Mussuptá de Sa Talaia

One of the nine farms that have that name that has an unmistakable Arabic phonetic root and that, therefore, before the Spanish reconquest of the island, that is to say, more than 700 years ago, there was already in this area an extensive farm named Mussuptá.

It seems that winter is coming to its end and some changes are already perceived.

Malachite in Es Pla de Mar.

For years I had wanted to follow the trace of the malachite mineral that was extracted in Menorca from very ancient times. Experts say that mining has been carried out in the island from prehistoric times up until the end of the 19th century. 

Although there is no clear evidence of this, the filon that alternates malachite and lignite crosses the cliff and it is so colorful that it is not difficult to think that these small nodules that of mineral that appear could be collected and worked in small scale, as it happens in many other prehistoric communities.

Macar d'Alfurinet.

Copper mineral Thread

Malachite (a Copper Carbonate Hydroxide) is a famous semi-precious stone. The stone's name comes (via Latin and French) from the Greek molochitis, "mallow-green stone", from molochē, variant of malachē, "mallow". Its banded light and dark green layers are so characteristic that malachite is easily recognized, even by non-specialists. The beautiful green of Malachite has been known for millenia. It was mined by ancient civilizations, and when ground to a powder it was used as a pigment.

Malachite is typically associated with copper deposits within limestones (limestone being the source of the carbon in Malachite). 

Malachite from Es Pla de Mar.

Thus, and based on quotations from old archaeological works and more recent works on the history of local mining, we were looking for ore veins in the area of Costa de Alfurí, Cala Pilar and Bombarda until we found the old mines.

Nearby farm Sant Bernat

Splendour time for Almond Trees

Senecio Rodriguezii blooming among the rocks.

The Senecio rodriguezii is an attractive small pink ragwort endemic to Mallorca and Menorca that loves the sea and grows on the coastal rocks sprinkled by the waves. In spite of its diminutive size does not go unnoticed, since its bright flowers of a vivid white and pink color emphasize on the brownish gray of the rocks burned by the sun and the salt.

 Sant Bernat

 Green fields on the way to Alfurinet.