Menorca, Balearic Islands of Spain
Having arrived with the sunset from the previous evening, we awoke this morning to see Mahon a little more clearly and eager to get better acquainted with this small, crescent-shaped island of the Balearics. Known in culinary circles to be the origin of “Mahon-aise,” we soon discovered that the city and the island have much more to offer than egg-based condiments.
The island’s human history dates back at least six thousand years, and has seen more than its share of comings and goings. The original Iberians who left the curious Taulas in the interior of the island (one of which is seen here) were the first to arrive and colonize the island though they certainly weren’t the last. Subsequent visitors and occupants included the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, and Moors. More recently, the British and Spanish fought over these scenic and strategic isles. As a result of all these influences, the island is a kind of hodge-podge if culture.
The language is a blend of Spanish, Arabic, and yet another less obvious dialect, but is spoken with an almost Italian flair. The people too are quite diverse. Long gone are the famed mercenaries who no doubt turned the tide of many battles with their skillful use of the slingshot. The year-round population of just over 100,000 is mostly Spanish, but supplemented with high percentages of North Africans, Italians, French, Germans, and British. During the summer months, the island’s population swells to almost double due to the number of second homes found on the island, which has continued to encourage foreign ownership; albeit at a much heftier price tag than you would find on the Spanish mainland. Even the geographic names very from person to person; Mahon is known by various spellings and pronunciations that are all some derivative of the original Mao. Currently, this is a source of some debate amongst the islanders who would perhaps like to see a bit more consistency in their daily lives.
Still, they love their island home with its secluded bays, azure water, and long summers. We, like the Moors centuries ago, found Menroca to be an ideal and convenient transition from North Africa to Spain…one that offered a welcome return to modern infrastructure and conveniences, but also did not erase the memory of our time with its influential neighbors to the south. It also serves as a sort of prelude to our visit to Granada, perhaps the supreme example of the melding of Moorish and Spanish influence.
Having arrived with the sunset from the previous evening, we awoke this morning to see Mahon a little more clearly and eager to get better acquainted with this small, crescent-shaped island of the Balearics. Known in culinary circles to be the origin of “Mahon-aise,” we soon discovered that the city and the island have much more to offer than egg-based condiments.
The island’s human history dates back at least six thousand years, and has seen more than its share of comings and goings. The original Iberians who left the curious Taulas in the interior of the island (one of which is seen here) were the first to arrive and colonize the island though they certainly weren’t the last. Subsequent visitors and occupants included the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, and Moors. More recently, the British and Spanish fought over these scenic and strategic isles. As a result of all these influences, the island is a kind of hodge-podge if culture.
The language is a blend of Spanish, Arabic, and yet another less obvious dialect, but is spoken with an almost Italian flair. The people too are quite diverse. Long gone are the famed mercenaries who no doubt turned the tide of many battles with their skillful use of the slingshot. The year-round population of just over 100,000 is mostly Spanish, but supplemented with high percentages of North Africans, Italians, French, Germans, and British. During the summer months, the island’s population swells to almost double due to the number of second homes found on the island, which has continued to encourage foreign ownership; albeit at a much heftier price tag than you would find on the Spanish mainland. Even the geographic names very from person to person; Mahon is known by various spellings and pronunciations that are all some derivative of the original Mao. Currently, this is a source of some debate amongst the islanders who would perhaps like to see a bit more consistency in their daily lives.
Still, they love their island home with its secluded bays, azure water, and long summers. We, like the Moors centuries ago, found Menroca to be an ideal and convenient transition from North Africa to Spain…one that offered a welcome return to modern infrastructure and conveniences, but also did not erase the memory of our time with its influential neighbors to the south. It also serves as a sort of prelude to our visit to Granada, perhaps the supreme example of the melding of Moorish and Spanish influence.
