Talatí de Dalt

Talatí de Dalt is one of the most remarkable prehistoric settlements on the island.

 

Canned several monuments: a plant talayot ​​elliptical conical profile, the taula enclosure, housing sector or houses that conserve deck slabs placed radially and supported on columns (called hypostyle halls) and some caves.

Friars Cowl

Arisarum Vulgare, common name of the Friar's Cowl or Larus , is an herbaceous, perennial, with an underground rizhome plant in the genus Arisarum.

A single leaflike bract (spathe) forms a purplish-brown or olive green striped tube about 5 inches long, with an open upper part helmet or hood-shaped curved forward. It is exceptionally common in Menorca during the wet season. Normally November to April.

Orchid hunting

A long time ago, being an orchid hunter wasn’t just for orchid lovers. It was a real profession. During the 18^th century this profession reached a new peak. Because of the high demand for orchids, people went in search for these plants in the wild. And back then, the places where orchid hunting took them were very dangerous. In fact, people lost limbs, got eaten by animals, disappeared, and even died because of the danger that came with orchid hunting.

There was a story about a group of people who went to the Philippines in 1901 to search for wild orchids. There were eight of them that started the journey, but only one came back alive. One was said to be eaten by tigers. Another one was said to be burned alive, and the other five just disappeared.

Another story tells of a group of hunters who went to Papua New Guinea. Before their journey finished, their group was captured by the natives. Two of them were even beheaded. Lucky for the other members there was a rescue party sent to save them.

Orchid hunting is usually synonymous with steamy jungles and not Minorcan grasslands, but in our island we have our own modest collection of native orchids, which like their tropical cousins, one has to look carefully.

For months I wanted to find a day to dedicate to this particular "orchid hunting" which in my case does not involve collecting the plant but only to take pictures of it.

 

Ophys Lutea: Broad asymmetric lateral sepals, dorsal sepal lowered. Extended petals, yellow or with a blue-grey or brown spotted velvety macula. Pollinated by male Andrena bees. This species is notable among Ophrys for the fact that the pollinating bees sit on the labellum facing away from the pollinaria instead of facing towards them, and thus collect the pollinaria with their abdomen.

 

Orchis tridentata (Three-toothed orchid) is a species of orchid found in southern Europe from Spain to Turkey and Lebanon. This orchid favors grassy places, woodland, scrub and maqui

Cova des Coloms

From the small village of Es Migjorn Gran in southern Menorca, an interesting walk can be taken through the limestone gorge "Barranc de Binigaus" to the huge, natural cave Cove des Coloms. 24 metre high and 116 meters deep, sometimes referred to it as the Cathedral Cave due to its sheer size.

In the canyon you may spot many kinds of flowers, birds and other wildlife. 

Hyoseris Radiata is a perennial stemless herb. Leaves are oblanceolate in outline, glabrous, fleshy, pinnatisect, with broadly ovate to almost orbicular lobes, entire or slightly dentate, runcinate, often overlapping, with acute apex. Involucres are cylindrical-campanulate, and glabrous. Outer phyllaries are ovate-lanceolate with subacute apex; while inner phyllaries are narrowly scarious-margined with obtuse apex. Florets are yellow. Achenes are brown, of 3 types.

Asphodelus Aestivus. The asphodel was supposed to be a remedy for poisonous snake-bites and a specific against sorcery; it was fatal to mice, but preserved pigs from disease. The Libyan nomads made their huts of asphodel stalks. In Greek legend the asphodel is one of the most famous of the plants connected with the dead and the underworld. Homer describes it as covering the great meadow (ἀσφόδελος λειμών), the haunt of the dead. It was planted on graves, and is often connected with Persephone, who appears crowned with a garland of asphodels

 

 On the way to the cave are remains of several talayots. These cone shaped towers date from prehistoric times, about 2000 BC.

Click here for a wikiloc route from Santo Tomás to Cova des Coloms:

Wild flowers....everywhere

It’s been a long, hard winter. At least it’s felt that way. But beautiful wild flowers have been recently growing along the sides of lanes in any place in the island...

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Allium triquetrum is a bulbous flowering plant in the genus Allium (onions and garlic) native to the Mediterranean basin
 

Bellis annua or the Annual Daisy is a species of the genus Bellis
They’re everywhere and they are stunning.