Liz and Frank

PORT MAHON - MENORCA

This will be a long winded post - so many photos - liked this northernmost Island the most in the Balearics, we actually rose around 5.30 am to go up to the Observation Deck to watch our Italian Captain - Michelle Macaroni (whose italian mother would do this) Palmieri - move the Silver Wind into the Port Mahon Harbour.

Captain's Macaroni's only aid this morning was a small pilot boat on the port side.

Menorca is a knobby, cliff-bound plateau with a single central hill - El Toro - from whose 1,100 foot summit summit you can see the whole Island.

It was going to take nearly an hour to reach port

The sunrise at the rear was stunning

Time to start his manoeuvres now

to dock in here

Checking out the sunrise again

The Brig watches our Captain in black beanie on the port side wing.

A quick peak over the side

and we are just about there

A stunning entry to lovely harbour

After breakfast on the Terrace - we headed up to the markets in the Square- Frank standing in front of a "dog and cat watering hole" statues and all.

Mahon - established as the Island's capital in 1722,

when the British began their nearly 80-year occupation.

Tourism came late to Menorca, but having sat out the early Balearic boom

Menorca has avoided many of the other Island's industrialization troubles - there are no high rise hotels

A good supply of churches

Puerta de San Roque, the only surviving portion of the 14th century city walls, rebuilt in 1587 to protect Mahon from the pirate Barbarossa (Redbeard).

Lovely balconies and doors

Olive trees

and delightful squares

and the giant church of Santa Maria

which now houses a superb market in it's Cloisters

just delightful to walk around - bought a necessary cardigan there!

Looking down over the Silver Wind from the Placa de la Conquesta,

which has a statue of Alfons 111 of Aragon, who wrested the island from the Moors in 1287, (I have the photo, but forgot to download it onto this part of the blog).

Mahon still bears the stamp of its former rulers

The streets nearest the port are lined with four-story Georgian town houses

The Mahonese still nurse a craving for Chippendale furniture, and drink Gin!

Wandered back down the town's central stairs to the "Wind"

for a very late lunch in Le Restaurant - below, the view from our table.

and later on an hour of Ramon's music and an early evening.

IBIZA

Up early again to see our entry into the port in Ibiza.

Again our Captain manoeuvres her in - photo taken from our cabin this morning.

Then up to the Observation Deck

(and it's wind) for breakfast and to view his final approach,

backdropped by Dalt Vila - the medieval quarter on the hill overlooking Ibiza Town.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage site with it's Gothic Cathedral

You enter Dalta Vila via a ramp through the Portal de see Taules, the old city's main gate - (it has 2 "headless" statues - Roman in origin on either side.

The ramp is guarded by large cannons above

After entering Dalta Vila - the Brig headed for the cannons.

It was a slow and hilly climb to the Cathedral

Looking down across to the modern Ibiza - they say in summer it is party central for retro hippies and non stop clubbers.

Back to the hedonistic and historical Elvissa (Ibiza in Catalan)

Charming tiles

Doors

entrances

and lovely little cobbled streets (slippery when wet)

The rain was becoming persistent - and we had left the ship sans umbrella - so back down the ramp to be met by a clever young busker.

We worked out how he was doing this - getting wetter by the minute.

We meet each evening in the Piano Bar prior to dinner

Followed by the farewell party for Captain Macaroni (he leaves the Silver Wind in Barcelona for his break) , and the staff awards. Great night for us, as our Butler - Bo (immediately right of the white flag in the top row with his hands together) won "The Butler of the Month" award - how proud was he, and how lucky were we?

Just above on the left is our Cruise Director - Colin (grey hair) born in the Orkneys, and a wonderful classical pianist, whose concerts we attended on board.

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PALMA DE MALLORCA

This island is more that 5 times the size of its fellow Balearic island, it is shaped roughly like a saddle. It has a dramatic mountain range - Sierra de Tramuntana - soaring to nearly 5,000 feet, which runs the length of its northwest coast, and a ridge of hills borders the southeast shores; between the two lies a great, flat plain that in early spring becomes a sea of almond blossoms "the snow of Mallorca".

Palma's Cathedral below is an architectural wonder that took almost 400 years to build (1230-1601). The extraordinarily wide nave is dominated by an immense rose window, from 1370. Over the main altar (consecrated in 1346) is the baldoqui by Antoni Gaudi.

However, we didn't visit it or walk the actual city of Palma, we chose to catch a century old train - it was the fruit carrying train which has been running the 17 mile route between Palma de Mallorca and Soller without interruption since 1912.

These days she carries passengers instead of fruit, (almonds and citrus) through the Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range

to the flat plains - where Soller (below) is

A comfy train

The Soller Railway Station is quite something with displays of art, and apparently Picasso favoured this town - photo of him below - top right.

Soller's church of San Bartolome in the town square

in the rain!!

A quaint - wet - town

with many ancient monasteries and buildings

and the cloud moves in!!! When we arrived back in Palma and it was pouring with rain we decided against walking around the city, which I believe has some very charming old sections, and en route to the Silver Wind we have never seen so many yachts or boats in any harbour anywhere as in Palma - Tourism is the name of the game here. Spain's Royalty have a castle right next door to the Cathedral.

Tonight we regrouped after our separate day and met back in the Piano Bar (we had sort've claimed this particular corner) to listen to our last pre dinner performance by Ramon.