July 19 - Minorca, Spain

sipping a beer overlooking the island and sea

Happy Anniversary to us!! 20 years…seems like just yesterday…not really…seems like 20 years ago…funny how that is.

Talaiotic stones representing a bull

• Explore the island’s most ancient archaeological sites, which may have served as spiritual or astronomical centers, although their exact origins remain a mystery.

After departing from the pier, you will drive inland toward the center of Menorca. The island’s landscape is relatively flat, but it’s wildly scenic and offers endless panoramas of fertile green fields dotted with wild olive trees and evergreen oaks. Approaching Menorca’s highest point of Toro Mountain, which rises only 1,175 feet above sea level, you will stop at a sanctuary that has been considered the island’s spiritual center since the 13th century.

While touring the sacred site, you will see a lovely centuries-old church, a defensive tower and the Jesus of the Sacred Heart statue, which is dedicated to islanders that died in the Spanish Moroccan wars in the early 20th century. The views from atop the mountain are the very best on Menorca.

Continuing south to Torre de’n Gaumes, you will delve even deeper into the island’s history. The excavated ruins here date to the third century B.C. and include numerous houses, an underground chamber and several stone monuments whose exact purpose is still a mystery.

Then at nearby Torralba de’n Salord, you will observe even older stone monuments built between 1,000 and 300 B.C. Although there is no consensus, archaeologists believe that these rare t-shaped taulas had religious or astronomical meaning. Following an enlightening walk through the stone ruins, you will drive back to the pier.

• Explore the island’s most ancient archaeological sites, which may have served as spiritual or astronomical centers, although their exact origins remain a mystery.

After departing from the pier, you will drive inland toward the center of Menorca. The island’s landscape is relatively flat, but it’s wildly scenic and offers endless panoramas of fertile green fields dotted with wild olive trees and evergreen oaks. Approaching Menorca’s highest point of Toro Mountain, which rises only 1,175 feet above sea level, you will stop at a sanctuary that has been considered the island’s spiritual center since the 13th century.

While touring the sacred site, you will see a lovely centuries-old church, a defensive tower and the Jesus of the Sacred Heart statue, which is dedicated to islanders that died in the Spanish Moroccan wars in the early 20th century. The views from atop the mountain are the very best on Menorca.

Continuing south to Torre de’n Gaumes, you will delve even deeper into the island’s history. The excavated ruins here date to the third century B.C. and include numerous houses, an underground chamber and several stone monuments whose exact purpose is still a mystery.

Then at nearby Torralba de’n Salord, you will observe even older stone monuments built between 1,000 and 300 B.C. Although there is no consensus, archaeologists believe that these rare t-shaped taulas had religious or astronomical meaning. Following an enlightening walk through the stone ruins, you will drive back to the pier.

Today’s tour was to 2 archaeological sites. We visited areas where the Talaiotic peoples lived thousands of years ago. Both areas were very interesting. In fact there was a dig going on which we watched for a while…fascinating. As expected it was very hot…there wasn’t much shade so we were out in the sun for most of the morning…good thing it was the morning.

Our last stop was a monastery at Menorca’s highest point of Toro Mountain. Here we stroll around the

our guide giving a lesson

monastery, visit their church and have a well deserved beer overlooking the island and Mediterranean Sea in the distance.

snail-like things on plants

One of the most interesting things we saw today was what looked like little snails on shafts of plants. Not sure if the photo can show this, but there are a bunch of these snail-like things on the plants.

caramel corn ice-cream sundae!

crab-fest

The rest of the day was spent lazily on the boat…lunch, nap, pre-dinner drink, dinner, bed!