Day No. 181 - Ibiza - Santa Gertrudis

I woke up quite late this morning, it was just before 8 a.m. The night was restless, it was very, very windy. Although we sought shelter in an old dried-up riverbed, our van shook quite a bit from time to time. According to our Windy app, there were gusts of up to 50kmh. After our morning coffee orgy, we saddle up Hector and drive to Santa Gertrudis. 

Santa Getrrudis is a beautiful little village, quite central on Ibiza, practically in the middle of the island. In front of the pretty little church there is a village square with cafés, restaurants and small boutiques with interiors, bric-a-brac and fashion. All very nice to look at. A stroll through this little village is simply lovely. 

We stroll on towards the village square and let ourselves be drawn in by 'Origins'. Here you can find clothes, jewelry and art from all over the world, e.g. Afghanistan, China, Russia and Africa. The owner speaks very good German, she comes from Switzerland. A lovely little store to browse and marvel at.

We are slowly getting hungry. We were recommended the Bar Costa, which is unfortunately closed today. An alternative recommendation is 'Wild Beets' at Carrer Venda de Can Llàtzer 9. Marc finds it quite quickly using GoogleMaps, the interior is cozy, the fireplace is burning and exudes a cosy warmth and the place is well frequented. The service is prompt and friendly, we quickly have the very thick drinks menu and the menu selection on the table in front of us. The selection of drinks is truly sensational: everything from coffee to tea, freshly squeezed juices, smoothies and fresh coconut. There is a large selection of vegan dishes and raw food, from savory to sweet, from toast with egg, avocado or salmon, all vegan of course*, to Buddha bowls and pancakes. Everything is really delicious, but the portions are small and the prices are very high. You have to want to afford 'Wild Beets', it is probably the best vegan restaurant in Ibiza. You can find more information here: www.wildbeets.com

Editor's note: Naturally vegan, my ass. - Tripadvisor writes: International, contemporary, European, healthy, suitable for vegetarians, vegan dishes, gluten-free dishes. - How are you supposed to recognize that everything here is vegan? - I only really realized it when my latte macchiato was on the table and the latte didn't remind me of milk at all. - The place is nice, but please warn me next time.

After lunch, we stroll on to the church on the market square. This Romanesque church is small, very well-kept and beautiful. The best thing about it is the classical music playing softly in the background, creating a wonderful atmosphere. 

Then we are drawn to 'Es Cucons la Tienda'. At first glance, we notice the lovely decoration of the goods outside. In addition to the typical raffia bags, there are all kinds of home accessories and interiors, as well as clothes and shoes for him and her and children's toys. Inside, the store is much bigger than you might think from the outside. Tall people should note the low ceiling height. Es Cucons' is definitely worth a visit. An El Dorado for lovers of beautiful things.

We set off in our van to Benirràs to visit our friends Ilona and Jeroen, who have invited us for coffee today. On the way, we stop briefly at a fruit stand called 'La Choza', which translates as 'the hut'. Only when we get inside do we realize that this name is an understatement, as this store is much bigger than we thought from the outside. And it's not just a fruit and vegetable store, but a very well-stocked organic store that has almost everything from Pukka tea to Andechs yogurt, including many German products. However, these also have their price, the Andechser yoghurt costs €4 here. The store is very busy. Marc finds different types of tomatoes, which he loves, and we find bread. If, like us, you've been traveling in Portugal and Spain for a long time, you might miss the variety of German bread. And there really are many different types of bread here, all of which look delicious. We opt for a ciabatta with olives. And we find a sugar-free muesli, which we have also been looking for for a while. This store really made us very happy.

When we arrive at our friends' house, we sit together in the garden for a while with a cup of tea. I keep noticing the wild herbs in this wonderful, somewhat enchanted garden. We've already told you about the wild asparagus. Today I also see wild spinach. And of course the wild fennel, which can be found everywhere on the island. Jeroen gives us a yellow flower that tastes sour, it's goat's foot sorrel. Ilona shows us a type of goose cress whose stems are very tasty in salads.

It is interesting that the two children Isa and Hugo, who have been living in a van in the countryside for over a year, know exactly how to determine whether a plant is poisonous or edible. Hugo shows us how: first he picks a leaf, rubs it between his fingers and smells it. If it smells bitter, it is definitely poisonous. If it smells sweet, he rubs the juice of the leaf into the crook of his arm and waits. If the sensitive skin in the crook of his arm does not react, i.e. the skin there does not turn red, then the plant is edible. It's amazing what we can learn from children. 

We stay for dinner and have a delicious and very healthy lentil soup with garlic, ginger, turmeric and all kinds of secret spices. While we girls cook, Marc plays Lego with the children. We used to have Lego too, but today's Lego is much better and more complicated. The boys are building a police helicopter with step-by-step instructions. The challenge is to pick out the tiny parts from the huge mountain of Lego. 

As it is getting dark, we have to set off so that we can park safely in our river bed again in the light. The wind is still quite strong and we are safe there.