287 lines
9.4 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
287 lines
9.4 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
sponsored
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travel
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spanish_tourist_board
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ibiza
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5918060
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-----
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# Ibiza - History of the island
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## Ibiza wasn't always a party island. A quick tour around Ibiza Old Town and
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beyond reveals that the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Vandals, the Moors, and
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even the hippies had made their mark long before the droves of package
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holidaying tourists arrived.
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![Ibiza has a rich history that stretches back long before it became a package
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holiday destination][1]
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Ibiza has a rich history that stretches back long before it became a package
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holiday destination
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Richard Madden 1:09PM BST 29 Jul 2009
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Ibiza was a sought-after destination long before tourists came. First the
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island was invaded for salt. Then it was wood. And now music.
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I'm standing on the colossal Renaissance-era city walls that surround Dalt
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Vila (High Town), looking out over Ibiza Old Town and the island beyond.
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Dominique Lacroix, one of the island's official guides, is giving me a crash
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course in the island's history. But instead of regurgitating dry academic
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facts, she wants me to understand that Ibiza is not just an island with a
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fascinating history, it is an island with a soul.
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'It all started with a god called Bes,' says Dominique. 'He was worshipped by
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the Phoenicians, the first settlers. Bes protected men against evil spirits
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and could strangle snakes with his bare hands. He was also associated with
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music and dancing. And that's how the island got its original name, Ibosim,
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the island of Bes. And it just so happens there are no poisonous snakes or
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animals anywhere on the island. And the whole world knows about the music and
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dancing!'
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Later in the day we visited Salinera Española, the salt pans in the south of
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the island which have been in almost continual production for 2,500 years.
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Today there are 26 of them, and the salt harvested here is rated among the
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finest varieties in the world and exported all over Europe. The pans have also
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become an important conservation area for wild birds and flamingos, and were
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granted Natural Park status in 2001.
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Due to its strategic position between mainland Spain and Africa, Ibiza was
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highly prized as a colony and trading post, and was visited by the Ancient
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Greeks and later ruled by both the Carthaginians and the Romans.
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## Related Articles
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* [Ibizan culture and heritage][2]
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29 Jul 2009
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* [Ibiza - Beyond the nightclubs][3]
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29 Jul 2009
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* [Ibiza - Island art and artists][4]
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29 Jul 2009
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* [Ibiza arts and crafts][5]
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29 Jul 2009
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* [More things to do in Ibiza Old Town][6]
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29 Jul 2009
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* [Ibiza: Agroturismo hotels][7]
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29 Jul 2009
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The island fell briefly into the hands of the Vandals, and later the
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Byzantines, before being ruled for many centuries by the Moors - who were in
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turn conquered by the Catalans in 1235. Up until the Fifties and Sixties -
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when the hippies arrived and kick-started the party and music revolution that
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Ibiza has come to be known for - the island had for centuries eked out a
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meagre existence based on fishing and subsistence farming.
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Today, a renewed interest in the island's heritage, traditions and
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environmental well-being is luring new visitors and opening their eyes to the
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hidden magic of this beautiful island.
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Among those traditions are the ball pages, or traditional country dances,
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which at one time were in danger of dying out. Today there are more than 20
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folk dance groups, or collas, who perform during fiestas at towns across the
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island. I was lucky enough to see a performance by the Colla de San Jordi
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(part of the Federacio de Colles association), and to talk to some of the
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performers. I discovered that many of the dances are based around courting
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rituals. The woman is submissive and dances round her partner, with quick,
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short steps, in a series of circles. The man, on the other hand, tries to
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impress with a series of extravagant jumps and leaps.
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The dances reflect traditional courtship behaviour, in which it was the woman
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who got to choose a potential husband from a number of possible suitors. The
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group use only wind and percussion instruments which are handcrafted and
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include drums, flutes, a metallic instrument in the form of a sword and the
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largest castanets in Spain. Made from the roots of juniper trees, they sound
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like the clatter of horses' hooves.
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In order to preserve these ancient craft skills, the groups run workshops in
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which old masters pass down their instrument-making and needlework techniques
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to younger generations. Musical instruments aside, I was also given a
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fascinating demonstration of how hats, shoes, baskets and blinds are made; and
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I saw a lady who worked a spinning wheel to make soft woollen threads.
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And as a final postscript to this kaleidoscope of Ibizan history, I later met
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one of Ibiza's most famous fashion designers. Luis Ferrer has been designing
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in the island's trademark 'Ad Lib' style for more than 40 years, and he has
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his own boutique in Ibiza Old Town.
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Inspired by the voluminous white petticoats of traditional dress, hehas
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created a fashion trend that incorporates these same handmade natural
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materials. His shop in Plaza San Telmo is a mecca for stylish Ibizan women of
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today.
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Salinera Española: **[www.salineraespanola.com][8]**
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Federacio de Colles: **[federaciocollesdeball@hotmail.com][9]**
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Luis Ferrer: 0034 971 310 140
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[X][10] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][11]
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* Share: [Share][10] [ ][12] [ ][13]
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[Tweet][14]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/591806
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0/Ibiza-History-of-the-island.html
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Telegraph
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## [Ibiza][15]
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* ### [Sponsored »][16]
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* ### [Travel »][17]
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* ### [Spanish Tourist Board »][18]
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[X][10] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][11]
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Share:
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* [ ][10]
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* [ ][12]
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* [ ][13]
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* [Tweet][14]
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* ![][19]
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[Ibiza Videos »][20]
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### [Watch videos from Ibiza][20]
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[![Sant Joan Festival Ibiza][21]][20]
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Get a sneak preview of some of the amazing things you can see and do on a
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holiday in Ibiza, from agroturismo hotels and summer festivals to mountain
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biking, kayaking and outdoor yoga.
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## [Ibiza hotels »][22]
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### [Ibiza: Agroturismo hotels][7]
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[![A recent celebration of Ibizan culture has brought about a rise in
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Agroturismo hotels][23] ][7]
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The recent celebration of Ibizan culture has found powerful expression in the
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growing number of agroturismo hotels.
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### [Ibiza: Can Lluc boutique hotel][24]
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[![Can Lluc is one of several luxury boutique hotels that have sprung up on
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Ibiza in recent years. ][25] ][24]
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Hidden in a beautiful Ibizan valley, Can Lluc is boutique hotel with
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traditional roots.
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### [Festivals in Ibiza][26]
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[![Ibiza's festivals are both important cultural events and a great excuse for
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a street party. ][27] ][26]
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From the festival of Sant Joan to the Festes de la Terra, Ibiza's festivals
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are vibrant, colourful and often deeply moving.
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[1]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01688/history-
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ibiza_1688535c.jpg
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[2]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/5919146/Ibiza-Culture-
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and-heritage.html
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[3]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/5917888/Ibiza-Beyond-
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the-nightclubs.html
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[4]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/5918073/Ibiza-Island-
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art-and-artists.html
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[5]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/5918157/Ibiza-Arts-and-
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crafts.html
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[6]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/5918588/Ibiza-Old-
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Town.html
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[7]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/5918728/Ibiza-
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Agroturismo-hotels.html
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[8]: http://www.salineraespanola.com
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[9]: mailto:federaciocollesdeball@hotmail.com
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[10]: #
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[11]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/4590190/Share-this-
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article-What-are-these.html
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[12]: mailto:?subject=A Telegraph reader thought you would be interested in
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this article&body=Depending on your email program, you may be able to click on
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the link in the email. Alternatively, you may have to open a web browser, such
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as Firefox or Internet Explorer, and copy the link over into the address bar.
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%0A%0Ahttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/
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5918060/Ibiza-History-of-the-island.html %0A%0AFor the best content online,
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visit www.telegraph.co.uk
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[13]: javascript:print()
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[14]: http://twitter.com/share?via=Telegraph
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[15]:
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/
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[16]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/
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[17]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/
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[18]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/
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[19]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01454/in-association-
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wit_1454531a.gif
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[20]:
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/ibiza-
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videos/
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[21]:
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http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01887/joansum_1887883e.jpg
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[22]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibi
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za/7960430/Ibiza-Can-Lluc-boutique-hotel.html
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[23]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01688/IBIZA-
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hotels_1688555e.jpg
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[24]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/7960430/Ibiza-Can-Lluc-
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boutique-hotel.html
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[25]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01701/can-lluc-
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ibiza_1701582g.jpg
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[26]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/7960404/Festivals-in-
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Ibiza.html
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[27]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01701/ibiza-
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festivals_1701576e.jpg
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