Italy etc Cruise April 2019 - Menorca Page

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Menorca

Wednesday May 1st 2019

The Spanish Naval Base & British Naval Hospital from Mahon

Lovely day. Mahon is along a long but narrow inlet, a splendid natural harbour. In the afternoon, I slogged up to the town myself. It was Very Quiet but, I gathered it had had a May Day Parade in the morning. Most of the churches were closed & there was no wi-fi to be had. The cloisters of a large church had been turned into the Market, interesting idea

The Cloisters of this Church...

...have been turned into...

...the Market

In the morning, however, we had been on a coach tour, up-country, largely to the North Coast which took us 1st to Addaia, a suburban seaside village of just villas, doomed if they stop holiday flying but in a great setting.

Addaia inland

Addaia to the coast

Then, to Arenal d’en Castell, which does have a few hotels, one of which is too big and prominent and due for dynamiting, as the current planning rules only allow 2 story buildings. The expat guide Bryce was very good on how the island is protecting its environment. In 2 years time, only electric vehicles will be allowed & charging points are visibly being installed.

The sea entrance to Arenal Bay

The condemned over-size hotel

On to Fornells, which was enchanting, if not a lot to do. There was a huge but shallow enclosed bay, a badly damaged British fort (St.Anthony) from the 18thC & a Martello tower against Napoleon.

The front at Fornells

The narrow sea entrance to Fornells Bay

The Martello Tower

Fort St.Anthony

The entrance to the Fort

The Fort magazine

Then, the literal high-light was up the ‘mountain’ Mal e de Diu del Toro, not much over 1,300 feet, which gave views of the whole island (35 miles long) & a had a nunnery & chapel.

The South Coast from the Toro Hill

The Coast & towards the South-West from the Toro Hill

The chapel being particularly interesting, because the Francoists (who were supposed to be Catholic bigots) burned it but a local farmer rescued a Virgin statue, the ‘discovery’ of which hung a tale, from the flames. (Menorca was staunchly Republican, so got nothing from the Franco regime). In 1941, the local reconstructed a Baroque-style altar piece from scrap wood but one would never guess & it has since been gilded. The tapestries were burned but they painted sackcloth &, unless you get close, they do look like tapestry.

The Chapel

St.Augustine

The Arab & Aragonese Watchtower

The Virgin

A fake tapestry

Another fake tapestry

The modern stained glass

The entrace to the Chapel

Then, back to the ship. We sailed out along the fjord-like natural harbour.

We start the Sail-away from Mahon

Open sea at last.


Port 1 - Malaga

Port 3 - Sorrento

Port 4 - Naples

Port 5 - Salerno

Port 6 - Civitavecchia for Rome

Port 7 - Livorno

Port 8 - Portofino

Port 9 - Genoa

Port 10 - Cartagena

Port 11 - Lisbon

Port 12 - Vigo


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Contact: Ken Baldry at 17 Gerrard Road, Islington, London N1 8AY +44(0)20 7359 6294 or e-mail him
URL: http://www.art-science.com/Tourism/Cruises/WM2019/CR2.html Last revised 17/5/2019 ©2019 Ken Baldry. All rights reserved.