From Nice we ventured to Menorca overnight arriving late morning in the city of 'Mao', at the east end of the island. We berthed in the marina in the bay of Mahon. It is quiet here now, the summer season has finished.
The bay, as we enter is surrounded by old fortifications. The town appears to be fairly modern but has an old centre with several old market buildings and lots of tapas bars.
We had to come here to check into Spain from France. We only wanted to stay a short time so the next morning we walk to the fish market which is only half occupied, to buy some fresh halibut, cod and mussels for our paella.
Our alternatives are to head to Majorca where we wanted to end up, or to find a bay on the south side of Menorca. We are lucky the weather is calm, and we find a great bay surrounded by high rugged cliffs, with beautiful clear water and stunning sandy beaches.
After paddling our boards through the caves, we head off with Josh to walk to 'Porto Petro', about 5kms away.
The country is flat and rocky with the usual stone walls dividing up small farms. The quality of housing is quiet good, on the cliff front there are some really great large houses. There are several small beaches on the way back which have the most stunning emerald clear water and white sand.
The contrast with the rugged rock cliffs and dark green vegetation is fabulous.
The next day we debated going onto Majorca, to berth in Palma for maintenance. The problem we found was the limited space available and the extraordinary high cost. Also Niels had to fly Germany for a maritime exam. So the end result is that we decided to go the Valencia on the mainland where there was plenty of space and the cost was half.
We have another overnight cruise arriving late morning.
JB and Mick