LAS DALIAS – The Hippie Market
Wake up! We’re going to Las Dalias. What is Las Dalias? Only one of the most colorful, fun markets I’ve ever seen. Come on, I’m sure you’ll love it!
The Las Dalias Hippie Market takes place in San Carlos, in the north-east of the island, every Saturday. During the summer it can get a little intense; the heat and the crowds are pretty tough to take, which is why I woke you up early. Yes, I know, you’re a little tired, possibly even a little hung-over! The thing is, evening meals tend to be eaten late in Spain, and it’s quite normal to sit down at the table at ten o’clock and not finish until past midnight. And as you’re only here for a week, I really wanted to show you some of the crazy nightlife, and I could see that you were having a great time on that dance floor under the stars, showing off your moves with those hot guys. Maybe we shouldn’t have had those last vodka cranberries, but hey, it was a laugh, wasn’t it? It’s fun to let your hair down once in a while. And you’ll be fine after a cup of coffee and a piece of toast.
Here we are. Wasn’t that a beautiful drive across the island? And isn’t this place amazing! Just look at all these colors; it’s like Portbobello market meets Bollywood on acid!
So, what would you like to look at? Do you like vintage clothing? There’s a particularly fabulous stall selling antique cotton clothes, such as pretty Victorian nightdresses, delicate camisoles and lace petticoats. And if you’d like some fun and funky jewelry, there’s plenty to be found. Most of it comes from places like India and Bali, as many people here spend their winters there, stocking up on wares they can sell in the summer. Jewelry, clothes, incense, shoes, house furnishings, music, bags; you name it, it’s here. Of course, as in any market, there’s a lot of rubbish, too. But Las Dalias does have an amazing array of unique arts and crafts, often hand-made by some incredibly gifted people.
Take my friend Rosaline de Thélin, for instance. Roseline is an expert in precious and semi-precious stones, and her jewelry is really special. I met Roseline here in Las Dalias many years ago, when she sold me a necklace made from rose quartz and tourmaline, stones symbolizing love and protection. The necklace hangs almost to my navel, is finished off with a pink silk tassel, and has become one of my favorite pieces. But Rosaline doesn’t just make jewelry; visit her workshop in Santa Eularia and you’ll be blown away by the scale of this woman’s talent. Rosaline makes “light sculptures”, “light installations”, modern chandeliers, mobiles and even curtains using semi-precious stones and fiber optic. The scope of these creations is such that she works mostly on commission, and has exhibited in major cities all over the world. Her website will take your breath away:
www.roselinedethelin.com.
In the magical, mystical, covered area of the market filled with oriental delights, we’ll also find Merel and Ashok’s stall. It’s definitely one of my favorites.
Merel’s unique leather handbags, wallets and carry-alls are amazing, and Merel herself is pretty fabulous. The ultimate hippie-princess, she’s beautiful, and always dresses in fabulous, flamboyant, bohemian clothes. She’s also incredibly nice! As for her handbags, well you’ve never seen anything like them! I have three, and am constantly stopped by people wanting to know where I got them from.
Let’s go upstairs to the roof terrace now, to see if we can find Jerome, hard at work in his hammock! Jerome’s hammocks are great, they fold into a tiny bag, but tie them between two trees and you’ve got a comfortable double bed, perfect for a long, lazy, afternoon siesta. Jerome spends all his Saturdays in his hammock, and does great business without even have to get up! How’s that for a job?
Afterwards, we can wander down to the far end of the market, and have a freshly squeezed fruit juice, another cup of coffee, or even a chai. Would you like a henna tattoo?! They only take a few minutes and last about a week before gradually fading away. In fact, I might have one; it’s been years since I did, and I quite fancy a pretty design on my arm. Funny how my inner hippie-chick always seems to resurface when I spend time in Ibiza!
I hope you’ve enjoyed your morning outing to Las Dalias. It’s getting a little too crowded now, as well as devilishly hot, so maybe we should get back into the car and head home for a nice, leisurely lunch. I don’t know about you, but an afternoon spent relaxing by the pool with a couple of magazines and a good book sounds good to me. What will we be doing later? Well, I’m sure there’s a party going on somewhere this evening. We can keep our options open and simply go with the happy-go-lucky, bohemian Ibiza flow.
With love from,
Francesca
June 2009
Francesca Prescott
"MUCHO CALIENTE! - Wish upon a Latino Superstar"
An effervescent romantic comedy
LASR: Best Long Book of the Year 2008 : "Laugh out loud hilarious!"
NOR: Reviewer Top Pick : "A seriously fun book with more twists and turns than expected"
CRR: “Hard to put down”
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