 |
| Carri de Castel, one of Mahon's Shopping Streets |
 |
| Carmelite convent, now market, and local church |
Menorca is one of the Spanish Balearic
Islands, which include also Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Chopin spent quite
some time here with his lover/muse George Sand.
Apart from being attractive to
expatriates from all over Europe, Menorca was of interest to various invading
forces because of being blessed with one of the deepest and most protected
harbours in the world. Any cruise ship larger than Prinsendam, however, would
have been hard pressed to fit through the narrows in order to reach the central
harbour basin, where there was just room enough to turn the ship.
 |
| Brad Pitt must have modelled for these Holy Figures... |
 |
| Taverna in a little alley |
 |
| Typical side street of Mahon |
We were docked ‘downtown’, a few
hundred steps led right to the central square of Mahon, where an old Carmelite
Convent now serves as the daily fruit and vegetable market. Narrow streets lead
onto typical Mediterranean plazas, old stone portals and cliffs, whose bases
are lined with restaurants facing line ups of yachts moored ‘stern to’ along
the shore. A mix of British Georgian and Baroque architecture makes the town an
eclectic visual treat. For sun seekers, there are hidden beaches and crystal
clear azure water – still a little too cold for swimming.
 |
| Seaside promenade lined with boats |
 |
| Small outside Mahon |
 |
| Floating mooring docks alongside steep cliffs |
A good place just to take a
breath from the whirlwind of harbours we have visited during the last few days,
forget ‘tours’ and just hang out, enjoy the vistas and a good ‘menu del dia’
with Menorcan fare – which of course includes ‘mariscos’ – seafood – in all
kinds of savoury variations.
 |
| Many bistros adjacent to the water.... |
 |
| Pleasant walking along the Malecon |
 |
| Fortifications at the entrance of Mahon Harbour |
