Can anybody answer? From old times.

T

takefive

Guest
Hi All
Many years ago ( during the late 70s)I was a regular visitor to Ibiza and to Santa Eulalia in particular. During my visits I and my friends used to meet up in a bar called "Fred's Bar" which was on the corner of the main street not far from the town square. Many a good night (and day) was spent in there. I am assuming that the bar no longer exists but there may be an old timer out there who may recall the bar and can reminisce about it. I remember a local character who worked at the bar (amongst other things) who became a friend. His name was Bill Charlton and he was quite well known around town at the time. We used to visit Sta Eulalia regularly and would meet up with Bill and generally have a good time. Sadly because of my circumstances I had to stop travelling and lost contact with Bill and lost all contact with everything I came to like about Ibiza. If Bill is still alive I would put him in his late 70s now and would hope that he is still living on the island. If anybody knows of him or what has happened please let me know. I also remember a restaurant called "Es Caliu" which specialised only in meat courses. Is it still there? It was out of town and on the San Antonia Road. I remember one day while we were there a man at the next table collapsed and we had to rush him to the hospital . We "borrowed" a car from the car park and sped off at high speed, unfortunately the man did not make it as he had a massive heart attack and was DOA, that put a damper on the rest of the day, so there was nothing left to do except drink Fundador, My brother fell over and broke his arm so we had to go back to the same hospital this time with a live passenger. I also remember a restaurant in San Antonio called "El Refugio" - is that still there? I have many fond memories of Ibiza nad one day hope to travel back there - depending upon my circumstances and what the doctors say. I an still in Ibiza " in spirit". I will close now but can always write more as I have a wealth of tales from my times in Ibiza.
 
welcome aboard.
fred's has gone
el refugio is no more
es caliu is still there.

visit us often
 
takefive said:
I also remember a restaurant called "Es Caliu" which specialised only in meat courses. Is it still there?
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yes!! :p

takefive said:
I also remember a restaurant in San Antonio called "El Refugio" - is that still there?
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no - el refugio (back then owned by pepe from space) is a music bar called gorms garage nowadays!! :D
 
as McRackin resisted I will show you my photo of Es Caliu
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Pity about El Refugio. I was a cave as far as I remember where in the past the islands defenders had sheltered - can't remember from who - what I do remember is that one night about 20 of us all sat down to dinner and went "through the card". we had a really good meal and almost drank them out of their best wines. I remember the staff being surprised at the amount of food and drink we consumed - we could do it in those days!! - We sttled the bill by American Express and had a whip round later to pay the card owner. I think he lost out as nobody really knew how much we all had spent.
I remember a restaurant in Sta Eulalia called the Orange Tree which was owned by two gay lads who were friends of a girl I was "involved with" and many a good meal was had there.
Freds Bar was one of the most well known bars in S.E. and many a hangover was caused by that place - we used to drink a draught ale called "Voll Damm" which we renamed "Duckhams" as it seemed to have the consistency of motor oil and had thesame effect upom your system. Not the type of drink to have at midday.
We also had great time staying at n apartment complex in Cala LLonga called the "Wild Esparragos" and there wwas a bar on the complex called the "Bunch of Grapes" - Las Uvas - where many a night was drunk away. I also remember that there was a small bar down near the sea front which was owned by a fromer Olympic weightlifter and he had all his medals on show in the bar - never any trouble in his bar!!! I also remember that we went off to a friends bar for a paella luinch which started at middday and we got back to our apartment just as dawn was breaking the next day. I also remember the big curry that was cooked up on the complex it took all day to cook a chicken curry and the aroma went all through the comples bringing people out to ask when the curry party was - anither good night in the Grapes!!!
More to follow!!!
 
the grapes and asparragos are still there.
maybe robo our other mod will be able to give you some info as he's out there in es cana in his parents place.

i notice you haven't mentioned going out clubbing in the good old days - is there a reason for this?
 
Stephen
Clubbing!! ?? NO WAY - not my scene! I have a preference for a different kind of music - one that can be listened to and still have one's hearing intact afterwards. Mind you, we lads did pay the occasional, but very brief, visit to a disco - as they were in those days - in order to stock up on women. We preferred to relax with friends in a nice bar and yarn the night away - putting the world to rights - or visiting a top quality restuarant for dinner with friends. Days were spent in the sun or off sightseeing/exploring. Clubs were not our "scene" - maybe we were old before our time. We would return to the UK fully relaxed and go back to work in order to earn the money to go out there again. I used to go out three times a year just to recharge my batteries - stress job - needed to fully relax and chill out. Anyway, who needs a club when you have the company of a beautiful woman and the whole of Ibiza to explore - if you get my drift!!!. I remember a small beach not far from Cala Llonga called by the local Ex Pats "Pebble Beach" and was only reached after a difficult clamber through the groves and down the cliff-side. many a sunset was watched from there, or was it a sunrise? the memories fade. I do remember that it was the place where we would take our "dates" for a moonlight swim and for romantic beach barbecues. I bet the place now has a hotel and is full of german tourists. These are the Ibiza memories that matter. We would often rent a motor launch and go off to deserted bays that sould only be reached from the sea and spend the day diving and generally relaxing with just ourselves for company. When you do things like that you do not need a club to get a "High".
 
takefive said:
I remember a small beach not far from Cala Llonga called by the local Ex Pats "Pebble Beach" and was only reached after a difficult clamber through the groves and down the cliff-side
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the real name of that beach is sol d'en serra!! :D

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takefive said:
many a sunset was watched from there, or was it a sunrise? the memories fade
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sunrise!! ;)

takefive said:
I bet the place now has a hotel and is full of german tourists
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no but it has a cool restaurant!! :p

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Nice piccys. This does not look like the "Pebble Beach" that I remember. As I recall it was a small bay about 30 metres wide and was very rocky except for the areas tha had been cleared for lounging - this had been done by the local ex-pats. to get there was a difficult and arduous hike and a clamber down to the beach It was worth it. The water was the cleanest and warmest you could ever want - just right for that moonlight swim...............

I also remember that one night we all got horribly drunk and had great difficulty standing let alone trying to get back to our apartment so we decided to crawl into a field and sleep it off in a lean-to. When we awoke early in the morning we found that we had been sleeping with the goats and we were all covered in goat crap, my mate had part of his shirt torn or eaten by the goats, needless to say we all looked a right mess so we ran through the centre of Sta Eulalia to the beaqch and ran into the sea for a wash down - fully clothed amd reeking of goats we must have been a right sight for the people who were already on the beach. We lurched back to our apartments and spent the whole day in the showers recovering from our ordeals - those were the days!!!!.
 
takefive said:
This does not look like the "Pebble Beach" that I remember. As I recall it was a small bay about 30 metres wide and was very rocky except for the areas tha had been cleared for lounging - this had been done by the local ex-pats. to get there was a difficult and arduous hike and a clamber down to the beach It was worth it. The water was the cleanest and warmest you could ever want - just right for that moonlight swim...............
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sounds like sol d'en serra - except for the 30 metres wide!! :rolleyes:
 
It was not very big, probably why it was popular with those who were in the know. If Iam wrong then it would have cost millions to dig it out and develop it and a natural beauty spot would have been spoilt. I probably could not find it now if I went back there and I am certainly not in a position to even think about a hike of any kind - better to live on the memories!!!!!!!!!!
 
Another memory!!!

We were all staying in some terrible hotel in San Antonio on one of our winter visits - we had to stay there as it was a deal just to get a cheapo flight. We "hired/borrowed" a car in order to get around. We ended up with an ancient Citroen 2CV that had seen better days and was just the thing for us as we were no respectors of vehicles. We spent the day and the night in Sta Eulalia (Allelulia - as it was known) at Freds Bar and then having eaten and drunk to our little hearts content set off back to San An.
On the way back my friend, who was driving as he was the fittest one to do so, had the idea to try to see if we could get the 2CV to fly - Oh, the things you do when you are young and full of Ibicinco drink. I should explain - the side windows of the 2CV were flaps that lifted up at the bottom and we found that by swerving from side to side and keeping up a set speed these panels would flap continuously as you drove along giving the impression of having wings. You could imagine the scene, four lads full of "merriment" laughing helplessly in a rattling old 2CV that was flapping along the road, if the authorities had been around and had stopped us then I think that we would still be there now serving out our time. This Ibiza place has a lot to answer for in its attempts to ruin my life!!!
 
AAARRRGH!!!!!!!
Did you find this one in a ditch??
I'll have sleepless nights now recalling the memories!
 
If I remember clearly there used to be a newspaper printed on the island, I think that it was called the Ibiza Times. I beleive that Bill Charlton often contributed to it - any thoughts?
 
Not sure now! all I remember is that it was a newspaper produced there for the local ex pats I thought it was the Ibiza Times but then I might be confusing it with another paper from another island that I have been to. It was thee back end of the 70s !!!! so I hope I can be forgiven. I know that it was written in English and I think it had an office in Ibiza Town.
 
McRackin said:
takefive said:
I also remember a restaurant in San Antonio called "El Refugio" - is that still there?
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no - el refugio (back then owned by pepe from space) is a music bar called gorms garage nowadays!! :D
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and this is how el refugio looks like more than 20 years later:

ibiza04.jpg


pepe (space) still owns the place!! ;)
 
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