Dear Grace,
If you are reading this, you made the right decision. This house isn’t much, but it is everything I own.
I wanted to thank you. Your kindness all those years ago saved my life. I know it sounds melodramatic, but I genuinely think I wouldn’t have made it through that Christmas. I was at my lowest point. Your suggestion that I come to Ibiza helped release me. And now it is my turn to help you untap any unlived potential inside you. I know it won’t make sense to you why I chose to leave this place to you more than any other person I have ever known. But you have to trust me because if I explained how I know that you are the right person, you would think I was insane. And besides, you will find out in due course why you had to come here. But for now, I will just say that you are a very rare person, and I sense you will find peace here.
I know that I don’t have long left. I am not afraid. I truly know this is not the end. And I feel I am heading to a better place.
I have loved living here. I would never have moved to this wonderful island without you. That conversation we had on your sofa watching Top of the Pops all those years ago led to this moment right here. I never became Blondie. And certainly never became rich, in the conventional sense, as you can see from this modest house. But I have had a rich life and discovered things I never could have dreamed of.
People will tell you that it is a magical island. And you will hear some strange tales and myths too. Not all of them will be true. But there is more to life than we know. And there is more to our minds than we realize.
Whether you use this house for holidays or to live, try and visit all the beautiful places. Here are my tips:
- Get lost in the narrow lanes of Dalt Vila – the old citadel of Eivissa, or Ibiza Town in English, perched high on a hillside behind fortified walls.
- Take a hike from cala Sant Vicent along the old pilgrims’ path to Tanit’s Cave.
- See the horses at the sanctuary at Es Murta.
- Go to the north, surround yourself with pine trees.
- See the flamingos at Ses Salines.
- Head to Las Dalias hippy market – the daytime one, not the evening one when it becomes a rave – and say hello to my friend Sabine.
- Hop on the boat to Formentera and take note of the lighthouse.
- Drink a shot of Hierbas Ibicencas at a bar in a hilltop village.
- See the drummers at Benirràs beach at sunset.
- Get your shopping from the grocery store at Santa Gertrudis. They are very friendly in there.
- Drive to the old stone fountain known as the Font de Peralta and catch a traditional Ibicenco ‘peasant dance’ – ball pagès – full of brightly dressed people leaping and twirling to the sound of castanets.
- Go dancing yourself. Just once. Age matters not a bit here.
- Have fun.
Oh, and most important of all: go to Atlantis Scuba at Cala d’Hort. Tell Alberto I sent you. He won’t charge you. Go and see the seagrass meadow. It is the oldest living organism on Earth. And please, when you are there, keep your mind open. Any change that happens will be for the better. Trust me.
Your loving and long-lost friend,
Christina
X
PS: The white Fiat Panda parked beside the road is yours too. The keys are in the kitchen drawer.
