Poblaciones
Kiko rides a bicycle through the streets of Ciutadella
This morning Hooky and I will visit Ciutadella. They say it's the prettiest town in Menorca and that it’s famous for its festivals Sant Joan. Come on! Run! If not, we will lose the bus!
When entering Ciutadella, the first thing you see is a bronze sculpture that represents a galloping horse with its mane in the wind. It is very big and it shows the love Menorca has for horses.
Let´s go for a cycle
We are going towards the town center. It´s beautiful! Hooky suggests we rent bikes! Agreed and done!
When continuing through the center, we see arcades all around covering parts of the streets. Inside there are many shops, cafes and restaurants. And in the streets there are chairs and tables out and it´s full of people taking advantage of the good weather and having a drink in the sun. We had to stop because Hooky wanted an ice cream.
In the big square, is situated the Cathedral of Menorca, built in a gothic style. In 1300, the king of Aragon, Alfonso III , ordered it to be constructed in honor of the Virgin Mary. We also see many palaces and stately homes. Some, like the Palacio de Olivar, can be visited and are very impressive. Ciutadella is very elegant!
They resisted the attacks carried out by the Turks
We arrive at a square called Plaza del Borne. It is in the center and in the middle stands a large obelisk. It measures up to 22 meters high and was built in 1857. We already know that Hooky knows many stories about the ships and the sailors of the past. He explains us that in 1558 the Turkish Navy ships attacked Ciutadella and that this obelisk is a reminder of their resistance.
In the end, the Turks won, but the obelisk reminds the inhabitants of how strong and brave they were to face their invaders. They say that beneath this monument are many XVI century coins.
A lighthouse at the entrance of the harbor
In the square is also the town hall, which looks like a big castle. We are told that there is a promenade that runs along the port of Ciutadella. So here we are, with our bikes, watching the boats and people go by. On one side of the port is a small lighthouse, called La Farola. Is receives ships and sends out warnings when there is a strong storm ahead. The waves can reach up almost 21 meters high reaching the lighthouse.
A castle to watch over the sea
Just opposite, you can find the castle of St. Nicholas. It is a defense tower built in the seventeenth century. The soldiers use to live there and keep food, weapons and gunpowder. Around the castle is a moat and a gateway to enter. Inside we see a spiral staircase that leads up to the area where the cannons were fired to intimidate the enemy that wanted to enter. It also gives you a beautiful view of the coast and the sea.
An Admiral who won many battles
I've been looking at a sculpture of a man next to the castle. Hooky tells me that it use to be a very important character. His name was Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. His father, born in Ciutadella, was the first admiral of the United States Navy, 145 years ago. He was a great hero and began working as midshipman with only nine years old.
Hooky tells me that the sea was his life and that during the Civil War of the United States he won two important victories for which he was promoted as a Rear Admiral, a distinction that was created because it still did not exist. Now you see how important this man was!
Let’s eat!
As we are a bit tired we decided to go down to the harbor. There you can find many restaurants. We want to eat some fresh fish that the fishermen brought in early this morning. We see them pull in the nets and then prepare themselves to return early tomorrow morning. The food here is excellent, all prepared with fresh and healthy products. We also tried Stuffed Eggplant which is typical in Menorca. They were delicious!
Now we are going to return the bikes. Ciutadella is very flat, so we got a good view of everything by just cycling slowly. It's a good way to get around the city because there are many bike paths.
Apples for the farm animals
Before returning to the Hotel Royal Son Bou Family Club we went to the market square to see some markets. Very pretty! At this time of the day there are not many people so we have been able to see all the products they were selling. Hooky bought some apples to take with him on the next trip. So you know, the next trip will be to the farm to feed the animals.
Come on! Run, run, we are going to miss the bus!