Browsing: Islands

The horse rises straight up among the people, its black coat gleaming, and its front hooves sweep through the air above the hundred raised hands. In the Plaça des Born, the main square of the old part of Ciutadella. Historically, people reached out to touch the horse’s chest, as it is traditional to do so to secure a year of good luck. This is the jaleo, the climax of the Festes de Sant Joan which

At Sligachan, under the Old Bridge, a woman in a rain jacket kneels on the rocks and dips her face into the river. Local legend says that if you keep your face in the water for seven seconds and then let it dry in the wind, you’ll gain timeless beauty, a gift of the faeries. The water comes straight from the Cuillin, the steep black mountains above, and it’s so cold that seven seconds feels