This morning aboard Sea Cloud, we were sailing for Menorca, our second island among the Balearic group. On our way to breakfast, we found that the light showers and Sirocco wind overnight brought the sands of the Sahara to the decks of our ship! The sailors quickly went to work swabbing the decks and rinsing the walls and deck furniture to bring the ship back to pristine condition. Our Lindblad National Geographic experts provided two presentations this morning; Bill Saturno offered “Mystics, Miracles, Saracens and Saints” while Photo Instructor Anna Mazurek raised our game with “Smartphone Photography.”

During our lunch on the lido deck, Sea Cloud took on a local pilot and sailed up the 6-km dramatic bay to bring us alongside the city of Mahon.

Boarding coaches, we set out on an afternoon exploration of this green and pastoral island with its numerous, distinctive, and well-crafted stone walls. We stopped for photos at the white-washed “fisherman’s village” of Binibeca and marveled at the newly certified UNESCO Heritage Site of Torralba d’en Salort, a Bronze Age village and religious site. Returning to Mahon, guests enjoyed the descent on foot to the pier below.

We departed Mahon in a beautiful light, once again enjoying the picturesque houses, villas, historic buildings, and battlements that lined the extensive bay. Back on the Mediterranean, we bid farewell to Spain and sailed for France.