Spain out of lockdown!

Feeling' hot, hot, hot 🎵🎵 yep, that's the general vibe here 🔥 summer has most definitely arrived! 🌞 Average temperatures have been in the 30's with 'cooler' days in the late 20's.  Fortunately, most days there's that lovely afternoon breeze to help cool things down - that and our lovely hot tub on our roof terrace (which is refreshing despite being a 'hot' tub lol!).  We've used the tub most days and in fact two other people locally have bought one and are enjoying the benefits of a lovely bubbly spa tub - it's inflatable but fabulous quality and very sturdy, once inflated it's very solid!  It was our little treat to ourselves last summer and so far we're delighted with little indulgence.

And so to the Alfie update.  He's one of our two small dogs and had trouble with his paw early last week.  The vet sorted things out but Alfie then started chewing the top of his paw and wouldn't leave it alone, necessitating our use of a cone of shame.  Anyhow.....back to the vets I went with him on Friday.  He suddenly became about 20kg heavier at the door but I managed to coax him in and in due course presented him in front of the vet.  He started screaming - and I mean screaming - when she clipped the fur in the area and, to cut a long story short, it took both myself and the veterinary nurse to hold him still (and she had him in a very professional sort of arm lock) and I suspect the screams were audible in the old town 😱  I must say I felt like joining in...... The vet located a sharp piece of grass which had pierced the poor little chaps paw but boy was he letting us know about it!  It was incredibly hot and sweaty in there, my mask kept slipping off my nose and I was pretty stressy hearing Alfie so unhappy; his brown eyes were fixed on me with a "Mummy how could you" look and even while screaming, his little tail was wagging.  Once a cheery yellow cartoon bedecked bandage was in place, both he and I fled the scene and he's now fully recovered - as am I!

And whilst on the subject of dogs, it seems our two are fully aware of social distancing 😂

On Saturday evening we went to Alcudia for a wonderful (belated) birthday celebration for a friend.  We went by bus, the first time we'd used public transport since recent events; we wore our masks throughout and the bus driver was wearing one too which means he must wear one for hours on end going back and forth on the PP - Can Picafort route.  Rather him than me!  We felt perfectly safe.  Once in Alcudia we ate at one of the restaurants in the marina area (plenty of hand sanitiser available) but first had drinks on our friends' boat where they live, and felt very jet set!  In fact we had such a good time that we were naughty little stop outs and finally arrived home by taxi at 2am 😳 the taxis here now have large plastic screens behind the front seats which completely shield the driver so although we asked if we needed to have our masks on we were told no need!  Again we felt very safe.

In local news the Rosa Blanca (White Rose) pool is opening on 1 July and Batucada Bar and Imperial are now open; sadly Sparrow Bar (near the Pollensa Park Hotel) is not opening this year but will be back in 2021.  And what was Kashmir in the square is opening soon as a churreria.

Churros are a sweet Spanish snack made of a strip of fried dough dusted with sugar or cinnamon.  Luckily the oil they are fried in is usually olive oil so as healthy as anything fried can be!  Traditionally they're made in a star-shape which means more surface to get crispy and means it won't burst in the heat of the oil; the star-shape is made by using a sort of Playdough extruder 😁  They're usually ordered with a cup of thick chocolate to dip them into so it might be best not to count calories!  The best way I can describe them is doughnut-like but that's not quite right - if you've not tried them before, give it a go some time if you get the chance.

This week we hope to get the boat back in the water as the part that tilts the outboard engine has finally arrived so fingers crossed - normally we're in the water around Easter so we're very late this year.  I'm sure we'll make up for lost time and be out enjoying the water soon.  And tomorrow evening we're going to Nostalgia for their Tasty Tuesday Special - I've pre-ordered their famous fish n' chips, Ian's opted for chicken pie - it's a tough call but ......😂

Stay safe and hasta jueves!

Spain out of lockdown!

Well it's certainly hotting up here - 33 degrees today - but I see it is in the UK too.  And this is unfortunate.  Unfortunate because from the pictures we are seeing here of (in particular) the Dorset coast's beaches including and most obviously Bournemouth - well let's just say it isn't filling those of us who live here with confidence in British tourists coming here.  And it simply couldn't happen here.  Last week when on the beach, some people walked past carrying those inflatable standup paddle boards and stood for a few minutes near some other people to put things into a waterproof plastic canister.  In due course along came one of the lifeguards to move them on and it looked like they told them to move rapidly out of the swimming area too but importantly - "move along, too close!"  Heaven forbid anyone from Bournemouth beach should end up on a beach in this part of the world but....well let's just say I think they'd find things are rather different here......😳

Speaking of things being different here, masks are compulsory in closed spaces which are open to the public most obviously shops, supermarkets, and also outdoors in public spaces where it might be difficult to maintain a 2m distance between others not from your own household.  It is obligatory for 6 year olds up, and only those with medical issues where use of a mask is contra-indicated are exempt.  How one proves this I am uncertain and am looking with interest at the various Q&As on the subject on Facebook, but suffice it to say, if this applies to you I would make sure you have a letter from your doctor stating the need for exemption as the police don't mess about here and will fine you anything from 601-30,000€ 😱  If you forget and set foot in a shop without one on (as I did the other day) you can be sure you will be reminded very rapidly (but very nicely) indeed to put one on immediately!  All shops etc also have hand sanitiser everywhere.  So masks are now de rigeur and we all carry them, there are lots of different patterned ones to match every outfit, so much so that locally, they have been incorporated into window displays:

Tuesday saw me at the vets with Alfie who had a sore paw and was limping.  He's quite the drama queen so every time we so much as touched his paw he squealed like a hyperactive piglet.  The vet received much the same reaction so at least it's not just us, but either way we thought the problem was sorted; sadly he decided to lick it so much it's now worse but in a different place and we've had him wearing the cone of shame to prevent further damage sooooo.....it's back to the vets tomorrow.  In the meantime he's crashing around like a small, disgruntled tank and taking every opportunity he can get to scrape past/bash into our shins so that we can share the suffering 😵  To make sure we understand how much he is in fact suffering, he lies like a drooping flower and makes a little sad whimper every now and again.  I think we've got the message Alfie.  And we have to carry him up and down the five flights of stairs to our apartment's front door as he's a small breed so can't clear each step; he waits like the little diva prince he is for his 'carry'.  Kim Kardashian, eat your heart out!

Today we went to Son Marroig (between Deia and Valldemossa) which we have been past a number of times but never visited.  We tried once but it was shut so this was a great chance to go and experience it in hot summer weather but without the crowds.  As it was, we had the place to ourselves.  Son Marroig is a beautiful 19th century manor house owned by the Austrian Habsburgs and was the home of Archduke Luis Salvador.  In the garden and overlooking stunning views of the coast is the iconic marble temple which was just beautiful.  The garden is verdant and shady and we spent some time there as well as a look inside where the view from one of the terraces of the temple and coastline was simply spectacular 😍

Finally, in local news Laguna (the restaurant with a swimming pool on the Formentor Road towards the Illa d'Or end) is opening in July as is the Miramar and the Galeon Suites.  And finally, the municipality has started opening up the children's playgrounds thoroughly cleaning them first 👏  I must say it is wonderful to see the children playing happily on the swings and slides.  They are the future and we need to make sure it's a safe one.

Stay safe and hasta lunes!

Spain out of lockdown!

Soooo.....the weekend brought us not only the longest day on Saturday but our first day out of lockdown (after nearly 100 days) on Sunday 🎉🍻 and it felt good!  But we are all nervously awaiting the first of the tourists here in the Port; speaking to people a common feeling is that they want visitors for the economy but are somewhat wary of anyone from another country as no-one wants to see us going backwards so to speak, given the very strict lockdown we have just been through.  

On Friday I had the pleasure of going to the dentist for a routine clean, actually not very pleasurable because I have hyper-sensitive teeth and that ultrasonic doodah is a nightmare for me; this time saw me jumping all over the place so the dentist finally gave up and went to manual as it were, making a note that I'm an old-fashioned kinda gal for future cleans.  Anyway I digress, on arrival the front door to the surgery opened and a dental nurse in full (and I mean full) PPE swept towards me with hand sanitiser and a temperature thingy.  I passed muster and was told to wait in the waiting room and could even remove my mask.  I assumed that was that but no - after a few minutes she returned but this time with a full pack of disposable PPE for me - she helped me get dressed in overshoes on my feet, an attractive [sic] green shower cap and a full sleeved gown 😂  And it was thus attired that I shuffled through and had my teeth cleaned.  I wanted to ask if someone would take my photo but bottled it 😳  And I can confirm that yes indeedy, PPE is very hot and sweaty.....

Speaking of hot and sweaty, summer has officially arrived in terms of heat - 28/29 degrees over the last couple of days, and looking ahead we're up into the 30's as the week goes on.  It was certainly hot enough at the gym this morning!  Dog walks are becoming increasingly short especially at lunchtime as it's just too hot.  Yesterday we walked the dogs by the marina and saw an egret (which, along with the cormorants I always associate with the Port) on a llaut which I started to photograph, managing to catch this:

On Saturday I finally returned to the radio studio in Pollensa to do my One4All Radio Show on English Radio Pollensa.  It was wonderful to be back broadcasting and I loved every second of it and hope the listeners did too.  I certainly had some lovely messages from people 💕  This week the theme is songs/artistes with 'long' in the title, as we've all waited a long time to reach the new normal.  I've already had some amazing suggestions and can't wait to get back on air next Saturday 🎧

Yesterday there was a festive air in the Port and Pollensa itself as there was a Music Festival combined with the first day of the new normal.  There was music at various venues around the square and also in the area by the marina that used to be the bus station.  It was very festive and social distancing seemed to be ok here but I believe that a great many people were in Pollensa's main square to listen to the music there which has given the town council pause for thought due to the lack of social distancing as a result.   I believe they are rethinking other events organised this summer so we shall see.....  In any event, to celebrate Fathers' Day in the UK we went out in the evening to Ca'n Ferra (the 'little people') and had yummy paella whilst listening to the music - well it would've been rude not to 😜

Over the weekend we tackled the dog grooming again, using the equipment we've now bought.  The result?  Not bad if we say so ourselves!  And we can only get better with practice so doing our own grooming is a definite outcome from the lockdown that we didn't forsee and the dogs don't seem to mind too much.  It's certainly a money saver and every little helps!

In general news the regional government here will not permit establishments with the capacity for more than 300 people to reopen and will limit the rest to 75%.  This means no nightclubs of course.  Terraces can now operate at 100% though.  And activities such as excursions and sports are limited to groups of no more than 30 people.  

In more local news, Liberty Kitchen is due to open at the end of June and the Daina is apparently opening on 6 July.  And the Illa d'Or has opened its terrace facility (but not the accommodation part of the hotel).  However the Mar Senses has announced that it will not be opening this year but will be back in 2021.  I think it's generally felt that most visitors to the Port will be likely to be apartment/villa owners and I suppose there will only be a handful of hotels who will feel it worthwhile or indeed, financially possible, to open.  Again, we will see.....  

Stay safe and hasta jueves!

Spain in lockdown lite Phase 3 - Day 95

Well the Port is starting to come to life and places like the Torre Playa, Brisa Marina and Los Faroles are open, Centric is opening tomorrow and Ca'n Josep is opening on Saturday for weekends.  However of course there are only so many people to go around as customers are currently all locals.  As you'll probably know, German tourists started arriving this week, mainly staying in the Palma area but some in Alcudia, as part of an experiment win Mallorca but I've certainly not seen any here.  It's such a difficult balance to help the economy but not put all our hard work in lockdown at risk of a second spike of coronavirus - I don't envy the decision-makers one little bit.

We're on the way to 100 days since lockdown started although on Monday (Day 99) the state of alarm here in Spain ends.  And doing some housework we found ourselves taking the last of the loo rolls from our bumper pack of 24  - yes folks, we made it through lockdown (and beyond as we still have a couple to use) on one pack safely enough 😂

Those multiple purchases that some people panic bought at the beginning must be languishing in cupboards somewhere unless we're just lightweight users.....😳😂

On Tuesday we went for another wonderful menu del dia at El Posito.  Tumbet was again a choice of starter but I finally did what I said I'd do previously and had tumbet as my main course.  My tastebuds did a little happy dance 💃 as it was completely wonderful.  On Wednesday I did two classes back to back at the gym - Tabata first and then Pilates.  If you have never done Pilates, don't be under any illusion that it's a bit of faffing around on a mat to whale music.  I did Pilates twice a week for a couple of years but don't do it much now; however this class was a reminder of how much harder it is than it looks!  Especially if you've just done an hour of Tabata (high intensity interval training) first.....😳

Later on Wednesday we had a pretty impressive rain storm which delayed our planned Lidl trip - it absolutely lashed it down as it often does here.  Once it abated we made a 'run' for it to Lidl and managed to get stocked up.  But later that evening we noticed that the new manicure/pedicure place (not sure if it was a hairdressers too) Estilo 21 opposite which opened not long before the lockdown and seemed to be doing a good trade before and after, was being packed up into a car - in fact it was the last carload we saw being loaded and that was that; another business closed 😞

Today we 'attended' Ladies Day at Royal Ascot at Bar Bondia (near the Pollensa Park Hotel) - ladies wore hats and we all had a wonderful time placing bets (through an official bookmaker I must add) and having a wonderful platter of goodies.  I won absolutely nothing whatsoever, Ian did rather better and came out pretty much with what he started with, but some people clearly knew their stuff and did very well indeed. It was such a pleasure to have a lovely scone with jam and cream - delicious!

This weekend my Saturday radio show on English Radio Pollensa restarts after all this time; it's a new show for me running solo April - Oct rather than a continuation of the double act Graham & Sarah Saturday Show which will return as and when in the winter.  It's called the One4All Radio Show so if you fancy tuning in at 1pm (12 noon UK time) please do and if you want a shout out just let me know via the One4All Radio Show Facebook page.  In the wider Pollensa area it's 107.9 FM or you can tune in via the internet using englishradiopollensa.com or via tunein.com (search for English Radio Pollensa).  The theme this week is 'new' to reflect our new normal so part of the show is music suggested by listeners on the theme and there is some great music planned as well as the Top Ten from this week way back when. 

Stay safe, have a great weekend and hasta lunes!

Spain in lockdown lite! Phase 3 - Day 92

Well we did it!  We went scuba diving for the first time ever 🤿 But more about that later..... 

The weather in Mallorca has been pretty windy lately but the hotter temperatures are definitely here to stay and summer is well on the way!

On Friday I had a little charity shop browse and then had a coffee with Ian at Pascalinos where you just can't beat the price of a cuppa with those views 😍 There's still not a very great deal open on Pine Walk and certainly no hotels are open yet but the gardeners were in doing some work on the Miramar's sea terrace.  On the way home I dropped in to Lov which is a new little clothes and accessories shop just along from the Eolo on C/Juan XXIII.  It would have been rude not to buy anything - so I did!  Lovely things, reasonable prices 👍

Saturday's pencilled in diving session was again postponed so that conditions would be optimum for us diving virgins so we took the dogs for a walk through the gorgeous and extremely verdant and shady woods in Cala san Vicente:

We had a coffee at the cafe by the car park at Cala Molins - what a fabulous view of the beach which had quite a few people enjoying the weekend sun:

Seeing that gorgeous turquoise water I suggested to Ian that we return the next day without the dogs for a swim.  So we did - and my goodness many other people had had the exact same thought, lots of couples and family groups.  All Spanish of course at the moment but everyone observing the correct social distancing:

Once back we walked the dogs and then cycled along the seafront to Bar Bondia which opened yesterday (near Palms Bar and the Pollensa Park Hotel) for a well-earned sausage bap and cheesy chips - their baps are the stuff of legend and come recommended!  Then, to walk off the calories 😳 we took the dogs for a walk along the harbour wall.

And so today dawned calm and very warm - D-Day aka Dive Day!  We made our way round to Scuba Mallorca in C/d'Elcano and after filling in various forms including medical history, we learned about the various items of equipment and were sized up for wetsuits, fins and masks.  I can confirm that putting on a wetsuit is none too easy (taking it off later was even harder!) but eventually we managed it.  I can also report that wetsuits are not the most flattering of attire for ladies of a certain age 😂 why oh why didn't I try scuba diving when I was a 20 year old stick-insect; ah well, such is life......  Anyhow, off we went to Cala san Vicente which made it three days in a row there for us.  And it was there that we discovered that a buoyancy control device plus gas bottle and all the 'trimmings' weighs about 40kg.  It took a great deal of effort not to just fall backwards like a stranded tortoise.  At the same time as adjusting to this weight we also had to learn to use the regulator mouthpiece before we tottered after instructor Tom towards the water where mercifully the weight of everything is suddenly almost non-existent.  Spitting in a mask proved tricky - it's not my forte as it turns out 😂 - and then on with the mask which means now you only have your mouth to breathe from ie. the regulator.  I found going underwater just to kneel pretty challenging as I've never been underwater in my life - I'm not what you would call aquatic essentially!  Anyway, cutting a long story short we made our way further out and eventually I let go of the instructor 😂 and we were off.  

We had a lovely time and were down for about 40 minutes at just under 5 metres deep; we saw lots of fish including parrotfish and a baby octopus.  It was extremely strange to see a few people swimming high above us, you get an idea of what the view was like for Jaws!  And just like that it was over and we staggered out of the water and up the beach, sadly looking nothing like Daniel Craig and Halle Berry from the Bond films but in our heads - that was us! 💪

In local news, Restaurant Velomar on Pine Walk is opening as is Corb Mari, and in more general news, German tourists arrived today declaring that they felt very safe to be here - as well they should as we are all very proud of how well we have done here.  We just have to hope that this situation remains the case.....

Stay safe and hasta jueves!

Spain in lockdown lite! Phase 3 - Day 89

Helloooo!  How is everyone?  No diving update because it was postponed due to the stormy weather we've had which made the water visibility less than great 😞 If we'd had some previous diving experience it would have been no problem, but as diving virgins Scuba Mallorca suggested we postpone until the water is clear as we'll have a better first experience.  So currently we're pencilled in for Saturday morning but the weather is still a little unsettled.....we'll just have to wait and see!

On Monday we started the day with fresh weather which was trying to drizzle but the cycle ride along the front to Tamarells beach bar terrace for my gym class was wonderful and the breeze kept us cool whilst we did it.  Sadly there will be no more classes there in future as they are opening the bar soon (possibly only at weekends but I'm not sure) so now we have to register for classes so that social distancing can be maintained at the studio.  So yesterday's Tabata class was there - no nice sea breeze, we've been spoiled!  Electric fans just aren't the same lol.  

On Tuesday evening my children and I had another quiz night which was huge fun.  The theme was colours so we had rounds including music linked to a colour, a scavenger hunt  eg. "find something red" and a round where you had to identify a colour and the language from a word in another language which was fiendish!  And yesterday I finished my latest jigsaw puzzle - The Brands that Built Britain.  Very enjoyable and quite a few of the brands are still current now - Heinz, Bisto, Bird's Custard and so on. As ever, I'll leave it on the table for a few days just so that I can maximise my smugness and then break it up before tackling the next one.  I also met my Spanish friend for a coffee and a chat in Spanish first, then English.  I actually managed to use various tenses in Spanish as we spoke so I'm getting there 💪

Yesterday we went for a menu del dia at El Posito in C/Lleibeig and what a wonderful meal it was.  Their tumbet starter is the stuff that dreams are made of 😍  tumbet is a traditional Mallorcan vegetable dish usually made from potatoes, aubergines and red peppers, sometimes also green peppers and courgettes.  It is entirely delicious and the one in El Posito is fab-u-lous!  I could eat it every single day 💕

Today we walked the dogs along the marina wall - it was VERY windy this afternoon and there were some unusually large waves for the bay as the wind was coming from Alcudia which is less common here.  As we walked we noticed a large superyacht come into the bay towing a smaller boat quite far behind it.  The photos doesn't do the size of it or the wind strength justice but you can just see the small white bit some way behind.

We waited for ages getting blown to pieces to see what happened as it looked like they were towing a boat that may have been in trouble.  But where the photo was taken is where it faced into the wind and stopped and we don't know what happened next as we'd had enough of the wind as had the dogs so we dropped down to the harbour side of the wall and out of the worst of it.  Still, it made for an interesting walk that's for sure!

One piece of great news today is that English Radio Pollensa will be back on air from this Sunday and I will be back in the hot seat on Saturday 20th June with a new summer afternoon show - more news on that to follow, but I can't wait 🎧
In positive local news - Bar Bondia (near the Pollensa Park Hotel) is opening on Saturday, Amazo (where Tribeca used to be, opposite where Guru was) opened today, the Torre Playa opened yesterday (next to Sail & Surf on the front just before La Gola), El Casinet (on the front) and La Llonja (by the marina) are preparing to open soon, Osteria N.15 in the square has just opened and the Marina Apartments open on 1st July.  In less positive news, Na Ruixa on the corner behind and along from the Sis Pins on the Formentor Road has closed for good.  

In wider news, on Monday around 11,000 Germans are being allowed in to Mallorca subject to health checks, as an experiment to see how things go with regard to visitors to the Balearics.  In any event in Spain we have all been told that face masks will be compulsory here even after the state of alarm is due to end on 21st June and will remain obligatory until a vaccine to protect against Covid-19 is available.  So I hope the German visitors all bring theirs with them!  Face masks are definitely going to be the new normal for some time to come 😷  Finally, as at Monday no Covid-19 deaths had been reported in the Balearics for a week although I'm struggling to find an update to that.  In any event, it's great news but obviously we'll all wait anxiously to see the outcome of the experiment with the German visitors. 

Stay safe and hasta lunes!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 85

Well we woke up to thunder and rain with grey and glowering skies, a direct contrast to yesterday's blue sky, bright sunshine and hot temperatures.  So we binned the idea of a bike ride as it just doesn't appeal to be out on a bike in a thunderstorm!  Instead, Ian went off to our garage to sort out some things and I went for a run on our running machine.  I didn't quite manage a personal best time this time but came within 11 seconds and was more than happy with that.  As I was running I listened to last weeks' playlist that I put together in lieu of the Graham and Sarah Saturday Show on English Radio Pollensa; it was on the theme of beaches and a top 10 from this week in 1984 - what a line-up that was with great songs from Utravox, Phil Collins, Queen, The Style Council and Wham - it certainly helped me on my way 🏃

I'm certainly making progress on my jigsaw puzzle and can sit there happily doing it for ages - Ian's in heaven as it means he can watch the live sport that's now re-started, horse-racing and snooker, which if I'm honest, I can do without.  I do love watching sport though and this would have been a bumper year for it with the Olympics.  I feel so sorry for all those athletes who trained towards this summer's Olympic games and the Japanese organisers who put in all the work on its organisation, and I really hope it will be able to go ahead next year.  And I do love Wimbledon 💕 which would of course have been on later this month.  What with all the cancelled sporting events I don't think this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year is going to be a goer as no-one's going to have done any!  Ah well, this is a year that is proving to be like none other:

We spent the afternoon watching last night's TV Bond film 'Casino Royale' whilst a big storm did its thing outside.  We found we had two very affectionate four-legged hot water bottles on our laps during the thundery parts - really brave guard dogs 😂

Out and about during this evening's dog walk I took a good look at the repairs to the walkway by the 1919 roundabout.  Last week they placed the metal moulds for the concrete and now the blocks are in place so I suspect the end of this week will see it finished:

We walked round past Mulligans through to the square.  Mulligans closed permanently just before the lockdown started and word on the street is that it is going to be converted into apartments although that has not been confirmed anywhere.  

And so....tomorrow we enter Phase 3 of the de-escalation.  And it will be up to the Balearic government to decide when that ends.  Currently they have already stated that nightclubs/night bars will not be allowed to open here even though it is possible in Phase 3 if a region wishes it.  It does seem a bit pointless anyway as no dancing is allowed!  We will be able to travel between Balearic islands and there are various alterations to the capacity of things eg. bars will be able to have an increased 75% occupancy inside and on the their terrace.  In any event, people calling for Phase 3 to end soon need to be aware that if the regional government does this, then we will no longer be in a state of alarm and anyone getting benefits or hep from the national government will no longer be able to do so.  So together with the lack of tourists which are so vital to the Balearic economy, people could then be unemployed if businesses are unable/unwilling to open up and they will be unable to claim any financial assistance - this really doesn't bear thinking about 😱 let's hope the government takes this into account and makes some provision......

As we are about to enter Phase 3 it seems the right time to de-escalate my blog too or it'll become too mundane, so instead of posting daily, I will post on Mondays and Thursdays starting from Thursday 11th June and every Monday/Thursday thereafter.

Plans for the next few days are my gym class on Tamarells beach terrace tomorrow although I believe they're opening up soon so that may be the last opportunity to do so.  And on Wednesday we are going scuba-diving with a try-dive at Cala san Vicente so it'll be "read all about it" on Thursday! 😂🤿

Stay safe and hasta jueves!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 84

The day started with a trip to Lidl - this is no longer quite the thrill-inducing event that it was not so long ago 😂 but nevertheless is still very different to how shopping used to be before mid-March.  Lidl here has a very friendly security guy on the door who squirts hand sanitiser into your hands and then offers a box of gloves for you to take a couple, all with a very nice smile.  He also handles any queue, like there was this morning, with efficient and pleasant good-humour so a big 👍 to him, he really makes it all a very agreeable experience 👏

It was pretty hot today - around 30 degrees - so we didn't spend too long on the lunchtime dog toilet walk.  We always check the temperature of the pavement to make sure it's not too hot for the dogs to walk on and anyway walk in the shade as far as possible.  When it's July/August and completely scorchio we carry them over the bits that are unshaded, namely the seafront road that we have to cross to get to the grass in the car park; this provides a source of entertainment for those sitting on the terrace of Ca Les Monges on the corner where we cross, especially when I'm walking them on my own and have to pick them both up!  They both weight 9kg so whilst not large dogs, they're not chihuahuas either and once you have one under one arm it's incredibly difficult - and diverting for onlookers - to then stoop down and lift the other with the other arm.  In any event, I'm really glad they're not German Shepherds 😳😂

This afternoon I tended to some of our plants.  We have lots of cacti and succulents on the roof terrace and our bedroom balcony as well as a little lemon tree which we managed to grow two lemons on last year.  And on our kitchen/utility balcony we have a few more small ones but also two orchids.

I always avoided orchids in the past as being too faffy to look after but about two years ago a student's mother gave me the white one as a thank you present for getting her son through a high-level English exam.  It was a lovely gesture so I looked up online how to look after them and managed to keep it alive so bought the dark pink one for myself last year.  They both went a bit dormant over the winter but were definitely still alive and I kept them safe indoors.  And to my delight, during lockdown they looked like they were going to flower again; the pink one has quite a few more buds so I think I'm nailing orchid ownership now!  I even have a bottle and spray them with water and quite enjoy the faffing 💦 

In local news Plaza Uno in the square is opening on 19th June and a few more of the clothing and souvenir shops on the front have opened - nothing like as many as normal of course, but still there are a few more than there were.   And in wider terms the Balearics are moving from Phase 2 to Phase 3 of de-escalation on Monday which is good news.  Phase 3 is the last one before the new normality.  The state of alarm ends on 21st June but under Phase 3, regions can decide for themselves when to end Phase 3.

Tomorrow looks as if it will be a lot cooler, and stormy with rain so although we have a bike ride scheduled for the morning we'll have to hope the inclement weather is later in the day, as a bike ride in the rain just doesn't appeal!

Stay safe and hasta pronto!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 83

This morning I got up and headed out to meet my Spanish friend and thankfully I haven't lost the ability to chat in Spanish - that's a relief!  Duolingo can only go so far.  I even managed various tenses reasonably accurately.  It was so nice to see her again.  We reflected on the effect the lockdown has had on us both and how every cloud has a silver lining as we both have some positives to take from it all despite a friend of hers having been a victim 😥

I spent a couple of hours today on my latest puzzle "The Brands that Built Britain".  A few years ago the work team I was a member of in the UK had a day out in London and visited the Brand Museum which was absolutely fascinating - a blast from the past in fact for about two thirds of the team; the younger members got bored as most of it meant nothing and they went ahead and met us at the end but I loved it 💕 Anyway, this puzzle is a bit like an early-ish display from the Brand Museum with Lifebuoy Soap, Persil, Jacobs biscuits, Bovril and so on.  Very interesting but unfortunately most of the bottles of things such as Tizer are very dark so I have an alarming number of pieces for those areas 😱 either way, I have definitely discovered a new pastime which I would otherwise never have tried were it not for the lockdown.

This afternoon we relaxed on the roof terrace and sat in the hot tub - glorious!  The water temperature was 30 degrees so not too shabby but all day it has been pretty windy.  I tried reading the paper but after I'd chased it across the terrace twice I gave up and the Kindle came into its own.  I have so many great books on it that I have yet to read but currently am re-reading "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" which was Agatha Christie's first detective novel; this has been prompted by reading her autobiography which, although really interesting and enjoyable to read, is veeeeeerrrrrrry long such that I feel like I've been reading it for ever and am still only halfway through.  In any event, I'm just past the bit where she describes writing her first published novel that introduced Hercule Poirot to the world so it seemed rude not to re-read it.  And of course Agatha herself spent some time in Puerto Pollensa (including writing "Problem at Pollensa Bay and other stories").

Here in Spain, the Prime Minister has secured an extension to the state of alarm and by Monday more than half of Spain will have moved to Phase 3 of the de-escalation plan including Mallorca.  This is the final Phase and will allow for more flexible and freer movement across Spain and between regions although face masks will remain compulsory.   We are going to wait and see the detail of how Phase 3 affects our everyday life but it feels like we're nearly at the 'new normal' already 👍

This evening we went for a curry at Himalaya and had a lovely meal with enough left over for a modest 'doggy bag'.  There was a HUGE full moon tonight as we left and here it is:

Stay safe and hasta luego!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 82

So we awoke to find the washing machine has stopped working 😩 I popped in to the agent who handles our rental (wearing my face mask although no-one else in there was) to explain the situation in Spanish but a guy in the office tried to tell me that I was in the wrong place and it was nothing to do with them!  I stood my ground and finally a rather more on the ball member of staff came out to help although Mr 'computer says no' tried to call my bluff by saying they needed to send a repairman to look at it in the first instance and triumphantly said he needed a photo of the washing machine so they knew the make; but I was ready for him, oh yes, and told him the make and model - game, set and match to me I think!  Now we just have to play the waiting game.......

The weather today started quite well but very windy and by lunchtime had become very grey and then started to rain.  This gave me the chance to make like the early days of lockdown and get settled down to my latest 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle.  I spent a happy time sorting pieces and generally getting started - I really do find it very therapeutic.  I also did some more sorting of teaching resources which reminded me of my job which I enjoy so much but which came to an abrupt stop in mid-March and won't start again until into September.  I'm already wondering how difficult it may be getting back into a work ethic at that time but on the other hand I do at least have the prospect of that job so I do consider myself lucky in that regard.

I see from the news that face masks are to be compulsory on public transport in the UK from Monday; well we're old hands at that here now - face masks were compulsory on public transport here some weeks ago now and of course now they're compulsory anywhere where social distancing may not be possible, and definitely in shops.  They are pretty stifling in the heat out here but we've learned to just get on with it.  Anyhow, high marks for stupidity go to the man I saw today driving a convertible car on his own and the wind in his hair whilst wearing a face mask 😂

In local news, yesterday was the first time that the fishermen have sold their catch direct to the public from just past La Llonja.  The times were from 4.30-6.30pm but before 6pm they'd sold out - the queue was very long apparently and we know of a number of people who went but came away empty handed.  They're going to publish the schedule on a Sunday as to when they'll be open the following week as it will depend on the weather forecast etc.  So, good news for this initiative and I hope it continues to be popular.

This evening's dog walk was along the harbour wall.  There were clouds and blue sky looking south: 

but over the mountains and the Formentor area it was very grey and kept trying to rain.  They have finally finished the works to the harbour and the far end has been widened and extended and now looks like this:

And at last we can walk along to the lighthouse:

You can see from the sky that the weather was a bit challenging here today!  But at least the strong wind gusts had died down and all in all it was quite refreshing compared to the humidity of the morning.

Tomorrow I am finally meeting up with my Spanish friend after all this time - a good natter in Spanish should get those brain cells going I think!

Stay safe and hasta mañana!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 81

The days just keep rolling around and 100 days is tantalisingly in sight now.  In any event, the Spanish Prime Minister has sought a final extension to the current state of alarm until 21st June in order to get Phase 3 of the de-escalation through.  There are also indications that they may also extend the ERTE furlough scheme here beyond 30th June in sectors such as tourism but it's going to be a loooong summer.

This morning after breakfast I cycled to Tamarells beach bar terrace again for my Tabata HIIT gym class.  It was streamed live online via Facebook for people who've been attending from other countries and those who'll do it on 'catch up' later but we stayed well behind the camera - the world really isn't ready to see me jumping around giving it my all just yet!  It was hot but there was a gentle breeze and I must say that doing a class with those surroundings and a view of the sea really is a treat and the hour fairly flew.  As I pedalled back along the seafront towards home with that view of the Port and the mountains behind 😍 and the wind whilst I was cycling along cooling me down, I reflected how very lucky I am to live here.  It is such a lovely way to start the day 💕

I watched a bit of TV and then headed out with the dogs for their lunchtime walk.  They, however, had other ideas and although I chose a shady route through La Gola they took it in turns to keep stopping to lie down or just stop dead nearly taking my arm out of it's socket.  I've never been able to work out how a 9kg dog can suddenly magically become a dead weight of about the size of a small pony and yank me backwards, but they manage it every time.  And they seem to take it in turns; I think it's a cunning canine plot to train their human to know their place.  Anyway.....the water in La Gola is now flowing freely following Monday's dredging:

The afternoon was spent lounging around on the roof terrace and in the hot tub on a day that is definitely heading towards summer at some speed as each day seems to be a degree or so hotter than the one before.  Oh and publishing on Facebook this week's theme for the playlist in lieu of the live Graham and Sarah Saturday radio show on English Radio Pollensa (we still can't broadcast yet) - the theme is songs/artists relating to 'open' as now bigger shops and shopping centres are allowed to open.  So if you can think of any, check out the FB page and add your suggestions!  

In local news, No.31 Restaurant is due to re-open on 12th June and if you go to their Facebook page you can see their menu.  It is under the new ownership of Alex - cocktail maker expert who worked there previously.  They're open Friday - Sunday, the same as Marc's (just round the corner from Bony's).  

Tomorrow I'm going to start another jigsaw puzzle, my new guilty pleasure, discovered during the 'full on' lockdown and work on some new resources for teaching - it seems a long way off but I know September will come around soon enough!  In the meantime, stay safe and hasta pronto!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 80

My oh my, 80 days and today I was finally going to leave the municipality of Pollensa!  But first we had a visit to the vets for the dogs' jabs.  These were due just as lockdown started but luckily we had enough worming and flea medication to last us; rabies jabs however are another matter!  They're valid for three years in the UK but for only one year here in Spain.  Currently the vets will only allow two people in at a time, wearing the ubiquitous face mask and, as everywhere else, you have to use hand sanitiser.  The receptionist also has a plastic screen.  Anyhow, all this we were expecting but what we didn't expect was that we could no longer go into the consulting room with Alfie or Tally and that the vet would take them in, give them a health check and do the deed without us.  Alfie is the least enthusiastic about the vets ever since he had to have a minor op to his paw a couple of years ago so we thought he could go first to get it over with.  The lovely lady vet took his lead and he realised mum or dad wasn't coming with him - bless, he cast us an anguished look, his little legs crumpled and she had to pick him up and carry him in.  Good job he's not a German Shepherd......  It was agonising for us especially when we heard his little squeak when he had his jab (he's a bit of a baby with jabs!).  He practically flew to us on being brought out.  Then it was Tally's turn and we didn't get quite the same level of "why don't you love me any more" looks but she too dropped like a stone to the floor and had to be carried. Cue Alfie barking in concern for where she had gone.  We were relieved when it was all over as, I suspect, was the vet after all the diva 'dying swan' drama!

After the vets visit we jumped in the car and off we went to the bright lights of 'almost' Palma.  Once past Pollensa we were in whole new territory for me and I was quite giddy with excitement 😝 it felt different to be on a motorway and going faster than I have in quite some time!  First stop, Festival Park.  If you're unaware of what Festival Park is, it's an outdoors factory fashion outlet park and at every access point to the Park was a security guard with hand sanitiser and roped off in and out sides.  All very organised.  It was very quiet though with very few people around and often I was the only person in a shop with very hopeful sales assistants circling me like vultures.

Every shop had hand sanitiser by the door, face masks in shops of course de rigeur and the staff were all VERY strict about it.  It was a hot day and I pulled my face mask under my chin when outside as I felt I felt stifled otherwise, but forgot to pull it up over my mouth/nose on entering one of the shops and I thought the shop assistant was going to faint with shock 😱  I put it in place very quickly before she needed medical assistance!  Those who do know Festival Park know that the fountain area outside the cinema where most of the cafes and restaurants are is normally pretty busy but today it looked like this:

Anyway, I had the opportunity to have a look round and do a bit of retail therapy and do you know what?  I couldn't get into it at all 😂  I bought nothing!  This is a pretty rare event for me if I'm honest and Ian was a bit stunned but hey, I like to keep him guessing.....

And so....onward one junction down on the motorway to Al Campo.  We got what we wanted in the huge supermarket there - it doesn't get more exciting than shopping for pillows, slippers and a dustpan and brush I can tell you 😳  Al Campo was much busier than Festival Park but again, everything was well under control, everyone wearing face masks and we felt perfectly safe.  Here is Ian carrying our exciting purchases:

On the way out I made a detour to Pull & Bear and bagged myself a nice summer dress so I hadn't lost my shopping touch completely.  The final leg of the trip was back towards Bauhaus (also well organised, everyone masked, hand sanitiser blah blah blah) where we got some solar powered lights, had a sandwich in the little cafe there - we certainly live the high life - and on home.  My headily exciting trip to 'almost' Palma was over......

In more local news I can report that they've installed a new pharmacy green cross light doodah outside the big pharmacy on the corner of C/Juan XXIII that has two of those lights.  For years now both lights have been operating in parallel universes with different dates, times and temperatures (sometimes by as much as 8 degrees) but now the one on the main road is a sexy new all-singing all-dancing one; it has a variety of twirly red and green patterns which are quite hypnotic to watch and the display data looks a very great deal more accurate to me 👍  quite why they've not replaced both of them I have no idea.  

Another local update - Formentor Hotel has announced that they will be starting to charge for parking at the car park at Formentor beach from this Friday.  They're obviously hopeful there will be enough tourists to make this worth doing; we will just have to wait and see how high summer evolves.  

Tomorrow first thing is my Tabata HIIT gym class on the beach again - a tough gig but I'll try to cope........

Stay safe and hasta luego!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 79

An early start this morning as I was going out for my strength training gym class - quite literally out!  The class was on the terrace of Tamarells beach bar, what a wonderful setting 😍  So I cycled along the seafront with my gym mat, water and a towel and was really grateful for the opportunity to keep fit in such beautiful surroundings.  It was just like being on a desert island 🏝  And as you can see we weren't crowded!

After this class was the always popular Pilates class and here they are getting started:

I used to do Pilates which is wonderful and a LOT harder than it looks, but then got into training for the Total Race last year (and Spartan this year) and have just stuck with the fitness classes instead, but Pilates is tremendously popular!

On the way to and from the class, I saw that they were dredging La Gola.  This is much needed as since the storms in January, at least half of the water there was just sludge and seaweed.  The smell was pretty impressively disgusting on the way there and I speeded up a great deal to get past as quickly as possible but on the way back it wasn't as bad so I stopped to take a photo whilst my nasal passages could cope:

We were going to get our day boat in the water today and were all geared up for a boat trip out to one of the calas, drop anchor and have a swim and a picnic later this week......but at the last minute discovered there is a minor problem with part of the engine (some water in the trim mechanism if you're into that sort of thing, I tend to glaze over when things get technical with respect to engines 😳) which needs to be sorted out with the boat out of the water.  So the boat never left the boatyard.  It should be done by the end of this week but means we'll be a week behind in getting out on the water.  Never mind, since getting through the depths of lockdown we're pretty unfazed by anything and we just shrugged our shoulders - keep calm and carry on!

After the lunchtime dog walk on the harbour wall (another pretty breezy day) I did some housework as my domestic goddessing crown has rather slipped lately and I really should get back on track - baking some cheese straws this week should do the trick so that is on my list of 'things to do' now.  I also marked some homework from one of my students; the school won't be starting up again until September but I'm keeping the adult students going over the summer with some online classrooms.  It's very easy to set work for the advanced adults but much more difficult for the beginners as their 'repertoire' of English is so limited but we're getting by and it will be lovely to teach them all again properly in September.  In the meantime, like so many others, I'm furloughed 😟 mind you, unlike many others here, I have at least (but only recently) received some money from the government thank goodness 🙏

Not much to report in terms of local updates but today I noticed that the gardeners were hard at work on the Miramar terrace overlooking the bay.  So I think it's ok for us to speculate that they are looking to open sometime this season.  The work at the Daina has definitely progressed very well and the reception area which was full of junk before is now less full but their pool/terrace/Lemon Lounge area is untouched as yet.

In the news at the moment is the fact that the Spanish health minister has cast doubt on Spain allowing UK holidaymakers here until the Covid-19 situation in the UK "improves" despite being in talks with Jet2holidays and TUI.  Currently tourists from Germany and Nordic countries are most likely to be the first to be allowed here on holiday.  The health ministry has also reported no coronavirus-related deaths in Spain in the last 24 hours and a further fall in new infections with 71 confirmed today, compared to 96 the day before although the authorities always remind us that there has been underreporting of figures on Sundays and Mondays due to lower hospital staffing levels at the weekends.  As is usual, most of the newly reported cases were reported in Madrid and Catalonia.  Happily the Balearic Islands are one of the eight areas that have not seen a single Covid-19 related death in the last week 👏  VERY good news indeed!

Tomorrow is the big moment when I will be going further afield - only a shopping trip to Al Campo, Festival Park and Bauhaus mind you, but still it's pretty heady stuff when the furthest I've gone so far is this side of Pollensa and Cala san Vicente; I've almost forgotten what a motorway looks like 😂

Stay safe and hasta pronto!