More from our Menorcan odyssey including a visit to the races

Following my evening shoot with Rosemary we set off to explore further the next day.  First to the small port of Es Grau:

Then to the lunar landscape around the lighthouse at Favaritx:

As we retreated from the shoreline, the bare slate was interspersed with pin-cushion-like greenery

Now on to Fornells where, at the end of the peninsular, there is a Martello tower to which we climbed. We were rewarded with a view over Fornells in one direction (not very inspiring!) and the Cavelleria peninsular with its lighthouse where I'd watched the sunset the previous night. (I'm sure that it is Cavelleria Rosemary; see the next photo but one!)

Saturday evening is race night in Mahon;  it may not be Royal Ascot, but it is great fun and a wonderful way to lose a few euros!

Menorca - after the storm, then out with an expert guide

After getting blown along the cliff tops at 5.00, 2 hours later we walked to Alcaufar where all was tranquil and calm:

The next morning and a quick visit to Menorca's capital Mahon - a beautiful port with the old town above - this is the bell tower on a convent next to the police station

More of Mahon another time!.  At 5 o'clock I had arranged to meet Rosemary Garland to go on a photographic outing for the evening.  Rosemary proved to be a wonderful guide and charming person - I would heartily recommend her company (see https://www.facebook.com/pages/Menorca-Photography-Tours/197750353605705) if you are looking for photo opportunities off the beaten track. A few samples are below.  We started in a village whose name has escaped me - Rosemary, can you let me know please?!  The rocks in this little fishing village seemed to be volcanic to me (as were a lot of rocks around the eastern end of the island) and this view screamed black and white to me!

We went to Monte Toro which is the highest point on the island.  At the peak there is a convent, numerous aerials and fantastic panoramic views, but we had a special treat when a tandem paraglider appeared riding the thermals

We now set off for Cavalleria Lighthouse where we were to watch (& photograph) the sunset - on the way we called at a beautiful beach - Playa Cavalleria. As we looked down from above a young couple were photographing one another standing on an exposed rock - I'm sure that she was evoking the Sirens, though there were no ships to tempt onto the rocks

Siren on the rocks

Next to a small set of moorings for fishing boats close to the lighthouse:

Now we went and parked close to the lighthouse - about 30 minutes to go until sunset and sadly not a cloud in the sky (this would have given us a real kaleidoscope of a sky.  First Rosemary showed me a cave close to the light house where we needed to use our phones as torches until we rounded a bend and there was daylight with the low sun streaming into the other end of the cave which simply opened on the cliff-face - no barriers, h & s etc!!

The lighthouse itself - colour?...

...or monochrome?

Romance in the sunset: 15 minutes to go...

Now beat a hasty retreat to get some foreground interest for the actual sunset

3 minutes to go:

2 minutes left:

30 seconds:

Gone! And now the sky stays beautiful for another 45 minutes, especially when a sliver of a new moon appeared

Many thanks to Rosemary for a fantastic guided tour - I intend to be back!

Menorca - Stormy weather

I went to Menorca last week to join Jane and some friends who had kindly invited us to stay in their holiday apartment.  I arrived on Wednesday morning to be regaled with stories of "yesterday's storm" - luckily for me (wearing my photographer's hat) the Mediterranean had still preserved a lot of the symptoms of the storm, without the rain!  These were all shot around the cliffs close to our friends' apartment.  I was particularly pleased to have caught a few shots of the Rock Dove which (so I'm told) is the ancestor of the feral pigeon.  This example was flying close to the cliff face and dodging the breaking waves with great agility.  All were shot with my Olympus OMD E-M1

Mersea Mud, Oyster shells, More Mud and Amber and a tad of Digitalis

Went for trip to West Mersea with Ian and Amber, the dumb blonde.  We parked near the Strood and walked into West Mersea along the sea wall and on as far as the beach below the church before retracing our steps

Stick-in-the-mud...

A very posy black headed gull on the mud

Discarded Oyster shells - no this was not the detritus from my lunch!

A muddy meander near the boat houses

Amber discovering the glorious gloop which is Mersea

Guilty as charged, m'lud

Bath time...

A very fine foxglove