Fairport at the warm-ups 2009
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Monday, 10 August 2009
Holiday in Ibiza August 2009
Wednesday
We arrived in Ibiza airport, were bused the 60 or 70 metres to the terminal building… from where we caught a minibus to Portinatx, furthest point north of the island arriving there in the middle of the afternoon. We started to look around, found some lunch, went swimming, walked down to the beach – 200 steps? A long way down anyway, we needed a drink when we returned that is for sure! One of the very first things that was noticable about Ibiza - even as we were coming in to land was the colour of the sea. Later we learned that this was due to the Neptune grass that grows on the sea floor.
After dinner we decided to walk down to Portinatx town. That is a long way down and had very little to see except another tiny cove like the one below our hotel except about three times the length. Having walked down hill a long way the next necessity of course was walking back up! This is the story of Ibiza we soon learned. As an island it is approximately 44 km long and 20 wide, the trouble is that it seemed ten times that because there are so many hills and what may be 5 km as the crow flies can be 15 by the time you have wound your way up and over the hills.
Ibiza is a hilly island, flatter and wetter in the south where apparently the land is very fertile with rich iron minerals making the soil red and crops such as potatoes, olives, nectarines, plums, prickly pears and avocado pears are all grown. It is much drier and hillier in the north and mostly comprises of pine forests. There is a regular hunting season and apparently the hunted are mostly rabbits that are used for meat.
We arrived in Ibiza airport, were bused the 60 or 70 metres to the terminal building… from where we caught a minibus to Portinatx, furthest point north of the island arriving there in the middle of the afternoon. We started to look around, found some lunch, went swimming, walked down to the beach – 200 steps? A long way down anyway, we needed a drink when we returned that is for sure! One of the very first things that was noticable about Ibiza - even as we were coming in to land was the colour of the sea. Later we learned that this was due to the Neptune grass that grows on the sea floor.
After dinner we decided to walk down to Portinatx town. That is a long way down and had very little to see except another tiny cove like the one below our hotel except about three times the length. Having walked down hill a long way the next necessity of course was walking back up! This is the story of Ibiza we soon learned. As an island it is approximately 44 km long and 20 wide, the trouble is that it seemed ten times that because there are so many hills and what may be 5 km as the crow flies can be 15 by the time you have wound your way up and over the hills.
Ibiza is a hilly island, flatter and wetter in the south where apparently the land is very fertile with rich iron minerals making the soil red and crops such as potatoes, olives, nectarines, plums, prickly pears and avocado pears are all grown. It is much drier and hillier in the north and mostly comprises of pine forests. There is a regular hunting season and apparently the hunted are mostly rabbits that are used for meat.
Catamaran Tour - Thursday
Thursday morning we had booked to go on the catamaran to investigate round the outside of the island. We sailed into a smuggler’s cave that used to have a rope ladder hanging at the back forming an escape route to higher land. We looked at lots of coves, houses belonging to some of the world’s great and good, looked at many of the tiny Balearic islands and headed towards Es Vedra.
Es Vedra is an imposing rock, approximately 400 metres high, and with almost vertical sides. There is a cross on top which may be a mark of respect for the monk who apparently spent his life there. The story says that he took goats over with him, they have bred and there are now a herd of about 30 living as wild animals on the island.
Es Vedra and its smaller sister island Es Vedranell have many mythical tales surrounding them. They are supposed to be magical and mysterious being similar on the magnetic force to the Bermuda triangle – or so we were told :-) This is where the sirens in the story of Jason and the Argonauts are supposed to have waylaid Persius’ (I think) party. Please don’t get cross if I need to check my Greek mythology, I have not read the tales for years – in fact there is a good idea!
We drank sangria and swam from the catamaran, it was a lovely tour, thoroughly enjoyed by all. We took lots of photograph from the sea looking back to the island. The rock formations of the land, coral reefs in the sea, fish and weed were all clearly visible, there was a glass submarine area but it was permanently full with children who seemed to be enjoying the underwater views. We decided to look from in the water instead.
The sea bottom has huge areas covered in a plant called Neptune Grass
“As well as providing an important habitat for a great variety of marine species, seagrasses play a role in protecting our planet from the increasing build up of carbon dioxide. They act as a "carbon sink", like land-based plants, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and thereby helping to slow down the effects of global warming.”
Quoted from http://www.divesitedirectory.co.uk/seagrass_meadows.html
Friday - A Coach Tour of the Island
We booked a bus tour, billed Magical Ibiza, where we were going to learn all about the island. We certainly learned a lot – mostly about hippies – taught by possibly the last of them!
The hippies seem to have been very important to the development of Ibiza, time seems to have been measured before and after the hippies. There are many hippy markets where local arts and crafts are sold, music is played and many locals gather to sell their produce.
As we drove around the island we saw people harvesting almonds, to achieve the harvest they drag out closely woven nets under the trees and hit the branches with sticks so that the nuts fall off into the nets. Carob beans were all ready and hanging in brown pods ready to be harvested after the almonds. Prickly pears had been picked in some places but not others.
We had a couple of breaks from the bus to take photographs of the salt flats and to visit a church.
The Church of Sant Josep De Sa Talaia
The area was very rich in the 18th Century and a beautiful church with gold plating on the altar and paintings on the pulpit, and huge highly ornate statues was built. It was badly damaged in the civil war but much of it has been restored now and it is, once again, quite beautiful.
The ceiling decoration is coloured blue, as many building entrances, windmills etc are., this is to prevent the little people of local folklore, familiars as they are known, from entering the houses and creating mischief.
The Salt Flats
“The island's salt flats measure six million square metres and were deemed worthy of conservation by the Spanish government in 1995. In 2001, the Balearic government confirmed the area's national park status. It contains 26 salt pools and the salt harvested there is considered to be one of the finest varieties in the world. The main buyers for the "white gold" are Norway, the Faroe Islands (Denmark), Iceland and Great Britain. At the beginning of the last century, the salt company even had branches as far away as Canada and Calcutta. Ibiza's salt is mainly used to preserve cod and as table salt. Ships stop off at the sa Canal jetty all year round to take on a load of salt. About 4,000 tonnes of salt are on hand to be collected at any given time.”
Quoted from: http://www.ibizaa-z.com/print2.php?name=Ibiza%27s%20Salt%20Flats where there is a load more information. There are more photos on the Flickr page.
Cava de Can Marca in Puerto St Miguel
The bus tour ended at the Cava de Can Marca in Puerto St Miguel. The cave is over 100,000 years old. Down about 300 steps – has stalactites – but also an artificial waterfall, coloured lights and piped music – pity!
It was far too hot to be on a bus for most of the day. Unfortunately we had done a full tour of the island picking up passengers – by the time the tour started we had more or less had enough by 5pm we were just so glad to get off and take a very long drink to the swimming pool!
The hippies seem to have been very important to the development of Ibiza, time seems to have been measured before and after the hippies. There are many hippy markets where local arts and crafts are sold, music is played and many locals gather to sell their produce.
As we drove around the island we saw people harvesting almonds, to achieve the harvest they drag out closely woven nets under the trees and hit the branches with sticks so that the nuts fall off into the nets. Carob beans were all ready and hanging in brown pods ready to be harvested after the almonds. Prickly pears had been picked in some places but not others.
We had a couple of breaks from the bus to take photographs of the salt flats and to visit a church.
The Church of Sant Josep De Sa Talaia
The area was very rich in the 18th Century and a beautiful church with gold plating on the altar and paintings on the pulpit, and huge highly ornate statues was built. It was badly damaged in the civil war but much of it has been restored now and it is, once again, quite beautiful.
The ceiling decoration is coloured blue, as many building entrances, windmills etc are., this is to prevent the little people of local folklore, familiars as they are known, from entering the houses and creating mischief.
The Salt Flats
“The island's salt flats measure six million square metres and were deemed worthy of conservation by the Spanish government in 1995. In 2001, the Balearic government confirmed the area's national park status. It contains 26 salt pools and the salt harvested there is considered to be one of the finest varieties in the world. The main buyers for the "white gold" are Norway, the Faroe Islands (Denmark), Iceland and Great Britain. At the beginning of the last century, the salt company even had branches as far away as Canada and Calcutta. Ibiza's salt is mainly used to preserve cod and as table salt. Ships stop off at the sa Canal jetty all year round to take on a load of salt. About 4,000 tonnes of salt are on hand to be collected at any given time.”
Quoted from: http://www.ibizaa-z.com/print2.php?name=Ibiza%27s%20Salt%20Flats where there is a load more information. There are more photos on the Flickr page.
Cava de Can Marca in Puerto St Miguel
The bus tour ended at the Cava de Can Marca in Puerto St Miguel. The cave is over 100,000 years old. Down about 300 steps – has stalactites – but also an artificial waterfall, coloured lights and piped music – pity!
It was far too hot to be on a bus for most of the day. Unfortunately we had done a full tour of the island picking up passengers – by the time the tour started we had more or less had enough by 5pm we were just so glad to get off and take a very long drink to the swimming pool!
Ibiza Festival 8th August 2009
Saturday
The day was free until evening, we went down on to the beach very early and went for long swims around the rocks and towards the next cove. We just relaxed until about 3pm when we decided we needed to eat. After eating we got ready to go out to the festival.
Ibiza Town is the capital of the island and Saturday 8th August saw the festival of its patron Saint. We attended the event arriving at the harbour as it was getting dark. Around the harbour and port were shops, jewellery stalls, musical events, street theatre etc., it was all very lively and interesting. We headed towards the old town or Dalt Vila. We climbed right up to the top walking up through the city walls called the Murallas de Ibiza and navigating the narrow, windy, cobbled streets. It was fascinating to see the tiny houses, shrines built into the streets, designer shops with room for half a dozen items, the market stalls as well as the dozens of cafes, restaurants, and bars making a very vibrant atmosphere. It was a slight shock to see KFC there – a bit sad really!
The city walls were built in the 16th Century as a defence against attacks by the Turkish smugglers. They are well preserved, and have been classed as a world Heritage Site. There are many tiny, hidden entrances that only local people would know and could use in case of attack but the main entrance is called the Portal de Ses Taules.
Looking out over the whole island at the top of the city is the Castle and Cathedral de Santa Maria with impressive gothic architecture it was built sometime between the 14th-16th century. The castle wall still has four cannons trained out over the port. It is all illuminated at night it very pretty to see.
After the cathedral visit and taking many dozens of spectacularly poor photographs of the wonderful views we returned to the port to watch the firework display. There must have been thousands of people including many young children and babies there – it was a very festive atmosphere, not something we are really used to here in the UK.
Real information about Ibiza is hard to find on the web, maybe there is far more in Spanish, but here are a few write-ups that give useful information.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/spain/menorca/718886/Ibiza-Feeling-groovy.html
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/holidays-in-ibiza-534083.html
http://ibiza.costasur.com/en/misterioso-ibiza.html
The day was free until evening, we went down on to the beach very early and went for long swims around the rocks and towards the next cove. We just relaxed until about 3pm when we decided we needed to eat. After eating we got ready to go out to the festival.
Ibiza Town is the capital of the island and Saturday 8th August saw the festival of its patron Saint. We attended the event arriving at the harbour as it was getting dark. Around the harbour and port were shops, jewellery stalls, musical events, street theatre etc., it was all very lively and interesting. We headed towards the old town or Dalt Vila. We climbed right up to the top walking up through the city walls called the Murallas de Ibiza and navigating the narrow, windy, cobbled streets. It was fascinating to see the tiny houses, shrines built into the streets, designer shops with room for half a dozen items, the market stalls as well as the dozens of cafes, restaurants, and bars making a very vibrant atmosphere. It was a slight shock to see KFC there – a bit sad really!
The city walls were built in the 16th Century as a defence against attacks by the Turkish smugglers. They are well preserved, and have been classed as a world Heritage Site. There are many tiny, hidden entrances that only local people would know and could use in case of attack but the main entrance is called the Portal de Ses Taules.
Looking out over the whole island at the top of the city is the Castle and Cathedral de Santa Maria with impressive gothic architecture it was built sometime between the 14th-16th century. The castle wall still has four cannons trained out over the port. It is all illuminated at night it very pretty to see.
After the cathedral visit and taking many dozens of spectacularly poor photographs of the wonderful views we returned to the port to watch the firework display. There must have been thousands of people including many young children and babies there – it was a very festive atmosphere, not something we are really used to here in the UK.
Real information about Ibiza is hard to find on the web, maybe there is far more in Spanish, but here are a few write-ups that give useful information.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/spain/menorca/718886/Ibiza-Feeling-groovy.html
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/holidays-in-ibiza-534083.html
http://ibiza.costasur.com/en/misterioso-ibiza.html
Saturday, 1 August 2009
A Court Experience
I have had the very mixed blessing of being involved in a court case for the last three weeks. Justice is something we all take for granted in this country but how it has been achieved has always been somewhat of a mystery to me having never before been involved in any way, shape or form.
The constant referrals to the law books and ensuing discussions have been a real eye opener. The effort involved in making sure that the defendant has a fair trial and is not damaged by prejudice, contamination, collusion, evidence that is biased in some way, or does not actually help either for the prosecution or the defense to the lay person seems totally over the top but is clearly very necessary.
The judge, treated with absolute respect by the court staff and other regular personnel but human enough to instantly dismiss the obvious faux pas worrying counsel when a witness sat in the stand. He had an amazing skill in cutting through the legal arguments and establishing the fair line, which everyone then adheres to is something to admire as is the cross questioning by the counsel on both sides to try to establish the truth of a matter.
So I am in awe of the system, the thoroughness etc. that it involves and the total commitment by everyone to make sure the trial is fair with all parties being supported as necessary. What I was totally amazed by was the apparent time wasting that the current system seems to be unable to avoid.
Once the trial to all intents and purposes was over and the jury was out the counsel and police involved in the case were waiting for a considerable amount of time for the verdict. On the morning after retirement there was a legal question from the jury where counsel and the judge needed to discuss the answer. In the court was a live link video conferencing system, probably just an in-house link at the moment, but it could have easily been used for all concerned parties to have that legal discussion over the airways and then counsel for the prosecution, who has another case waiting and on hold, could have been working on that one. Clearly this would take organization but from this experience I can see that there is time before court convinces at 10am, coffee break about 11.15, lunch break, 1 – 2 and afternoon break about 2.45 when such opportunities for discussion could easily be taken without people having to be sitting around for days waiting. The next trial has to have these fifteen or so minute breaks at the beginnings or endings of sessions anyway to discuss the same legal questions so it would make no appreciable difference to the running case but enable these highly qualified people to be moving forward instead of waiting. In this way overlap between trials would not involve so many people sitting around waiting endlessly in one court whilst another is waiting.
I would guess that the overlap in most cases is only going to be a day or two – as long as the jury is actually out which seems, most times, to be up to a day, occasionally a couple of days but quite rarely a prolonged event unless it is a huge complex trial.
There have been many other eye openers in this whole experience as well – the necessity for about 30 people to bring all of the evidence together to lock another person up for years and years is very upsetting. Even when you are 100% positive that the evidence is true it is a very hard thing to do. How on earth people can do this for their whole lives is beyond me.
In my next life I want to be a court usher! That seems to be the most interesting job in the whole place :0)
The constant referrals to the law books and ensuing discussions have been a real eye opener. The effort involved in making sure that the defendant has a fair trial and is not damaged by prejudice, contamination, collusion, evidence that is biased in some way, or does not actually help either for the prosecution or the defense to the lay person seems totally over the top but is clearly very necessary.
The judge, treated with absolute respect by the court staff and other regular personnel but human enough to instantly dismiss the obvious faux pas worrying counsel when a witness sat in the stand. He had an amazing skill in cutting through the legal arguments and establishing the fair line, which everyone then adheres to is something to admire as is the cross questioning by the counsel on both sides to try to establish the truth of a matter.
So I am in awe of the system, the thoroughness etc. that it involves and the total commitment by everyone to make sure the trial is fair with all parties being supported as necessary. What I was totally amazed by was the apparent time wasting that the current system seems to be unable to avoid.
Once the trial to all intents and purposes was over and the jury was out the counsel and police involved in the case were waiting for a considerable amount of time for the verdict. On the morning after retirement there was a legal question from the jury where counsel and the judge needed to discuss the answer. In the court was a live link video conferencing system, probably just an in-house link at the moment, but it could have easily been used for all concerned parties to have that legal discussion over the airways and then counsel for the prosecution, who has another case waiting and on hold, could have been working on that one. Clearly this would take organization but from this experience I can see that there is time before court convinces at 10am, coffee break about 11.15, lunch break, 1 – 2 and afternoon break about 2.45 when such opportunities for discussion could easily be taken without people having to be sitting around for days waiting. The next trial has to have these fifteen or so minute breaks at the beginnings or endings of sessions anyway to discuss the same legal questions so it would make no appreciable difference to the running case but enable these highly qualified people to be moving forward instead of waiting. In this way overlap between trials would not involve so many people sitting around waiting endlessly in one court whilst another is waiting.
I would guess that the overlap in most cases is only going to be a day or two – as long as the jury is actually out which seems, most times, to be up to a day, occasionally a couple of days but quite rarely a prolonged event unless it is a huge complex trial.
There have been many other eye openers in this whole experience as well – the necessity for about 30 people to bring all of the evidence together to lock another person up for years and years is very upsetting. Even when you are 100% positive that the evidence is true it is a very hard thing to do. How on earth people can do this for their whole lives is beyond me.
In my next life I want to be a court usher! That seems to be the most interesting job in the whole place :0)
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