Wind Mill Diaries

Every summer, the ecologist association GOB (in which my friends Nina and Fanny work as ESC volunteers), organizes a "owl night" in which, volunteers from the Wildlife Recovery Center, free the owls that have been hosted and cared for in the center. Yesterday evening, at sunset, I went with Nina and Fanny on the Mount Toro, from where is visible the whole island, and I took part to the ceremony. It has been very exciting and beautiful.

Some weeks ago I've participated to an art competition organized by the ecologist association GOB, to promote its plant nursery and native plants of Menorca. It has been a very pleasant morning, drawing in good company, surrounded by plants, with sweet French music spreading from the speakers, and a good brunch offered by the GOB's agricultural department. I won third place! [Photographs by Nina Chilà]

Despite the Covid alarm, I am finally working to the main part of my volunteering project: the service of summer activities for children offered by the municipality of Sant Lluís. Normally it consists of 6 weeks, this year is only 5. We started on July the 6th and will end on August the 7th. It's been very hard to organize the service and schedule the activities in line with security measures. And it's weird to play with children wearing (them and us) all the time surgical masks, putting constantly hand sanitizer gel and keeping the safety distance. It is difficult to communicate with the voice perpetually muffled by the masks, the smiles hidden by the masks and the looks by the sunglasses. But we are having a good time anyway. I'm playing a lot. The kids are divided for age in three groups of 20 people. Each group is accompanied by 4 educators. The activities take place from Monday to Friday, from 9.00 to 14.00. On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday we spend the morning in Binip

Hypnotized by the chill beat of this song and its video. I dedicate it to the amazing Menorcan moon. Kid Francescoli - Moon

Under normal circumstances, during the European Solidarity Corps project (approximately six months after the beginning of the volunteering activities), it's required to the volunteers to partecipate at the Mid-Term Evaluation Training. A gathering in a Spanish city (choosen by the National Agency) with several European volunteers that are taking service in Spain, to share and compare experiences, and to check the progress and learning gained so far. Unfortunately this years, due to the global pandemic, all the Mid-Term Evaluation Trainings have been cancelled. So, the other volunteers and I, will not live this part of ESC experience.  Picture of a ESC (European Solidarity Corps) Mid-Term Evaluation in Slovenia, from the web (eusa.eu - European University Sports Association site)

Every summer the municipality of Sant Lluis organizes a serie of concerts in its beaches, titled  "Cultura de Vorera" . This year to organize events is more complicated than usual due to the Coronavirus emergency. On the 1st of July the first concert took place, in Binissafúller beach: the Menorcan musician Guiem Soldevila was playing. Giulia and I helped the setting up, as volunteers. Everybody need to wear surgical masks and put disinfectant gel on the hands. The chairs are placed two meters far from each others. It's kind of weird but the setting was amazing and the atmosphere super! Every Wednesday there will be a concert in a different beach. And every Thursday there will be music in a square in Mahon. Guiem Soldevila playing in Cala Binissafúller "We bring the art, you bring the common sense"