SANTA GERTRUDIS DE FRUITERA - THE ISLAND´S CENTER

THE MIDDLE AND CENTER OF THE ISLAND

SANTA GERTRUDIS

Santa Gertrudis is a Village that could create a very special atmosphere between the new things and the real Ibiza. It´s like a own style to do things. Althought Sant Rafel unhabitants says that they are the real center of the island, it is sure that is Santa Gertrudis where we can say that is the center of the island.
The "cool" atmosphere and the quiteness of the streets with a lot of restaurants and bars offering the famous "bocatas" (sandwiches and rolls) are making of this place the real meeting point for the local people and as well for tourists.
Some of the stores in this place has no changed for a long time.

Some of the most famous bars of the village are a real picture gallery and thus they are full of big pictures on their walls that we can enjoy meanwhile eating our rolls.

Some stores are decorated with an Asian atmosphere, casual style.

Art galerys are around in big number, as well as the good restaurants and also the room auctions are very popular in this village.

Althought exists modern houses, there are a big number of old houses with their own details, as for instance the windows.

Gatzara's well is to few distance of Santa Gertrudis, it is said that this one is the real point that marks the real center of the island.

WALKING AROUND "CORONA"

Walking around SANTA AGNÈS

During these hot days, another way to relax is walking around the countryside of Ibiza. Santa gnés de Corona is a really small village at the northwest side of Ibiza. The grasshoppers will entertain our way with their hissed(creaked) singings, and will accompany us while we enjoy the beauty and sobriety of the nature.

This well (over) is a specimen that the Arabs constructed during their on the island. The form is very curious, very near of it we can see as the snails "hibernan" up to the following rains.

The houses whitewashed on the one hand and others of stone accompany us in the way, some of these small houses of stone are nowadays corrals.

In some houses they inhabit at liberty the doves that are in the habit of remaining about their houses. Although they are often flying around the house always they back again to the house.

Centenary olive trees with involved trunks are another of the attraction of the way.

The grapevines also adorn the typical walls of Ibiza with their greenery offering an authentic contrast. And if we get tired for the way always there is some fig tree offering shade.

At the end we are comming back to the same initial departure point. The white church of Santa Agnès de Corona.

FESTES DE LA TERRA - CATEDRAL DE IBIZA

IBIZA´S CATHEDRAL

The Cathedral of Ibiza is under the advocation of Our Lady of Snows (which is difficult to understad due the few times that snows in the Island) but we can find an explanation with the history. the August 8th of 1235 the troops of Guillem de Montgrí, arrived to Ibiza with an expedition of behalf Jaime I the Conqueror. With them they brought a new religion to this Island, the Cristianity. They want to have the Virgin as the Patroness of Ibiza, but they had to find the nearest advocation by the calendar so that was the 5th of august with Our Lady of Snows.

The Cathedral is located at the very top of the dalt vila´s hill. From there we can enjoy a awesome view of the city and a part of the Island.

At the beggining the Cathedral was built in gothic style, but after many reforms the style is a bit difficult to say. Anyway and still today we can see some details of the old gothic as the one in the picture below.
Inside the temple we can see white walls as near all churches in Ibiza.
In the picture below we can see an image of Saint Ciriaco, which it doen´t exist to much devotion. He is in fact the Saint Patron of Ibiza. The festivity of this Saint coincides with the big fiesta day of the "Festes de la terra" which is the 8th of August. This is really the historical day of the Reconquest of the Island by the Aragon kingdom. Every August 8th a Te Deum is celebrating in to the Cathedral.

DALT VILA - IBIZA´S OLD TOWN

DALT VILA

In few days Ibiza will celebrate de date of Our Lady of Snows, Saint Patroness of Ibiza and Formentera august 5th and Saint Ciriaco august 8th. These celebrations are known as "Festes de sa Terra" (land´s celebrations).

The ones who will go to this celebration may walk throughout the narrow and old streets of Dalt Vila. This nice old Town City surrounded by the most well conservated walls of the Mediterranean after (of course) Malta.

The "Portal de Ses Taules" (Top Picture) is the main entrance door to the city walls, and the way to get the nice "patio de armas" and Dalt Vila. This entrance is just a revival of the old years.

In Dalt Vila streets, the most of the narrow streets are linked by steps, also narrows and very pictoric ones. One has the sense to be lost.

Ibiza´s Castle at the top, from where are I can remember never has been finished. It´s seem that this time they´re getting seriously and in few years we will be able to see it finish.

The other entrance to "Dalt Vila" is known as "Portal Nou" (new door), it´s not so spectacular as the "Portal de ses taules" but throughout a tunnel where we must to walk we will be able to be "in" the walls and see how thick these walls are. We will arrive to a big group of steps and from there we can go on to the very top surrounded for a nice group of white houses.

ILLETES - FORMENTERA

I L L E T E S

It´s one of the Top three beaches on the Balearics. Also exists one "illetes" in Mallorca, but the Illetes in Formentera on difference with the one in Mallorca has no buildings around, the colour of the sea is just georgeous, and it has been declared Natural Park.
Some of the boats and yatchs that anchorage in front of the beach are just spectaculars. Some of them are the most luxurious on the world. A lot of celebrities are comming here for a nice relax day and for a bath in these waters.

Although is a very busy beach, there are also places where you can find a lot of privacy. There a lot of kilometres of golden dunes and sand.

All this area belongs to the north of Formentera island. Illetes name means little islands, and in fact there are little rock islands around.

In some places you can easily choose wether you want to have a bath on the east side or the west side. Illetes belongs to the west side, and the east is called "platja de Llevant" Llevant means East side in "Ibicenco". On breeze days you can choose if you want to bath between waves or you prefer calm waters.

On this beach you can practise any water sport also around the beaches of Formentera.

I hope from now on, Formentera will be much more on my blog.

MITJORN BEACH - LAS SALINAS BEACH

The Mitjorn beach (mitjorn is the name of a local South wind) is the real name of this famous beach more named as Ses Salines Beach. During the summer is the meeting point of the famous and the "beautiful" people and the most "on fashion" celebrities. It´s surrounded by pines and dunes. The waters of this beach as we can see in the pictures have a clean deep blue colour.

On this beach you can practice a lot of water sports, the beach has one and a half kilometer long and may be is the most tropical looking of the beaches in Ibiza due the colour waters. From this beach we can enjoy a wonderful view to the little islands placed between Ibiza and Formentera.

This is one of the few beaches (not cove at all) on the island. To arrive here we have to go throughout the natural Park of the Salinas.

Convent´s Church - Santo Domingo´s Church

Church of Santo Domingo

&

Saint Peter´s Parrish

This church was originally a convent. In 1.835 the last monks left the Convent. Nowadays the old Convent building belongs to the City´s Town Hall. Originally the Convent´s was the today´s Jesús Church, but due the dangerous berberisch pirate´s attacks the monks went in to the more safe old town inside of the defense city walls.

Some interesting pictures were found some years ago.

This Church is located in Dalt Vila the old part of Ibiza City declared in 1.999 by Unesco World Heritage.

This is the Chapel of Our lady of Roser. Somedays mass is celebrating in this Chapel instad the main altar of the Church.

CRISTO DEL CEMENTERIO - Cemetery´s Christ

The Christ of the Cemetery is the image with major popular fervor of the island. The name comes from the place where it was (that maybe coincides with the one that is nowadays), and that was the cemetery of the friars of the convent. This image dates back of at least the year 1.625 that is when they place this image in the choir of the church. In 1.730 a beam makes exploit nearby the polvorín of Saint Lucia. 15 dead people and big damage in the temple. Miraculously the image remains totally unharmed. At the end of the XVIIIth century the Archduke Luis Salvador is a witness of as any ship on having gone out or to enter of the port hoists the flag or greets with a cannon-shot to the image that was as today looking at the sea, though apparently it was in a chapel outdoors of the temple and in view of the crafts. In 1.864 a terrible and great epidemic destroyed the island of Ibiza decimating and very much the population of the island. The survivors come to pray in front of the image of the Christ to implore the protection. The epidemic for on the verge of the City, motive by what the devotion is so extended in this image.

The image was burned during the civil war in 1.936 and thrown the remains for the neighboring cliffs. In 1.938 was blessed the new image.

FLORS DE BALADRE / ROSEBAY´S FLOWERS

Flors de Baladre

Once we have finished the spring the flowers are normally dissapering. But the Rosebay flowers are starting now the rose colours to envolve our forests, and gardens. The Ibicencan musician group UC dedicated a lovely song to these nice flowers. Isidor Mari was written for the group the lyrics.

Flors de baladre en un torrent, per on no passa mai sa gent,
amb poca cosa en tenen prou,
per treure un altre color nou.

Flors de baladre en un torrent tenen el cor de sol i vent,
viuen només d'alò que cau: aigua de núvol i cel blau.

Flors de baladre en un torrent no es venen per deu ni per cent.

Creuen que tenen un gran riu, quan fa un ruixim de mig estiu,
i es deixen dur torrent avall com ses al·lotes cap a un ball.
I ses que queden, quan no plou, obrin els ulls per veure el sol,
i dos teulats que tenen set en es cocons fan un glopet.


Mind with these plants and flowers so they can be really dangerous if you eat them. The lyrics of the song above talks about the few cuantity of water they need to keep them happy. If you want to hear the song go to this blog onto Spanish version.