(10/21) Leaving Mallorca, we headed to the popular Ibiza, the Balearic island known for its night life. Having attended enough clubs and discos in our days, we set sights on the backside of the island and anchored for a night. Our views were once again stunning and our evening was complete with a concert from ashore featuring ZZ Top-like tunes. Strangely enough, the songs were played in English, but conversations were in Spanish! Quite the evening.

(10/22-10/23) Our next stop was to Formentera, the smallest of the Balearic islands. The idyllic Formentera attracts ferried tourists, mostly from Ibiza, for day-trip excursions to explore the vast sandy dunes and pine tree beaches. Just another stunning island worth the time to visit.

(10/23-10/27) Well, once again Mother Nature has dictated our course of events. We had planned to travel to Cartegena but unexpected wind shifts blew us to a different way of thinking. Anchoring for a night on the other side of the island, then going to a marina, we made lemonade out of the lemons and explored the ever popular Ibizza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Evizza was founded by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC and later became a Punic and Roman city. Then, in the 13th century, it was conquered by the Catalans and became part of the Crown of Aragon. It was named a World Heritage Site in 1999.

We thoroughly enjoyed the unexpected trip to the historic, spotless city with its French-European flair. We again had excellent meals, perfect weather, and missed the summertime crowds. In fact, several restaurants and boutiques were closing for the season and or remodeling with anticipation of 2024.

A new favorite tapa (small dish) I discovered was eggplant with honey. It was like a tempura, yet the delicate coating was flavored with honey; I devoured it twice. Rich swears he had the best pizza since he has been in Europe here in Ibiza! Go figure. We also experienced a new after dinner drink, Hierbas Ibicencas, traditional to the island, offered to us one night after dinner.

The making of Hierbas is a tradition that goes back over 200 years in the islands of Ibiza and Formentera. The basic ingredient is aniseed, an anise-flavored liquer, with other herbs found growing in the local area. The drink reminded me of a cross between sambuca and anisette; quite soothing.

Here are some fun facts: small, toy dogs are everywhere; for your convenience restaurant menus are posted outside the establishment; the dish of lobster with fried eggs over french fries is widely popular; there is no time change in Europe; boat names are in English no matter what country you are visiting, and Polaroid cameras (35 mm) are widely popular. We are now only five hours ahead in time from the US.