Walking Backwards to Ibiza

Autostop, or hitch-hiking as we call it in English, is a popular way of getting about Ibiza. Popular that is amongst the dog-dodging, soap-on-a-rope, lentil juggling, weird beard, loon pant wearing, hippy fraternity on the island.

Oft times as I pass one walking backwards towards Ibiza town with thumb outstretched I mutter, 'Oh aye, I really want you and your body odour in my car.'

Yesterday this scruffy git was waiting outside the paint shop by Can Verge

and within a minute someone - someone driving a Ford Mondeo, I might add, actually gave him a lift.

He obviously didn't want to be late for work entertaining the crowds in the Plaza del Parque.

Blow Up (Ibiza)

Starring Jaki as Vanessa Redgrave et moi as mod photographer David Hemmings.

Take one cricket bag by Blowfield

Add air

And hey presto, White's Club in the Sky, Ibiza.

Vanessa's looking young!

A Helping Hand

My mother, who is up to T in the medical dictionary, has been told that she has to have an operation on a Tendon in her hand. When she asked the surgeon if she'd be able to work the video recorder after the op he said, 'Yes, of course.'

My dad is cock-a-hoop, because at the moment she can't even turn the sound down on the telly!

Mallorca, May 2010

The Mallorca awards from our trip in may 2010 are in no particular order

Best Mojito – Opio Bar, Puro Hotel, great drink, shame about the music and well worth 1000 centimos a pop.
Best bus – The number 15, is there anywhere it doesn't go?
Best band – Conflict 33%, funk, jazz and rap, all tightly bound.
Smallest Jazz club – Jazz Voyeur, less space than our lounge.
Best exhibition of photography by a rock star – Romanticism by Lou Reed in Es Baluard.
Best Saturday afternoon pastime – being in a shop, years since we did that
Best View from a Jazz Club – Blue Jazz at the top of the Hotel Saratoga
Best bar with a song about it by the Gibson Brothers – Cuba, quiero bailar la salsa AND enormous g&ts
Best informal, fun, relaxed dining in Palma – Fosh's Tasca Blanquerna, try the clams
Best informal, fun, relaxed dining in Puerto de Soller – the Bistro at the Hotel Esplendido, try the clams!
Best SFX - Boat Ride to Sa Calobra
Worst nationality – The French (have back-pack, will travel en masse)
Most antisocial way of transporting your gear – a backpack. Why not just carry a six foot plank over your shoulder and keep turning 360 degrees.
Worst thing that could happen – someone thought I was French, even though I had my wallet out in the spending position at the time.

Boat to Sa Calobra

Fasten your seatbelts and hang on to your ha'pennies cos we're in for a bumpy ride! We've just come back from a chunderiffic trip to lovely Torrent de Pareis on the boat and it was rockin'n'rollin all the way. My timbers have never shivered so much and Jaki had avast behind!

Don't believe me? Take a look at this video, and if by a million to one chance my father realises it's a video and is reading this DON'T show it to my mother!

Ibiza Plan D

Here's a top tip if you want to get anything done in Ibiza that involves someone or something other than yourself. First formulate a plan A which gives you 100% success, then Plan B for 75%, Plan C for 50% and finally Plan D for 25%.


Immediately implement Plan D as this will save hours of valuable time and avoid disappointment.

Ibiza - Palma - Cuba

You know sometimes when you hear the name of a place and it conjures up such evocative images in the mind's eye that you've just got to go? Well, I was doing a bit of research for a news article about Modernism in Palma when I came across this building,

It's the Hostal Cuba in Santa Catalina, Palma, and was built in 1904. It's soon to reopen as a chic urban Hotel Cuba, and the Bar Cuba on the ground floor has just been given a similar makeover.

Can you hear the congas already? Santa Catalina is one of those barrios full of Boho bars (there's another one called the Havanna) that's a cool place to go out but doesn't cost an arm and a leg. ie  a bottle of house wine in Cuba is only €7.50!

You can sit on the terrace

or inside the bar, where I can see us quaffing a few 'Cuba Libres' later this week!

Debilitating Injury

Yesterday, whilst examining the sewers of my palatial property (don't ask me why) I dropped the very heavy, very concrete, sewer access lid onto the tip of my middle-finger, right hand.

I'm now the proud possessor of a very black, very painful fingernail. But it gets worse, it's my ring pull finger, so I'm desperately trying to train Marli up to open my early evening beer can!

Balearic Holiday Arguments

Jaki and I have spent all weekend so far arguing about our holiday destination. I want to go to Palma and so does she!

Ibiza Weather: Thunderbolts and Lightning

Very, very frightening.

Video of a palm tree shot from our balcony

N'er Cast a Clout in Ibiza

'til May be out!

Ne'r a truer word were writ than this as, casting clouts in all directions the other day to get my legs brown for our Mallorca trip, I was surprised to wake up to long trousers and flippers weather today in Ibiza.

Still, it could be worse, we could actually be in Mallorca today where they're on amber alert for high winds and rain.