Last weekend, on the 21st and 22nd of October, a new edition of the Fira de la Sal (Salt Fair) took place in different parts of Ses Salines and Sant Jordi, organised by the Sant Josep de sa Talaia Town Council and the Consell d'Eivissa.
Despite the adverse weather warnings in the days leading up to the event, and despite having to suspend some activities for safety reasons, the Fira de la Sal was a complete success with its programme full of culture, gastronomy, traditions and activities for the little ones.
On Saturday morning, all the activities took place in the Plaça de Sant Jordi, where various workshops were held with salt as the protagonist, as well as a show cooking of garum (fermented fish sauce from Roman times), and a tasting of ossos amb col, a typical and traditional dish of our island. For those who wanted to take home a souvenir of the day, a 360O portrait photocall was waiting for them. A Nordic walking route through Ses Salines and various entertainment activities rounded off a very entertaining morning.
In the afternoon, the salpassa was celebrated with a mass afterwards, and a projection of old images ("D'on venim") of the work in the salt mines, its people and traditions, on the façade of the church of Sant Jordi.
Sunday began with a guided tour of the Torre de sa Sal Rossa, Rafael Alberti's cave and the old saltworks of La Xanga. At the first stop, the attendees were able to enjoy a dramatised visit to the Tower, followed by a poetry and song recital in the Cave. The visit concluded with an explanation of the origins and history of the Xanga saltworks.
The "highlight" of the day was the lighting of the Fogueró, in the old salt mountain of the reservoir, the smoke of which warned the salt workers to come to harvest the salt. Once the Fogueró was over, the traditional salt harvesting demonstration took place.
Also at the Ses Salines Interpretation Centre, several information tables were set up where visitors could learn more about the processes of salt formation, its history and traditional tools, as well as the fauna and biodiversity of the Ses Salines natural park.
The day ended with the presentation of the book Galiotes, by Antoni Ferrer Abárzua and the Santísimo Sacramento exhibition, followed by a solemn mass and a song recital.
Two days full of our roots, our history and, of course... LOTS OF SALT!
