Travel Tidbits

The port of Mahón, on the east coast of Minorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands, has one of the finest harbors in the Mediterranean. The town is at the head of an inlet that reaches over three miles inland. Mahón still retains the flavor of an English garrison town. There are 150 steps to climb from the quayside to the town. I let my husband, Bill, do the climbing and shopping for both of us! — LOIS S. KUEHN, Longmont, CO

At a food court in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, we learned the system: first, we were shown a menu on which to point out our selections, then they would call our number. We were the only Caucasians there that day, and the ladies behind the counter giggled at us as we pointed out our choices, then brought us our food with more giggling and a bow. We saw a shopper walk by with what appeared to be delicious-looking Swedish meatballs. We backtracked to the stall selling them and discovered they were made of tiny octopi in their original form. At that point, our day’s adventures in eating came to a standstill. — ARLENE J. GOODHEAD, La Jolla, CA

A great and effective mosquito repellent is Avon’s Skin-So-Soft bath oil mixed half and half with rubbing alcohol. It will drive away the bugs without your smelling like disinfectant. — CLAUDIA REED, Las Vegas, NV