El Moro & The Bull

The reason I'm actually returning to Ibiza to work the season comes down to Brad Candy. I'll blame him for shaping me into whom I am today. We met after I left college, looking for my first break in the design industry. Without going into too much detail, Brad asked if I fancied working on a freelance basis designing bar/club interiors over on the White Isle.

I had never been at this stage and after a few months of late night hours put in the studio, we got to the finished product. Club Nightlife was set to be re-branded as The Star Club and Brad invited me over to oversee the install. I booked 4 days off my new job (Yes, it didn't take me look to find my first job). We arrived, and like everyone that has never been to Ibiza, full of ideas. It was the start of the season so it was very quiet but in the evening we still managed to visit Koppas Bar located just above the club we were working on. Tonight, as I sat perched on the bar stool I never thought things would go the way they did. I ended up returning back to work after 7 days on the island and faced a very angry boss. This was my first taste of the island and I was hooked and subsequently quit my job and returned a season later to try my luck working at Sgt. Peppers. I'll always remember sitting down at the port just opposite Rita's Cantina finalising my final fees with Brad, him trying to abuse my green nature in this business and concluding with "I'll be back". Carlos Fandango was born. Things were to never be the same again. I continued to supply new designs to The West End for a total of 8 years, working on Funky Flares, Soul City, Bar Press, Strikers and a few others along the way. The only problem with working for the bar owners is this, they won't let you ever pay for a drink....Thank you, for being patient with me in my drunken states over the years! Hahaa

I'm sat out the back of a restaurant strapped to the side of El Moro, that shady apartment block on the outskirts on San Antonio that provides a welcomed ham baguette with frozen water for 2 euros.

(El Moro - Isidoro Macabich, 15, esquina C/ Sta Rosalía, San Antonio de Portmany)

I'm waiting for some keys for a place over by the old church which turns out to be my main place of residence for the season, but for now I'm going to stay with JB, her 'best' mate, and her little brother for a few nights until something turns up. I'm told thing's work out but right now as I'm watching bullfighting on the old television it doesn't appear that way. The matador has survived but the bulls got other ideas as he steams into the clown and tramples him with ease. I'm smiling now, the beers still cold and the clowns down. Bull 1 - 0 Clown.

Packed clothes to last a life-time but I'm cursing the awkwardness of this plastic case. Suppose the flip flops weren't ideal today. JD welcomes me to my new digs, she top draw is JD.

I'm set to camp out in the lounge for a few days and so I set myself down and contemplate a swim, after all that's all I can do. It's that painful start of the season, finding digs with half decent southern folk and getting yourself together for work...And the start of the most memorable season I'll ever experience right here, right now.

I'm down at Cala Gracioneta...

Back from a swim, the suns starting to ease a little now it's coming up to 6.30PM so with my belly calling for attention I wonder along the bay to spend an hour or so at Rita's Cantina.

Cocktail Steve's there already, a welcomed face from my previous visits to the island carrying banners and all the other types of promotional material I could load a trolley with.