You know being a woman, the idea of going to see an old fort “La Mola” to be exact did not exactly fill me with enthusasim.
Well thats exactly what happened.
Last Monday Tony asked me would I go with him to see and photograph it.
When we got there only to find out it was Closed on Monday’s (THEY FORGOT TO TELL US)
To be honest a great deal of relief swept over me. :)
He then asked would I make a promise and come back the next day. (OH YIPEE) :(
Ok I said ( I was sure this would earn me a few Brownie points) I could keep this one in my back pocket for a rainy day. LOL
So on Tuesday we arrived at 11am with a Picnic in the boot of the car.
Only to find out like “EVERYTHING ELSE IN MENORCA” it closed for lunch at 2pm.
And at this time of year does not open again in the afternoon.( the all day opening does not happen until Easter)
You pay 7 euros on entrance and a further 3 euros for a language translator.( with a further deposit of 10 euro for the translator refundable on exit)
Anyway way to get on with this!!!
La Mola I must say absolutly blew my soxs off.
The tunnels are incredible some of them so long you can’t see through to the other end.
As you wander through these tunnels you get a very strange sense of the past and the folks who built it.
The thickness of the walls makes you wonder how on earth these blocks were put in place.
I believe from the history books that La Mola was never actually used as a Fort.
The war ended before it’s completion.
The part that really facinated me was the prison.
Way above the actual Fort itself what an unusual place this is.
Most of it still intact from the outside,except for the roof which had caved in years ago.
The windows still there with the bars attached the only thing that is there now are the wild flowers that grow
in the cracks on the sills.
There were no signs up to say no entry so, needless to say we climbed over an old metal gate and went inside.
Dangerous to say the least.
As you enter one of the 1st things that hit you is the “excersise yard” in the center of the building.
The benches still circle it.
A Juliet type balcony runs across the center and what used to be the main door is now taken over with a large Fig Tree.
There are still the remnants of the shower facilities with the tiled walls.
It’s a very strange feeling wandering around in here, trying to invisage all that had gone before.
We left the Prison and started to take a look around the other buildings one of which seemed to me to be the stables.
Where we found some things we could not “REALLY!!! ” explain.
And before we could blink it was 2pm and time to leave.
A very nice guy in in a people carrier car will come and collect you if you are not out by 2pm.
Saved us the walk back. LOL
I left La Mola very dissapointed that we could not see more.
But I must say I will definatly go back and, the next time with the option of staying all day and bringing a Picnic inside.
All in all, my advice for “La Mola Menorca” is that it is a must see for both women and men.
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www.rtgimages.com