Sunset over Collingwood House

Picture by Jose Muñoz.

Son Rotger, Lloc Nou d'es Fasser

After many days of troubled weather, the sun finally shone again yesterday in Menorca.

 Agricultural farm of Son Rotger, near Torralbenc, Biniedris and Lloc Nou d'es Fasser. A very rich area in terms of relevant archaeological sites. 

Talayot at Lloc Nou d'es Fasser. In just two kilometers around there are at least 4 Taulas, the unkown meaning T shaped stone monuments, and many talayots and other remains. 

By So na Caçana

Mahon town again lost under the fog

There it is, fog, atmospheric moisture still uncertain in destination, not quite weather and not altogether mood, yet partaking of both.

 Accurate words of Hal Borland.

 Beautiful picture by Sandra Pons.

Camí de Cavalls. Binigaus, Cala Escorxada.

In a splendid morning of January we have completed the stage of the coastal path that goes from Santo Tomás to Cala Escorxada.

The route always passes near the sea, through pine groves, rocky trails and cliffs. It is not difficult and in just over an hour and a half we have reached our goal that was Cala Escorxada -very lonely at this time of year- and found a paleontological site of what I had read, but I had never seen before.

 Cala Escorxada

Binigaus

 Gastropod fossil on the rocks near Escorxada.

What is this I found on the beach? is it a mermaid's purse?

The enchantingly named structures are the egg cases of skates and some sharks. This is why they are also known as skate cases.

While some sharks bear live young, some sharks (and all skates) release their embryos in leathery egg cases that have horns and sometimes long tendrils at each corner.

The tendrils allow them to anchor to seaweeds or other substrates. Each egg case contains one embryo. The case is made up of a material that is a combination of collagen and keratin, so a dried egg case feels similar to a fingernail.