#Surprise!

Whilst I had packed my bags and said Goodbye to Australia for an indefinite amount of time, my brother Matt was also on a bit of a European adventure himself…. I Facebook messaged Matt to see how he was going in Scotland as he was there the same time as my Mum and it was his first time visiting the motherland… A few hours later he replied with ‘Ooops Don’t look where this message is being sent from’…… I click on the location and up pops a map saying San Antonio Ibiza! Followed by a picture he had just taken of San Antonio……WHAT! My wee brother is literally 2 minutes away from me in Ibiza!

I am ecstatic, I cannot wait to see him….. On my way to go and meet Matt I get a phone call from Mum asking me if I had gotten my surprise yet….. The fact that my Mum kept this a secret from me for 3 days is a surprise in its self!….. I see Matt and just give him the biggest hug, it was only a day earlier that I was telling my friend Emma how I was craving a hug from someone who really knows me and here it was! Never underestimate the power of a hug.

Matt and I spent the day catching up with beers on the beach, we later met up with my Aussie mate David and headed to Cala Gracio beach for some sun and sangria with some of David’s friends…..There I am just hanging out on the beach with my brother in Ibiza 3 days before my birthday, it felt like my birthday already!….. Juliet had cooked us a massive baked dinner and I think that was the perfect ending to Matt’s first day in Ibiza as he decided he was not going to make it out with us that night….. Us girls all headed off to Booom! To see MK, Oliver $, Simon Dunmore and Shovell for Defected in the House.

Next day I take Matt & a few bottles of Sangria on the ferry to Cala Bassa beach for the day…. Now this is the life, chilling out on the beach listening to music coming from the beach bars, swimming, drinking, catching up with my brother and beach napping…. What is not to love?! And he wants to see Steve Aoki with me!

After the beach we get changed and head down to the sunset strip to just miss the sunset….. Nothing that a few beers won’t fix! We head to Café Mambos and there he is my mate Steve Aoki in the DJ booth only a few metres away it is the best place to be, it’s such an unreal vibe everybody is drinking and dancing and going nuts when Steve played his last song, it was so much fun being there with my brother! After Mambos we headed to get some food before we had arranged to meet David and Dolly to go to Pikes (Freddy Mercury’s Villa)… on the way we accidentally wandered into a bar to get drinks and free shots…. By the time we got food we were pretty wasted and by the time we met up with David & Dolly, well we were in fine form!……

The four of us wandered through the West End to head to Pikes when I walk pass a guy who was staring at me and calls out ‘Reagan’ I give him a look of do I really look like a Reagan?…. For him to then call out ‘Claire’….. I turn and say ‘Yes, do I know you?’….. He says ‘No but I think you know my friend’… and from behind him walks who I think is named ‘Delorian’, it’s still not clear but I met him when I first came to Ibiza, we had swapped numbers and planned to meet up yet I never heard from him after that –

He begins to tell me that ‘I won’t believe what happened!’….. His bag was stolen on the beach and his phone was in his bag so that is why I had never heard from him…. My natural response is ‘Oh yeah sure, that old chestnut, I was robbed excuse’….. Laughing, he asks if he can have my number again… I blame beer for this but I gave it to him against my better judgment.

David, Dolly, Matt and I head into Pikes and I have a bit of a love hate with Pikes. I love it’s history because I love Freddy Mercury and it’s the villa he used to party at, I love that you can sing karaoke in the bath tub but I never seem to want to stay there long as it’s very chilled compared to the rest of Ibiza and the best way to describe it, it is like being at a house party that you weren’t invited too…..

I then get a message from lets just call him Delorian…. Saying oh so smoothly in capital letters…not sure why he was yelling ‘I STILL WANT YOU BADLY 😉 IF THAT’S OK XX SOME SEX ON THE BEACH SOMETIME AFTER I FINISH WORK ONE DAY? WITH SOME CANDLE LIGHT AND DRINKS? XX’….. Easy Tiger! You thought my name was Reagan, maybe Reagan would have been flattered by your subtly but ummm not me!

So Matt didn’t stay long at Pikes and I knew once we did a lap he would leave because I kind of wanted to too…. I couldn’t convince him to stay not even karaoke in the bathtub could sway him, so Matt left and I stayed with David and Dolly. I’m glad I did because I fulfilled my dream of singing Beyoncé’s ‘Crazy In Love’ in the bathtub…. I can leave Pikes a happy woman!

 

#Life’s A Beach

As much as Ibiza is known for it’s party scene, it has some truly beautiful beaches….. I have managed to get to just a few so far…..

Cala Gracio_This little hidden gem is about a 20 minute walk from the centre of San Antonio, a little beach cove paradise tucked away you wouldn’t even know it existed. It’s a nice relaxing beach if you want some peace and quiet, you’re not sitting on top of every beach goer here and there’s plenty of shade too under trees, with rocks to jump off and explore, it is also patrolled…..and worth the walk.

 

Cala Bassa_A 20 minute boat ride or bus trip from San Antonio and you are living in what feels like a postcard. The water is a myriad of blues with soft sand….. if you don’t mind it’s popularity it’s a great way a spend a day in the sun, swimming and chilling out to the tunes that come from the beach bars.

 

Cala Tarida_Hard to pick a favourite but I think this is mine. A short bus trip from San Antonio and a scenic walk down several flights of stairs takes you here. Whilst it is popular you won’t have trouble finding your own piece of paradise whether it be on the beach lounges by the bar, jumping off the surrounding rocks, on the sand by the live bands playing or just relaxing in the sea on a bed of sand and pebble stones. A must visit.

 

Cala Salada_A bit of a journey to get to but well worth it, either an adventurous walk or short taxi ride from San Antonio takes you down a winding path to this little beach haven…. Not a lot of sand to sit on but plenty of rocks if you don’t mind a bit of an adventurous walk around the cove.

 

Cala Des Moro_ 30 degrees even through those clouds. A small patch of beach that is becoming increasingly popular, known as the ‘Workers beach’ due to its easy accessibility and minimal tourists. Just a small taste of paradise if you don’t have time to venture elsewhere…. I suggest sitting on the deck or the rocks as you’ll be hard pressed to find space on the sand.

There are still a few beaches I’d love to visit…. Definitely a trip to Formentera which is said to be magical and Las Salinas where no clothes are required….. All in the name of research!