Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Forbfruit

Ibiza and trading

Strategically positioned between mainland Spain and Africa, the island was a highly sought after colony and trading post. Due to this it has had a turbulent past and many different leaderships. Often visited by the ancient Greeks, and ran by both the Carthaginians and the Romans. The Carthaginians founded Ibiza town, which became an important port. They also built the Salinas, which was very important for the production of the islands most valuable asset; White Gold i.e. salt.

The Romans come to Ibiza!

123BC saw the arrival of the Romans. They used the island primarily for wood and soldiers, and also learned about growing grapes and olives. Naturally they also constructed lots of roads, bridges and indeed cities, such as Alcudia. The 4th and 5th centuries saw the Vandals and the Byzantines, when the first basilicas were established. After then came the Vikings and the Moors, who were quickly displaced in 707 by the Arabs who reigned supreme for the next 5 centuries. During the Christian domination, the Muslims were driven out by the Catalans. In the 1400s, due to the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, the island officially belonged to the Kingdom of Spain. There was a lot of pirate activity around this time, particularly around these islands.

The hippies come to Ibiza!

However more recently, was the invasion of the hippies in the 1960’s. Upon seeking and indeed finding this hedonistic paradise, and a culture unchanged for thousands of years, they began the traveller/tourist trend that now almost engulfs the islands past. However as with all the invasions the people of Ibiza have suffered, they vehemently hang on to their traditions. There are plenty of rural towns which remain largely untouched, and many towns have joined the ’Agroturismo’ scheme, which promotes a locally sustainable holiday experience. This is naturally a good idea, which will hopefully stop larger corporations taking over the island. That is an invasion definitely to be avoided and probably, under the surface as always, one of the biggest threats.

Ibiza – a lot more than Nightclubs and bars

As you can see Ibiza is not the new nightclub capital of the West, it is a deeply cultured and historic place, of distinct and acute beauty. It is paramount for the island to retain its culture, so if you visit it would do the place justice at least be aware.

Daryl always stays in ibiza villas and has even been known to stay in a few apartments in tenerife in his youth.

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Spanish cuisine
Spaniards have a great fondness for food, so they put the care in its preparation. Spanish cuisine is a tasty and colorful. The basic food-stuffs which they use are fish and other seafood, beef, mutton, pork, but they use also poultry, rice, potatoes, beans, various vegetables and white bread. Spaniards also use to add their typically piquant spices and herbs that make their dishes come unmistakable taste. Their kitchen is divided into Catalan, Basque, Galician, Castilian, Andalusian, and more. Each of them is something typical and special. However in all of them you can find lots of garlic and olive oil. The best known Spanish dish is certainly “paella” which is a mixture of rice, vegetables, meat or seafood and spices. Furthermore, gazpacho – cold vegetable soup. National food is tortilla – raw potato omelette with eggs and onions. Typical Spanish cuisine is tapas – small savory snacks that are served before a meal during the day and especially night.

Spanish restaurants
In Spain, all restaurants are legally obliged to offer a “menu del Día“, which includes appetizer, main course, dessert and beverage. This dish is served only at lunch time and it is a popular and inexpensive way to eat well. Expensive restaurants sometimes offer a tasting menu, where you can taste the little bits of several courses. It is common that during the bank holidays, the restaurants are closed.

Spanish drinks
A typical drink in Spain is wine. It is usually served with both lunch and dinner. The oldest and best known wine cellars in Spain are in La Rioja. These wines can be compared with the quality of French wine from Bordeaux. They have also classic wine Jerez and popular Spanish sparkling wine Cava. The perfect complement to all the dishes is a sweet Sangria, which consists of a mixture of fruit with sweet red wine, a little liquor, fruit juice or sparkling wine. It is best chilled and with ice.

Accommodation
In Spain you can find a wide range of accommodation of all kinds. From humble “fondas” or guest houses to luxury five-star hotels. Great interest is enjoying rural accommodation, located on farms, in cabins or in the restored palaces. It is possible to do a variety of outdoor activities, horse riding, cycling or hiking.

Spanish unique accommodation is the “Parador” which is a chain of hotels which are located in different historic buildings or in national parks, with a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. It is also possible to stay in a bungalow or apartment, they are located mainly in the coastal tourist resorts. There are also youth hostels, which can be found throughout the country. It’s a cheap way of accommodation. In Spain there are also over 1400 camps of various categories.

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