Menorca
September 2013
Back we went to La Salamandra on the Thursday evening, if only to have some more of the delicious mozzarella and tomato starter (it's all about the quality of the mozzarella), modelled here by Daisy.
Friday afternoon and some more poolside action. Daisy has clearly already had a dunk here, as she has drying hair and her towelling robe-type thing on, but is still back to the pool to fill one of her buckets.
On the way for our Friday tea, I take a picture of a set-up that I had previously seen. Outdoor seating and a huge built-in barbecue to accompany the standard issue pool would surely make for some excellent parties.
It looks like we went back to the American diner. This being our 8th (I think) evening in Menorca, and Cala En Porter not being huge, we were steadily running out of options and liked this place enough to prompt a second visit.
Back round to the weekend again and a Saturday morning trip to the beach as the weather turns a little cloudier and windier, hence the presence of the yellow flag (which meant we could go in the water but caution was required). Also notable for the entire lack of other people - this is glorious and positively toasty compared to, for example, Llandudno in September.
As soon as we were vaguely settled, Daisy was off to the water's edge. Hmmm, I'd better go after her. Still no-one else around. (It was around 10am at this point - eventually other brave (ish) souls did join us.)
Avid viewers of this website will recall that Daisy has previous for demolishing my carefully-constructed sandcastles (see Exmouth, for example). She was now old enough to listen to my reasoned please to leave the sandcastles alone while I was building it, although most of the defences were designed to shield them from the tide...
...rather than a now-quite-tall two-and-a-half year old who was happy to dive on to the sandcastles in search of obliteration. I managed to catch an action shot here, quite pleasingly.
From the ashes of the first, elaborate construction rose another...
...but it was doomed from the very beginning.
The trench I had dug did come in useful for Daisy to walk around in it.
Back at the villa and after a cleansing dip in the pool, it was time for getting warm and dry.
And that's it for now. Apart from to show you some evening/night shots. Firstly, there was a lovely sunset as we walked back from a meal at Sa Paissa.
Shortly afterwards, a gap opened up in the fabric of the universe. It soon closed, though.
Then it was Sunday, and our last full day on the island (sniff). Lynne wasn't feeling on top of the world due to her pregnancy and, with Daisy having fallen asleep after I put her in the cot as temporary punishment for relentless insolence, I set off for a holiday-long aim of hiring a bike and exploring the island.
I had discovered a local motorbike and cycle hire shop, Anthony's Bikes, which offered a reasonable price for a day's hire (10 euros, I think). The guy who gave me the bike (who was an Aussie or a Brit, I can't quite remember) suggested a route and so off I headed.
I negotiated the one-way system out of Cala En Porter and on to the nearby inland highway (the ME-12). It was quite a fast road so I was happy to exit onto a more off-road segment (in fact, it was a bit too off-road in places, but no matter). With the rough surface and trying to navigate my way, it was slow going, but eventually I reached Saint Climent, a small village.
At Saint Climent, I took a right to head back towards the coast, aiming for Binidali. The clouds were beginning to dissipate and I would soon regret not having put sun cream on as the temperature rose.
There didn't seem much to Binidali, illustrated by this road by the rocky coastline.
A little further along, angry waves crashed into the rocky face, a beguiling mix of turquoise blue water and brilliant white foam.
Just a little further inland, there was a bay featuring a couple of swimmers. Hi random swimmers!
I then arrived at Cap Den Font, which I circled and continued a little way past.
A little bit further on, I found a nice little bay area, which I studiously photographed whilst trying to avoid capturing the bathers, which probably looked more suspicious by the fact that I turned up on a bike and then disappeared again.
Realising that I had been out for quite some time and was a decent distance from the villa, I decided to turn back.
On the way back, I couldn't resist taking a photo of this pleasant looking bay. I soon got a call from Lynne enquiring as to my whereabouts, so I headed the direct route back to the villa. This was my full route.
As soon as I got back, we went for some lunch at the same restaurant we went to on the first night (Samoa - we were a bit stuck for choice as it was quite a late lunch after the bike ride), and then headed on to the beach. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the beach, it had clouded over again. We also discovered that the flag colour was red, which meant that no-one was allowed into the water.
Whilst that was a bit of a disappointment, we could still have a good play on the beach. Note how the water had come in much further than normal, such was the greater force of the waves on this day.
Daisy entertained herself with her collection of spades and buckets, and the powdery sand.
With the sea choppy, there was little for the lifeguards to do but blow their whistle when anyone wandered in unaware of the significant of the red flag, and paddling in their canoe.
Occasionally it got really frothy and once or twice the lifeguard flipped out. He alternated going out there with his mate, although this guy hogged it.
Just to show how powerful the waves are, I captured some of the impact spray from hitting the rocky cliff face. Towards the end, Daisy and I stood at the sea's edge (without going in and suffering the fate of the whistle), with the powerful waves hitting us both. Whilst the water was hitting me up to my knees, to Daisy that was often up to her belly and sometimes higher. But, from starting the holiday not even wanting to get her feet wet, she finished chuckling heartily at nearly getting washed off her feet (I was holding on tightly so there was no danger of that).
Daisy and Lynne share a taste for Haribo sweets - Daisy probably just needed an energy boost after her exploits, I doubt she has a sweet tooth... oh wait.
The water kept on coming...
...so Daisy decided to shelter in a towel.
It wasn't long before the sun was starting to hide (it was around 5.30pm by now), the water had really started to encroach, and it was time to go.
On the way back, I captured this vividly coloured flower. No idea where this was.
But I do know where this was. This was the main street, featuring a Spar supermarket (in fact, there were a few different supermarkets), Samoa (the restaurant we went to earlier and on the first evening), Sa Paissa on the left in the mid-distance (another restaurant we frequented on more than one occasion) and straight on the road goes out of town (well, technically into town since it was one way - such types of road were a feature of Cala En Porter).
The next morning, as we packed (sniff), I took the opportunity for some final photos. This was the back of the villa, although it was where you entered.
This was our street - this is pointing against the one-way flow, towards the centre of town - it was about 10 minutes walk away, kif that.
This was the front, hidden behind bushes with a side gate to take you round to the pool. Number 40 and named Casa Andrea.
And that was that - a lovely holiday in perfect weather.
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