Meaningful Memories in Menorca, Spain (Part 2 of 2)

Warning continued: This is another long one with lots of photos…I was just so excited about all the fun times on this beautiful island!

Hello my friends! I’m back to share the rest of my beautiful memories in Menorca!

To begin the second part of the week, Marga had to work in the mornings, so she offered to drop me off for a morning hike. This time, she suggested leaving me in Es Castell, the easternmost municipality in not only Menorca, but all of Spain. It has one of the largest natural harbors in the world, and has a colorful past being dominated by the British for much of its history. During the 18^th century, the original 16^th century town was demolished as it was thought to be too close to the castle walls which defended the island from Ottoman pirate attacks. It was rebuilt in its current location with the name of Georgetown, later changed to Villa Carlos when the Spanish regained power in 1802. It wasn’t until 1985 when it was renamed Es Castell with arrival of the Spanish democracy, a reference to the original settlement as an extension of the castle of San Felipe.

I had the option of going inland on the Camí de Cavalls or blazing my own trail along the coastline. Of course, I chose the coast! Walking down the road from my drop-off point, I began getting excited as I started seeing ruins of the castle walls and structures. As I began over the weathered rocks, I had so much energy and literally felt like I was walking on the surface of the moon or some faraway planet. It was so serene and beautiful. Early in the day, it was only me and a couple of fishermen out for their morning catch.

I continued on, working my way around the southern tip of the island, planning to visit S’Alcar and Punta Prima, with the final goal of Binibeca, where I would meetup with Marga late in the afternoon.

When I neared S’Alcar, I reached the far side of Cala Rafalet, a beautiful cove that was between me and the city. At this point, I became a bit confused in the thick shrubs, and totally lost my path. I wandered around for an hour or so trying different ways, climbing over several different rock walls. Finally, I met up with a goat, a sheep, and then a couple of turtles who helped keep me company and led me to a gravel road leading to the mouth of the cove. Here I was met by a beautiful Menorcan green lizard who posed for me on the rocks. It was all worth for the beautiful view when I finally arrived…

Twisting my ankle on the way down, I was happy to spend a bit of time here soaking my tired, aching legs in the water. Finally feeling refreshed, I was ready to make my through town and on to Punta Prima. I even found a cool cat on the way who reminded me of my Maxey and gave me some much needed cuddles! So sweet!

When I reached Punta Prima, I was pretty darn hungry and sat down for some lunch to recharge before the final leg to Binibeca. Just before reaching Binibeca, I decided I should stop for a quick swim as the water was so beautiful and I was so hot! I found a spot that looked amazing, so I changed into my swimsuit alongside some seagulls. (I forgot to mention, these guys are pretty crazy here. When I had lunch with Marga at the seaside restaurant, one of them landed on our table and stole a piece of calamari. He was huge and the incident was pretty frightening!). Unfortunately, what I failed to notice is the water was full of sea urchins (you may see all the black spots in the bottom pic), so I dangled my feet in for a few minutes and cancelled the swim. Oh well!

As for Binibeca, it didn’t really excite me, as it seemed very commercial and touristy, but the white buildings were nice and it was even nicer to grab a beer and meetup with Marga for a ride in a comfy car! I was exhausted!

On the way back, Marga took me to the Talayotic settlement of Trepucó. Super cool! The great talayot (the big round structure) is one of the largest in all of the Balearic Islands with the base measuring 26 meters in diameter! Then, after a shower and a bit of rest, we headed back to Es Castell, where we had a great gourmet pizza dinner on the wharf as the sun went down!

And for my last day, yes, we finally made it! We got up early and went to watch the first sunrise over Europe in Es Castell! I even made a little time lapse for you…enjoy! Later, we visited Son Bou Beach for a nice walk, came back to town for another visit by the marching band, this time with the dancing giants Marga had told me about (what a sendoff!), then walked to the other side of the Mahon wharf for our final, special evening together!

I couldn’t have imagined a more special, memorable week with an amazing new friend! I will never forget all of the amazing conversations, sights, laughs, and joy we shared. Thank you Marga, you are the best!! I can’t wait until you visit me wherever I settle next!

Cheers and hugs to all of my special friends and family who patiently continue to follow along my journey, inspire me, and give me the confidence to be who I am today!

Much Love, Michelle