Menorca, Spain

“Everyone always comes back from holiday exclaiming they ‘saw the bluest water, like, everrrrr’, but really, truly, they can't have seen Menorca’s. It’s a blue that names like turquoise, azure, cerulean, can’t do justice. Gliding along the surface had been a test in patience, fighting the urge to ditch off the side into its inviting waters. So when we pull up inside the cave for a swimming stop, it takes all of two milliseconds to set aside the oars and dive straight in. It’s been a long time since we last felt the refreshing touch of salt water. For a second I seriously consider becoming a mermaid so I can live under here forever. After a youth spent swimming competitively, there’s always a sense of comfort in returning home to the water; surrendering to the ocean and just letting go. Under the rolling blue there’s nothing to focus on but your breath and thoughts; a natural meditation of sorts. Breaking through the surface to the sound of our friends whooping and splashing about, the happiness bubbles over. In this place of white cliffs and clear waves, there’s nothing to do but lie back and laugh to the bright blue skies as the stress dissolves away.”

“I only went for a long weekend. Menorca is a small island and I figured that 3 days would be enough time for me. I didn’t hire a car but just used buses to get around. They were pretty reliable and quite cheap too. Although if I went again I might hire a car as it's not easy to visit some of the areas just on public buses. The trip itself was good. I stayed in a hotel in Mahón and used buses to visit the other side of the island and one of the beaches. I didn’t want to plan too much, I wanted to relax and not have a full agenda. In truth though I felt like I struggled to fill the day a bit. Normally when I travel with my other half we walk around non-stop and by the end I’m desperate to just sit at some outside table and drink beer or wine. But having the freedom to do that on my trip made me realise that I don’t really enjoy drinking that much during the day. It just made me sleepy and unwilling to do anything. Next time I might look at some excursions or walking tours or something. Something else to pad the day out a bit that isn’t too tiring.”