We had been told to be up early for our final day on the Island Star.
It was Friday 29 August and the final port of call before heading back to Majorca for the flight home was Mahon on the Mediterranean island of Menorca.
"It's the most beautiful approach to a port in the Med," one of the crew had told me. "Make sure you are up on deck as we come in."
And here is the proof to the accuracy of that statement. Whitewashed buildings, cliffs and a deep blue sea. "Of course it's the same view going out..." the crew member had shrugged, but as a photographer I knew that wouldn't be the case. The light would be totally different and, as it turned out, the morning light was ideal to take photos of the beautiful scenery coming in. Menorca has a long channel down which the ships sail before reaching the port and Mahon itself.
It took 30 minutes from turning into the bay to reaching our docking point.
We sailed past this tiny island with the ruined buildings and wondered what it was.
"It's a plague island!" I heard one passenger say. It could have been a leper or plague colony, but just as equally it could have been a prison, a military academy or a school or a religious colony. As always, Google provides an answer. Its name is Illa Del Rey, the Island of the King. The king in question was King Alfonso III of Aragon who landed here in 1287 prior to his conquering of Menorca away from the Muslims. The hospital was built by the British in 1711 and was so successful that the island became known as "Bloody Island"...
Over the years the island was used variously as a refuge for those with Yellow Fever (plague island - tick), a storage space for coal (didn't think of that one...) and in 1843, a military hospital with a much better reputation than the British effort. In 1888 traces of a very early 6-7th century Christian basilica were found and in 2004 a "friends" organisation was formed to restore and take care of the island.
We stayed standing against the ship's rail until the call for breakfast became just too much and the rumbling of our tummies rivalled the ship's engines! We went down to the Beachcomber restaurant and ate, then came back out into the daylight to be astonished at the view.
The ship was docked right at the edge of the town as this shot shows. Mum was looking slightly askance at all the steps leading upwards but we knew she'd make it ok if she wanted to! Ok, hats, cameras, suntan lotion, money, sunglasses - oh, no, the sunglasses are still in the car in Manchester aren't they... Too bad! Let's go!
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