We’re falling in love…

…with this island.

I am not even joking. All of the countries and places we’ve visited so far were nothing but welcoming, nice, and stunningly pretty.

But this island is something else.

Chris and I actually had our honeymoon many, many years ago on the sister island Mallorca and that was cool enough but Menorca has it – at least for us – beat by a long shot.

It is absolutely beautiful, warm, quiet and so very, very peaceful. I am sure that somehow the sun even casts a different light on everything. It’s so orange and warm, we really are impressed.

Our week consisted of hiking, pool time, soaking up the sun, and taking it slow. We were exploring all kinds of corners of the island and are stunned by how very different it is everywhere you go. The island is small enough – I think going from one west to east only takes about 45 Minutes – but on every corner, you go to you’ll find something else. One corner is full of steep cliffs reaching as far as the eye can see, reminding me strongly of Ireland if it weren’t for the warm weather, the next corner is full of white sand beaches, yet another one is lush green woods only to turn into a stone wall covered fields and buildings as soon as you turn around. It is absolutely stunning.

I have also never been in a place this quiet. It’s December and that might be a huge part of it, but we have now been the only guests at a restaurant, not only once but twice. And we have only been out to eat twice. People out here also seem to be absolutely chill. They leave you alone and don’t bother you, but at the same time are incredibly nice if they do talk to you.

In Germany, going shopping on December 23rd, let alone December 24th borders on mental craziness. No one in their right mind would consider it unless you love being pushed around, elbowed in the gut while racing for the last baguette, and barely making it to the counter alive.

Here we went shopping on both, the 23rd and 24th and there were maybe 10 people more on the 24th than any other day. People were wearing Santa hats, wishing each other “Feliz Navidad” (again, try not to sing it when saying it to them), and having a great time. I believe the sun is to blame for that. Who gets grumpy when you can ride your bike in 25 degrees on Christmas eve with the sun shining down on your face?

And then during the holidays! Some neighbor was in his yard shirtless, mowing his lawn. Mowing his lawn! On a holiday! Imagine the uproar in Germany! Some neighbors were getting together with their families, but it was all a shorts and t-shirt kind of affair, everyone was just going about their business and Christmas didn’t have that melancholic emotional sadness attached to it. It was just a fun, warm, sunny day.

I am also starting every single day with a dive in the pool, drying off in the sun. Nothing better to wake you up. I have to constantly remind myself that it is actually December. Just yesterday I was talking to our youngest about something that happened two weeks ago and he said: “but I wonder how that would be in winter, after all, it’s not winter right now.” We are all forgetting that we should be shivering in depressive, grey, mushy wetness right now and covered up with 7 layers of clothing. We should be coughing and sneezing and not wanting to go outside. Instead, we are wondering if we should maybe use sunscreen.

With all the positive times we are having here, with all the great things we are discovering, all the sun shining down on our faces and all the nature and sights we are soaking up, we are all seriously wondering if and – most of all WHY – we should be going home again.

We are running out of reasons. Fast.