Blogs from Minorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Europe

We are staying in Menorca for nearly a month, so it is worthy of an introduction. Daddy's parents bought a small apartment just outside of Mahon some 25 years ago (when daddy was 16 years old), and it has been rented and used irregularly. It is a beautiful spot, and certainly an easy way to secure accommodation during the huge European holiday rush in August. The capital of Menorca is Mahón (or Maó in local dialect), which sits on the world's second longest natural harbour (5 km in length, second only to Pearl harbour), and has a significant naval history - control of mediterranean trade / taxes; boat maintenance Privateering / corsair control of North African Barbary raids; British fleet efficiency (health) & hospitalisation services etc. In modern times the array of beautiful beaches (& agrotourism) ... read more

Minorca or Menorca (official name) is the second largest of the Balearic Islands, located to the northeast of Mallorca and is the least overrun and most tranquil of the Balearics. Due to its unspoilt beauty, it allows the more adventerous the opportunity to discover new charms and experiences. Despite its smaller size among other Spanish islands, the number of beaches that Menorca has equals the number of beaches that can be found in Mallorca and Ibiza combined. The possibility of having a beautiful beach largely to yourself in the summer, combined with alfresco dining and peaceful holiday resorts, makes Minorca a highly desirable place to visit. The peak season in Minorca is from end of June until the beginning of September, being the first two weeks of August the most crowded time. However, the touristic season, ... read more

O Balearih ni kaj dosti pisati. Zaenkrat sem spoznala Mallorco in Menorco, in se bom vračala še in še. Fantastične osamljene plaže, zelo zelo prijetni ljudje, vse je tako domače in pokrajina zelo raznolika. Verjetno so vam znane plaže na vzhodu Španije, od Costa brave pa do Almerie, ko so šli vsi maturanti tja na eno-tedensko sangrijo in žur, in z rezultatom..nič se ne spomnim! Roko na srce, te plaže so nabite s hoteli, ljudmi, mivka povsod in non stop, greš v vodo do kolen, se obrneš in ne vračaš več. Španci so zelo družabna bitja, prinesejo vse živo na plažo in tam dobesedno živijo in ....so zelo zadovoljni. Kaj boš delal sam na plaži?! Balearski otoki imajo drugačen ritem. Mallorca je največji otok, pozimi lahko tudi malo snega (najvišji vrh 1400m), Palma (glavno mesto) zanimiv ... read more

‘Barcelona Such a beautiful horizon Barcelona Like a jewel in the sun’ Freddie Mercury got it right; though the written words do not have the famous “Barrrrrrrcelonaaaaaaaa” accompaniment. Landing in Barcelona and experiencing the heat, the sun, the blue sky, and the skyline is truly spectacular. I had a few memories from my previous trip to Barcelona in 1990 but I had many more from watching the 1992 Olympics. You could never tire of looking at the Barcelona horizon and if anything sums it up it was the Diving competition from those Olympics where the competitors seemingly floated over the city as they completed their dives; no indoor pool will ever beat that atmosphere. We spent a great deal of time high up in the Montjuïc area, which looks out over the harbour and gives the ... read more

Our beach vacation was interrupted by some gale force winds and intermittent rain. Sitting in our one bedroom apartment with a one year old all day was NOT an option so we decided to drive to see one of the island's five lighthouses, Favaritz. The winds were so intense we're pretty sure they would have knocked Delaney over if she was walking on her own, but it made for some awesome waves. What better conditions for lighthouse pictures. We were very glad our car is tiny because the roads to the lighthouse were barely large enough for two minis to pass each other while barely moving. We also discovered that D (and her stomach) is not a fan of curvy roads :( We made it back to the resort for the Paella demonstration. I took a ... read more