50€ which regularly changes is on offer plus an A La Carte, offering three starters plus three mains plus two desserts and water. We chose Parmigiana, Caneloni of Butifara, followed by Falafel with Baba Ganoush and Fried Skate with Wakame. Desserts were Guinness Tart or Menorcan Yoghurt. Great value! Give them a try whilst they are still open. The restaurant is located just off the Rusty Roundabout, close to Tapes. Closed Wednesdays.
TAPES CAN AVELINO Carrer Sínia des Muret, 39, 07702 Maó, Illes Balears http://canavelino.com/ Tel 971 091 104 €
LATITUDE 40 Moll de Llevant, 265, 07701, Port of Mahon. Tel. 971 36 99 00. € Such a great “yachtsman’s bar” and offering a very good ever-changing menu del día whilst enjoying all the nautical activity of its surroundings. Friendly and attentive service, a lovely spot to soak up the midday sun.
ULISSES Plaça de la Llibertat 22, 07760 Ciutadella de Menorca, €€€ By Lili Jaubert Ulisses has been one of my preferred restaurants in Menorca since I first started coming, back in 2016. Firstly, because of its picturesque location in the historic food market square in Ciutadella, then because of the great selection of wines, and finally because of the cuisine which has evolved to be a fusion between local products and a modern interpretation of them. The chef, Esperança, is the sister of the owner Joan Canal. Ulisses is now open all year round and “off season” organises wine dinners with representatives from various estates. The winter menu is not as extensive as in summer and changes daily. At a recent lunch for two we shared several dishes including my absolute favourite, warm Carpaccio of zucchini, ‘Son Piris’ cheese and mint oil. A new dish for us was the Brioche with spit roasted lamb, curd cheese, spicy sobrasada and arugula. Delicious! Their Tartar de gambas is an ode to simplicity. Having a fisherman in the family assures them of having the best and freshest possible fish and seafood. And finally we had the Winter salad with lettuce, oven cooked squash, pomegranate, walnuts, ‘Son Piris’ cured cheese with a mustard vinaigrette. For dessert we chose the Menorcan cheese cake and the lemon pie. Ulisses is also a wine distributor in Menorca, and with the wine store being right next to the restaurant, the selection is very wide, perfect for us wine buffs. Since there were just the two of us, we let the very knowledgeable staff suggest the wines by the glass that best accompanied our choice of food. The bill was around 80€, but well worth it.
Closed Mondays, but very well patronised every other day. The “Tapas” are really “Raciones”, so it’s great to visit in a group, perhaps of 4 people, allowing the possibility of sharing a wide variety of offerings. Very smart and friendly service, and at an excellent price. I recommend about one and a half portions per person, so a party of 4 can enjoy 6 different dishes. All deliciously different from the usual offerings. A great place to take a group too, and they will organise a special menu in advance for everyone to share. Open 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m every day except Monday
EL PUERTO ASIÁTICO Moll de Llevant 298, 07701, Port of Mahon. Tel. 971 35 11 40. www.restaurantelpuero.es. € Open every day. A wide variety of Oriental dishes, with three “menus” to select from - Chinese, Japanese and ‘Special” which offers a choice of four Wok specialities. Price range is from 14.95€ to 17.50€. At the weekends there is a Special Menu del Día at 20€. Great value, as the menus also include a drink, dessert course, and noodles or egg fried rice. Try the Hot and Sour Soup….very tasty! This menu also offers a Sushi plate with 10 units, so you can mix and match. Located close to where “Way” originally opened, and you may recognise some of the former staff! Take-away service provided. ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
FOOD & DRINK
28
SPRING 2024
RESTAURANTS ON THE MOVE
ROQUETA RECIPES BY SHARON PICKERSGILL
AMAPOLA MOVES TO CALAS FONTS
& COURGETTE BAKE
We hear that the Artisan Bakery of Amapola, previously operating in Plaza Colón, Mahón is moving to the premises “above Calas Fonts”, behind Sa Punta (formerly Sa Foganya and more recently S’Ham) There will be a Cafeteria attached. What a great start to the day to be able to watch the sunrise with a selection of delicious bakery items… and maybe even a Bloody Mary, or at least a great coffee!
CAS SAFRA NOW IN CIUTADELLA In our September issue we reviewed Cas Safra when they were located in Cala Blanca. This season they have moved to the centre of Ciutadella allowing more people to sample the delicious food prepared by their Uruguayan Chef. Find them on Carrer de sa Carnisseria off Placa Nova, opposite the Argos art shop.
HOT OFF THE PRESS THE AMERICAN BAR has changed ownership again and will reopen as American Gourmet. A new Bar is opening in SON PARC behind BJs with cocktails and sharing plates and some French wines. More next issue. PAN Y VINO and CLEMENTINA have reopened after a winter break. Restaurant Metropolitana (formerly Pierros) has now been rebranded as MEDITERRANEUM MENORCA. SA PAISSA in Cala n Porter has been taken over by Alex from Lorengo. Lorengo has new owners. MINERVA restaurant closed when the chef retired. There have been reports it will be transformed into a hotel. So, lots to look forward to in the coming season, as Menorca begins to open up. Buen provecho!
HARISSA CHICKEN The beauty of this recipe means you can cook and serve it in the same dish which makes life in the kitchen a little easier. INGREDIENTS 8-10 chicken thighs skin on (allow 2 per person) 2 yellow courgettes 2 large potatoes 1 medium white onion 1/2 lime sliced Handful of olives (green and or black) 1 tablespoon harissa paste 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 glass of white wine Salt & pepper 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or coriander METHOD Wash, trim and chop all the vegetables into bite size pieces and place into a shallow casserole dish. Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs but ensure to leave the skin on. Using your hands rub each thigh with the harissa paste mixed with the oil ensuring all the chicken is coated well. Arrange the chicken over the vegetables skin side up. Place the olives and slices of lime around the chicken and pour in the glass of wine. Season with a good pinch of sea salt and twists of black pepper. Bake in an oven at 180oC for 45mins to 1 hour. The potatoes soak up all the amazing juices from the harissa and chicken which should become slightly sticky on the bottom. Prior to serving, sprinkle chopped parsley (or coriander depending on taste) over the chicken.
BEETROOT WITH ORANGE & FETA INGREDIENTS 1 bag washed rocket 3 medium boiled beets 2 oranges Zest from 1 orange Half pack Feta cheese Handful of sunflower seeds and / or pine nuts 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon plain yogurt 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Salt & pepper
METHOD Zest the peel from one of the oranges with a fine grater and place into a bowl. Peel and slice the fleshy part of both oranges removing any pith or skin. Place any juice in with the zest and make sure to squeeze out any leftover peel. Arrange the rocket on a large plate or platter. Dice the beets and arrange over the rocket. Top with the orange segments. Break up the Feta in your fingers and crumble over the fruit and beets, finishing with a sprinkle of the seeds. Add the olive oil, yogurt and mustard to the orange juice and zest giving it a quick whisk with a fork to combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the entire salad just before serving.
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ROQUETA RECIPES SNAPPER WITH SOBRASADA AND HONEY AIOLI
Esperança Canals - Chef at ULISSES BAR, Ciutadella
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
METHOD
1 snapper of approximately 1 kg 200 ml aioli sauce 80 gr of sobrasada A splash of oil Salt and pepper to taste
First, clean the snapper by removing all the bones. Keep the loins and season them with salt and pepper and sear them on a hot griddle with a little oil. Score them only on the skin side, this way you will avoid them being too dry. Reserve them.
FOR THE HONEY AIOLI: 200 ml extra virgin olive oil
Joan and Esperança Canals, owner and chef at Ulisses. Plaça de la Llibertat 22, 07760 Ciutadella de Menorca
https://ulissesbar.com/
one egg yolk one or two cloves of garlic 20 gr of mil flores honey a pinch of salt and black pepper FOR THE GARNISH: 4 medium potatoes 12 cherry tomatoes Extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves of garlic Salt and pepper to taste
Continue preparing the honey aioli. In a blender, put the oil, the yolk, the peeled garlic cloves and the salt and pepper to taste. Blend all the ingredients carefully until you get a thick sauce. Once made, add the honey and mix with the aioli. The next step is to prepare the snapper garnish. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3-4mm thick slices. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Place everything on a baking tray with the whole garlic cloves, a splash of oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place it in the oven preheated to 160ºC until the potato is well cooked. Raise the oven temperature to 220ºC. When the potato is well done, remove the tray from the oven and place the snapper loins on top of the bed of potatoes and tomato. Cover each loin with a little sobrasada and the honey aioli. Put the tray back into the oven, which you will already have at 220ºC, and leave it for 5-6 minutes.
ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
FOOD & DRINK
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SPRING 2024
By Michael Stevenson
SPANISH WHITE WINE REVOLUTION The emergence of so much good quality white wine being made from so many indigenous Spanish grape varieties over the last decade is miraculous. It is also great credit to the Spanish wine producers from the largest to the enthusiastic small producers with a few hectares of vines. White wine was, until the turn of the millennium, considered a weakness in a country apparently better suited to reds, which now seems absurd. This re-emergence is very heartening and adds enormously to the stylistic variety on offer from Spain. That said vino blanco Espanol is still very much on a journey. Spanish winemakers are still working out exactly what they want to do with the grape varieties that are, in many cases, and, despite the venerable age of some of the vines, still new to them and indeed how best to express their unique characteristics. But trying to find an authentic style for the newly discovered indigenous varieties is difficult. Wine makers are experimenting with skin maceration either to add a little seasoning tannin i.e. grip, or to make a full-on orange wine and as well they are trying varying degrees of lees contact for texture , weight or creaminess. This means it is still hard in many of the new wines to pick out varietal character as opposed to the signature of individual winemakers.
Having said this there is something very exciting about the exploration, dynamism and cross-fertilisation in terms of wine making: trying different things and drawing on the existing knowhow. This makes it a much more sophisticated wine culture than it was just ten years ago. Indeed, it is hard to keep up with Spain’s dynamic white wine scene. Twenty years ago, the choice of Spanish still white wine was very limited to Torres whites, white Rioja, Fino or Manzanilla sherry. Then ten years ago things were very much improved; there was Albarino (Rias Baixas), Verdejo from Rueda, Godello from Galicia and maybe a few more indigenous varieties that were coming forward. But now there is no doubt about modern Spain’s status as a rapidly expanding source of fine white wines. The innovation is very rapid and excellent news for Spanish wine lovers and readers of this column. I will now set out a rough and by no means complete list of these lesser varieties, so do seek them out in our established wine shops and supermarkets. They are as follows: Airen. Found in La Mancha and Extramadura. Once regarded as boring but now becoming popular. Albarino. Top quality grape in Rias Baixas and Galicia. Albillo Mayor and Albillo Real. Grown in Ribiero DO and Madrid DO. Starting to make interesting wine and used in blends. Garnacha Blanca. Grown in northern Spain. Can make very good wine. Godello. Top quality grape grown in Galicia. Loureiro. Good quality Galician grape usually used in blends. Malvasia. Grown in the Canary Islands, Valencia and Rioja. Thought to have come from Greece several thousand years ago. Merseguera. Planted in Valencia and is the mainstay of the Levant. Moscatel. Used in Jerez and Valencia to make sweet wine. Pedro Ximenez. Used in Jerez, Montilla and Malaga to make sweet wine. Palomono. Main crop in Jerez. Parellada. Planted throughout Catalunya. One of the mainstays of Cava. Verdejo. The grape of Rueda. Viura/ AKA Macabeo. Is an important white Rioja grape as Viura and as Macabeo used in Cava blends and still wine. Xarello/Pansa Blanca. Grown in Catalunya as Cava blend and to make still wine.
D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
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NOW FOR MY SPRING RECOMMENDATIONS. HAPPY DRINKING!
BLANCO ROCAMAR BLANC 2023, BODEGA RAMON ROQUETA, PENEDES, MACABEO, XARELLO, 12.5% ABV, 3.50€ DE VINS. Pale yellow with a fruity nose, apples and pears. Inviting, likeable and refreshing with citrus notes. Light and well balanced and great value. Good as an aperitif and with light tapas. CASCARELA VERDEJO-VIURA 2022, BODEGAS DE ALBERTO, RUEDA, 12.5% ABV, 4.60€ DE VINS. Pale straw with a white fruit nose with a hint of apple. Crisp, tasty pleasant fruit, smooth with good structure and finish, another bargain. Again, good as an aperitif and with light tapas. BLANC MARINER 2022, PENEDES. XARELLO, 13% ABV, 4.33€ ENRIQUE PENALVER. Very pale yellow with an intense nose of apples and pears. Floral, smooth and aromatic with lively acidity and a long finish. Good as an aperitif and with seafood dishes such as shellfish and grilled fish. XINO XANO BLANC 2022, PENEDES. XARELLO 85% MOSCATEL 15%, ORIOL ROSSELL, 12% ABV, 6.50€ DE VINS. Light greenish yellow, fresh floral nose. Refreshingly crisp fruit flavour with body and good balance and structure. Good aperitif and with fish tapas, paella, grilled or fried fish and with semi cured cheeses. PROTOS VERDEJO 2022, RUEDA, 13% ABV, 7.59€ ENRIQUE PENALVER AND WIDELY AVAILABLE. Straw yellow with hints of green. Big nose with citrus, green apple and tropical fruits . Lovely fresh palate with good acidity and balance. Grapefruit and typical Verdejo flavours with a long slightly dry finish. Good with white fish, white meats, pasta and blue cheese.
TINTO FINCA RESALSO 2020, EMILIO MORO, TEMPRANILLO, RIBERA DEL DUERO, 14% ABV, 11.07€ ENRIQUE PENALVER. Deep cherry red with a violet rim, very expressive dark fruit nose. Excellent dark fruit, blackberry and blackcurrant flavours on the palate. Well balanced acidity and soft tannins, complex structure. Very pleasant and a lovely excellent finish. Good with roast lamb and beef, grilled meat and will also accompany flavoured vegetarian dishes. CEPAS VIEJAS 2019, DOMINIO DE TARES, MENCIA, BIERZO, 14% ABV 17.50€ DE VINS. Dark ruby colour with a dark plum and spicy nose. Rich and ripe black fruit with a velvety texture and subtle complexity, lovely balance and depth and good length and finish. Good with game and red meat as well as full flavoured vegetarian dishes and hard cheeses. ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
GRAPEVINE
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GRAPEVINE
LUKE MILLER AND EMMA CARRÉS DAVIS ISLA HOUSE COWORKING MENORCA At the last count, there were ten coworking spaces in Menorca. These are shared spaces where the self-employed or those working remotely can make use of the fast internet and professional office facilities. More importantly, they are small communities where individuals working alone can meet with other digital nomads, make new contacts, learn new skills and access additional support from local companies and organisations. Isla House Coworking was opened in the centre of Mahon in December 2023 by Luke Miller and Emma Carrés Davis. Luke is from Sydney, Australia. He moved to London to work in IT for companies such as RBS and Tesco before relocating to Barcelona where he lived for 15 years. He is currently VP Sales EMEA and APAC at Vercel, a Californian based company providing a frontend cloud to give web developers the infrastructure to build a faster, more personalised online presence. In Barcelona, Luke was involved in organising start-up events and job fairs and he gained an in-depth knowledge of the start-up ecosystem and the latest technical tools that are available to small businesses. These include the most recent AI tools such as Chat GPT. It was in Barcelona where he met Emma who was also working in IT for Lucas Fox as their Salesforce Project Manager. The couple have both worked from coworking spaces in Barcelona and know from first-hand experience the benefits that this can bring for growing a business and for maintaining personal wellbeing. Two years ago the couple had their first child and, with another on the way, they decided to relocate to Menorca to be close to Emma’s parents, who founded Pou Nou clothing. They thought “how are we going to engage and meet with interesting people?” and their answer was to set up Isla House to replicate the environment they had known in Barcelona. Their aim is to provide a service for local people wanting an international and professional environment and to contribute to the community by sharing their own skills with others in Menorca. Both Luke and Emma have expertise in sales and accelerating revenue. D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
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Isla House is located on the first floor at Es Cós de Gràcia, 19 in the centre of Mahon. The offices had been renovated and supplied with excellent infrastructure by a gas company while it was waiting for a licence to operate. The licence never came and Luke and Emma were able to rent the offices instead. There are several spaces including a meeting room, kitchen, an openplan office area and another which is being divided into private work spaces. There is also an open-air terrace looking out over Parc des Freginal where you can work or eat al fresco. On Fridays, Luke runs Accountability Sessions where individuals can join a group to discuss a core challenge they are facing in their business. The group can provide feedback and suggestions to help them draw up a business plan that is “measurable, relevant and time based”. Luke is also running free sessions to demonstrate how companies can use AI tools. For example, Copy. ai can be used to help compose and perfect sales emails while Notion AI provides a structure for it to be used by media content creators such as those in property sales. Isla House will also be holding community events, job fairs and open days throughout the year. Luke believes that more coworking spaces are needed in Menorca to help it develop as a hub for digital nomads but also for larger companies who do not want the expense of setting up a regional office in Menorca. Instead, they can sub-lease coworking spaces for their workers. He explained that many international companies now offer their employees a coworking stipend as part of their salary, allowing them to work remotely but from a professional workspace. In Barcelona for example, there are many travelling workers who rent spaces for one or two months at a time, moving between different countries or regions. They are often professionals in their mid-career in the 30-60 age group. Luke believes that a coworking space in Menorca holds a special allure for parents with young families who want to separate their home life from their work life. Luke has already started working with local councils, hotels, estate agents and schools to put together packages to help and encourage workers to choose Menorca as their base. For those looking to spend a month or two in the Mediterranean, Menorca in the early and late season could be the ideal location when accommodation is available at more reasonable prices. Remote working could play an important role in lengthening the season for hotels and other local businesses. Luke and Emma speak English, French, Spanish and Catalan. Luke plans to publish podcasts in English featuring interviews with key people from his ever-increasing contact list. Look out as well for his AI Tips coming soon on Instagram. A Hot Desk at Isla House costs 129 Euros + IVA per month or you can benefit from being a member of their Virtual Office, which includes mailhandling and concierge services you can access via phone, whatsapp or visit in person for local admin support, from as little as 45 Euros + IVA. There are many ways you can get involved and benefit from their new community.
Contact: Luke Miller or Emma Carres Davis, Es Cós de Gràcia, 19 , 07702 Maó, Illes Balears. hola@islacoworking.com Call on: +34 971 15 53 54 or via whatsapp: +34 652 90 82 03 ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
ART IN MENORCA
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SPRING 2024
HISTORY AND CULTURE
Photographer: David Arquimbau
MENORCA GUIDED TOURS OF COVA DE S’AIGUA CAVE
PROJECT ENTRE ILLES AT CALA MORELL
Menorca now has its own impressive underground cave to explore in Cala Blanca - Cova de s’Aigua. This is a natural cave of about 2500m² of great geological and archaeological significance with a spectacular underground lake. A veritable natural wonder! A guided tour lasts 45 minutes.
This is an excavation of a habitat from the Naviform period (1600-1200 BC) on the headland at the cove of Cala Morell. The place is protected from the mainland by a set of walls that limit access. The site is made up of a set of fifteen rooms, a unique monument, two water collection ponds and a defensive wall. The project, started in 2011, is made up of Mallorcan and Minorcan archaeologists, with the collaboration of the Manacor Museum and the Can Saura Museum.
TOUR SCHEDULES AND LANGUAGES: Up to 31st March 2024 • Visits in English: Wednesday to Sunday at 09.30 am. • Visits in French: Wednesday and Friday at 11:45 am. • Visits in Catalan: Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 13:00 pm. • Visits in Spanish: Wednesday to Sunday twice a day It is recommended to purchase tickets in advance. They can be purchased in person at the Cova Box office and at the Maó and Ciutadella Tourist Information Offices and online at www.menorca.es/en/Visites_guiades_a_la_Cova_de_ sAigua/14052
CAN SAURA MUSEUM This museum belonging to the Ciutadella town council contains a comprehensive selection of ethnological objects as well as a significant archaeological collection. The museum was originally established in the historical building Bastió de sa Font. In 2019, the museum collection was moved to Can Saura, an aristocratic town house dating back to the late 17th and early 18th century. It displays important finds discovered in the caves Cova des Mussol and Cova des Càrritx. On the ground floor is an exhibition: ‘May the earth not weigh you down. A history of death rituals in Menorca’ This is an introduction to the world of death, beliefs and rituals practiced in Menorca from when the first inhabitants came to the island up to Moorish times. The remains of the old Moorish necropolis discovered beneath the building have been incorporated into the exhibition. The museum also has displays to explain the trades of the city, the countryside and the festivities of Sant Joan. Can Saura, C/ Santíssim, Ciutadella. Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 to 13:30 and 17:30 to 21:00. Free Entry on Wednesday.
EXCAVATIONS The Can Saura Museum collaborates with two archaeological research projects in the municipality:
SON CATLAR PROJECT This project takes place at the site of the Talayotic village of Son Catlar, which has a long human occupation (from the end of the Bronze Age to the Roman period) located on the road to Son Saura. The site has a complete perimeter wall (900 m of wall), built around the 4th century BC, and largest in surface area of all the Menorcan Talaiotic sites. The project, started in 2016, is made up of the University of Alicante, local archaeologists and the Can Saura Museum. The aim is to investigate the Punic footprint on the island. Both projects accept the participation of volunteers during the respective excavation campaigns. If you want to participate, write a message to museu@ajciutadella.org
D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
ART IN MENORCA
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ART RECYCLING COMPETITION TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY AND CREATIVITY Herbes Biniarbolla and Menorca Preservation have launched a joint Artistic Recycling Competition to promote Sustainability and Local Creativity and raise money for charity. This exciting competition aims to encourage and promote local artistic talent while addressing the problem of waste generation, encouraging the reuse of materials from the Herbes Biniarbolla factory. “The contest seeks to encourage creativity and raise awareness about the amount of waste generated, promoting the reuse of elements from our factory,” explains Cristina Quintana, manager of Licors Biniarbolla. And she adds: “In addition, we will auction the works selected by our panel and all the funds raised will be allocated to the preservation of the natural environments of Menorca through a donation to Menorca Preservation.”
MUSEU DE MENORCA The Museum of Menorca in Mahon is located in the old convent of Jesús. Founded in 1459, it is the first convent of the Franciscan order in the city of Maó. Destroyed by the Turkish assault in 1535, the new convent of San Francisco was completed at the beginning of the 18th century in the same location. At the end of the 19th century it was used as the House of Mercy, years later it became a naval school and later a Secondary School. The Museum opened to the public in 1998. Finally, in 2015, under the direction of Carolina Desel, the museum took a new direction, putting the public at the centre of the institution. On July 18 2018, the doors of the new Museum of Menorca were opened. There are eight different exhibition halls: Prehistory, the first settlers and the Talayotic Culture; Rome and the first Christians; The Islamic Period; The Christian Conquest and the Middle Ages: Under the Austrian Empire; The 18th Century between Spain and Britain; Menorca in the 19th Century; and the Great transformation of the 20th Century. Look out for special exhibitions, excursions and musical events. Objects at the museum can be viewed on the excellent website https://www.museudemenorca.com/es/objetos
MUSEU DE MENORCA EXCAVATIONS
The competition is open to artists of all ages and artistic disciplines, either individually or in groups. At the same time, participants are encouraged to explore the relationship between society, crafts and the natural heritage of Menorca. As for the works, at least 70% recycled materials from the Herbes Biniarbolla factory must be used for the creations, such as cardboard, plastic, glass or metal. Participants must contact Herbes Biniarbolla (info@biniarbolla.es) to organise the collection of waste. Final artwork must be delivered before May 3, 2024. Prizes The first three selected works will win lots of Herbes Biniarbolla products, with a meal at Sa Punta for the first prize. Contact information info@biniarbolla.es https://menorcapreservation.org/
SA MOLA The arrival at the Museum of the collection of archaeologist Joan Flaquer Fàbregues motivated a series of studies on an important collection of 269 high-bottomed clay vessels. These have been related to a funerary hypogeum located in Sa Mola (Alaior). Joan Flaquer and Antoni Vives Escudero located this large deposit of vessels between 1915 and 1916. The Museum’s technical team resumed research at the site, one hundred years later. For the ceramicists amongst you, they were moulded by hand with local clays to which a calcareous degreaser was added to improve drying and firing. This way of producing ceramics gave a grainy and irregular finish, as happens with the rest of Talayotic ceramics.
CORNIA NOU Since 2007, a team of researchers linked to the Museum has coordinated the archaeological excavation and adaptation work at the Talayotic town of Cornia Nou, Maó.
UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGICAL CHARTS OF MENORCA Since 1996, Amics del Museu de Menorca has been producing underwater archaeological maps of the coast of Menorca with the scientific endorsement of the Museu de Menorca and the financial support of the Department of Culture of the Consell Insular de Menorca. One objective is the dissemination of information on the underwater heritage, through scientific or popular publications, conferences and collaboration with diving centres. In addition to the surveys there have been excavations such as that of the Binissafúller wreck, in Sant Lluís. The site was found to be from 375 and 350 BC. The vessel transported between 400 and 450 amphorae containing wine. Grape seeds were also recovered. The vessel was not Greek or Roman but was found to be a Punic merchant transporting wine on commercial trade routes. You can see more information and 3D models of the site on the website https://www.museudemenorca.com/ ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
ART IN MENORCA
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LP STUDIO
LP studio is a Design and Engineering Studio based in Mahon which creates spaces and landscapes “inspired by the essence of the Mediterranean”. The founder, Lluc Pons Cloquells, has built a reputation from his portfolio of work designing the interior of motor yachts and villas in Menorca, France and Croatia. To complete the process of creating “small private paradises” he has a team of landscapers and interior designers with whom he works to create unique spaces that are both practical, beautiful, and in tune with the environment. Lluc (call me Luke) speaks perfect English which he attributes to the fact that he grew up in Son Vitamina surrounded by a British community. He says that every week from the age of 5 he would go round to visit his neighbour, Ms. Linda Herrington, who would teach him English. Lluc’s father was a Biology teacher, and is known for editing the Menorca Encyclopaedia, where he wrote diverse articles about Menorcan insects and invertebrates. His mother is an educational psychologist specialising in autistic children, and is well recognised for her poetry and narrative publications. As a child, Lluc was fascinated by his Lego toys and water colours, by the mechanics of insects and birds, and by the ingenuity of man’s greatest inventions. This crystalised into his design and engineering education. After graduating with a double-degree in Barcelona, Lluc went to work in London for 2 years at TM Lighting, a design studio in Kings Cross specialising in museum-grade lighting. He loved his time there, perfecting his language skills and learning about a new culture. He says he was particularly impressed with the politeness of the people and the methodical care and attention to detail he was surrounded with. Lluc returned to Menorca to work in the design department of Sasga Yachts. He used his skills to design a bespoke interior for the luxury 21 metre motor yacht Borelli. Sasga were so impressed that they incorporated many elements of the design into other boats in their range.
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This success gave Lluc the confidence to set up his own Design Studio in Mahon in 2020, located just off the Esplanada. Having built up a close relationship with the Borelli client, he managed a project to transform the family’s 100-year-old seaside villa in Croatia into a unique, secluded paradise retreat with exclusive and fully equipped outdoor lounge areas. LP studio currently has several landscaping and interior design projects underway including the interior and garden design of villas in Llucmaçanes, Santo Tomas and Cala Llonga, the refurbishment of a house in the historic Mahón city centre, and a small hotel in Es Mercadal. Lluc manages each project himself, drawing up the plans, applying for the planning permission, making regular site visits and managing a hand-picked team of collaborators to carry out the work. Two of his projects will be completed in the summer and one of these will feature in a future issue of Roqueta. Lluc has a very enquiring mind and the ability to absorb information very quickly. During the Pandemic he learnt French and he is currently doing a Master’s degree in landscaping. He is striving for his studio to be recognised for creating “private pieces of the Mediterranean” in an innovative, professional and punctual manner. If you have an interior or landscaping project in mind, you can book a discovery meeting with Lluc to discuss your vision and needs.
Contact: LP studio, Pl. de s’Esplanada 26, 4A - Mahón. Tel +34 660 433 545 Email: hello@LP.studio
ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
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SPRING 2024
THE RED COW OF MENORCA VERMELLA MENORQUINA
It was thanks to the Segui family that the Vermella or Red Cow named for its reddish coat was saved in the 1960’s and 70’s. Also known as Vaca Menorquina, it is now recognised as a more hardy and environmentally friendly alternative to the Friesian cows dominating the island. With the emphasis on water conservation, and the importance of minimising environmental footprints, this native breed is making a comeback. The red cow is well adapted to the local habitat, feeding on wild plants and the ullastre leaves from the Menorcan wild olive tree and is more resistant to disease than the Friesians. No cow likes the heat, but the red cow can cope better in climatic extremes, including the hot dry summer months. The cow’s red coat can vary from light to dark chestnut and it has small white spots on its belly and on the tuft of the tail. The careful breeding of Vermella cattle is resulting in wonderfully juicy high quality beef similar to that of the Angus. The high level of K-casein protein in the milk produced by Vermella cattle means it is very suitable for turning into cheese and other dairy products. These, along with the beef, are marketed under the Vermella Menorquina seal of quality. 70% of the local species possess B-Casein which is responsible for the K-Casein in the milk making it rich and creamy. In Friesians the figure is only 4%. This remarkable quality can be traced back in history when cheese from Menorca was highly prized and used as currency. • In 1999 there were only 100 fertile Menorquin or Red cows remaining on Menorca. • By 2001 numbers had started to increase to 324 females and 88 males. • In 2005 the Vermella Menorquina breed was recognised as an indigenous breed with its own logo or seal. The cheese and ice cream made from these cows also carry the seal. • In 2017 a total of 1891 cows were registered, made up of 1504 females and 387 males.
• In 2019 the CRIA census showed there were 2264 animals across the Balearic islands, mostly on Menorca with a few on Mallorca. • In 2022 the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture census counted 2120 animals.
Biniguarda Farm Biniguarda Farm near Alaior has been, since 2013, part of the Custòdia Agrària Farm Stewardship Programme run by the GOB. The farm changed from keeping 100 sheep to producing Vermella Menorquina cows in 2012, starting with just 4. They now have 15 cows and 1 bull solely for producing beef. They sell the much sought-after meat directly to local customers in lots or batches via a Whatsapp Group and there is an App that records the details of each individual animal. Biniguarda utilises directed grazing to optimise the use of their pastures and they have brought the old Arabic cisterns back into use to collect rainwater to maintain the livestock. The farm is located high up at an altitude of 120m and so benefits from the cooling wind, loved by the cows. It comprises 143 hectares with 20 hectares of woods or forest known as bosc or marina and the remains of a huerta dating back to arabic occupation of the land. 50m away is a Talaiotic settlement and the popular Coves de s’Encantament or burial caves. Biniguarda is owned and run under an ancient feudal system, the SRM (Sociedad Rural Menorquina) whereby half of the profit goes to the owner and half to the farmer, Joan Allès. The house was built in 3 phases, the latest in 1812. It has its own chapel with paintings by the same artist as those found in the theatre of Mahon. The cows were gathered together at the farmyard gate when we arrived. Joan explained the Quality Mark system for the beef. Calves must remain with their mother for 8 months to be milk fed on the pastures. Then, from 8-12 months they are fed with grass, cereals and concentrates made from authorised plant products.
D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
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Now that the ground water level is falling and water is becoming scarce these cisterns are being brought back into use around the island. At Biniguarda they received a grant from GOB to refurbish two of their cisterns, rebuilding and relining them. When the cistern pictured was finished, by a stroke of good fortune it rained heavily for 2 days, filling it to the top and Joan told me they had never had to turn the mains tap on since. Work has also been carried out on the old milling circle, helping to divert the rainwater run-off into the new cistern. Solar pumps are used to distribute the water. GOB have also helped install a kestral box to keep small birds off the crops. Biniguarda was one of seven farms on the island taking part in a project to calculate the Ecological Footprint of beef products from Menorca’s Custodia Agraria programme. All the farms use sustainable management techniques. The study showed that the production of 1kg of beef has an environmental impact reduced by 60% when compared to Spanish figures for conventionally and intensively produced beef. The farms in the study were Algendaret, Binibèquer Nou, Biniguarda, Es Tudons, Sant Josep, Talatí de Dalt and Torralbet. This project ended last year, but they continue to calculate the ecological footprint of CA products, with the organisation GFN (Global Footprint Network).
On average the cows have 0.9 births per year and the calves are close to 100% viable. The cows are extremely resilient, grazing on the ullastre leaves and wild plants. If Joan is out in the woods with his chainsaw, they will hear him and come running to eat the leaves. This behaviour is in stark contrast to Friesians which only eat grass or feed. Joan explained that his red cows have a calm temperament but also a strong maternal instinct. When they give birth they become very protective, running off into the woods away from the herd to hide their calf. If the cow has been missing for 2 days, Joan knows she has given birth. After 4 days he goes to check that she is OK and whether the calf is male or female but is very careful not to touch it. He says if you come across a calf that has just been born never approach it as the mothers finds it by smell and will abandon it if is contaminated by human touch.
There are currently three farms in the Custòdia Agrària programme that produce cheese with the milk from the Red Cow: Santa Cecilia, Es Tudons and Algendaret Nou. You can buy Vermella products at the Plaça des Mercat in Ciutadella, and at the GOB shop in Es Claustre market in Mahon. You can find a list of the Vermella producers and outlets on the website of www.vacamenorquina.org and on the Agroxerxa website www.agroxerxa.menorca.es. Also look out for special Vermella Menorquina events run at restaurants in Menorca by Gastronomia Menorca. More information: www.gobmenorca.com/custodia-agraria and from www.footprintnetwork.org You can also flick through Custòdia Agrària’s Farm and Product catalogue, in map format or as a pdf booklet: https://www.gobmenorca.com/finques-i-productes/
Traditionally, farmers in Menorca always rotated the grazing using tancas, or fields divided with dry stone walls. For the last 4 years, the farm has used electric fences to divide the pasture into even smaller areas in the winter months. In the dry summer, when food is scarce, the cows roam wherever they like to find the wild plants. Oats and other cereals are grown in the pastures meaning that the farm is largely self-sufficient in animal feed. However, in 2023 there was no rain between January and March causing a shortage of crops on the farm and so extra feed had to be purchased. This year looks like being the same again making the resilient red cows more important than ever. The last three years have been very bad for farmers due to the combination of COVID, weather and increased numbers of flies. Joan showed us the old water station ‘roundabout’ where 4 fields meet at the corners. Each can be closed off separately and still give the cows access to the water collected in the cisterns. The farm contains an old huerta built by the arabs, where there is a succession of old cisterns built in a chain to collect and distribute the water. Until the use of more modern machinery there were no wells. It was only in more recent times that wells were sunk and the ancient cisterns fell into disrepair.
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A BRI E F H ISTORY O F C AT TLE I N
MENORCA “Immediately to the east of this island is Menorca. It is small, copious in products from the land and vineyard. Nowhere in the World is there better meat than produced by its oxen and cows. When it is cooked it melts as if it were fat and becomes oil” So said Al Zurhi writing at the time of Muslim domination in the 12th Century, according to the Vaca Menorquina website. Evidence of the importance of bulls can be traced much further back to Pre Talaiotic times. At the Museum of Menorca you can see the figurine of a bull dating from 400-200 BC which was found at Torralba d’en Salort. The origin of this breed is thought have been brought from the southern Iberian peninsula by the first settlers on Menorca, who worshipped the bull. These ancient breeds are no longer with us today. In the 18th Century in particular, there was much interbreeding during the French, English and Spanish occupations.
FRIESIAN OR FRISONA COWS Friesian cows (or Frisona in Spanish) and intensive dairy production were introduced in the 1960’s and came to dominate the industry of Menorca. However, in recent years they have been in decline. In 2022 there were only 106 Friesian farms compared to 213 farms in 2004. The total number of cows over 2 years old has fallen from 11,693 in 2004 to only 6,248 in 2022. The greatest fall occurred in 2021 when farmers had problems feeding their livestock. On the bright side, Menorca still has more cows than the rest of the Balearics. The Provilac Plan which provides financial aid for dairy farmers is now in its third year, helping to slow the decline with an investment of 3.3 million Euros. Prizes are awarded to the best specimens on the island every March at the agricultural show in Alaior La Fira del Camp.
VACA DE LA REINA The Vaca de la Reina or Queens Cow is a breed descended from the Swiss Freibourg cows that were given to the town of Mahon by Queen Isobel in 1863, following her visit to inspect La Mola. Francisco de Paula Vassallo, Deputy to the Cortes for Menorca, used his connections to ask the Queen for a Swiss-bred ox, from the royal farm of Florida, to improve the poor specimens of cows then on the island. She agreed and in addition to the bull sent 6 cows which arrived on the steamship Mahon and were displayed in the town for the public to see. These cows coexisted and bred with the local cows until the 1960’s when the Friesian cow arrived and took over as the dominant breed. In 1976, due to the interbreeding between Friesians and Queen’s cows, all dairy cattle were renamed “black and white pronghorn” or Spanish Friesian. Today there are only around 50 of the Vaca de la Reina species remaining on 8 farms in Menorca and one in Mallorca, according to the Association website vacadelareina.com. However, this is an improvement from 20 years ago when only 10 cows remained, scattered across the island. In 2008 all the cows were located and became a formalised collective and 5 years later an Association was formed. They are particularly important as the original Swiss Fribourg breed has been extinct since 1975.
Top picture: Friesians at the La Fira del Camp in Alaior. Above: The Vaca de la Reina Right: Figurine of a bull found at Torralba d’en Salort (Museu de Menorca)
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DIVES SITES IN MENORCA
By Kirstin Francis-Jones
Photographer: Brendan Fitzgerald
PONT D’EN GIL – A WORLD CLASS CAVERN DIVE
Pont d’en Gil is a towering natural archway in a rocky headland, sculptured by the force of wind and waves. You can find it by heading north along the Cami de Cavalls from Cala’n Blanes. This geological wonder is a perfect place to capture one of Menorca’s stunning sunsets. Admiring this natural bridge from the top of the rugged coastline is impressive, but the best way is to a view it is from the water, sitting in a boat, passing carefully through the archway. Truly a spectacular sight. Snorkelling in this bay is marvellous. Divers encounter every type of limestone formation imaginable. Appearing from the ceilings and rising from the seabed. Giant stalactites, stalagmites, columns, cascades, drapes, popcorn, and delicate soda straws to name but a few. Colours ranging from creamy ivory, golden amber to chocolate brown. Although not teaming with life in the darkness, the cavern is home to shrimps, various crabs, eels and the shyer fish like Grouper and Brown Meagre. If this isn’t remarkable enough, alongside Pont d’en Gil is a world-class cavern dive, almost 220m long. Keen divers are drawn to explore this magnificent limestone cavern because of its outstanding beauty and hidden natural wonders. Eduardo Admetlla i Lazaro, the Spanish scuba diving pioneer, underwater explorer, photographer, and filmmaker discovered Pont d’en Gil Cavern, amongst many other things, in his long diving career, which started in 1948. During the Ice Age, sea levels were lower in the Mediterranean. A freshwater stream flowed down to the sea. The cavern formed over thousands and thousands of years. Once the ice melted, the sea level rose and left the cavern half-filled. This type of dive is suitable for qualified and experienced divers. It requires some special skills, disciplines, and equipment so make sure you join a reputable dive centre for this experience. There are two entrances. One is a bit of a squeeze and starts in the bay. Most dive boats will anchor in this pretty spot. It’s well worth scuba diving under the archway to approach the main entrance which is roughly 11 metres square. The topography and marine life are always exciting around this area due to the gentle current running under the bridge. Plenty of shoaling fish, colourful nudibranchs, and playful octopus. The cavern consists of three separate chambers, all with breathable air spaces. The first part is discovered after swimming a short distance into the darkness. Although daylight can be seen from the main entrance most of the way through, good torches are essential.
Fresh water still seeps from the land into the cavern and will sit on top of the salt water, until divers glide through the layers. This mixes them together creating not only a halocline, in which salinity changes rapidly, but also a thermocline as the temperatures are so different. The visibility becomes blurred and disorientating. A weird, but wonderful experience. The furthest chamber, hidden under a sump, 200m away from the entrance, is where you’ll discover Menorca’s most exclusive sandy beach – concealed here under the cliffs. It’s a privilege to discover these unique and mysterious environments of our ancient earth. Pont d’en Gil Cavern is universally agreed to be a dive in a million! All in all, a mesmerising and unforgettable experience, above and below the sea.
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WORKING HARD TO PROTECT WHAT WE ALL LOVE
0HQRUFD 3UHVHUYDWLRQ LV D QRQ SURÀW However, what if we told you that many people are already working organisation that aims to preserve, protect to mitigate these impacts in Menorca? From Menorca Preservation, support various local organisations that are fighting to slow down the and restore Menorca’s natural surroundings. we effects of climate change and make us more resilient to these impacts. In We support and catalyse environmental addition, we are also working to continue raising awareness among the projects that contribute to the preservation public in order to leave behind old, less sustainable habits and help us all of our wonderful island, focusing on 4 to implement new practices that are more respectful of our environment: fundamental pillars: Land, Sea, Energy and “The greatest contribution of Menorca Preservation’s support to Plastic Free Menorca. our Custodia Agraria Land Stewardship programme is its flexibility: Climate change is real, and its effects are being felt not only in mainland Spain but also on our island. According to data from the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), January has been a month with a historic rise in temperatures that is most unusual for this time of year, which has caused several Spanish regions to face a serious drought problem – including restrictions on the use of water and emergency ships having to transport water from Valencia to Catalonia.
it is a type of funding that reaches areas that other types of public funding, for example, cannot reach”. Jara Febrer, GOB Menorca
As for the Balearic Islands, we know, thanks to a report published by a group of Mallorcan scientists in Frontiers in Marine Science, that if we carry on like this, we can expect to lose half of our beaches this century: between 56% and 65% of the beach area is at risk of disappearing due to a rise in water levels, which means that due to the severe effects of climate change, in just 28 years we will no longer be able to see 197 coves and beaches of our natural environments.
“Last year we delivered the installation of 12 reusable beach item points and 11 water fountains, we certified 20 new businesses as “plastic free” and we manufactured 2 trommels to filter microplastics on the beaches, which has led us to reach over 27,000 people through our different initiatives, save over 53,500 plastic bottles (0,50cl) and remove over 94,500 single-use plastic items from certified businesses”. Rebecca Morris, Menorca Preservation
In parallel, when we, at Menorca Preservation, identify a need or action that is not being met by other local organisations, we also try to develop our own projects, such as our Plastic Free Menorca Alliance or the free training programme in sustainable farming, MENORCA PRESERVADA for farmers:
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How can you help us continue to mitigate climate change and preserve our island? Reduce your single-use plastic consumption In 2023 alone through our actions with the Plastic Free Menorca Alliance and the supported projects of other entities, we removed over 245 kgs of plastics from our environments, including over 4,000 pieces of microplastics. As a society so closely attuned to nature, it is vital that together we all make an effort to effectively reduce single-use plastics as much as possible. MeP TIP: Do you have a favourite restaurant or café that you frequent regularly? Encourage them to contact our Plastic Free Menorca Alliance so that we can help them to get certified as a Plastic Free establishment free of charge. We have certifications adapted to all types of businesses! www.plasticfreemenorca.org
Prioritise buying local and sustainable products Did you know that if, instead of buying conventionally produced meat, you buy beef from farms belonging to GOB Menorca’s Custodia Agraria land stewardship programme, you help to reduce the meats’ ecological footprint by 60%? For fruit and vegetables, the ecological footprint is reduced by 66% when bought locally! MeP TIP: Visit Agroxerxa’s website (www.agroxerxa.menorca.es), the online network for Menorca’s local produce, or take a look at the catalogue of farms involved in the Custodia Agraria land stewardship programme on GOB Menorca’s website (www.gobmenorca.com).
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use of autochthonous plants that adapt more easily to the environment and do not require excessive watering. Also, try making homemade compost with your organic and pruning waste!
Support local organisations working for the environment Last but not least, in Menorca we are very fortunate to have an environmentally conscious society, with a wide range of organisations working daily to protect our natural heritage. Help us to spread the word about their work through social media, as well as in your gatherings with family and friends, or even participate all together in the different volunteering days that are organised, for example: - Our Plastic Free Menorca Alliance or Per la Mar Viva organise several activities throughout the year to collect waste from our environments. - GOB Menorca’s Custodia Agraria land stewardship programme runs a wide range of activities with the volunteers involved in the programme: from guided tours to specific volunteering activities on the farms. MeP TIP: As a non-profit organisation, we are 100% reliant on the donations we receive in order to keep up our commitment to preserving our island. If you would like to contribute to our work, follow our social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn) or subscribe to our newsletter via our website to be updated on our upcoming fundraising events or help us with a recurring donation – become one of our members from 10€/month!
Manage your water usage Water is a very limited resource on Menorca, an island with a Mediterranean climate characterised by seasonal rainfall and a dry summer, coinciding precisely with the period in which the island is subjected to the most human pressure. Responsible and sustainable water consumption is one of the great challenges facing our island, but by making a more conscious usage of our water, it is estimated that we can individually save up to 5 valuable litres of water per day. MeP TIP: Try to harvest rainwater and collect water from dehumidifiers and air conditioners to water your plants or re-use in other ways. If you have a garden, turn it into a sustainable environment, favouring the ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
Menorca Preservation was created and established in the island in late 2017. To date, we have awarded over 900.000€ to over 85 local environmental projects on the island. We exist 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 our work in whichever way, please do reach out to us! www.menorcapreservation.org
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DONKEY-POWERED WATER MILLS By Rachael Adams
When I walk in the Mallorcan mountains I see donkeys grazing scrub, which helps clear out the undergrowth and prevent forest fires. When I visit the Barranc d’ Algendar in Menorca I see them browsing on canes in the torrent, which helps prevent flooding. But mostly, donkeys nowadays just seem to be standing around in fields looking pretty. Yet this wasn’t always the case. Animals have been used as engines to power mills since the 4th Century BC. The American Mennonites still use them. On our side of the pond, it was the Carthaginians that first used horses and donkeys to pump water – though the choice of animal varied greatly. In Medieval Britain, for example, the extinct “turnspit dogs” were trained to run in wheels suspended on kitchen walls that turned roasting meat. Elsewhere they used camels, bullocks and even a kangaroo. In Menorca donkeys got yoked to mills for extracting water from wells. Horse mills, or “horse gins”, for water pumping were brought to Menorca by the Arabs and were of two kinds. The “sínia” scooped water from shallower depths and was used for watering crops, whilst the “pou de torn” was a bucket and pulley system that raised drinking water from wells closer to the 14m mark. Examples of these now-defunct tools are everywhere, from the huge restored sínia in Es Pinaret, near Cala Blanca, to the pou de torn on the Carrer del Comte de Lannion, in Sant LLuís. I decide to take a closer look myself.
I first visit Torralbet farm on the road to Macarella. Joan drives us along the lane and we hop over the dry-stone wall. We soon find the sandstone arch with a red-tiled roof and a central spindle that holds a horizontal, metal wheel. Years back the metal parts would have been wild olive wood. Thick rope is wrapped around the wheel and the ends lead off to the well, where they are attached to two buckets. The ground around it is hewn into flat stone and very well-trodden. This is my first-ever pou de torn. The space under the arch is just about large enough to fit a small donkey in, with a diameter of around four metres. Here the animal would be attached to a shaft and spend hours walking around in circles. I sit on the wall and feel puzzled while Joan pretends he’s a donkey and operates the ropes so I can work out this fascinating contraption. As the wheel turns in one direction the laden bucket comes up from the well while the empty one descends. Once the rope is fully taut and the brimming bucket reaches the top, the donkey turns and walks in the opposite direction, reversing the process. The buckets emptied into interconnected drinking troughs for cattle to drink from. Though dangerous, it was a job for young boys who would oversee the job and shout at the donkeys. Waterpoints such as these were so important that when they split the land into two farms, Torralba and Torralbet, they put the divider wall where the well was. In this way, water was shared into troughs on either side.
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Next, I investigate a “sínia”. The fully restored one in Es Pinaret gives the best idea of how they worked. I ask the lady feeding the ducks if I’m allowed in through the unlocked gate. This larger, vertical wheel dipped into water that sat just below the ground. Thus, sínies are common in places where the water table was high, to the west of the island. There would be a fig tree shading the wheel for the farmer to rest under and to tie the spare donkey to. However, little donkeys were known to stop walking if left alone. Farmer, busy in the veg patch and no longer hearing the wheel turning, would sharp yell at it to get going again. Water was scooped up in clay pitchers called “cadufs” tied onto a chain around the wheel with bits of wire. Originally, the grooved cadufs were tied on with “càrritx” string, also known as Mauritania or rope grass. This is that evil tussock grass that slashes vicious paper cuts through your legs (and bottom) on pee stops on the way to remote beaches. We still ask for a “cadaf d’aigua”, or a pitcher of water, today. The raised water was deposited in a central trough that diverted it into a large holding tank or “safareig”. From there it fed into stone canals and was used to water crops. The farmer would jam a long stick into the works so that the wheel wouldn’t roll backwards again if the animal stopped. Because the sínia wheel was much larger than that of the pou de torn, the stronger mules were better suited for this job and used more often than donkeys. They worked in pairs from sunrise to sunset, swapping every couple of hours while the other one rested and had a bite to eat. In the early 20th Century mules and donkeys were replaced by engines to power some of the wheels. By the 1940s, mills were being replaced altogether by small engine-powered water pumps. Population growth, tourism and intensifying farming practices have hugely increased the amounts of water we take from our aquifer, the island’s sole and limited water deposit. And so, unsurprisingly, our water table has dropped - at least by five metres, one farmer assures me. And he would know as he used to help his father repair wells. He also remembers his family drinking water straight from a spring on their farm, but that was 35 years ago. Native animal breeds are always better at browsing on what they can find than the super-productive new imports. A farmer I met said he never fed his donkeys anything: they survived, even in summer, on seemingly nothing. He only gave them oats if they’d been working the farm. A lot of cereals and vegetables grown here, like chick peas and melons, weren’t watered at all. Ever resourceful, as surface water became harder to find, we drilled boreholes down to 45m in some cases. And installing modern water pumps was a lot less faff than arguing with a naughty donkey. Today donkeys are mostly used to keep the bushes at bay, but people often get tired of them and they end up neglected. Trebaluger Equine Rescue takes some of these in and they always need a hand. https://trebalugerequinerescue. com/en/. Also, the Menorca Donkey Sanctuary on the ME1 near to Alaior https://www.facebook.com/pages/Menorca-Donkey-Sanctuary
Dink the donkey was famous at Annables farm in Harpenden, UK. It took the donkey 10-15 minutes to raise a full bucket. Happily, Dink was replaced by a mechanical pump and he lived to 27 years old. www.harpenden-history.org.uk/
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SPRING 2024 By Marc Moll
“CAMAMIL.LA DE MENORCA” SANTOLINA MAGONICA, THE MENORCAN PLANT ALCHEMY We call this plant by different names, such as camamil. lera, large and small-flowered camamil.la, or even caramil. la in Ferreries. In English it’s known as cotton lavender. A greyish-leaved and yellow-flowered shrub, it favours rocky and coastal areas, from sea level to Mallorcan mountain tops. While cotton lavender is endemic to Mallorca, Menorca and Cabrera. Es Vedrà, an island off the southwest of Ibiza, has a different species, Santolina vedranensis. Back in the day, soldiers at La Mola Fortress gathered cotton lavender from the surrounding cliffs. They dried it in their barracks on the easternmost point of the island, then it was sold on the mainland, making it famous. There were also a few family businesses in both Menorca and Mallorca that collected the plants to sell. In 1972 Xisco Gomila from Es Migjorn made a machine that cut the heads from the stalks (“borcany” or “palla”) and his invention is still used today. The deep yellow flower heads are harvested in May and June. Freshly harvested plants are left to dry in the sun for a day and then taken into the shade to finish drying. Farmers distinguish between two types; one with a greener leaf known as “black” or “small-flowered”, and one with a more greyish leaf known as “large-flowered” or “white”. It is traditionally gathered in Ciutadella on the morning of the sheep day, or “Dia des Be”. A protected species, farmers require permits, and non-professional foragers are limited to gathering one kilo per person per day. D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
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As a symbol of our islands, there are now a few herb farms that produce cotton lavender to make into liqueur and hierbas, sweets, soaps and shampoo. It is even added as seasoning to foods. In the home, as a decoction, briefly boil 15 grams of dried cotton lavender per litre of water and drink a couple of glasses a day. As a tea, infuse between five, seven and nine flower heads per cup. The tradition states it should always be an odd number. Menorcans associate the plant with healing properties, and widely use it as a sedative and relaxant, for it induces sleep. It’s also good for indigestion because it increases gastric juice production and can relieve gastritis. Its anti-inflammatory powers relieve headaches, colds and asthma. Mixed with nispero leaves, Eriobotrya japonica, it can even stop diarrhoea.
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Marc Moll Marques was born in Ciutadella de Menorca. He is an environmental education guide, ethnobotanist, phytotherapist, floral therapist and forestry specialist. He has been teaching medicinal plant workshops in Menorca for many years and provides advice on gardening with native plants. He also advises on the cultivation of aromatic-medicinal plants native to Menorca for different farms on the island.
Its medicinal uses range from regenerating skin, reducing stretch marks, and relieving burns, to strengthening hair when rinsed in a cotton lavender tea. It can be added to compresses and used as a muscle relaxant or to combat tendinitis. A true panacea, we use it as a gentle eye bath since it works as an antiseptic, and to reduce swelling. As a flower essence, it is said to bring serenity and inner peace, to calm hyperactivity and to provide clarity of mind.
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NUTRITION AND FITNESS WITH TOM AND JESS Try it with this Qi Gong practice: http://tinyurl.com/qigong-1-minute There is breathwork in the first minute of the session, so even if you only do 1 minute, you’ll have added value to your internal world. Once the minute is up, you can either stop and feel happy that you did yourself some good, or you can carry on another minute. As you start to move, you’ll start to feel the feel-good endorphins kick in, and you will likely want to carry on for a more extended exercise session! This ‘1-minute’ tactic works because the brain knows you can find the time as you tell yourself you are just doing 1 minute. You are not suggesting any untruths; you know you can stop when you want. Remember, this applies to any exercise or activity that you’ve been procrastinating about: • Having a home clear out • Cooking if cooking isn’t your thing
THE 1-MINUTE RULE
• Gardening • Doing the housework
It’s great to be back with you all in the first Roqueta edition of 2024.
• Doing your accounts... the list goes on...
Jess and I will share movement and nutrition strategies with you over the year that will make a big difference to your health. I wanted to kickstart the year off with a simple but powerful mindset strategy that you can apply immediately, which will benefit all areas of your life, particularly the areas you’ve been procrastinating on, and we all have them!
Once the first minute is passed, then a few more, you’ll be warmed up, mentally or physically, depending on the activity, and most likely continue. Twenty minutes plus is a great target to work up to when it comes to movement.
Time is a finite resource; you can make more money, but you can’t make more time. When life gets busy and we have periods of heightened stress, let this article serve as your reminder to focus on your body before your business, for this selfprioritisation will positively ripple into all areas of your life, including your work. Deep down, we know that looking after ourselves will only create positive outcomes, but why, despite knowing this, do we avoid doing the things that make us feel good?
The ‘1-minute’ rule can be a doorway to great benefits ahead, both physical and mental, and it’s something that has helped me, so I hope it helps you too. Tom PS If you resonate with this, you’ll find more helpful tips in our FREE weekly newsletter. Join here: https://www.jessntom.com/newsletter Nutrition Support - Personal Training - Qi Gong - Yoga - Island Hikes Cooking Workshops www.jessntom.com
Exercise is a perfect example of one of these ‘things’. I know how good I feel after exercising or intentionally moving. Whether it be going on a bike ride, going out for a walk, doing a 20-minute Qi Gong session, or taking a swim in the sea, which is on our doorstep, I never regret movement, do you? It makes us feel alive, energised, more mobile and a better person for those around us. We are more patient, we sleep better, and we feel better about ourselves, so why, given we know all these things to be true, do we put it off? There are many reasons in my head that I am too busy or there is something else more important that I ‘should’ be doing. The kids, a work deadline, something needs doing at the house, it’s amazing how creative we can be to get out of something that we intuitively know will make us feel so much better. When you break it down simplistically like that, aren’t we funny humans? If I’m honest with myself, I can always find the time to prioritise my health. If I don’t have the time to be healthy now, then I’m sure going to find the time to be in ill health in my later years, so here is a trick to make the exercise sessions happen if you find it hard to fit them in.
Commit to doing just 1 minute! This might sound overly simplistic, but reducing the time barrier makes starting so much easier, and once you’ve started, you’ll more than likely carry on because you’ll start feeling the benefits, and you’ll be in motion then. The trickiest bit is getting started, which you will have overcome. ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
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AN EXPRESS COURSE IN PROTEIN: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW Then there’s the general European guidelines, the EFSA (European Food Standards Agency) for protein in adults. The Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) guidelines state that healthy adults need 0.75 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Based on this, if you weighed 80kg, this would translate to 60g of protein per day. But optimal health, metabolism and muscle mass aren’t going to be achieved by meeting this recommendation; the RNI’’s were created at a baseline level to prevent malnutrition; they were never intended to be goalposts for optimal living. One randomised control trial divided participants into three groups: 1) - low protein (0.7g/kg) 2) - moderate protein (1.8g/kg) 3) - high protein (3.0g/kg). All participants were fed a diet high in calories; the high protein group increased lean body mass despite eating a surplus of calories, whereas the low protein group lost lean body mass. Our eating patterns over a lifetime make a big difference to our health outcomes. Our protein needs vary based on our weight, how much activity we do, our health goals, our age, whether we are recovering from an injury, whether we are pregnant or breastfeeding...there are many variables. One thing we know is that protein is beneficial for all, so I recommend striving for a minimum of 1.2 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight each day. Here’s what the calculation would look like if you use pounds as your weight currency, using a 150-pound adult: 150 pounds divided by 2.2 = 68 kilograms
Protein. It’s a topic that I get asked a lot of questions about, specifically about what’s the best source. And how much do I need? It’s a topic that can cause confusion, with fears around “What if I have too much protein, will it not cause kidney issues?” or “Will too much protein not make me bulky?” So let’s delve into the topic of protein so you feel a lot more confident and wiser about how much protein to incorporate into your diet, the benefits of protein, and the best dietary sources to get it from. Let’s start with what protein is because once you know this, you’ll quickly realise why it’s so important for our health. Protein consists of amino acids, of which there are 21 in total, and depending on the combination of the amino acids, these “building blocks” form all of our cells, tissues, and organs, as well as our enzymes and hormones, which without, our cells wouldn’t be able to communicate with one other. Transporting oxygen around our bodies and balancing our internal fluid levels, which keep us alive, relies on protein. Proteins are an integral part of the digestion and absorption of a meal, so our ability to absorb essential nutrients and transport them around the body depends on protein availability to help all these processes. Without sufficient protein levels, your risk of higher body fat is higher; it’s harder to preserve muscle, poor sleep is more likely, keeping your blood sugar levels balanced is more challenging, you’re working upstream to keep your mood high, and your immune system will be on a default lower setting. Hopefully, we’re now on the same page, and we realise that to feel more energised, to experience quality years, to avoid being on a constant yo-yo diet where our body shape is forever fluctuating, and to be an all-round healthier human, protein is a must. How Much Protein Do You Need? This is the area that throws up the most controversy. Some nutrition experts are on the team: “The more protein, the better”, and there are other experts who argue that lower daily protein intakes promote longevity and too much protein can cause an increased risk of kidney damage and dehydration. The ultimate goal is to eat an amount that will support an active metabolism, a lean body mass, and your overall health goals. Any extreme intakes, too low or too high, will sabotage this.
68 kilograms x 1.2 grams (my protein recommendation) = 81.6 grams of protein daily If you’re someone who does a lot of exercise, you’d be looking to aim closer to 1.4-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which will help you to lose body fat and improve overall body composition, which would work out at 95-136g of protein daily if you weighed 150 pounds. If you are currently at a healthy weight and want to increase your muscle mass, or you’re currently overweight and want to lose body fat, your protein goal would be closer to 1.6-2.4g per kilogram of body weight. You might think, “Wow, that is a lot of protein!” Generally speaking, most people don’t eat anywhere near these protein quantities, and as a result, they’ll experience a reduction in muscle mass, which will make it so much easier for their body to gain body fat, which is one of the reasons as a population we are battling an obesity epidemic. A high availability of processed convenience foods and a general reduction in day-to-day movement are also very much part of the weight gain equation. We know that producing and maintaining muscle mass reduces as we age. We also know that the risk of bone fractures increases the less lean muscle we have, so preserving and building muscle mass throughout our lifetime is so important. The way to do that is to consume enough protein, as muscle mass is built using the building blocks of protein. Not only is protein a must for body composition, but it’s essential to keep our blood sugar and hunger levels in check, as well as our internal inflammation. Protein helps to slow down the release of food into glucose (sugar), and the more sustained a glucose release, the more balanced your energy levels will be, avoiding energy dips, which often result in the subconscious drift towards caffeine/sugar pick-me-ups. This is one of the reasons I always look at weaving in protein with all of my client’s meal plans, so their hunger and appetite are regulated, because it’s a lot easier to make rational food choices when we’re coming from a place of balance, and not hunger. Pairing a carbohydrate with a protein, for example, scrambled egg on toast, is going to lead to a slower blood sugar rise compared to eating bread alone or pairing the bread with more fibre (for example, a bowl of porridge) or fat (butter), or more carbohydrates (rice crispies). So, protein, protein, protein!
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During the summer, I have a smoothie five days out of seven - it’s such an easy, quick and delicious way to load the body with nutrition first thing in the day, and the girls love it, too. I sometimes mix it into milk and chia seeds to make a protein-packed chia pudding, and Tom often has protein and oats as a midafternoon or post-workout snack. It’s one of those handy pantry staples; once you’ve got it in, you’ll use it in different ways to add protein to your daily diet. 2. Incorporate nutritional yeast with any meal. Nutritional yeast provides a shelf-stable and convenient source of plantbased protein and fibre, so it’s another great food item to have in your pantry. 2 tablespoons provides 5g of protein and 2g of fibre, and only 1g of net carbohydrates, so it’s nutritionally very rich. You can add nutritional yeast to vegetables, stews, soups and almost everything! Flavour-wise, it has a cheesy flavour profile, so for anyone who is dairy-free, it’s a great one to have in the kitchen. 3. Reach for lupini beans for a snack or add them to a salad. Lupini beans are part of the pea family; they’re yellow, flat, round, and have a sweet, nutty flavour. They’re a great source of plant-based protein and fibre, but they have 0g net carbs, which means they’re a great source of plant-based protein without the carbohydrate hit. They are also rich in micronutrients like folate, iron and manganese to help support energy-generating reactions within the body. They come in different flavours and are great to pack when travelling as a nutrient-dense snack. They’re also a big hit with kids - they love their crunch, and they can be added to snack pots or packed lunches for school. 4. Increase your canned fish like sardines, salmon, anchovies and oysters. Canned fish isn’t for everyone, but if it is, it can be a great way of incorporating anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats and protein economically. They also store well, so they’re great to have in your pantry to rustle up into a quick meal when you’re tight on time and need to throw something together quickly. The convenience and shelf life are unmatched! Look for fish canned in water or olive oil, and avoid canola oil as it’s a highly refined, bleached and deodorised oil. 5. Incorporate seeds such as pumpkin, chia and hemp seeds. Seeds are another great way of upping your plant-based protein throughout the day. Add them into smoothies, granola scatter them over salads, or pair a handful with a fresh piece of fruit, like an apple or pear, for a nutritionally balanced snack. 6. Eat eggs, including the yolk. Three Key Tips For Protein 1. Avoid eating low-quality sources of protein. Low-quality protein will increase inflammation and increase the risk of undesired health effects. You can do this in two ways: 1) reduce the amount of processed animal meat and smoked meat (hot dogs, salami, pepperoni, sausages), which contain nitrates that have been associated with an increased risk of cancer and are produced for profit versus health 2) choose high-quality protein sources where possible, prioritise wild salmon versus farm-raised salmon, organic free-range eggs versus battery eggs, organic chicken versus a conventional chicken. If you choose quality protein sources most of the time, you shouldn’t worry about an occasional farm-raised salmon meal served at a restaurant. 2. Aim for variety in protein to ensure you meet all of your amino acid needs. A mixture of plant and animal-based protein is excellent and will ensure you also reap the nutritional benefits that the plant kingdom offers our body with fibre and phytonutrients.
Eggs have been incorrectly vilified over the years for supposedly increasing cholesterol levels. Whilst eggs contain about 275mg of dietary cholesterol per egg, nutrition researchers have concluded that dietary cholesterol does not directly impact one’s blood cholesterol levels. If you have an egg allergy or sensitivity, then you would want to steer clear of eggs, but otherwise, they’re a nutrient-abundant source of protein, with 7g per egg, and they’re a complete protein, which means all the essential amino acids are present and they have a high bioavailability (i.e. your body can readily process them). Aside from their protein content, they also contain other nutrients such as DHA, B vitamins, choline and vitamins A and D. Opt for free-range, organic eggs for a higher nutrient value and happier, more appreciated chickens and you can use them in muffins, homemade banana bread, boiled as a portable snack, frittatas, omelettes….the list is endless!
How To Add More Protein To Your Diet
I hope this has given you some helpful guidance to work with. If you have any questions, or would like to work with me one-to-one on something personal health-wise, my Nutrition Clinic days are Tuesdays and Fridays, and the consultations can be done either online, or on the island. IIt would be a pleasure to support you with your health goals and give you the personalised guidance and support you need to make 2024 the year you prioritise you again and turn your health around, or optimise it if you feel it’s already at a good level.
Here are six delicious and easy ways to add more protein to your diet:
Have a great month,
1. Add protein powder to breakfast.
Jess
A good quality protein powder is a pantry staple in our house. You’ll want either a grass-fed protein powder or a plant-based option with a mix of essential and non-essential amino acids, branch-chain amino acids and collagen-specific amino acids. You want to choose one that uses high-quality ingredients and zero chemicals like hexane in the extraction process.
Nutrition Support - Personal Training - Qi Gong - Yoga - Island Hikes Cooking Workshops
3. Do your best to spread your protein intake throughout the day across your meals and snacks rather than having your daily protein intake in one meal. This will allow your body to process the amino acids better and distribute them to where they are needed, and not be such a digestive load.
www.TheOnlineNutritionClinic.com www.jessntom.com
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LOCAL NEWS
CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS
SPRING 2024
NEWS
LADIES LUNCHEON CLUB
Lunch at the Port Mahon in February
Over winter, we held three lunches at the Hotel Port Mahón. The December lunch was lively; many ladies came sporting reindeer antlers (false ones!), baubles, Father Christmas hats, etc. A good spread was provided, perfectly complemented by Jane Thornely Higgs´ famous homemade stuffing. Lunch was followed by a pantomime involving a collection of well-known characters from a variety of pantomimes coming together with confusion ensuing (Oh no it didn´t! Oh yes it did!). I was responsible for the script and played Widow Twanky. Sam Roussel and Julie Burchill wrote a funny sketch for the roles of the Good and Bad Fairies. Ex-Presidents were involved, with Denise Manners playing Dick Whittington´s cat (searching for Dick...) and Elaine Martin was our glamorous poster girl. Ali Truelove (the only professional in the cast), was a word-perfect Peter Pan. Michelle Inglefield valiantly stepped in as Prince Charming, pinning her words up everywhere, and our President, Jayne Wolstenholme, was the wicked witch (of course!). Annie Gooch revised her previous career and “nicked” the lot of us! Tinker Bell, rescued from Es Mestral by Jayne, was valiantly waved around by Sam and managed to sprinkle fairy dust on everyone. Elizabeth Walker was grabbed at the last minute to prompt. Were we under rehearsed? Yes. Did we forget our lines? Most of us. Did we have fun? Oh yes we did! Perhaps even more in the rehearsals….
Ali Truelove as Peter Pan
Yolande (left) from Yotangle
There were fewer people present at the January lunch due to holidays and various bugs and viruses. Jan Henman, the champion bingo caller, did her stuff shouting out those calls that are still politically correct... Yolanda Lopez Segura, a qualified Zentangle professor, spoke to us in February. Zentangle patterns can help you unwind, especially in moments of stress such as the dentist’s waiting room. Yolanda has published a book of Tangles for you to do at home. You can learn more at yotangle.com.
LADIES PROBUS The Probus lunch is held on the second Wednesday of every month. In January it was held at Il Porto and in February at El Grill. Regardless of the bad weather, 23 members enjoyed a lovely lunch at Il Porto. The Ladies Probus Club in Menorca was founded in 2002 with an original membership of nine. The Club has grown over the years, keeping to a maximum of fifty members. Our aims and objectives are to promote friendship and social contact amongst retired and partially retired business and professional English speaking ladies, by meeting on a regular basis and engaging in other activities and functions of interest to the members. If you would like to join, please contact probusmenorca@gmail.com
Probus President Janet Quayle presenting a cheque for 250 Euros to the charity Vidalba
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“Pots and Frocks, the World of Grayson Perry” Thursday 18th April 2024 Here we are, about to embark on our sixth season of lectures from The Arts Society Menorca. The good news is that the Committee has decided not to raise the membership fee this year! We have five wonderful speakers lined up, thanks to our Programme Planner, Victoria. On 18th May we welcome (finally) Will Farmer from The Antiques Roadshow! First things first however…
CANCER SUPPORT IN MENORCA WALK AGAINST CANCER 2024 In April last year the Cancer Support Group launched the first ever Walk Against Cancer for CSG, and just under 100 participants fantastically raised over €9000! This April they plan to make it bigger and better with the aim to double the number of participants and to smash the €10,000 mark! Last year Anita Vince and her amazing team of walkers came to Menorca to walk the Cami de Cavalls. This year they will be tackling the GR221 in Mallorca, starting in Es Capdella on the 27th March and ending in Pollensa on Easter Monday 1st April. Walkers are invited to join them on the final day from Son Amer Refuge (near Lluc) leaving promptly at 9am, to Pollenca, a distance of approximately 15 kms. Later that evening, you are all welcome to join the celebrations at Liberty Kitchen in the Port. But don’t worry if you cannot get to Mallorca to take part in person. You can take part in a virtual walk by setting yourself a step goal equal to the whole GR221 or a just a section of it. You can then walk those steps during the whole month of April, whenever and wherever suits you best. You can sign up on the Cancer Support website where there are full instructions with fundraising information. Keep an eye on their social media pages for further details of the events. Business owners can also sponsor the event; please contact: rebecca@cancersupportmallorca.com
Ian Swankie is our premiere speaker for the 2024 season. His specialty is art and architecture. He is an official guide at Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Guildhall Art Gallery and St Paul’s Cathedral, and gives tours at each venue. He is also a qualified and active freelance guide and leads regular tours around the City of London. As he says, “I love showing people around, and giving lectures about subjects which excite me. I see my role as bringing things to life, and revealing secrets in an entertaining way. My hope is that everyone will learn something new in all of my tours and lectures”. Swankie’s lecture on 18th of April will examine the world of Sir Grayson Perry, from Essex Punk Potter to Knight of the Realm. Calling his lecture “Pots and Frocks, the World of Grayson Perry”, Swankie will introduce us to this outlandish artist whose appearances dressed as his feminine alter ego, “Claire”, has made him a core member of the art establishment, a Turner Prize winner, Royal Academician, popular broadcaster and colourful character. His works of ceramics, textiles, tapestries and prints are highly sought after. Often controversial, he tackles difficult subjects in a poignant, witty way and holds up a mirror to modern society. The lecture promises to be very entertaining. All lectures take place at the Aeroclub San Lluís and begin at 8:00pm, with doors opening at 7:30pm. Lots of time to order drinks and tapas! To join us as a new member or renew as a continuing member, contact Malcolm at: menorca@theartssociety.org theartssociety.org/menorca The Arts Society Menorca couldn’t continue to offer these wonderful lectures if it wasn’t for the support and sponsorship of Blevins Franks. Cathal has attended several of our lectures and he invites British residents, or anyone from the UK moving to Spain, with questions regarding cross border tax planning, Estate and Inheritance Planning for Spain and the UK (both needed to be covered), pension advice for residency in Spain, Investment planning or management to contact Blevins Franks. Check out their website which is also a great source for Articles and updates. www.blevinsfranks.com
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SPIRITUAL WELLBEING
SPRING AND EASTER Easter arrives early this year. For those who collect items of obscure knowledge (for example, in case a question arises during a quiz!), the date of Easter is fixed as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring equinox. That is why it is known as a ‘moveable feast’; to the uninitiated it can seem as though the date is plucked randomly out of some sort of lottery bucket. This year, in Europe, it will also be the day that we set our clocks forward an hour for summertime, or daylight-saving time, as it is sometimes known. The theme of Easter is, of course, resurrection, the new life that springs forth after death. It is a theme that resonates with spring, when (in most places) the world witnesses new life bursting forth after the apparent death of winter. It’s all part of a cycle, with a little zest added in the ever-shifting date of the Easter celebration based upon the shifting (but astronomically predictable) cycles of sun and moon. But being part of a cycle does not need to imply stagnation.
By Rev Paul Strudwick
In the Anglican Church in Menorca, we have found that we can be active participants in contributing to bring new life through a relationship with students in Peru whose educational progress had been halted by lack of funds.
Several years ago in Canada, we framed our Easter Vigil celebration with the story of the Irish saint, Brendan the Navigator. Brendan set out in a boat with fourteen companions to seek the island of Paradise. Amongst many adventures, the group encountered a bird, who told them that the year-long cycle that they had just completed would need to be continued for seven years before they would be sufficiently holy to reach the island of Paradise. The moral of Brendan’s story is that life is intended to contain its cyclical patterns that help us to refine faith as we encounter our scripture, tradition, experience and culture in different ways for each stage of life. This is just a natural process of learning. Yet even Brendan was permitted to conclude his seven-year cycle eventually. While it may be true that ‘it is important to concentrate on the journey, rather than the destination,’ there are very few worthwhile journeys that do not have a destination of some sort or another. This is especially true of the journey that we make through Lent towards Easter. That journey has a double destination: the first is Good Friday; and after that, Easter. We journey to death, and after death has occurred, we are offered an encounter with new life. Death is often painful. Birth is often painful. There is no point in minimising the pain. Yet beyond pain, there is life. We have a choice of remaining stuck in the pain, or we can look for ways to encounter something more positive from life. We make this journey through Lent every year, so we intentionally repeat an experience that could superficially seem the same. Yet each Lent seems to generate its own special feeling. For many of us, this is a journey to a familiar place that we hope will bring new layers of understanding and learning along the way: learning about ourselves, about our world and about our God. In other words, we expect that in the midst of familiarity we will find something different. As we repeat our way through the final stages of Lent, the sanctity of Holy Week and the darkness of Good Friday, the journey may lead us all to discover our own new life in Christ, and our hope for life in the eternal presence of God. And it may lead us to discover new aspects of spring after each winter of life.
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PERU Our Archdeaconry has an association, or affiliation with the Anglican Diocese of Peru. That is a sentence that probably merits some clarification, because I suspect to those outside the church (and some inside!) it is not immediately obvious what it means. For example, what is an Archdeaconry? In our case, the Archdeaconry of Gibraltar encompasses all of the Anglican chaplaincies in Spain (mostly along the coast, plus the Balearics, Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga), Portugal and Morocco. It includes the Canary Islands and Madeira, as well as Andorra and (of course) Gibraltar. Our Archdeacon is the Ven. David Waller, based in Mallorca. What about the Anglican Diocese in Peru? Peru is a predominantly Roman Catholic country, but it has a long-standing Anglican presence, primarily in the poorer areas of the country - which are often very poor indeed. At the beginning of this year, a small group of clergy and lay people from the Archdeaconry visited Peru, to meet clergy and members of the congregations of some of the Peruvian Anglican churches. It was a very enlightening, and, despite the poverty, an uplifting experience for those who went. In Menorca, we have for some years sought to find a project that would allow us to participate in the relationship with Peru in a practical way. We had heard of sponsorships of students, but lacked the appropriate contacts. From a chance remark, during a Zoom call between members of the Archdeaconry last year, we were led to a contact who found two students whose education had been interrupted by lack of funds: true serendipity. Through this contact we were able to direct funds to enable them to resume studies that will have an impact on their lives.
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LOCAL NEWS One student is a young man who dropped out of school but is now studying in an accelerated form of schooling which exists in Peru for people who need to catch up quickly. Once he completes this, he will be able to look for a much better job than just a moto-taxi, which gives him a precarious and low income. He also hopes to specialise in studying music, to expand the ways in which he has been able to serve the church at the local and diocesan level. The other is a young woman whose father died before she could finish her university studies, and who will now be able to complete her BSc, degree in psychology to obtain regular employment. In both cases, education will enable these students to enter new and rewarding phases of their lives. We hope that this will be a springtime after wintry patches for both of them. The Anglican Church in Menorca is committed to direct a portion of the income that it receives to organisations outside the church, both in Menorca and outside. It is our hope that the relationship with Peru will extend to other students.
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NEWS FROM THE CHOIR
By Elaine Martin, Secretary
On behalf of EnFusion Choir, we thank our wonderful audiences for their continued loyal support during 2023. In early December, we performed at the Aero Club - two sell-out concerts on consecutive nights. Huge thanks to everyone involved in helping make the event a success. A shout out, too, to Mahon Ajuntamiento who kindly loaned their staging - a much appreciated gesture. Proceeds from the concerts’ raffle, amounting to €760, were donated to Centre Polivent Carlos Mir which carries out rewarding work helping people with disabilities. Three members of the choir committee handed over the donation and were really impressed with this fantastic organisation which relies on donations and small contributions towards their own handmade crafts.
Resurrection isn’t just something that happens: we can participate actively in making it a reality in the lives of those around us!
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER IN THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN MENORCA 24 March: Palm Sunday - celebrated in worship at 09:00 and 11:00.
26-27 March: Stations of the Cross at Santa Margarita at
On 21 December EnFusion was invited, along with 13 other choirs and musicians, to take part in a Christmas night of music at Santa Maria Church in Mahon. This is an annual event which has grown over the years and the choir is proud to take part. Practices have begun for our Summer Concert, the theme being ‘What’s in a Name’. As usual, performances will take place at the Aero Club over two consecutive nights; Friday 7 and Saturday 8 June. We are also planning a repeat of last year’s ‘One Night Only’, to take place on Saturday 31 August. More details to follow in future editions of Roqueta.
17:30 each day.
28 March: Maundy Thursday - foot washing at 11:00; a service of Tenebrae and clearing the church at 17:30.
29 March: Good Friday - a vigil of prayer and contemplation from 12:00 to 15:00; come when you can, leave when you must.
30 March: Easter Eve - the Great Vigil of Easter with Holy Communion at 19:30. 31 March: Easter Day - sunrise service at Punta Prima at 07:15.
Easter worship with Holy Communion at 09:00 and 11:00 (and Easter eggs have been known to appear). 5 April: Return of the Gwent Touring Brass Band for a performance at Santa Margarita at 20:00. 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). 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
CALL FOR ARTISTS FROM PEDRA VIVA 2024 The organisers of the wonderful Pedra Viva festival have opened their annual call to participate in the 7th edition. It is open to all creatives from the Balearic Islands. As usual the performances are for one day at very special places around Ciutadella. The Festival seeks to encourage projects from the community and give them visibility. The selected artists will also have an artistic residency space where they can share projects and learning. It is essential that at least one of the members of the project is Balearic or resident in the Balearic Islands. The show or concert must last a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 60 minutes. Anyone wishing to apply for the call must send their proposal to info@pedravivamenorca.com before April 14, 2024. Each artist chosen will be given €150, with a maximum of€700 per company. Pedra Viva will pay for the travel of artists from Mallorca, Ibiza or Formentera. A prize of €500 will be awarded to the proposal most voted by the jury made up of invited professionals and the organizers of the Pedra Viva Festival. Further details on the website: https://www.pedravivamenorca.com/ ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
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THE PINE PROCESSIONARY CATERPILLAR, A DANGER FOR YOUR DOGS AND CATS IN MENORCA by ROQUETA’s VET Caroline Langlois
Phone or WhatsApp: +34 685753292 Email: vetmenorca@gmail.com C/Santa Victoria 30, 07701 Mahon Pine processionary caterpillars are becoming more and more numerous every year in various countries in Europe and the Mediterranean basin, especially in Menorca. Highly urticant (causing itching or stinging), they are a danger to humans as well as cats and dogs.
Dogs are particularly exposed, as they are used to sniffing, chewing and eating everything they find. Even if it’s not a general rule, cats tend to be more wary. Wind can also carry away these stinging hairs and land on the dog or cat without contact.
What is the pine processionary caterpillar?
After contact with the caterpillar or its hairs, symptoms take just a few minutes to appear in both humans and pets.
The pine processionary caterpillar is the larval stage of a Lepidopteran (moth) called Thaumetopoea pityocampa. They are so named because it is in this tree that the moth lays its eggs. In autumn, the female moth lays around 200 eggs in the branches of pines. The eggs hatch at the end of winter, 5 to 6 weeks after being laid. The larvae that emerge are only a few millimetres long and they begin to feed on the needles of the tree. To protect themselves from the cold and bad weather, they build a large, characteristic silky white cocoon at the top of the tree or at the end of a branch. This nest provides shelter for the time they spend in the tree, where they gradually transform into the caterpillars we know today. The drier and milder the winter, the faster this metamorphosis. As soon as the weather warms up, the processionary caterpillars leave their nest in the trees in a procession. It is during this migration that their path can cross that of humans and pets, and they represent the greatest danger to them.
A plague in Menorca They are abundant in rural areas, in forests, but also in parks and other urban areas of Menorca. Low rainfall and high temperatures are causing the pine processionary caterpillars to make their presence felt earlier. Every year, the GOIB (Government of the Balearic Islands) provides a map showing the distribution of caterpillars on the island. At the time of writing, the 2024 map is not yet available. https://www.caib.es/sites/sanitatforestal/es/l/descarga_de_documentos_-_ mapas_de_afectacion_de_la_procesionaria_del_pino_menorca-7647/
Caterpillars measure from a few millimetres to 4cm depending on their stage of development. In the later stages, they are brownish-black in colour, with reddish spots on the sides and back, and a yellow ventral side.
What is the danger for dogs? Their bodies are covered with up to 600,000 whitish highly volatile and, above all, highly urticant hairs This stinging power is due to the presence of a toxin called thaumatopoein, which enables caterpillars to defend themselves against predators at a time in their lives when they are particularly vulnerable. If these hairs come into contact with the skin, eye or mouth, a reaction is immediately triggered: redness, burning, itching, even anaphylactic shock for those highly prone to allergies. D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
LOCAL NEWS What are the symptoms of a sting? The reaction caused by a processionary caterpillar sting is irritation and allergic shock. The main symptoms observed in dogs are agitation, hypersalivation and inflammation of the affected area. Additional symptoms may also be observed, depending on the parts of the body affected. Oral symptoms If stinging hairs reach the inside of the dog’s mouth, the symptoms are clearly visible.
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SPRING 2024
TREBALUGER EQUINE RESCUE CENTRE By Samantha Lake
The dog starts drooling, seems to be in pain, and his mouth and/or muzzle suddenly swell. He is clearly disturbed, as evidenced by the fact that he vigorously rubs his mouth with his paws. The allergic reaction may also cause vomiting. In the event of contact with the tongue, it may rapidly become necrotic, turning black until certain parts fall off. Partial amputation of this organ may sometimes be necessary, leaving the animal handicapped for life. Eye symptoms If processionary caterpillar hairs come into contact with a dog’s eyes, it can lead to inflammation of the conjunctiva (mucous membrane under the eye) and also to damage to the cornea, sometimes resulting in an ulcer. The animal’s eye then becomes red and it becomes difficult to open. Dermatological symptoms In the event of contact with processionary caterpillar hairs, the dog’s skin develops violent urticaria: swelling, appearance of small red spots, itching... If the animal licks the affected area, which inevitably happens if the area is accessible, the inflammation spreads to its tongue. If it scratches itself, it risks spreading the hairs to other parts of its body or to those around it. General symptoms In addition to these local symptoms, general disorders are often observed, signs of the violent reaction. The dog may vomit, have fever, breathing difficulties, haemorrhage or kidney failure. Convulsions and even coma are also possible in the case of severe anaphylactic shock. How to protect my dog or cat? 1) Choose prevention Avoiding processionary caterpillars is still the most effective way of protecting your dog: stay away from affected areas, avoid walking in pine forests during the most critical periods, and if you come close to caterpillars, keep your dog away from them by keeping him on a lead and walking away from them.
Hi everyone, I hope you have all enjoyed your winter, it’s been very strange here, rain, sun, wind, heat and cold all on the same days! Not ideal when outside all of the time, I never know what to wear hahaha
2) In case of contact
It’s been a busy few months, sadly I am being offered more and more animals to take in for different reasons but I am having to say no because I just do not have the resources to offer them a home. There are not enough regular volunteers coming down, never enough finances with the costs of everything soaring in price and availability (with hardly any rain it is difficult to purchase hay). When people report animals in bad conditions I always pass on the information to the authorities and try to speak to the owners directly, but the problem is growing unfortunately.
Unfortunately, there is no antidote or specific treatment, but rather a whole range of care measures that need to be taken quickly. First of all, try to remain calm. Your nerves may cause you to make a mistake when giving first aid to your furry friend. Protect yourself with gloves and a mask! In the event of “simple” skin damage, shampoo once or twice to eliminate the stinging substance. There’s no need to worry about whether or not you have the right shampoo for the job. Rinse the dog’s mouth thoroughly with cold water, for up to 10-15 minutes, although this can be difficult. In the event of mouth contact, try to get the dog to lick a pot of vanilla ice cream to reduce the swelling before rushing him to the vet. Do not rub the area you think is affected to avoid spreading the irritant and aggravating the problem and avoid letting your furry friend lick his paws or fur, as he may ingest some of the caterpillar’s stinging hairs. See a veterinarian to prevent lethal reactions. Treatment with medication may be necessary. For example, he may prescribe anti-inflammatories, antibiotics or antihistamines if an allergic reaction is suspected. He will also advise you on monitoring the evolution of any sores and necroses, especially those affecting the tongue, which can be very debilitating and prevent a dog from eating. Conclusion Despite the risk they represent, the presence of processionary caterpillars should not lead to panic: you need to learn to live with them. They are dangerous to humans and to pets, but it’s possible to prevent the danger, and in some cases even to eliminate part of it. The golden rules are to be vigilant, to observe your surroundings and not to let your dog go out or walk in infested areas when the caterpillars are migrating. Finally, if in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact your vet.
We were asked to take in a very sweet natured but needy young cat who seemed to have been left or lost. He is desperate for affection all the time but also had no fear of anything so rolling and sleeping amongst horses wasn’t the best place for him. He is now learning to move out of their way and has settled in well with us greeting all visitors at the gate! That’s about 20 cats we have here now. We have had a few horses with abscesses these last few months, not sure why but with the help of the vet, the farrier and some old-fashioned remedies we seem to be getting them cured. As always we couldn’t do this without all of your support and fundraising events. The ‘2 Jans’ organised a bingo night and raised a fantastic 1,355€ for us, so thank you to everyone who supported the evening. We have had open mornings with coffee and cake available and will continue these on Saturday mornings between 10.00 – 13 hrs. We are open every day 09.30-12.30 but don’t always have cake available! Come and see the hard work we do and have a cuddle with our amazing animals. If anyone would like to help us in any way by volunteering please whatsapp 689802108. For donating, please look at our website www.trebalugerequinerescue or give 1€ every month through the Teaming app www.teaming.net/trebalugerequinerescuecentreWe look forward to your visit.
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LOCAL NEWS
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AGE CONCERN MENORCA MEMBERSHIP If you would like to become a member for 2024 it is just 12 euros per person. You get the great feeling of supporting Age Concern and a special discount at our regular lunches. You can join at our shop, one of our lunches or contact Shelly by phone or general email.
CHRISTMAS LUNCH AT BAR PONS 2023 Age Concern celebrated Christmas with a super lunch at Bar Pons, Cala n Porter. A lovely turnout of over 70 people enjoyed a full Christmas Dinner wonderfully prepared by Beverley and Juan. There was a fantastic raffle organised by Shelagh and Sandy and we must thank local businesses and restaurants for their support. The Christmas Hampers, prepared by Shelagh were a great success.
AGE CONCERN AND RED CROSS CHRISTMAS FAIR We were delighted to be able to return to our annual event shared with the Red Cross. Wonderfully organised and coordinated by Margaret Rouke we benefited from a great day. The money raised this year was used to prepare some extra-large hampers, full of treats, for the local residential homes on the island.
SOCIAL EVENTS We hold a fish and chip lunch at Bar Pons, Cala en Porter on the first Thursday of every month and a second lunch on the third Thursday of every month at Ca´n Avelino 23 • Thursday April 4th Bar Pons contact Sandy for Tel 650 729 430 • Thursday April 18th Ca’n Avelino 23 contact Chris on 669 949 370 Please remember our confidential Lifeline service to help with individual problems and information: lifelineminac@gmail.com 676 904 487 Our Medical Equipment Loan service is available for everyone either on the island or just visiting: acmenorcamedequip@gmail.com 629 016 307 Age Concern Centre, Carrer d’Artrutx 10, Poligono Industrial, Mahon 07714 Tel:971156110 Email menorca@ageconcern.org.es Opening hours: Monday – Saturday, 9.45 – 13.15.
By Jaqueline Perry
DEFENSA ANIMALES MENORCA society was formed in 1998. At that time a few of us were working as volunteers in the local animal refuge and trying to get wild cats neutered. A big project and one that needed funds for vet bills and food. With the tremendous help given to us by a German Animal Society, we were managing to adopt dogs out of the refuge and rehome them in Germany. Realising that we needed to seriously start raising money, we opened our social centre selling secondhand clothes, books and household ítems. So, here we are, still going strong all these years on with our volunteer team of ladies running the Centre in Son Vilar.
We continue with neutering when we can and a priority is buying cat food every month to fill feeders we have in those áreas where cats have been neutered.
As the years have passed, our work is not so much hands-on and the animal shelter in the Mahon Poligono is now run by the excellent Mahon Animal Protection society, funded by the Consell Insular de Menorca. The whole team are dedicated individuals, many voluntary, and we should be very proud of this refuge. Whilst shelters for abandoned animals can never be the place of choice for them, the conditions have improved tremendously for the dogs and cats and we are happy to say that many dogs here are successfully adopted.
Open Monday to Saturday – 10.00am to 1.00pm Secondhand and sometimes new clothes Household items and linen Jewellery and a good selection of books Janice Bockling, “Cats in Need” birthday cards Thank you for helping us to help the animals.
Even though we know it’s becoming impossible to control the wild cat population - and we cannot help everywhere - we feel our small part and collaboration with other societies has definitely made a difference over the years. We so appreciate your help and support by coming to our Centre. We are located in Son Vilar, behind the petrol station and between the chemist and the Sa Botiga de Son Vilar coffee bar.
D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
WHAT’S ON
WHAT’S
ON
SPRING 2024 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 know info@roquetamagazine.net
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CIUTADELLA HOLY WEEK PROCESSIONS 24 March Palm Sunday: Via Crucis at 7.30pm, the procession leaving Sant Francesc church at 8pm 29 March Good Friday: Sant Enterrament procession setting off from the Cathedral at 8.30pm.
EASTER: HOLY WEEK PROCESSIONS Easter week lasts from Palm Sunday (24 March) to Easter Sunday (31 March). A traditional event known as El Encuentro (the encounter) is when statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus are brought together in a procession. These Encuentro processions take place on Easter Sunday - in Mahón (11am), Sant Climent (10.30am), and Es Migjorn (10.30am). Another very curious traditional Easter ceremony takes place in Ciutadella: Matançes de bujots (“Killing of the Rag Dolls”) at various points in the town centre of Ciutadella (usually by Cercle Artistic, Calós, Casino 17 de gener, Bar Oar, among others), taking place at 12 noon sharp. In Ciutadella, this event is the occasion to poke fun at the politicians and make a spectacle of any situation which has come in for criticism. When the church bells strike 12 noon, the effigies, that have been “hung” from the lamp-posts in the streets, are set alight. S’Avia Corema (Granny Corema) is a giant figure representing Lent, to be seen on the Town Hall balcony in Mahón. She has seven feet, one for each week in Lent. One foot is removed during a parade/procession each Saturday during Lent at 11.30 by the town hall. 23 March: 6th foot removed, 27 March, last foot removed.
MAHÓN HOLY WEEK PROCESSIONS 24 March Palm Sunday: Via Crucis procession leaving Sant Francesc church at 6.45pm 25 March Holy Monday: La Sentencia procession setting off from Sant Antoni Abat church at 8.15pm. 28 March Maundy Thursday: Sant Silenci procession setting off from Sant Josep church at 10.30pm.
DISCOVER ALAIOR Explore the town of Alaior including Sta Eulalia church and the Civil War air raid tunnels, ending up with a tasting of local food. The association Rutas Turistica Alaior is running guided tours in English all winter. Check the website for more details, or phone Marti (he speaks English) on 696 13 89 54.
29 March Good Friday: Sant Enterrament procession setting off from Plaça Constitució at 8.30pm.
https://www.rutaturisticaalaior.com/
31 March Easter Day: Encuentro procession, setting off from Concepcionistas church at 11am.
MUSIC FESTIVALS MENORCA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2024 2-9 August in the Recinte Firal Es Mercadal https://menorcamusicfestival.com/
CRANC FESTIVAL 2024 26-29 September in Mahón. https://crancfestival.com
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WHAT’S ON
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53RD MAHON OPERA SEASON 2024 12 May: Conference on the opera la Bohème, by Ramon Gener, in the Teatro Principal. 7 and 9 June: La Bohème, by Giacomo Puccini in the Teatro Principal, Mahón.
26TH MENORCA JAZZ FESTIVAL Information and tickets on www.jazzobert.com 29 March: Dedication II, performed by the Moisés P. Sánchez Quartet, at the Teatre des Born, Ciutadella, 8.30pm. 6 April: Tornado, performed by Marco Mezquida, at the Teatre des Born, Ciutadella, 8.30pm. 19 April: Aquella cosa with Albert Cirera and Kamarilla, 8.30pm in Teatre Casino 17 de Gener, Ciutadella. 27 April: Camina with the Carmen Vela Quartet, 8.30pm in Sala Albert Camus, Sant Lluis. 1-5 May: Menorca’s Lindy Hop Exchange 2024. 10 May: Jazztà Quartet and Lluís Allès Quartet, 8pm in the Auditorium, Ferreries. 1 June: Jazz Didàctic with Noa Lur- jazz for children, 5.30pm, Pla de Sant Joan (at the end of Ciutadella port).
LIVE MUSIC EVENTS 11 May: Symphonic heavy metal concert performed by Najash, 9.30pm in MusikBox Sala, Sa Pleta Plana 7, Poligono industrial, Sant Lluis. Sant Lluis. 6 and 7 July: Concert Ferreries, by Fernando Ferrer Martinez, on the Auditorium terrace, Ferreries. 9 July: The Binigaus Band in Es Mercadal. For the first time a Fusion between the Music Band of Es Mercadal and The Binigaus Band. 12 July: Sopa de Cabra in concert in Recinte Firal Es Mercadal. 13 July: The Binigaus Band in Es Migjorn Gran. For the first time a Fusion between the Music Band of Es Migjorn Gran and The Binigaus Band.
LIVE MUSIC AT JAZZBAH Located in the port of Ciutadella, jazzbah regularly holds live concerts, most Fridays and Saturdays. 23 March: Coldday the most acclaimed International Tribute to the band Coldplay 6 April: The Majorcan band, Me Colé “Tributo a Mecano” 13 April: Keep the Faith Band tribute to BON JOVI 4 May: tribute to M-CLAN
WANTED Long term villa/apartment rental from April 2024, Mahon side of the Island preferably. For further information please contact Angie: angie@roquetamagazine.net
WE OFFER Private garden maintenance services and pool cleaning. Help looking after animals in your own home on the island. Oven cleaning service especially to UK non resident families. Contact pemigogardens@aol.com Tel: +44 7770233986 or +34 604907638.
Check online for more information https://jazzbah.es/
TEATRE DES BORN Plaça des Born, Ciutdadella Ciutadella’s theatre puts on a full programme of events, listed on the website https://www.teatredesborn.com/ Tickets available online and from the ticket office open Tuesdays 11.30am to 1pm, Thursdays 7 to 8.30pm, also one hour before the start of the performance. 23 March: Easter concert performed by Capella Davídica, 8.30pm. 29 March: Concert Dedication II, performed by the Moisés P. Sánchez Quartet, 8.30pm. 6 April: Concert Tornado, performed by Marco Mezquida, 8.30pm. 7 April: Children’s show Mr. Bo, performed by Marie de Jongh, 6.30pm. 13 April: Monologue Acorar, by Toni Gomila, 8.30pm. D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
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21 April: Dance show IGRA, performed by Kor’sia, 7.30pm.
CAN ALBERTI CULTURAL CENTRE
27 April: Drama Dues dones que ballen, performed by Sita Muñoz and Laia Garcia, 8.30pm.
Calle Isabel II 9, Mahón www.hotelcanalberti.com/en/art/
28 April: Concert Bolérame, performed by Maria Camps and Pere Arguimbau, 7.30pm.
TEATRE DE CIUTADELLA (TEATRE DE CALÓS) Carrer de María Auxiliadora 38, Ciutadella. A new company has taken over the Calós theatre. Tickets available from www.ukalarimenorcaevents.com/ 23 March: Phantom of the Opera Tribute.
13 April: Escuchando los colores Tamayura: fundraising event for World Art Day with ceramist Blanca Madruga. 25-27 April: Art auction in aid of Asinpros charity. 28 June- 8 July: Photo exhibition by Isabel Muñoz. 11 July- 2 August: Art and photo exhibition with Ibasho Art gallery.
MUSEUMS Can Saura Municipal Museum: 2, Santissim, Ciutadella. Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 to 13:30 and 17:30 to 21:00. Free Entry on Wednesday.
6 April: Musical El Musical de los 80s y 90s 18 May: De Simba a Kiara. A Lion King Tribute.
TEATRE PRINCIPAL MAHON This is the oldest opera house in Spain, dating from 1829, with a wide programme of shows and concerts. See website for full programme. Tickets available online or from the box office. Carrer d’en Deià 40, Mahón Box office open mornings Tuesday to Saturday 11.30am to 1.30pm. Afternoons: Thursday and Friday 6.30 to 8.30pm. Also, one hour before the start of a show. https://www.taquilla.com/mahon/teatre-principal-de-mao 23 March: Circus show Cuirassa Oberta with Marilén Ribot, 8pm. 30 March: Magic show Bulle à Bulle with Pep Bou and Cia Enlaira, 6.30pm.
Museu de Menorca: Pla des Monestir, 9, 07701 Maó, Illes Balears. October to May Open Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Closed Monday. http://museudemenorca.com
EXHIBITIONS 23rd March End of Season Art Exhibition by the students of the Winter Art Class run by Gerald Best at Casino Bar San Climent 11:00 to 15:00. All invited.
OCIMAX CINEMA MAHÓN:
Francesc Hernandez Monjo. Marines: Can Oliver. Calle d’Anuncivay 2, Mahón. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 1.30pm, also Thursday, Friday and Saturday 6 to 8pm and Sundays 10am to 1.30pm. Until 16 June. Admission free until the end of April.
https://www.aficine.com/cine/ocimaxmahon/ Cineclub films shown in the original language on Thursdays at 8.30pm. One recent film shown in original language VSOE most days – check the website for details.
Leonardo da Vinci. Observa. Qüestiona. Experimenta: Plaça Esplanada, Mahón, until 2 April. Audiovisual display in Spanish and Catalan plus outdoor exhibition of 3 models of da Vinci’s inventions.
CINEMES MOIX NEGRE CIUTADELLA
LÔAC: Contemporary art gallery located at Calle Santiago Pons Quintana 56, Alaior. Open Tuesdays to Fridays 5 to 8pm, and Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 1.30pm and 5 to 8pm. Admission 5€.
http://www.cinesmoixnegre.org/ Films shown in the original language most Tuesdays at 8.30pm. Cineclub films screened every Tuesday and Thursday at 8.30pm.
MENORCA BIOSPHERE RESERVE
SON MARTORELLET HORSE SHOW.
Guided visits on different aspects of the Biosphere Reserve. Visits are in Catalan and free of charge. Places are limited and are to be booked in advance on www.menorcabiosfera.org
Carretera de Cala Galdana Km 1.7 07750 Ferreries
14 April: A Well of History. Bookings open from 1st April.
Son Martorellet is running a winter programme with SOMNI shows on Saturdays at 16:30. Equestrian arts mix with magic and emotion in an innovative extravaganza displaying incredible horsemanship skills to live music. Buy tickets online https://www.sonmartorellet.com/en/somni/
26 May: Tourism, a Key to Sustainability. Bookings open from 13 May.
MENORCAN HORSE SHOW 3 - 5 May in the Recinte Firal, Es Mercadal. All about the Menorcan breed and its morphology. www.caballomenorquin.com
HATS AND HORSES 1 June: The seventh edition of Hats and Horses will take place at the Mahón Hippodrome, 11am to 7pm. See website for details www.hatsandhorses.com
MENORCA LINDY FESTIVAL 1 - 5 May: Menorca Lindy Exchange, in Ciutadella. https://www.menorcalindyexchange.com/. ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
WHAT’S ON
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TALAYOTIC MENORCA GUIDED VISITS: These tours are in Catalan and are free of charge: you just need to sign up for them. Tel 689 33 28 88. 13 April: Binicodrell and Barranc de Binigaus (book places on 1st April). Cova de s’Aigua Guided tours of the recently reopened cave in Cala Blanca: guided tours in English Wednesdays to Sundays at 9.30am and in French Wednesday and Friday at 11:45. Two tours a day in Spanish Wednesday to Sunday. Ticket office open on site from 9.30am to 1.30pm Wednesday to Sunday or online from https://www.menorca.es/es/Visitas_guiadas_la_Cova_de_ sAigua/14052
HAUSER & WIRTH Contemporary art exhibitions on Illa del Rei. The gallery will be open from Saturday 11 May with two new exhibitions, by Roni Horn and Eduardo Chillida (until 27 October). Admission free. Many activities (tours, concerts, workshops, etc) are organised throughout the summer. Please see website for more information. https://menorca.hauserwirth.com/en/home Hospital Isla del Rey. Join the volunteers working on the Isla del Rey on Sunday mornings. Visitors are very welcome. Transport is by zodiac rib departing Moll de l’Hospital, Calle Fontanillas., Es Castell at 08.30am and returning at 11.30am Discover Alaior in the winter months Explore the town of Alaior including Sta Eulalia church and the Civil War air raid tunnels, ending up with a tasting of local food. The association Rutas Turistica Alaior is running guided tours in English all winter. Check the website for more details, or phone Marti (he speaks English) on 696 13 89 54. https://www.rutaturisticaalaior.com/
SPORTS EVENTS Walk for Health: Every Wednesday, setting off from the obelisk in Plaça Born, Ciutadella. 9.30 to 11.30am. Organised by Asociación Española contra el cancer. 13 April: Trail del Norte: North Coast trail run. https://illadelstrails. com/carrera-trail-del-nord/ 27 – 31 August- 2 September: Copa Del Rey Classic Yacht sailing regatta. www.velaclasicamenorca.com 28 September: The Trail Nocturna, night run, https://traildelsfars. com/nocturna 6 October: Artiem Half Menorca Triathlon. www.artiemhalfmenorca.com 18-20 October: International cycling tour. www.menorcacicloturista.com 21 October: The October Trail run. https://illadelstrails.com/ programa-october-trail/
PHOTO COMPETITION YOUR TIME TO SHINE - SEE PAGE 66
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. D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
WHAT’S ON
BANK HOLIDAYS Everything closed, although some bigger supermarkets stay open until 2pm and in the summer months, many shops tend to stay open. 28 March: Maundy Thursday 29 March: Good Friday 31 March: Easter Sunday 1 April: Easter Monday 1 May: International Workers’ Day 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.
LOCAL FIESTAS DATES SUMMER 2024: All shops and businesses remain closed during the respective local fiestas. Ciutadella: Sant Joan 16, 23- 24 June Mercadal: Sant Martí 20-21 July Fornells: Sant Antoni 27-28 July Es Castell: Sant Jaume 24-25-26 July Es Migjorn: Sant Cristófol 3-4 August Llucmaçanes: Sant Gaietà 3-4 August Alaior: Sant Llorenç 10-11 August
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Sant Climent: Sant Climent 17-18 August Ferreries : Sant Bartomeu 23-24 August Sant Lluis: Sant Lluis 24-25 August Mahón: Mare de Deu de Gracia 7-9 September Es Mercadal: Sant Nicolau 14-15 September Cala’n Porter: 21-22 September
MARKETS FARMERS’ MARKETS Ciutadella: Wednesdays and Saturdays 9am to 2pm in Plaza de la Libertad (by the fish market). Mahón: 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. Ferreries: Saturdays, 9am to 1pm in Plaza España (main square).
STREET MARKETS Mahón: Tuesday and Saturday 9am to 2pm in the Plaza Esplanada. Ciutadella: Monday and Friday 9am to 2pm in the Plaza Borne. Alayor: Thursday morning in town centre. Fornells: Wednesdays, 9am to 1pm. in Carrer de la Mar. Sant Lluis: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10am to 1pm in Pla de sa Creu. Es Castell: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9am to 1pm in Plaza Esplanada. Ferreries: Fridays 9am to 1pm in Plaça Espanya.
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READERS CORNER
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OUT AND ABOUT WITH JOHN SAD WEEK It was with great sadness that I learned that Dave Myers, one-half of the Hairy Bikers, had died at the age of only 66. I am a fan of their cookery programmes and as a biker, their mode of transport was of course a clincher. Before running the Roqueta magazine, we owned an RYA sailing school and charter business in Mahon. In 2016, we had a call from the production company making a series of programmes about the British influence on cuisine in the Mediterranean. (French readers please bear with me). The hosts of this series would be Dave and Si, the Hairy Bikers, riding their bikes around the Med visiting places such as Sicily, Southern Italy, and the Balearics. To get the bikers from Menorca to Mallorca the producers were keen to charter one of our yachts, with the chefs cooking on board on the way. After many emails and conversations (the budget was very small), it was agreed that the boys would go onboard our yacht in Ciutadella. Local diver extraordinaire, David, would be onboard to dive and catch a fresh fish for Dave and Si to cook. We asked our good friend and excellent photographer, Caroline, to meet us there too. June 2017 arrived and after filming in several locations on Menorca, including the Fish Market and a cheese farm, Dave and Si arrived on the quay in Ciutadella, where we all had lunch at one of the fantastic restaurants. I think sometimes when you meet people you see on the telly, it can be a little overwhelming and their fame can be intimidating. This couldn’t be further from the truth with Dave and Si. They were so down to earth, and my love of motorbikes and biking gave us lots to talk about. We also discovered they were both sailors and had a small catamaran based in the North West of England. After a good lunch and a few photos, the boys were introduced to the beautiful yacht Hallelujah, and David (diver, sailor, filmmaker, and as it turns out top table tennis coach, go figure). Everyone had a great time, and enjoyed tasting the gin-flavoured batter on the fish n chips. It was only a short meeting with Dave and Si, but Liz and I, were glad to have spent time with them both and we would like to send our condolences to Dave’s friends and family on their great loss. You can watch the programme on iplayer https://www.bbc.co.uk /iplayer/episode/b09qmtvc/hairy-bikersmediterranean-adventure-series-1-5-balearics D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T
READERS CORNER
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PIG TALES
By Rachael Adams
LEAVING DOT- REHOMING A PIG IN A HOUSING CRISIS other pets came with us and got as much affection as they ot liked. But does she really hate me? Is she lonely and does lik she suffer like I do? Or is she better at getting on with things, sh an in-the-moment, meditative sort of pig? PPigs are naturally social: they live in herds, talk to each oother all the time and sleep in piles. It’s unnatural for a pig to be alone in a field. Most of all, they love to be touched. Despite the bugs, mice and birds, and the neighbours D ffeeding her organic delicacies from their veg patch, Dot nneeds touch. This is a pig used to lying in front of the heater w wrapped in a blanket, going for walks and getting oiled and eexfoliated. I know from her carer that she was moody and quiet for a few weeks after I left. This made me think she must be lonely.
The children stretch out their hands to feed Dot. I hope the tangerine segments will hold both the pig’s and the kids’ attention long enough for them to bond a little. She shyly lips the fruit from their fingers. Highly excited at first, they soon get bored and start fighting. Trainers, tracksuits, legs, hair and grass all seem to be flying through the air at once. Dot grunts in disgust and hastens back to her field. Mayhem. After they leave, I weave my way through the knee-high daisies to find her. Grasshoppers spring in front of my feet and the cat follows behind with his tail in the air. I get to Dot and kneel down to greet her, cupping her snout in my hands. Then we all lie in a heap in the sun and I burst into tears. After 28 years of getting booted out of rental houses that the owners wanted to sell for a fortune, my mother has finally given up and is returning to the UK. Fed up with working in the tourism industry and without a steady job to pay our rent, I decided to follow suit. Our belongings have already left and we have three weeks to vacate the house. I’m desperate to find a new home for my pig. Dot can’t come with us because the stress of travelling so far could kill her - if navigating the legalities and cost don’t kill me first. A few days later I’m surprised to get a call from the aforementioned childrens’ mother saying they have decided Dot should go and live with them after all. Having tried to rehome her for months, I’m desperate. I call my bestie in agony. “Look, ignore the kids – they’ll forget about her in a week – it’s the mother you need to like.” I agree to go to see their place - I have no choice. And it’s beautiful. Her chosen field is one of the few places in Menorca that has elm trees. It’s shady and cool in the summer and sheltered in the winter. It’s a quiet and secluded haven full of birdsong and berries. Maybe this is the best I can do for her. I spend the next week in a frenzy of slashing bushes, installing gates and rebuilding walls. Then I go home, throw Dot’s house in the van, rush her up her ramp and take her to her new field as soon as I can. It’s the only way I can bear it. I work with her all day, then leave without looking back. I return to work there for our last days together and she won’t talk to me. When we leave for England I’m terrified she won’t settle. I expect her to lose condition as she pines for the first few months, but will she recover? If she doesn’t, I vow I’ll come back and live in the field in a tent until we think of something else. Getting my pig has been the best thing I ever did, and leaving her the worst. Eternally consumed by guilt, it’s taken me days to face this article, and I haven’t looked at her photos on the wall for a week. Especially because our
Animal behaviour expert extraordinaire, Temple Grandin, explains that animals and people have the same core emotion systems in the brain. And that the “lower-down parts of the brain” responsible for emotions are almost identical in humans and in pigs. A study on humans showed that when participants were rubbed on the back of the hand for just a few seconds their heart rate lowered. And they answered in blind questionnaires that they felt less lonely than the control group that weren’t touched. I imagine the same would be true if Dot could answer a questionnaire and wear a heart rate monitor. Feeling lonely is a trigger that compels us to seek out companions and live in a group. In the wild, this means animals are less likely to become isolated from their peers and get eaten by predators. Through touch, animals establish bonds and connections that relieve the fear of separation which is loneliness. Touching makes us feel safe. I worry myself sick after leaving Dot. Yet when I return for the first time after a few months I find that she’s managed to hold her weight. She has a healthy coat and displays normal, happy pig behaviour. She forages all day and sometimes at night. I know because I camp with her and am awakened by her munching. The field is full of wild olives and acorns, asparagus, cistus and St John’s wort. She shares her home with butterflies, lizards and tortoises. In the summer evenings, cicadas play their “tymbals” off. Now when I visit her we lie together and overdose on snuggles. She waits for me in our tent when I’m out. ut. Again, this tells me she must st be lonely, but her beautiful ul condition tells me she’s not ot stressed. She somehow feelss safe enough to thrive. Her fieldd is alive and the seeds and nutss keep her in a full-time jobb rootling. When I’m there she gets cuddles and when I’m not she gets acorns. J.P. Kauffman says in his book “Stillness” that suffering is produced by our resistance to the present moment, that it’s caused by “attachment to memories of the past and an unwillingness to accept the reality of how things exist now. Being in the moment there is no suffering.” I tell myself that Dot seems a lot better at it than me.
ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
READERS CORNER
66
SPRING 2024
OVER A CENTURY OF BEING IN LOVE WITH THE BALEARICS By Ann Port
Before my first visit to Menorca we had holidayed on the Costa Brava, the Pyrenees and in the late 1940s I went as a toddler to Mallorca, where on disembarking the plane we were photographed, as was the custom in those pioneering days of air travel. My family relationship with the Balearics dates back much further as I have seen sepia photographs of my grandparents fully dressed on the beach in Palma in 1919 before my father was born. As we landed in Menorca from Barcelona in 1962 for the first time, I had no reason to suppose that this island was going to be anything special. Indeed as we were about to land on the dusty runway surrounded by barren red soil and scorched grass at San Luis airport, my mother declared, “ My goodness, where on earth have we come? It looks like a desert outpost from a scene from ‘Beau Geste’!” At this point I had no idea that Menorca would create such an indelible impression and change the course of all our lives forever.
The only problem was that there appeared to be no running water. The charming manageress greeted us warmly and was hugely apologetic and assured us that a plumber had been called and would be coming “mañana”. Even I knew that “mañana” in Spanish can only be loosely translated into “tomorrow” and so it was to prove, as we had to decamp to some apartments for a couple of days. When Maria Antonia came to tell us we could return to the hotel she delightedly showed us and all and sundry, the offending champagne cork which the plumber had found blocking the pipes. We returned to the hotel expecting a quiet, uneventful, peaceful seaside holiday in the company of mainly older, retired guests. But was it? More Next Month
An inauspicious landing with no photographers to greet us on this occasion, we took a short taxi ride. It did nothing to allay my fears that we had landed in a somewhat remote spot where time seemed to have stepped back some 40 years. The taxi driver was effusive about his beautiful island, gesticulating so much the majority of the journey was handsfree! He was delighted my parents spoke Spanish though my own at this point was somewhat rudimentary as I preferred English or French. We passed through San Luis where people were sitting outside their houses on wooden chairs and casually walking across the road without so much as a glance in either direction. The odd mule or donkey and cart was a far more usual sight than a car. En route to Alcaufar we saw rows of melons ripening on the dry stone walls. Most roads were rutted and dusty as we bounced along but the houses were gloriously white against the bright blue sky, having received their annual whitening with cal. Unfortunately my first impression didn’t really improve much when we reached our hotel, the Xuroy. It had a lovely terrace right on the beach and the rooms though not luxurious were adequate.
IT’S YOUR TIME TO SHINE. We are putting together a wall calendar and we would like you, our readers, to send us your images that you would like to see in print. They can be photographs or original artwork, that best show Menorca in all its finest. We are looking for originality and even maybe a little quirkiness. Think outside the box (or window) to show us how you feel about our beautiful island. It would be nice to reflect the changing seasons and to feature those special places you like to return to. You can send as many images as you wish. A short list of entries will be published on our Facebook page giving readers the opportunity to vote for their favourite. Each of the selected images will be sent a printed copy of the magazine, and the winning entry will feature on the cover of an upcoming magazine. So get snapping, searching old photos, break out the watercolours, oils or acrylics. Maybe even pencil or needlepoint, the choice is yours.
The closing date is 20th May. Remember the theme is ‘A Window on Menorca’. Send all entries to roquetajohn@gmail.com D O N ’ T M I S S A N E D I T I O N , S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! V I S I T: R O Q U E TA M A G A Z I N E . N E T