Its the 1st of May and the summer tourism season officially opens in Menorca. Some hotels and shops have been open since the beginning of April to cater for visitors during the Easter break, but most summertime businesses including hotels, shops and restaurants are opening their doors today for the first time in 2012.

Spring Colour in Menorca

There is a notable change around the island as the  peace of the winter months is shaken off by the activity of springtime. We have had wonderful weather during most of April, but if today is any indication of the summer that awaits us then we are most fortunate indeed.  Clear blue skies, warm sun and a mid afternoon temperature of 19ºC…. although it felt like more! Temperatures to move into the low 20s just in time for the weekend.

Menorca continues to be at its prettiest all year with the beaches clean, and both the coastline and interior full of colour as crops begin to grow, gardens are planted and wildflowers continue to colour the roadsides and fields.

If its raining where you are why don’t you pop down to visit us in the next couple of weeks. What could be better than a long weekend relaxing at a gorgeous quiet beach in the sun, wandering through shops in the streets of the old towns or enjoying long lunches of great food and local wine.

A quick search on flights from London with Easyjet and Monarch for a long weekend in mid May show prices starting from £142 return. From Barcelona  €43 return and from Madrid €48 return. Not bad for a nice four day break from the rain. So what are you waiting for? Get in while the prices are low, and if you can, stay longer!

Menorca in full spring bloom… What could be better than that?

Spring has sprung in time for ‘Semana Santa’ and residents are making the most of the warmer weather and beckoning beaches.

Cala Galdana Menorca April 2012

Ask anyone who lives in Menorca and they will tell you that one of the best things about living here is the time just before and just after the official tourist season starts each year. The landscape is full of brightly coloured wildflowers, endless green fields scattered with white farmhouses and trees full of citrus fruits and pink almond blossoms. Its makes for a pleasant drive wherever you are going to see the roadsides scattered with yellow and green.

Menorca starts to receive more of its annual visitors for the Easter week break, and while it might be too cold for a dip in the sea, the beaches are at their best with very few people around for company. You can either pack a picnic lunch and head to the closest beach to find a few others with the same idea, or wander further afield to one of the completely untouched coves and find that you are the only person for miles around. The serenity and illusion of being on deserted island far from civilization is the real pleasure of our island paradise. That beach scene that most people daydream of is actually a reality here in Menorca.

These photos were taken yesterday at Cala Galdana, one of Menorca’s most popular and populated beaches in the summer. This view is a rare one compared to busier months, one of total calm and relaxation without a boat or beach bed in sight.

So as many people elsewhere plan quick four day city breaks or road trips that involved congested freeways, residents of Menorca will be walking to their nearest turquoise blue cove and enjoying every moment of the peace and quiet at home.  This is a privilege that anyone who lives here would never change for anything else in the world. That’s why we love Menorca.

Anyone fancy popping over to join us for your last minute quick getaway?
We have enough turquoise beaches to share…

As both Lent and winter have come to a close, we are now enjoying warm sunny spring days in Menorca for the start of Easter week. Such lovely weather was welcomed for the local festivities in commemoration of Palm Sunday, known in Spain as ‘Domingo de Ramos’.

In keeping with the international catholic tradition for Palm Sunday, a special mass was held in all the local churches around the island. Holy Week  or ‘Semana Santa’ is the grandest and most reverant of the annual church celebrations in Spain. The processions that held during the week in many cities and towns are highly anticipated, emotional and spectacular events.

What distinguishes Easter processions is typically the costumes of the various brotherhoods that carry the religious statues which are normally beautifully adorned in flowers. The costumes typical of the brother and sisterhoods ‘Cofradías’ on Good Friday are long tunics with contrasting coloured sashes and tall pointed hats with attached full faced masks. Months of practice often goes into the preparation of the bigger processions, and the large and heavy adorned statues often change hands between bearers during the long journey.

Yesterday in Mahon, the town held its liturgical procession during the day where the ‘Confraternidades’ participated fully dressed in tunics, caps and masks.

In Ciutadella, other Palm Sunday traditions are 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 Santa Clara every year maintain their tradition of Palm weaving, which is the art of taking the palm leaves and braiding them into intricate formations in a bunch for children. There are different designs for both boys and girls.  They also hold a simple procession at the time of the mass surrounded by the people of the town.

‘Domingo de Ramos’ is only the start of the Holy Week celebrations, where processions and ceremonies mark each day of the week with Good Friday being the largest ceremony.

There is never much of a break between fiestas in Spain as end of year festivities, saint’s days, birthdays and local fiestas of each town barely allow us to catch our breath before the next celebration begins. It was just over a month ago we were celebrating the Epiphany with the arrival of the Three Kings delivering presents to every home. This week it was time to celebrate Carnaval in Menorca, which included five days of fun where residents of the island both young and old made the most of the opportunity to dress up and party.

Costumes for Carnaval in Menorca

Whilst the scheduled events differ from town to town, everyone celebrates Carnaval in Menorca on the same days surrounding the last weekend before Ash Wednesday. In this respect modern day Carnaval keeps with the centuries old tradition of being the last big party before the 40 days of Lent. In Menorca it is referred to as ‘Els Darrer Dies de Carnaval’, meaning ‘The Last Days of Carnival’.

This year Carnaval was celebrated between Thursday 16^th February and Tuesday 21^st February. Each of the towns of Menorca hosted their Carnaval activities within these days and  preparations started in the weeks beforehand in schools creating costumes.

Some of the youngest children dressed up with their classes on the Thursday, but most dress up at school on the Friday and as a group all classes parade around town in the middle of the day. The costumes are always very creative and clever, with full credit going to the teachers for their coordination of all the children.  To see the kids en mass on the streets in the colourful towns of Menorca on a mild winter day is always a great start to the festivities.

Carnaval Ciutadella

The afternoons and evenings from Friday to Monday consist of various activities each day, with each town having a particular day where the celebrations are the biggest.

Friday is the big day in Ciutadella where a mini disco is set up in the centre of town to entertain the kids, and most parents of younger children accompany their little ones in a different costume to that of school. Later on at night there is the Baile de Carnaval, the Carnival Ball at the Casino for adults. Its always a full event and a fantastic photo opportunity. The day ends with a party in the nightclubs and bars of the Port of Ciutadella. The celebrations continue on Saturday evening as well, concluding on Sunday afternoon withe the parade of floats up the main street of Camí de Maó.

Saturday is the big day for Ferreries and Maó where the centre of both towns host parades with music bands, floats and costumes, competitions for the best costumes and float and evening Carnival Balls. Both towns also finish the celebrations with bars and clubs filling to the brim with people in disguise.

Monday night the party moves to Alaior, which is also well known for its Baile de Carnaval and many residents travel from one side of the island to the other celebrate each ball on different days. Some more enthusiastic partygoers prepare two seperate costumes for each occasion!

Finally on Tuesday evening Sant Lluis hosts its Carnival Ball, whist most of the other towns mark Shrove Tuesday with a barbeque Sobrasada lunch with family and friends.

Carnaval is celebrated in many places around the world with spectacular street parties and parades. The most famous in Spain are held in Cadiz and the Canary Islands where Carnaval is considered to be the biggest event of the year. Menorca is famous for its local fiestas in summer featuring the purebred horses of the island. But Carnaval is a great party where ever you are and Menorcans sure know how to host a fiesta!

Even after the elation of the new year has subsided, January is still a great month in Menorca. The fabulous sunny winter weather endures thanks to the annual Ses Seques de Gener,  allowing everyone to get out and exploring the landscape of the island. Its also considered one of the best times of the year to fish, as the sea is at its calmest this month.

Fishing Serranos

Great weather, enough free time, a bit of patience and a good fishing rod is all you need to try your luck at fishing in Menorca. A bit of talent and some decent bait would help as well, but it’s safe to say that the Mediterranean is an excellent place to cast a line. Fishing is a fundamental way of life for a lot of Menorcans; some as a profession all year round and many others as favoured pastime.

One of the most popular type of fish fall into the category of ‘Peix de Roca’ meaning ‘ Rock Fish’ which as the name suggests are a type of fish found in and around the rocky seabed of the island. Most of the time they are not too far from the shore, which means you don’t necessarily need a boat for fishing in Menorca. The trick of course is to know where to find them and to be there at the right time of day when the fish are hungry!

‘Peix de Roca’ are usually between 20 – 40cm and weigh on average up to 500g depending on the breed. Most of the breeds are attractive looking fish in a variety of colours and full of flavour due to their diet of feeding on baby seafood such as crabs and prawns. For bait, small pieces of calamari do the trick, which can be easily bought fresh from the supermarket and excess frozen for future fishing trips.

Donzella

Some of the more commonly found fish in this category include

Donzella – Rainbow wrasse
Esparrall – Annular bream
Vaca – Painted comber and
Serrano – Comber

Donzella is a narrow fish characterized by the yellow and electric blue horizontal lines that run down either side of the fish. They are small fish once grown to full size approximately 28cm.

Esparall

Esparrall are flat predominately silver fish with yellow fins and a black line around the tail and can reach up to 30cm in length.

At first glance Vacas and Serranos are quite similar; both are reddish brown tones and are normally fished at approximately the same size before reaching full growth.  The difference is in the details of each fish and the Vaca is a rounder shape compared to the Serrano which is more elongated.

Vaca

Vacas are distinguished by swirling pattern on their head and the vertical reddish brown lines as well as their plump roundish shape. If you are lucky you will pull out a full size fish at 27cm like the photo below.

Serrano

Serranos are browner in colour with horizontal orange and brown lines on the face and thinner vertical brown lines on the body. Full size Serranos can grow up to 40cm with a maximum weight of 700g, but you are unlikely to find these fish at full size anywhere but a fair distance away from the shore.

And how best to eat ‘Peix de Roca’?
Add a bit of salt, toss them in flour and lightly fry them in sunflower oil in a fry pan.

Serranos are also famous for being the best fish to make ‘Arròs Caldós de Peix’ which is a delicacy of Fish and Rice Soup. Stews and Soups with rice are a specialty of the island and for seafood and fish lovers this dish is a favourite along with ‘Caldereta de Langosta’ Lobster Stew and ‘Paella de Marisco’ Seafood Paella.

Next up, how to make ‘Arròs Caldós de Peix’ with Serranos.

Most of us know the modern carol of the 12 days of Christmas, but most of us have never celebrated the 12 days, nor would even know when they officially start or finish!

12 Foods of Christmas

You can’t escape the 12 Days of Christmas in Spain for the simple fact that the traditions, both religious and cultural, are so strong in this country. The Christmas celebrations start on Christmas Day and until the 6^th of January there are a series of celebrations,  public holidays, saints days and a lot of traditional food in between.

These include…

Boxing Day 26^th (St Stephen’s Day),
The Feast of the Holy Innocents 28^th (Day of the Innocents),
New Year’s Eve 31^st (the unofficial feast of the not so innocents)
New Year’s Day 1^st (Saint Basil’s Day)

… then a few days of shopping frenzy between the 2^nd and 5^th January (equal to the last few days before Christmas in other countries). Finally the parades of Los Tres Reyes (Three Kings) on the night of the 5^th January as they pass through every town to deliver presents to every house by the 6^th January – the Feast of the Epiphany.

It’s a nice change for Christmas Day to be the start and not the end of the 12 Day celebration, and that New Year falls in the middle. Instead of ‘back to work and normal life’ on the 2^nd or 3^rd of January, there is the rest of the week to look forward to and the presents shared with family on the Epiphany.  Christmas Day is celebrated in the traditional way with church attendance and an enormous lunch with family. The absence of the commercial aspect is an adjustment to those of us who are used to it, but in the end a lovely reminder of the true spirit of Christmas.

It wouldn’t be Spain or Christmas if food was not a fundamental part of the F4 equation that makes up every big annual celebration Family + Friends + Food + Fiesta.

Just for fun, we’ve highlighted 12 of the traditional Christmas foods eaten here during the 12 days of Christmas. As seen above from left to right starting from the top…

1. Turron – sweet like chocolate made with egg nuts and sugar
2. Porçella – Suckling Pig cooked in the oven
3. Pinyons – Sugar coated pine nuts
4. Polverons – Biscuit like sweet made with flour, ground nuts, lard and cinnamon
5. Jamon de Pata Negre – The highest quality cured ham sliced from the bone
6. Es Galets de Nadal – The large shell shaped pasta served the meat & vegetable broth
7. Raïm – 12 Grapes eaten at midnight on New Years Eve
8. Dolçes – Mini cakes sets
9. Galdindi – Roast Turkey
10. Trufas de Chocolate – Home made Chocolate Truffles
11. Pastissets – The traditional Menorcan Biscuit
12. Roscon de Reys – Large sweet bread ring made for the arrival of the kings

Find out more about these foods in my article from last Christmas
Es Gust de Nadal – The Flavour of Christmas.

One final note of trivia…. Today is the 28th December, the Day of the Innocents. With a modern twist on an old Feast Day, in Spain it’s treated like April Fool’s Day and many humorous jokes are played in the media. As you would expect the innocents amongst us are the first to fall for them!

Sunday Driving is not a hobby I ever imagined for me, but like so many of the best things in life once discovered you immediately want more. After our first trip around the island with the Antic Motor Club de Menorca we jumped at the chance to join the club again for their second excursion on the 13^th November featuring predominately vintage cars.

Exhibition of Vintage Cars in Ciutadella

If I was delighted by the collection of impeccable classic motorcycles on our first trip, I was blown away by the quality and quantity of vintage cars that appeared to come out of nowhere on this particular Sunday. First they assembled en mass in the one street on the outskirts of Ferreries where even the Guardia Civil stopped especially to view each of the cars. Then the entire group of cars and motorbikes took to the road passing through the streets of Es Mercadal, Es Migjorn Gran and Ferreries before arriving at Ciutadella.

Who knew that so many beautiful fully restored cars and motorbikes were such well kept secrets on this small island? I certainly didn’t, and whilst I hardly consider myself an automobile aficionado I instantly found myself in awe of these cars. There were over 50 in total of all makes, models and shiny bright colours. It really did look like a Disney movie in direct; CARS came to life in Menorca!

I take my helmet off to the owners of these vintage vehicles for their dedicated effort to care for their cars and bikes and for their enthusiasm. I love that in Menorca the people here take the time to enjoy the parts of their traditions and heritage that are important to them and that they are preserved intact. Occasionally time appears to stand still, or even rewind into the past. Pristine classic cars and motorcycles give someone like me and the generations younger a rare and fun glimpse into history. Most people will never see so many of them on the road and then parked together in one place.

Thank you to the Antic Motor Club de Menorca for organizing the exhibition, also to the members of the club and their friends for their participation; the result was a very special day which was many decades in the making!

I’ve put together another little slideshow to pay homage to the cars, motorcycles and the club, alternatively all the photos are on our Menorca Blue page on Facebook.

Menorca is a place where you have the time and space to indulge in your passions. In our family our passion is for the sea as beach and fishing excursions by boat are our preferred pass time. Even though we enjoy whizzing around town on our little red scooter, I would have never thought we would like anything quite as much as discovering Menorca by boat.

'Motos Antiguas'

Classic Ducati

So when we were invited by my father in law to join him and his friends from the ‘Associacío de Motos Antigues de Menorca’ for a two day excursion around the island, we thought it would be a great opportunity to try something new. He has two bright blue classic Ducati motors, a 125cc from 1961 and a 250cc from 1964. My mother in law also has her original 1980 cream coloured Vespa and my brother in law a 125cc blue Bultaco.  These treasures on wheels were brought out especially for the two day trip and we rode the 125cc Ducati.

We were accompanied on the excursion by mild autumn weather and a large group of friends with classic motors from a club in Marratxi Mallorca called ‘Es Siurell’. This crowd had come by boat with their bikes especially for the occasion. Two full days starting out from Ciutadella and heading towards Maó, whilst exploring some of the urbanizations, smaller roads and landscape of the interior of the island.

It was quite a spectacle for onlookers seeing such a gathering of classic motorbikes of all shape, brands and colours and hearing the roar of the engines on mass as they passed by. Many of the motors were over 40 years old yet as good as new, lovingly cared for by their owners for so many years. At each stop on the journey, the bikes were parked in a row creating an impressive mobile outdoor museum. Crowds gathered to inspect each motor whilst the riders took a break to enjoy the day and each other’s company.

Es Mercadal

On the first day the very large group made their way up to Monte Toro for lunch, each motorbike conquering the challenge of the very steep winding road to get to the top. On the second day the group once again started out in Ciutadella and made their way to Binibeca Vell, Es Castell and then Lunch in Maó.

For most of the group, their passion for their classic motors and the open road has been a lifelong one; where as we were discovering it for the first time.  It’s amazing how much more you see of your surroundings on the back of a motorbike travelling at a comfortable speed.  I was able to take everything in as we drove down smaller roads with ease, something we would never normally do when trying to get to our destination as quickly as possible.
On this day the journey was the road less travelled and the destination was taking the scenic route back to where we started and enjoying every minute of it. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face all day.

The experience was wonderful and I look forward to the next excursion and visiting our new friends with their old motors back in their home of Mallorca.

More photos on our facebook page click here -  Menorca Blue

November is a time of change in Menorca. As the summer tourist season ends on the 31^st October,  the people of the island start to unwind and prepare for winter. The 1^st of November marks the national holiday of All Saints Day in Spain or Tot Sants as it is called here in Menorca.

Ciutadella Cemetery

Although internationally it is the eve of Tot Sants which is celebrated as Halloween, here on the island residents commemorate the day by visiting their loved ones in the local cemeteries.  On this day, the cemeteries which are normally well kept and attractive are bursting with colour as graves are adorned with elaborate flower arrangements, plants and candles.

This week’s peek is a glimpse inside the old cemetery in Ciutadella, which is particularly beautiful with its variety of headstones and statues that fill the gated enclosure’s three separate areas. The cemetery tells the stories of generations gone by and the history of the small town where most families and friends have been bonded together in some way. That is what is special about the community in a small town.

Bunyols

Another tradition celebrated on All Saints Day is the making of a sweet treat known as Bunyols in Menorca.  Also made throughout Spain, these resemble doughnuts made with Boniato which is a white sweet potato as an added ingredient to the flour, yeast, egg and sugar mix. Once the batter is made and left to rise, the Bunyols are formed by hand and cooked in hot vegetable oil then rolled in sugar the same as doughnuts, with a similar taste. Best eaten whilst still warm and dipped in local Menorcan honey known as Mel. 

A once a year treat that everyone looks forward to as the times with dear family and friends departed are remembered fondly.

Cala Macarella

Recently the residents of Menorca celebrated the Feast of Saint Pilar with a day of ‘Fiesta’ (Public Holiday). Any extra week day off is always a welcome break from the routine, especially with the summer like weather we continue to enjoy. The beaches are at their best as temperatures are in the high twenties, the sea a pleasant 24º and the tourist season is coming to an end. It’s these last lingering days of sunshine which are the finest of the year. 

We made the most of our extra day off by taking the boat out for what might be one of our final sea excursions before winter finally sets in.  On this particular day the south western coast ofMenorcawas nothing short of divine. Hosting some of Menorca’s most scenic and popular coves including Cala Turqueta, Macarella, Macarelleta and Cala Mitjana, these beaches are always full of life and activity during summer. It was quite a change to see them now, serene with just a handful of residents that had the same idea as us. All the buoys separating the swimming zones from the mooring areas at these coves have already been removed leaving the beaches in their original untouched natural state. This also allowed us access by boat directly to the shore which is normally restricted for swimmers only.

I caught a glimpse into what the island was like 30 years ago when Menorca was just for the Menorcans all year round every day of the year. This photo taken at Macarella says it all. Of all the picture perfect coves on Menorca it is Macarella and Macarelleta which are most used to promote the island. Naturally they are also the most visited with high occupancy most days as visitors flock to them by car and boat from May to September.  This month it’s quite a different scene and once again Menorcais just for Menorcans, and the few of us adopted locals that also live here. 

Reminiscent of long ago fond childhood memories for some with just half a dozen small Menorcan boats in the cove and a few Menorcan families on the shore. Nothing but the sound of laughter and distant chatter in Menorquin as groups of friends enjoyed the surroundings and each other’s company.

Es Nostre Paradís means ‘Our Paradise’ in Menorquin and its easy to see why Menorcans need not envy the beauty of anywhere else in the world, and why most would not change their island for any other place.