Watching the Beautiful People

Wednesday the dinner at the hotel was billed as a fish night special so we decided to venture to the town of Sant Antoni as that particular cuisine is not so much to our liking.  We quickly discovered that many of the rich and beautiful inhabit this beautiful coastal city as large homes and expensive cars dotted the properties that hung up above the coast.  It also quickly became clear that several of the well known night clubs had their homes in this resort community but this type of entertainment represented zero temptation for us.  Cover charges run between 30 and 50 euro and the doors don’t usually even open until 10.00 p.m. and that is early!  Most are 11.00 and midnight and the local rumor is that the truly cool people don't show up until 2.00 a.m.  I said to Doug, “I’m not sure what would motivate me at this point to want start my evening at 10.00 p.m.!”  I have truly crossed over to a more mature mentality!  We did want to see the famed Café del Mar however but first we wanted to eat. Doug was hankering for pizza and that is not a hard sell for me so we were delighted to discover David’s Italian restaurant.  On offer was a meal deal that consisted of a huge mixed greens salad, pizza of your choice, ice cream for dessert, wine or beer and a shot of apple snaps.  It was absolutely delicious and because we were such early birds, choosing to eat dinner at 6.00 p.m. when most Spainards are just getting up for breakfast, the final bill was a mere 30 euro total!  That’s the equivalent of 300 Swedish crowns which would have barely covered the drinks in Stockholm!  It was a delicious and satisfying find and we were off to our next destination…the swanky and famous Café del Mar where all the beautiful people gather to watch the sun set over the Sant Antoni bay.  We were lucky to discover that we had parked just up the street from this upscale beach scene.  The city has built this gorgeous coastline promenade that is lined with lovely bars and cafés ready to settle people into a delicious cocktail and enjoy the ensuing sunset.  It was only about 7.30 and it was positively empty.  We decided to stroll along the walkway, watching people, taking in the scene.  And what a scene it was.  We scarcely saw one man without a tattoo and usually the tattoos are large, covering copious amounts of skin space.  Many women sported them as well and was an eye opener to realize how incredibly popular tattooing is with both the younger and older set.  Additionally, since Sant Antoni is a nightclub hot spot, the young women in particular were dressed (barely), well, mostly like hookers.  Very indiscreet clothing was on parade as little by little the shoreline and cafés filled in with people of all ilks ready to take in the sunset.  You could just taste the scene that was emerging.  Three young men who were obviously body builders came strutting by, sans shirts.  I later saw them sitting in one of the cool cafés sporting skin tight white tank tops.  It seemed the pre-party was happening right here on the San Antoni promenade.  Watch the sun set, then head for your after dark persona in the clubs.

Some of the bars along the promenade were very beautiful and sported clever names like Sun Sea Bar, obviously a play on the exotic island Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania.  The furniture was very loungy and inviting and while I’m sure the cocktails were delicious and beautiful we decided to keep our 10 euro in our pocket for another day.  Everyone was incredibly friendly as almost every stop had someone out front inviting us to come in and enjoy the pleasures of their café.  Most were surprised that we were Americans and I do believe we may have been the only Americans on the island!  It gave us celebrity status as it seems quite rare for Americans to show up on the shores of Ibiza. 

Exotic Americans trying to be part of the beautiful people scene

Too bad more of our compatriots won’t get to experience this lovely little spot in the Mediterranean.   The Café del Mar was not a disappointment with its sheik interior and art deco throw back.  It felt a bit like 1930 Malibu or something of the like and their outdoor seating under these beautiful drapes was appealing and inviting.  We found a seat on the promenade and were amazed that by 8.30 p.m. the entire sea front was packed.  Big party boats had made their way into the bay, the cafés and bars were now packed with people and younger folks drinking beer from a can were strewn along the rocky shoreline.  Around 8.45 the sun began to turn bright orange and the drop was on.  By 9.20 it had disappeared completely behind the horizon and once gone, a huge cheer erupted from the crowds behind us.  Clearly a nightly tradition for those staying in San Antoni, it was a pleasure to be a part of it ourselves.

I’m not sure why watching a setting sun is such a treat but there’s a certain calm that comes when you sit on the coast, facing west and see the big orange ball drop down to another part of the world. 

Amazing Ibiza

This beautiful island paradise is known for its fabulous night clubs and wild parties.  But there is another side to this lesser Balearic island however and we just spent a week taking in the beauty and tranquility of the lovely coastline and wonderfully warm people.   We stayed on the quiet "made for older people" side of the island in the charming community of San Miguel.

The view from our balcony

Our hotel was perched high above the sea overlooking a gorgeous bay.

The weather was spectacular with bright sunshine, warm-hot temperatures during the day while cooling off nicely in the evening.  The sun set at about 9.25 which is a full hour and a half earlier than Stockholm and it stays dark all night.  I slept a lot better with a full night sky draping our windows over the night! 

 The water was crystal clear and the perfect temperature for cooling off.  We spent our days floating on our air mattress rafts either on the shore or in the water.  The sun was intense and I found out how easy it is to get a sunburn.  I had been quite careful except for the first afternoon when I casually flipped over on my stomach and am still paying the price of an exposed back without sunblock.  I have not been that stupid since I was a teenager!  The sun was so relaxing and the nap so refreshing that I just forgot about the critical step of protecting my skin.  Even so, the slight cool breeze that seemed to always be present kept it comfortable enough to enjoy the sunshine for a long day.  The heat of the day came in about 3.00 and from then until 5.00 pm it really roasts.  From about 5.00 p.m. until 7.00 p.m. it's calm, cool and tranquilly beautiful.  Then the sun begins to set and an immediate change in temperature occurs.  The heat ebbs, and the cool air settles over you.  It’s easy to enjoy being outside in shorts and a light sweater.  Reminds me of a California summer.  I suppose many things about Spain and its surrounding islands remind me of California summers and perhaps that is why I resonate so clearly with being here.  There are fewer things I love more than to be alongside the sea and the fact that the waters are so clear and warm increase that enjoyment one hundredfold.