“The Wednesday walks are the best because you end up with a cup of coffee and cake! Your cakes are legendary!  Or, the Wednesday evening walks are even better because you end up with a glass of wine and a sunset!”

Please meet Chris and Linsday Henretty from Cheshire UK.

 

1. Tell me a little about yourselves, where you come from, occupation and your connection with Ibiza.
We are both now retired from busy careers, but we have been coming to Ibiza since the 1970’s and even spent our honeymoon here in 1976 so you can tell how long we have been married! We have always enjoyed walking and have tried some of the trails here on our own but always seem to get lost or end up arguing! We have two of those Secret Walks books but haven’t used them that much because Toby’s walks are always much better!

2. How did you find out about Walking Ibiza and do you remember the very first walk you came on?
I think we met you at Atzaro about four years ago, at an early Healing Ibiza festival. I had helped with some cooking at yoga retreats with a friend who was also there and she introduced me to you. We looked into Walking Ibiza and registered for the mailing list. I love that because even if we’re not here we can see what’s happening and where people are going. We love getting our Saturday emails! We’re seasoned walkers now!

3. What three things would you tell someone new about the walks and Walking Ibiza to encourage them to join a walk?
I would say the friendliness of the people, the variety of the walks and the information that you get from the person leading the walks because that’s so useful and of course you get to see almost the whole of Ibiza because the walks cover the whole island. Sometimes the walks take you out of your comfort zone which is good. The social aspect, meeting such nice people which, as a result, we’ve made some really good friends. I think that sums it up.

4. You’ve been on many walks and listened to the guides talking about the history and facts about the island. Tell me 2 things that you have remembered that have captured your imagination.
You telling us about the alternative uses for the Rock Rose (toilet paper)! Learning about the carob seeds that miraculously all weigh exactly the same and how the term Carat Gold came from using the seeds to accurately weigh gold in medieval times.
The walk to The Lost City and hearing about the different races of inhabitants and also the beautiful Es Broll valley with the natural springs and aqueduct systems.

5.What is it that you like best about the walks and what is it that makes you get up in the mornings and keeps you coming back?
The best thing is that you go to see different parts of the island and places you would never go to unless perhaps you lived here all year. It’s great exercise and it’s enjoyable. You’re not tied into anything but we always go because we want to be there! It’s absolutely great because you meet lots of different people, lots of different nationalities and people are very friendly probably because you have something in common; you all like to walk and go to different places. I’ve never met anyone I don’t like! The other advantage for me is that the walks have been well researched, you know where you’re going and roughly how long it’s going to be which makes you feel safe. The Wednesday walks are the best because you end up with a cup of coffee and cake! Your cakes are legendary!  Or, the Wednesday evening walks are even better because you end up with a glass of wine and a sunset!

6. Do you have a favourite walk and if so which one is it and why?
I don’t have one favourite as I like to do different ones and I like the variety but I do like the one where you walk through the forest that was burnt and then down to the beach at the bottom, I think it’s Cala Xaraca. I went there with my son last week and we walked further along to another cove and swam there. It was absolutely gorgeous. Our son is always asking us what’s all the raving about Walking Ibiza, so we had to prove it to him!

7. Would you know the island as well as you do now if you hadn’t joined Walking Ibiza? Has it enhanced your knowledge of the island and helped you discover new places that you didn’t know before? What are your two most memorable places?
It definitely has enhanced our knowledge, we wouldn’t know half the island that we do now without Walking Ibiza.
One of our most memorable walks, if not the most enjoyable, was the 5 Mf’s! Every time we fly out of Ibiza I always look for them. We had a real sense of achievement after accomplishing those!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another memorable one was one we did with Roger where we hugged the cliffs and came down to a beach with lots of fisherman’s huts, that was Cala Lentrisca.  One we had always wanted to do was Atlantis which we also did with Roger. We wouldn’t have done it on our own.

8. Can you think of the funniest thing that has happened to you on a walk?
On one of the walks there was a young trendy Spanish guy on his own, so to make conversation and trying to be sociable I thought I would engage him in conversation with my limited Spanish. I remarked that it was very warm, along the lines of “muy caliente”.  I was then told by Karen that I had said I thought he was hot!!

Ibiza, 23/12/2018
by Sheila Falconer