Spain (Mallorca) in revised level 4 restrictions!

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas despite the challenges we've all had with the various tiers and levels restrictions.  We certainly did have a wonderful time here despite some vile weather - but more about that later.  Up until Christmas Eve afternoon we have had wonderful weather so really can't complain.  One evening, on taking the dogs for their toilet walk, nature gave us this view:

Shepherd's delight indeed 😎 

On the morning of Christmas Eve I met a friend at Pascalino for a coffee and we noticed the cloud had settled over the bay in a very strange fashion - I don't know if anyone else has ever seen the cloud do that but it was quite magical and I took the opportunity to take a photo:

And it just got colder from then on in.  Sadly, the weather forecast for Christmas Day held true and it was cold, raining and windy.  But, undaunted, we and our friends went to Stay and had Christmas dinner on their terrace.  It was so wet that only the tables next to the windows could be used and even then those on the outside seats got the occasional splash of rain.  But luckily for us we were seated under one of their heaters and Ian actually took his coat off for a bit although I wasn't quite so brave!  Temperatures started at around 9 degrees, dropping to about 7 degrees towards the end and we could see snow on the tops of the Tramuntana mountains 😱

The food was completely wonderful and the staff soldiered on in really dreadful conditions.  To them and to all the staff at the various restaurants who worked in such challenging conditions - well done and thank you all so much! 👏

In other news, Covid-19 vaccinations started today here in Spain.  Just like in the UK, it was televised and widely reported on with some excitement.  The first person in the entire of Spain to receive the vaccination was a 96 year old lady, followed by a worker at her residential care home.  And importantly, vaccinations started today at a care home in Palma having arrived overnight by plane:

But in the meantime, data for Mallorca is really bad and from Tuesday morning we will be continuing in level 4 but with bells and whistles - essentially all cafes/bars/restaurants will have to close at 6pm every day for the time being and shopping centres will have to close on weekends and bank holidays and implement a 50% reduction in the public car parking.  These measures will stay in place until 11 January.  Whether I'll be able to return to work after the Three Kings in early January remains to be seen. To be honest though we'd expected it to be worse; mind you, there may be further announcements tomorrow so.....hold that thought! 😳

The situation in the residential care home in the Port remains critical although the one in Pollensa by the cloisters is absolutely clear - apparently this is where vaccinations will begin on an extremely local level.  We are registered with the Spanish NHS and will get a text from them when our turn arises, but many British residents who have private health care are, not unreasonably, wondering how they will in due course get the vaccination.  No-one seems to know and it's something that the embassy seems to have overlooked in all the Brexit kerfuffle.  Hopefully they'll get around to it in time as it's of real concern to many folk resident here.

In local news, Moll de Bellagio has closed for the season - it would not normally have done so yet but trading conditions are such that.... 😧  Those that remain open have, of course, a limited amount of potential customers and that, together with the currently much chillier weather, certainly hasn't helped local businesses.  Still today, although chilly, was lovely and sunny with blue skies to really lift the spirits; the more of days like this and less like the Christmas Day weather, the better it will be for local hospitality businesses with their limited customers only able to sit outside.  

So it looks like both the UK and Mallorca will be under quite a few restrictions for the foreseeable future.  I guess it's just something we have to put up with in order to see this thing through to it's end, and certainly the vaccinations are something very positive to hang on to in the meantime.  Until then.....stay safe and hasta el próximo domingo!

Spain in level 4 restrictions!

Well here we are nearing the end of our first week in level 4 restrictions and we're managing fine. But the local businesses are certainly facing their biggest challenge yet and our hearts go out to them all 🤗  So....what are our new restrictions?  In a nutshell, we can no longer eat or drink inside any cafes/restaurants/bars - only on their terrace at 70% capacity.  And those same businesses must shut at 6pm on Fridays, Saturdays and bank holidays (although they can continue to provide take away food until midnight).  This is impacting hard at such an important time of the year in hospitality; and of course the same is now happening in a large part of the UK.  Locally only today we heard that Little Italy on the Pine Walk will not be re-opening again which is very sad.  But we just somehow have to keep going - I believe the vaccination programme is shortly to be rolled out here so as I see it, this is a push towards that and the beginning of the end 🤞

Personally I have been affected in that my teaching job finished suddenly in the middle of the week in much the same way as it did back in March which was pretty sad.  One minute I was in the classroom with some great Christmassy lessons planned, the next - at home and putting it all away 😒  This is because the Balearic government declared that all extra-curricular activities from football to English were to finish forthwith.  Given how careful we had been at school this was more than frustrating but hey - again, it is what it is and it won't be forever.

The weather is still lovely out here compared to the UK on the whole, but it definitely is more wintery here now.  As I recall this seems to be a little earlier than usual but that would be typical in a year where we will be eating Christmas dinner outside on Stay's terrace; currently the forecast is scheduled to be fairly chilly and with a good chance of some rain - deep joy 😂 but it matters not, we are determined to have a great time come what may 🎉

In the meantime, the Port has never looked lovelier and here are a couple of views of it over the last week:

   

                                                                                       

In local news, the Pollensa area has been very hard hit by a big increase in cases of coronavirus with a large number of them sadly in the care home in the Port (the one in Pollensa is apparently absolutely fine).  The cause of this is being looked into, but in the meantime we all have to abide by the rules and do our bit.  And to be honest, it really isn't that difficult when you can stop, as I did the other day, for a morning coffee with this for a view 😍

So, as we enter Christmas week, I'd like to wish every one a very happy and safe Christmas 🎄🎅  

Hasta el próximo domingo!

Spain in the updated new restrictions!

Back home this weekend after a cheeky mini-trip to Valencia for 3 days last weekend.  We flew from Palma to Valencia with Air Europa who we've found in the past to be very reliable and good value for money.  Palma was quite busy for a very early morning but then again it was the start of a long bank holiday weekend out here, when quite a few Spanish travel to visit family elsewhere in Spain.  Of course this year is a bit different to say the last but some people were still travelling and the Balearics publicised that any residents here could have a free PCR test on return from the mainland during the bank holiday dates if they wished.  Anyhow, each passenger had a row of 3 seats to themselves and everyone was handed a sanitiser wipe as we boarded in order to wipe our hands and the area around us.  No refreshments were available but then again it's a very short flight!  The mainland felt just the same as here, mask wearing, hand sanitiser etc etc and on return we were given the information about a free PCR test although as you have to go to Palma to have it, we decided not to take it up.

This week saw the introduction of a new curfew time of 10pm instead of the previous midnight.  This is because unfortunately the numbers of coronavirus cases here has gone up quite a bit and so the government has introduced this in order to try and prevent people being out late in bars etc.  We're never out late so it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to us!  And if Christmas and New Year celebrations are more restricted than we had anticipated then so be it - we're still going to have a lovely time, come what may 😁  Mind you, there are strong rumours that tomorrow, the Pollensa area will enter Level 4 restrictions as sadly locally the numbers have gone up; it seems the care home on the bypass has been hard hit recently both with residents and staff affected.  Level 4 will mean we will be unable to leave the area unless for medical reasons so no-one will be allowed in either, unless they are resident.  And hospitality will be affected with seating only outside at tables of 6 and at 50% terrace capacity which could lead to a possibly chilly Christmas dinner at Stay for us!  Ah well, as long as we have a table, we'll just wrap up warm if we need to......

I very much hope the vaccination is approved for use here really soon so that vaccinations can begin.  The Spanish government has laid out it's plans for how it will roll out - pretty much the same as in the UK - but hasn't yet started although it's definitely imminent.  Fingers crossed, and for me - although I respect those who are wary - I will most definitely be having my jab as soon as it's offered.  

The Christmas lights in the Port were put up during the last couple of weeks and have now been turned on and it's lovely to see them after such a challenging year.  The church is looking very lovely:

And the rest of the square looks like this:

Christmas has also finally arrived in the Froome household as today I decorated our tree, supervised via a video call by my granddaughter in the UK who normally is here to help when she arrives with my daughter for Christmas.  This year, like so many others, is very different but we made the most of it and the tree is looking rather lovely 🎄 

And I'm living dangerously by not going with my usual silver and gold 😂 this year I've broken the habit and gone for silver with some blue - if not in 2020 then when?! 😂😂

In other local news Ca'n Ferra, Los Faroles/Ca les Monges and Hostal Borras have all closed their doors on the season, and today is the last day open for Brisas Marina too.  This is, of course, nothing new and a normal time of year for them to do so but it definitely brings a real winter feeling to the Port.  All the terrace heaters are out in force at the places that remain open and once the sun goes down it does get quite chilly.  Today is lovely and yesterday was nice but during this past week we have had some very cold, wet and windy weather indeed.  It's much harder to get warm indoors here as most houses/apartments have no central heating, are uncarpeted and are built for keeping the heat out!  We've got used to it now and very much appreciate our gas fire and our two small oil-filled radiators, but sometimes it's colder inside than outside during the day! 

So.....from a potentially restricted Pollensa municipality - keep smiling, stay safe and hasta el próximo domingo!

Spain in the new restrictions!

Well December is nearly upon us and to start getting in the Christmas mood we headed to Palma to see the Christmas lights and do a spot of Black Friday shopping.  We parked near the cathedral which was as beautiful as ever:

This year they had a huge Christmas tree installation in the Parc de la Mar the other side of the lake in front of the cathedral.  It had a lit tunnel through the bottom and the lights were moving - it was quite the most spectacular thing I've seen in a long while and really made us - and lots of other people it seems - smile 😁

Everyone was wearing a mask and staying at a safe distance automatically and we felt perfectly safe.  The Borne lights (top right in the above photo collage) were, as ever, classically beautiful.  The area was pretty busy due to Black Friday but again, masks were de rigeur.  My friend and I enjoyed a browse in Zara and then H&M and I got my major purchase of a bargain price gorgeous coat.  The guys, with inevitable predictability, parked themselves in a bar/cafe to wait for us. After a cheap pizza meal in a backstreet cafe in the old town behind the cathedral we headed back to PP having quite literally enjoyed the "bright lights, big city" for an evening.

Locally I finally found myself having a coffee on Wednesday in Loqueria just off the square.  It's run by an Italian couple and really is the most astonishing place!  Coffee was in bone china cups and freshly brewed (no coffee machine in sight) with a complementary piece of tart - a sweet tapas if you will, and rather a cut above the normal biscuit in a packet 😝 And the decor is very different, you feel as if you've just stepped into someone's rather lovely living room.

The furniture, glasses, crockery etc are all non-matching and it's wonderfully eclectic and interesting.  They're currently only open during the day on Wednesday mornings while the market is on, but they are open in the evening and the prices on the modest menu seem very reasonable although I believe the wine is a bit pricey - not by UK standards but by what we're used to round here.  In any event, for a coffee in gorgeous surroundings I'm not sure it could be beaten 😎

Today was mostly grey and miserable but the forecasted downpours didn't happen.  As we started walking from a wonderful Sunday roast at Liberty Kitchen down the seafront to Bar Bondia's second Crafternoon, it was fantastic to see the playground near Stay restaurant finally open for business again:

We had a great time at the Crafternoon; some stalls were the same as before but there were also some new ones and I bought some yummy American scones and Rocky Road from Darcey's Bakes.  Darcey is the very talented young daughter of Rachel, my gym instructor and I have a blueberry and lemon scone all lined up for later with a cup of tea 🥮 whilst watching the Strictly Come Dancing results show - don't judge me, I love it!

In local Covid-19 related news, as at 27 November no new cases had been reported in the Pollensa area in the previous 24 hours which is fantastic news, especially as we approach the festive season.  And the Balearic Islands government this week announced that a free PCR test will be available to any returning Balearic Islands residents at their own PAC if they want one.  Interesting!  As an asthmatic (mild), I'm off for my flu vaccination tomorrow so here's hoping I don't feel too delicate afterwards.  Mind you, although I've not had one for a few years as I didn't identify myself as asthmatic at the PAC here until the beginning of this year (yes, yes, I know!), I can't recall ever having any particular reaction before so hey ho.  The Spanish government has, like the UK one, outlined it's plan for rolling out the Covid-19 vaccination across the population here and I for one will be taking that up at the first possible opportunity.  I'm more than confident that the various vaccinations have been well tested and the airlines are starting to suggest that in due course it may only be possible to fly if in possession of a certificate of vaccination.  Everyone must make the decision they feel best for them of course, but for me frankly I want my life and the ability to travel back! 

We're away next weekend so the next blog will be in two weeks' time.  In the meantime I'll leave you with this picture taken this evening across the bay:

Stay safe and hasta luego! 

Spain in the new restrictions!

So...as November races by, the situation here remains unchanged in terms of the restrictions and the numbers of Covid-19 cases in the Pollensa area (53 as of yesterday) but we feel quite lucky compared to the current restrictions in most of the UK so no-one here has any complaints.  Officially we have another 10 days under the current restrictions but much of Spain is extending theirs to around the 9th so it may be that we get some sort of indication as to how the Balearic government is thinking in the next week.  Personally I don't expect much to change here other than an extension of the date from the current 2nd, but we're watching what is happening in the UK with a great deal of interest.....  We don't yet have any indication about what may change here for Christmas but although we feel fine about the festivities under the current restrictions, I suspect many larger Mallorcan/Spanish families may beg to differ though.  However, we shall see.....

Yesterday we went for a walk along Pine Walk down past the Illa d'Or hotel and back.  

They're currently doing work on the Illa d'Or terrace so I'm sure it will look gorgeous for the 2021 season and this is the current state of play:

The weather was lovely although it was a little breezy and there was a modest swell which splashed up against the Pine Walk with such enthusiasm that there were quite a few very wet parts of the path!  I managed to catch one of the splashy moments:

On Friday evening we had a lovely meal at Liberty Kitchen - I had the famous fish 'n chips and Ian had the liver and bacon and chose to have chips with it.  Completely yummy and we could hardly move afterwards 😛 We're so lucky having so many wonderful places to choose from if we're going out to eat, even in the winter.

Today we cycled to Pollensa via the entrance to Hotel Llenaire (seen from the road in the first pic below) and stopped in our favourite little cafe in Pollensa for a coffee and toast with tomato and olive oil with a nice view of the Puig.  We didn't go to the market as there was nothing we needed and we didn't want to leave the bikes anywhere just in case!  So we set off through the back streets to come out at the old carpet factory and home down the main road.  We did about 15km altogether although the journey home is rather quicker as it's actually very slightly downhill from Pollensa to the Port; in a car you just never realise but on a bike you really do!  It was great to get out in the fresh air with such gorgeous scenery although there was quite a chilly breeze; mind you, any warmer and we really would have worked up a sweat.  As it was, it was perfect weather and a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning.

Our little canine prince Alfie (whose birthday is today 🎂) is on the mend although has developed an unhealthy expectation that we will carry him up every flight of stairs even if he has just come in from outside where he has been straining at the leash like a Husky in order to give a Pitbull or a German Shepherd a piece of his mind - all 9kg and 10" tall of him 😳  So he goes from a diminutive (and deluded!) canine prize-fighter to an eyelash fluttering helpless invalid within a couple of minutes.  We're beginning to think we're being taken advantage of........  As for Tally she surpassed her previous levels of diva-ness this week.  Ian keeps a couple of small rucksacks with a few tools in on top of her crate where she sleeps in her rather gorgeous velveteen princess-y bed.  And it came to pass that some WD40 dripped onto said princess-y bed and made the mattress part absolutely stink when you got close although we didn't at first notice.  It was only when she went to enter our bedroom as usual for her bedtime biscuit and suddenly turned and went back downstairs that we wondered what was going on.  And what was going on was that she'd remembered that, as retribution for what had happened to her bed, she had previously sneaked upstairs and wee'd on our bottom sheet - re-tally-ation if you will 😂  So despite the fact that she ended up sleeping on a spare cushion in her bed that night, we ended up having to change our bottom sheet and mattress protector (mercifully the duvet was folded back) late at night so it's game, set and match to the four-leggeds I think! 

The Port is still quite quiet although on Saturday evening the square was pretty busy with people coming and going so that is at least a reminder of 'normal' times.  Mask wearing is obligatory and has been for ages but yesterday, for the first time, I took the dogs for their evening toilet walk with Ian and got right down to the grass by the 1919 roundabout before realising, to my horror, that I had forgotten my mask.  Ian had his on so how we both missed the fact that I hadn't got mine is beyond us - let's call it a 'senior moment' shall we 😳?  Given that the fines out here for not wearing a mask are pretty hefty, I was appalled and had to walk home like a tortoise with my coat done right up to my chin and me trying to shrink down so that it covered at least my mouth, it certainly got my heart rate up!!  Luckily I managed to slink home in disgrace without being spotted to my great relief 😓

I'm still teaching and all is going very well in terms of the safety precautions we have in place at the school.  And a bonus - this year (and I hope I'm not tempting fate by saying this!) for the first year in living memory I haven't had a cold AT ALL.  Normally by now I'm on at least my second (and out here they seem to go on for EVER, not sure why) courtesy of the younger students.  But because we're all wearing masks and cleaning everything and using industrial quantities of hand sanitiser it just goes to show how in normal circumstances bugs and viruses are spread which aren't even as contagious as Covid-19.  Do you think anyone would notice if I did it again next winter whilst teaching....😂

Stay safe and hasta el próximo domingo!

Spain in the new restrictions!

The weather remains glorious here in Mallorca and is a constant reminder of one of the (many!) reasons why we moved here.  And of course at the moment, whilst we have a number of restrictions including a midnight - 6am curfew, compulsory mask wearing and table gatherings of no more than 6 people, we are still lucky enough to be able to go out for a drink or a meal, to do non-essential shopping, go to the gym etc.  Mind you, numbers had gone up certainly in the Pollensa area so we shouldn't - mustn't - become complacent, but the good news is that as of Friday, the number of active cases in the municipality had gone down to 52 and no new cases reported 👌 long may that continue......

On Thursday we got up at silly o'clock to get to Palma for Ian to join the queue at the police office for foreign nationals to collect his new, post-Brexit TIE (ID) card.  I'm not going to roam into the politics of Brexit and anyway it's a done deal now, but trust me when I say that those who don't think it will make any difference to UK nationals living in the EU and the ability of UK nationals to come here to live and/or work in the future, are sadly incorrect.  In any event, Ian had already been to sort the paperwork out and now that his card was back from Madrid where they're processed, it was time to collect it.  You have to book an appointment online and my goodness they're difficult to get.  For quite a while the only place that had appointments was Mahon in Menorca!  The fact that having an appointment makes absolutely no difference to having to queue up to get in is an interesting, but typically Spanish, anomaly 😂  Sorry indeed is the person who turns up at the time on their appointment confirmation; Ian was in that queue by 8.30am with a 10.30am appointment as we've been around the block a few times here (much like the queue in busy periods 😂) and there was no fooling us.  And it came to pass that, as ever, once the doors open they got through the queue really quite quickly and Ian was done and dusted more than an hour ahead of his actual appointment and able to join me for coffee in the convenient little cafe opposite where I'd gone to have a delicious breakfast of coffee and toast with tomato with a side order of a few olives.  I've been in there quite a few times and the owner is a cheerful guy but he surpassed himself this time by singing along lustily to Whitney Houston's Greatest Hits with the climax of the performance being "The Greateeeest Loff of All" which provided an interesting but very entertaining ambience at 8.30am! The man was born to perform I tell you and totally wasted on cafe ownership 😝  I should point out that he only sang along when well away from anyone else such as clearing a vacated table, in a very spacious and airy premises and was fully masked at all times, so it was all perfectly safe.  In any event and in case you're wondering, the reason I haven't had to change my residence card in the same way is that I'm a dual national UK/Irish and have made sure that my residency here is based on my Irish (and therefore EU) citizenship.

Today we went along to Bar Bondia (opposite the Pollensa Park Hotel) who, after their Sunday roast lunchtime service, had a Christmas Crafternoon where local small businesses sold their homemade goods, decorations, jewellery and foods.  Only 6 people were allowed in at a time and everyone had a wonderful time browsing the lovely things on offer.  

Amongst other things we bought a jar of caramelised onion chutney and a pack of homemade Cumberland sausages - yum!   It is more important than ever before to support our local small businesses and artisans in these challenging times and even when things return to normal - and they will - I intend to continue doing so 👍

This week has been a challenging one with regard to one of our dogs who, long story short, appears to have a herniated (slipped) disc in his back near his rear end.  So there have been several visits to the vets behind the church culminating in him being sedated for an x-ray, and some blood tests.  You can actually see how narrow the gap is between his vertebrae in one spot so we're now on tablet, back warming and massaging plus carrying duties.  He only walks a little way and then can't/won't go any further so we have to pick him up just so, in order not to make things worse.   He's also not allowed to go up and down stairs, on/off the sofa etc and as we live quite high up and with no lift this is proving to be a test of our fitness - he's just shy of 10kg which feels very heavy after a while!  I just wonder what we'd do if he was a Great Dane 😳  Anyhow, we've ordered a dog buggy online so that when his back is bad we can wheel him around in his chariot like the little prince he is; this will also help us if we're honest as staggering around carrying 10kg across both your arms to keep his spine straight whilst trying to manage our other dog's lead plus making every effort not to squash the inevitable bag of dog poo really is as tricky as it sounds 😂

In wider news, most of us are now very aware of the need for travellers to Spain from countries on the EU high risk of infection list needing to have had a negative PCR test done within the previous 72 hours.  This will have the effect for most of preventing travel as I believe costs for these specialised tests are around £150 a time.  But on the bright side, the news about the new vaccination seems more than hopeful although for sure it will be many months yet before it, and others like it, are widely available.  But patience is a virtue as they say so......

As I've been writing, the Christmas ads are showing thick and fast on the TV plus I've been seeing people on social media who have already put their Christmas trees up; normally I'm a dyed in the wool "Christmas starts on 1 Dec at the absolute earliest" kinda gal but you know what?  This year it all makes me smile - whatever makes people happy is just fine and dandy.  

Hasta el próximo domingo!  Stay safe 🤗

Spain in the new restrictions!

How is everyone in the UK 4 days into the second lockdown?  Hope everyone's ok.  The weeks here seem to be going past fairly rapidly now and, given that this hasn't been a year that we'll ever forget but for all the wrong reasons, that is not necessarily the worst thing if I'm honest.  Mind you, I don't think I've ever looked forward so much to Christmas possibly because that's a reference point of normality which I think a lot of us need right now.  And we're going to Stay restaurant for Christmas dinner so that's certainly a wonderful treat to look forward to 😃

On Friday we went to Bar Bondia (near the Pollensa Park hotel) for a one-off Elvis aka Dennis extravaganza (who hasn't performed at all in 2020 but gave us his all for nearly 2.5 hours 🎤 he never stopped and must have lost about half a stone in weight!  We had sausage baps beforehand - delicious - and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  It was almost like being back to 'normal' and we agreed we haven't had such a good night in a loooooong time.  Here he is in all his glory:

After admiring 'Elvis's" exertions, I'm still keeping pretty fit and since I re-started running after the heat of the summer, my 5km times are almost back to my PB pre-summer.  Gyms are still allowed to be open here thank goodness, so classes continue as normal.  In many of the mainland regions life has continued as normal, with non-essential businesses such as restaurants, bars and gyms remaining open just as they are here, albeit with obligatory mask-wearing etc and curfews varying from 10pm-midnight until 6-7am.  But things are starting to change as today Andalucia has announced the closure of non-essential activity (details not yet clear) and Murcia has announced the closure of bars/restaurants for the next two weeks.  The autonomous regions have for the most part kept their borders closed though, although the Balearic border is still open as such but it isn't possible to travel to the mainland unless for a seriously good reason.  And of course flights to and from the UK for example are few and far between due to the second lockdown there.  Sadly numbers of coronavirus cases in the Pollensa area have gone up and are apparently now at 43 which is more by some way than we had during the spring which is slightly concerning, but I guess something we just have to accept can happen here as it can happen anywhere and the numbers are still low considering the population of 16,000+ so......

Earlier this week we went to the big Eroski and sat outside at the nice little cafe there to have a coffee in the sunshine beforehand.  And what should be there but this little beauty:

Hands up who had a Chopper bike? ✋ Yep, me too.  It was certainly very unexpected to see one and it was in immaculate condition so I had to take a photo of it.  It wasn't locked or anything so we assumed its owner was just inside and keeping a close eye on it.  Anyway, in due course a guy of a 'certain age' came out, got on it, and off he pedalled.  I like to think he'd had it since his youth and looked after it all these years. 

Yesterday, before the radio show (the studio is in the cloisters in Pollensa) I popped into De Cor - also The Present House, check out their online shop or via FB - to have a browse.  My goodness, their lovely shop is choc full of gorgeous things.  Anyhow, I treated myself to a gorgeous lime, basil & mandarin scented candle - I've been meaning to get one for ages as so many people have raved about them.  The scent is divine 💕

Today, after watching the Remembrance Day coverage at the Cenotaph we took the dogs for a walk in the lovely sunshine along the bypass towards Formentor and then down into town and back through the square.  What a truly beautiful place this is 💝

When we walked past the car park at the start of the Boquer Valley walk, it was so full that cars had parked down the service road of the bypass.  Anyone thinking they'd have the place pretty much to themselves would have been sorely mistaken!  It reminded me of the fact that I'd never thought of the Spanish as walkers/hikers particularly, seeing it as certainly more popular amongst those of us from countries further north.  But during the cooler weather here the Spanish in their hike boots and rucksacks, flock to the countryside and mountains which is something I hadn't expected before living here.  Anyway, to reward our rather more modest exertions - well that's our excuse and we're sticking to it 😂 - went for a yummy roast dinner at Liberty Kitchen - their roasts are so generous we simply didn't have room for a dessert!  

Stay safe everyone 🤗 and hasta el próximo domingo....... 

Spain in the new restrictions!

Our first week under the new restrictions here has gone well, helped by the decision of the Balearic regional government to move the curfew time from 11pm to midnight.  Spain has so far avoided a national second lockdown, devolving such decisions to the autonomous regions.  They, in turn, have for the most part locked their borders with only essential travel between the regions allowed.  There are a couple of exceptions on the mainland but as they are surrounded by other 'locked' areas, it's sort of a done deal!  The Balearics have not locked their regional border but again, with most of the rest of Spain having done so and as islands anyway the effect is much the same.  Either way, this will have prevented people travelling this bank holiday weekend (All Souls Day is 1 Nov, therefore in true Spanish fashion the Monday is considered fair game as a bank holiday).

It has been sobering to see the UK announcement yesterday about a second lockdown starting on Thursday.  Mind you, it's rather different to the previous one and world's away from the one we had here earlier in the year.  Is that progress?  Damned if I know 😳  Nevertheless, these are challenging times to say the least and those of us lucky enough to live here are still concerned for for the well-being of family members and friends in the UK.  Let's hope things are improved enough to allow for a modest degree of Christmas festivities.......

Here in the Port, Cheftable Thai restaurant and Patio de Frida have just closed for the season although many businesses have always closed at the end of October.  Last night's full moon (and a blue one ie. the second full moon in the same month) on Halloween was lovely: 

Although trick or treating was a non-event here this year, it didn't prevent quite a number of local bars decorating themselves to stunning effect and quite a lot of people out enjoying their Saturday night food/drink but just dressed as a wide range of spooky beings 👻  This included us and here we are in all our 'glory' 😂

We went out on our bikes so mask wearing was kept to a minimum with all that face paint!  Mind you, two zombie school students pedalling away along the sea front did raise quite a few smiles 😁  And it was pretty chilly on the way home in that short skirt let me tell you 😱  But I've jumped ahead so.... first we went to Meraki in the square which was stunningly decorated and really well attended (although everyone was at well spaced tables etc) which was good to see.

The picture makes it look more crowded than it actually was by the way.  Mika and Cato - the two sisters who run the bar - were both dressed as Wednesday Addams and you can just see both of them standing facing the bar on the left collecting the orders.  I can highly recommend their sangria - tasted purely in the interests of research you understand 😳

We then headed on our bikes off to Palms Bar (near the Pollensa Park Hotel) to meet friends and had a great evening, helped along by one of the music TV channels playing the Top 60 Halloween songs - sadly no dancing allowed of course, but nevertheless a spooktastically good time was had by all.  We left about 11.45pm and pedalled like fury along the sea front to beat the curfew at midnight - a bit like two ghoulish Cinderellas 😂  We made it with a few minutes to spare.....

In other local news, there has been yet another possible poisoning incident at the dog beach in Llenaire 😡 police are investigating and the area is currently closed although I understand the dog affected is making good progress at Moixica vets thank goodness!  This is not the first time it has happened; feral cat colonies also get poisoned from time to time, most recently at least one colony in Cala san Vicente.  It is such a cruel thing to do, many of the feral cats have been castrated and are fed by local volunteers so there really is no reason to do this.  And as for putting poison on a dog beach - well there really are no words! 😡😢

We've done a number of dog walks during the past week including round La Gola nature reserve which is looking very autumnally pretty right now.  Here are a few views we've enjoyed  whilst doing so:

Yes, we know we're very lucky 😍

On Friday we took a cheeky trip to Fan shopping centre (near to Palma Airport) for a small spot of Christmas shopping and to get a few things in Carrefour.  We didn't want to leave it until later in case commercial centres get closed or if not, they get busy as Christmas approaches.  Anyway, it's an open air centre so we felt it would be safe and it was - everyone wearing a mask, social distancing etc and it wasn't over busy either so just perfect.  I needed to shall we say, use the'facilities' 😳 the ladies had an attendant to allow only a certain number of people in; this meant there was a small queue outside but everyone socially distanced automatically there.  Predictably there was no queue for the gents - there never is, is there?! - but Ian told me they'd taped off every other toilet and urinal so people stayed separate.  All very organised and we felt perfectly safe 👌

We are now well and truly into autumn here but the weather is still glorious with temperatures in the early 20's and lots of azure blue skies and sunshine.  By contrast the weather in the UK seems to be.....well....not quite so glorious.  But if you want a reminder of what blue skies look like, here's a final picture taken behind Siller during today's dog walk - you're welcome! 😎

Stay safe and hasta el próximo domingo!

Spain out of lockdown!

Well hello from a lovely, sunny Mallorca now in official winter time now that the clocks have gone back!  The weather over the last few days has been absolutely glorious, around 23-24 degrees with beautiful turquoise blue skies.  I took this photo from Dolc Sa Pobla cafe on the corner behind the church:

I understand that the weather currently in the UK is grey, wet and miserable, so for those who are languishing in all that yukkiness, here are some views of the Port:

and of La Gola Reserve which we always really enjoy walking around with the dogs:

Mind you, so do a lot of people and sometimes not all of them seem to think that poop-scooping after their dog is a requirement.......💩  But it's really lovely, and if you've never walked through it rather than past it, it's definitely worth a little detour for a wander.  

In breaking news, this morning the Spanish Cabinet approved a new national state of alarm for the country which will give Spain’s regional governments the powers to limit mobility – in particular night-time socialising – in a bid to combat the second wave of the coronavirus.  Closing bars early hasn't had much of an effect as people have simply moved to socialising in private homes and data has indicated that more than 30% of transmissions have taken place at these gatherings.  So in a bid to prevent this there will apparently be an obligatory curfew for the entire country from 11pm to 6am, with the regions having a margin of one hour to bring forward or back the curfew times.  The Balearic regional government has decided to stay with the times of 11pm to 6am.  Regions can also close their own borders if they feel they need to.  There has of course been a huge political hoo-hah in getting to this point and currently the decree is for 15 days, but the national government has made clear that it wants these new measures to stay in place until 9 May 2021.  My view is - we may not like it, but at least we know where, give or take a few regional variations we are.  It is what it is.  Personally I prefer to celebrate all the things we can do, rather than those we can't.  Keeps things positive.......👍

Cases of coronavirus in the Pollensa municipality have decreased from 19 to 16 and it all feels very safe here.  In Palma things are a little more challenging but this would be due to the much larger population so..........   But we're still intending to do a Christmas shopping trip to Fan shopping centre (near the airport) this coming week - it's an open air centre so safer plus we want to pre-empt any crowds of people nearer to December.  Living at the far end of the island as we do, this is an exciting event for us - I mean there's a Primark and EVERYTHING! 😝

In other local news, Finca 49 (behind the Eroski on the road to Pollensa) is closing for the season and hopes to be back next season.  Both cafes that generally stay open the longest in in Cala san Vicente have now closed but would have done so by around the end of October or so anyway; so no coffee for us any more as a nice little stop during our dog walks there.  As we get near to when many places would have closed for the season anyway, it will be more a test of what re-opens for next season that will indicate the long-term consequences of these very challenging times.

Next Saturday is Halloween; usually there's music in the square and children dress up and go round collecting sweets 🍬🍭 as do adults (minus the sweets!) including us!  We love getting a Halloween outfit sorted, doing the makeup - we both turn into big kids 😳 a few bars locally look like they're going to decorate for Halloween so we'll see......but I suspect this year will be a non-event and just give us more to look forward to in 2021!  I am intending to cover Halloween to various degrees during my classes at school this week though.  And the theme during my radio show on English Radio Pollensa (via www.englishradiopollensa.com) on Saturday is Halloween so you can guarantee I'll be playing Monster Mash at the very least 👻😂 

Stay safe and hasta noviembre! 

Spain out of lockdown!

Things are definitely getting a lot cooler here now; by 'cooler', all things are relative of course and temperatures here are currently in the early 20 degrees during the day.  But this is definitely a lot cooler - not to mention more pleasant - than the hot and sweaty mid to late 30 degrees of the not too distant past.  It's when the sun goes down that you realise that autumn really is here though - temperatures in the mid teens is very chilly indeed if you're used to the Spanish climate.  

So, given that our perception of what is 'chilly' has now changed.....how have we changed, or should I say adapted, since moving out here?  

• Certainly we find food/drink here to be much cheaper - depending on where you choose to go of course - but we can go to a number of places locally and have a really good coffee for 1,50 -1,80€ - try getting one for that price in the UK!  And of course alcohol - we can have a large glass of very pleasant wine for as little as 2,20€ if we go during our favourite bar's 'happy hour(s)'.  A menu del dia can cost as little as around 10€ for 3 courses with wine and water.  So when we have been visiting the UK we find it buttock clenchingly expensive to eat or drink out 😳  
• Mosquitoes? Definitely you adapt the longer you live out here and if you do get bitten, it's nothing like it used to be and fades very quickly.  Mind you, I speak as one who has never really suffered from mozzie bites given that they far prefer the flavour of Ian.  For the first couple of years out here, he really suffered as they just seemed to feast on him. And I would be barely touched.  But now, whilst he does still get bitten, his body just doesn't react as it used to and relatively speaking, it's a non-event.  
• Damp - you'd think living in the UK that we'd be used to it, but what with centrally-heated, carpeted and insulated  houses there you have no idea how real damp feels unless you've lived on an island well known for its humidity in houses made of single-skin blocks and specifically focused on keeping you cool.  THEN you know what damp feels like.  I was a scout leader for many years in the UK and I can only liken it to the kind of damp you feel during very soggy scout camps when all your clothes feel chilly and slightly wet, as does your sleeping bag which makes settling down for the night somewhat of a trial.  Many people we know have electric blankets here, but I use what has always worked for me - a hot water bottle popped into bed well before I get in it.  
• Informal dressing - not that we've ever been much for formal dressing so to speak, but living here I hardly ever wear a pair of heels or a 'fancy' dress, maybe New Year's Eve, and that's pretty much it.  In addition, I've found that your feet seem to spread with all the wearing of flip flops and sandals and it's a real squeeze to get your foot into a more structured shoe; I know I'm not the only one as I've mentioned it to friends and they seem to have the same issue.  

Otherwise, things have remained fairly static out here this past week, with no further closures of note, although Moda Fresca - the women's clothing shop in C/Juan XXIII opposite the tabac - is closing for good and currently has all stock at 10€.  I found a few bargains there which I'm delighted with.  And one thing I'm determined upon this year is that all gifts that I buy will be from local or small businesses.  Etsy.com is a wonderful platform for all sorts of lovely handmade, custom, vintage and unique crafts and gifts by some very creative and talented people so I'm intending to use them for gifts for friends and relatives in the UK.  For gifts here I'm sticking to local.  Every little helps!

Numbers of cases of coronavirus locally increased by 2 yesterday apparently but there are still very few and long may that continue.  Everyone locally continues with the mask wearing absolutely everywhere plus all the other measures such as hand sanitising etc.  Every shop has hand sanitiser by the entrance and on the one or two occasions I've just walked in, forgetting to use it, I've been reminded very politely which is as it should be.  And last night we were in a large taxi returning home after a night out (about which more in a bit) and were stopped by police at a roundabout who were checking that we all had our masks on (we were and all was well).  But Spain has its problems, with certain areas on the mainland showing a steep increase in Covid cases and they are in lockdowns in much the same way as now seems to be the case in the UK.  All I can say is that here, on an island and at the other side of it from Palma, we feel very safe (although not complacent) 💕

And so to last night.  We went, for the second time, to what is certainly one of the best kept secrets on the island - so shhhhhhhh! - Mare Nostrum restaurant in Sa Pobla.  Due to the distance and that we all wanted to have some wine, we booked a multi-person taxi (there were six of us) and on the way there we saw the most spectacular sky and I took this photo through the taxi window which came out better than I imagined it would:

In any event, Mare Nostrum is hard to find in the backstreets of Sa Pobla and looks like an ordinary house on the outside.  On the inside however you find this:

The menu is set (6 courses plus a palate cleanser sorbet) and includes cava on arrival plus dessert wine but other drinks are extra.  To say that the food, service and ambience is spectacular is to understate it slightly and you cannot walk in off the street (even if you knew it was there), it is by reservation only (and well in advance at that!).  

The downside to such a wonderful night out is that we drank rather a lot of the gorgeous Mallorcan wines on the wine list and today are feeling more than a tad fragile 😬 never mind, it was worth it!

The clocks go back in the wee small hours of next Sunday - darker evenings beckon and the end of summertime will officially be ended.  It's possible it will be the last time they do it in Spain, but then again they said that last year so......... 

Stay safe and hasta el próximo domingo!

Spain out of lockdown!

This week saw the weather turn definitely autumnal even though some days have been quite stunning.  This meant only one thing, the moment I always dread after a long summer wearing loose clothing, never mind after a lockdown - putting jeans on and hoping to god that they actually do up!  I retrieved my two favourite pairs from the wardrobe in the spare room where my winter clothes currently are, waited till my husband was absent - I certainly didn't want an audience 😳 - and...praise be to all that is wonderful in the world...they fitted 🙌  Needless to say I have worn jeans as often as possible ever since!  

In any event, for those who are missing the blue skies of Mallorca, it may make you feel better to know that today is thoroughly grey, wet and miserable here.  But even in moody weather, the Port is still an absolute stunner:

As a result of the unusually grotty weather we have stayed in to watch last night's Britain's Got Talent final - don't judge me - which was really great, old-fashioned entertainment although not as varied as it might have been with all those magicians!  Delightfully I think the right act won.  We're now watching the French Open tennis final - vamos Rafa!  Actually, thus far it looks like Rafa is running rings around Djokovic so here's hoping he achieves his 13th win.

An interesting observation I made the other day whilst passing the children's primary school playground here in the Port, is that all the children were running around, playing, shouting and generally having a perfectly normal and great playground time - but all of them were wearing masks, correctly positioned and relatively unsupervised in terms of the size of playground and number of adults.  How wonderful to see all those very young people just getting on with things and all keeping each other safe 💕  At the language school the students are all really good about it, but to see this translated into a much wider picture was hugely impressive to be honest.

In wider news, much of the Madrid area where Covid-19 numbers have been rising, has been re-locked down, partly in an effort to prevent those living there travelling to holiday homes on the mainland coast and here in the Balearics as we are in the middle of a long Spanish bank holiday weekend.  This has provoked an enormous political brouhaha as the national government is a socialist one and the regional authority in Madrid is conservative-led so they are not taking this re-lockdown well and there is a great deal of political bickering.....a depressingly familiar scenario don't you think? 🙄

In local news, the Daina finally closed its doors for the season earlier this week.  Capuccino at the Sis Pins closed the week before (forgot to mention it last time) but the hotel is still open. Dakota Steak House is now also closed.  Local shops are offering lots of reductions, discounts and sales and there are definitely bargains to be had as they try to shift their stock.  Quite a few people I know have stocked up on clothes, shoes and accessories and I may have bought one or two things myself (sshh! don't tell Ian).  However we finally made it to the shoe shop (Antich) on the corner near Ca'n Ferra where the owner is retiring and has had a massive sale on for some time now to get rid of the stock.  Six pairs of shoes (two of them leather) for myself and Ian for 92€ - bargain! 

Another lovely little shop is El Patio de Frida on the front, more or less opposite the marina car park.  The lovely owner Patricia has lots of great gifts there and is so helpful.  I went in to buy a little birthday gift for a friend but will be returning next week to buy some Christmas gifts before she closes for the season at the end of the month.  If you're out here before then, she's open Mon-Sat 10am-2pm.

More positive news is that Nostalgia is staying open this winter and will also be doing Christmas dinner 🎄 In addition, Siurell (in Llenaire) is staying open all autumn/winter this year from 11am-10pm every day except Tuesdays.  So if you are intending to travel here, there most definitely is now, and will continue to be, plenty open.  And you will have the beach to yourself; poignantly the lifeguards are still on duty but there's no-one there to 'guard' 😢 This was the beach near Stay restaurant on Tuesday:

At the end of the beach you can just make out the wooden lifeguard tower.  I think I saw a couple of people on the entire beach.  Strange and very different times. 

Stay safe and hasta el próximo domingo!

PS Rafa won 🎉🎾🎉 and in so doing has equalled Roger Federer's 20 Grand Slam titles.  The boy from Mallorca done good!!

Spain out of lockdown!

 Another week has flown by, including the weather turning a little cooler, and it's hard to believe that it's October already.  I accept that for many, this year may have dragged, but for me it has passed by even quicker than usual.  Which is no bad thing in all fairness, given the year we've all experienced so far! 😳  But I think the sooner this year is over the better, frankly.  I know 2021 will bring some challenges too, but hopefully ..............🤞

I've now finished my first full month back at work and it sure is a good feeling 😎 I am more than aware that I am very lucky compared to many people and we just have to hope that the education sector continues to be safe from Covid-19.  We have taken every possible precaution at N1 Language School but you just never know......  Certainly it is heartening that students are so motivated to learn English that they continue to attend after school/work 💪

It is really sad to read posts on Facebook from people who would have been travelling to the Port - so many people are missing their Pollensa/Puerto Pollensa 'fix' this year; but this place ain't going anywhere and will still be here when normal service is resumed!

My work, attendance at the gym, and the show on Saturdays at English Radio Pollensa have kept me busy all week but on Friday I had the very great pleasure of going to a family-run winery located between Muro and Ca'n Picafort called Butxet and neighbouring the S'Albufera nature reserve (where the terrible fires were recently).  Apparently there are very few vineyards in this area which is more or less at sea level, so the wines stand out from those made nearer to the Tramuntanas. They make 1 white, 1 rose and 4 red wines there; the latter are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah varieties, together with a blended special red wine - Macada.  It turned out to be the favourite of all of us (three couples).  

Anyhow....they have 10 hectares of vines.  The grapes are harvested and go into stainless steel vats, and for red wines, after 15 days the skins/grapes (which make up 20% of the total vat content) are removed and pressed again to get more from them.  White grapes are pressed directly into the vats for white and rose wine and the rose gains it's colour from only around 15 minutes of red grape skins!  The red wine is kept in barrels of 220 litres made from American and French oak for 10 months and are then tasted.  If all is well, they're bottled; if not, then they spend more time in the barrels.   Replacements are of course required but only 20% of the barrels are changed every year which maintains the unique flavour of the winery. The white and rose go direct into the bottle from the vat.  

Overall, the winery produces 40-45,000 bottles of wine p.a.  2020 was fine for grapes apparently, but a vine pest has made the actual plants go brown whilst not affecting the fruit itself - not as photogenic as one might wish but still.....the setting is beautiful 😍

After our lovely tour, we had a wonderful wine tasting complete with Mallorcan cheese and quelitas - and may have bought one or two bottles......😳  

In local news, No31 Restaurant closed it's doors for the season yesterday , and Plaza Uno has also closed for the season.  Finca 49 is now open only on Sundays and doing home deliveries of ready meals on other days.  Llenaire Hotel is open until 10 October and I really hope to get there for their famous coffee and cake on the fabulous terrace before they close.  This past week we were delighted to go to Moll de Bellagio for a menu del dia in their lovely, sheltered terraced garden - great value and service 😃 

It is pretty quiet here now, although still (of course!) stunning, and there is plenty still open if you are still planning and able to come out here sometime soon.  These photos were taken on Pine Walk on 30 September - very different to normal years as you can see:

 

As already mentioned, the weather has turned a little unsettled and certainly cooler; this evening we have had quite a bit of rain and some reasonably impressive thunder and lightning 🌩 the dogs are unimpressed and have decided a family cuddle on the sofa is the best way they can support us through the storm 😂 mind you, I'm surprised they're still speaking to me as today was bath and grooming day and despite the fact that they now look sooooo cute and feel very soft and silky, they don't seem very grateful - how rude 😜

Stay safe and hasta la proxima domingo!