Spain out of lockdown!

The theme of this week is not so much things getting quieter as getting noisier - due to the gale force winds!  Last night was the worst so far; I'm not sure many of us got much sleep due to the banging or crashing as terrace furniture slid all over the place and shutters left open kept slamming against the wall (one of my pet peeves here - to hear the rhythmic SLAM ... SLAM... - it's hypnotic and not in a good way!).  It rained too but that didn't make the noise so much as the wind.  In any event I think most of us didn't get much of a night's sleep last night and the season of storms is definitely upon us 🌬

An event that everyone will be well aware of is the fire at Albufera (near Playa de Muro).  It has apparently affected more than 300 hectares of land, with three properties burned out and two others damaged.  As ever, the brave emergency services including the locally based fire planes, did a fantastic job and eventually nature assisted by providing some rain.  Although I'm sure many people have seen a lot of coverage/photos of the fire, but for those who haven't, you get an idea of the scale and ferocity of it from the second photo:

I think everyone is just grateful that no-one was killed or seriously injured 🙏

In local news, La Llonja has now closed for the season as has Ben & Jerrys on the seafront.  As far as I'm aware, everyone else is plodding on.  We went for a menu del dia at El Posito on Friday and had my all time favourite food - tumbet.  El Posito's tumbet con huevo (I may have mentioned this before!) is the stuff of dreams and here it is in all it's glory 😍:

I really and truly could eat it every single day...............

Ironically today (27th September) is World Tourism Day.  I'm not sure that this year there is a very great deal to celebrate as tourism has been so badly hit by the pandemic.  It's probably better to focus on hopes for next year.  Lots of flights in the autumn are being cancelled so I think it is safe to say that the 'season' has been - and gone.  Mallorca is so dependent on tourism we have to absolutely hope that next year brings better times.  

The weather has brought slightly cooler temperatures here and those of us who live here are walking around saying "My goodness, it's a bit chilly isn't it?" when it's 22 degrees 😳  Mind you, in our defence we have been used to 10 degrees warmer than that until lately so cut us some slack!  I believe it's very chilly in the UK now and friends said that yesterday in outer London it was 11 degrees which sounds horrendous 😱  In those temperatures I would most definitely be wrapped up in so many layers you'd be hard pressed to see who I was!

This brings me to......now that autumn is here, I for one am overjoyed that the Great British Bake Off has started again 💕 it's like a big TV cuddle 😆 and it really is wonderful to have something like a semblance of how life used to be, back in our lives.  And once Strictly Come Dancing starts, I will be more than happy just to add some enjoyable escapism to live - don't judge me!

So far work wise, teaching is going well and all the students are being wonderful at observing the rules around social distancing, mask wearing and sanitising.  It is probably the children who are coping the best with things if I'm honest; they just seem to get on with it and accept things as they are.  I'm not going to pretend that it's easy teaching or learning a language whilst wearing a mask but we have all adapted pretty well and everyone is enjoying their classes, including me!  

Today we went twice to Meraki in the square - once at lunchtime for a coffee - and saw several birds using the water in the upside down tables at the now closed Maxims, as a bird bath.  They drank, fluttered and played in the water which was adorable:

Tonight we went for a couple of beers and found that there was a sort of story telling/circus-y performance in the square for children; the parents seemed pretty involved and there were lots of actions that everyone enthusiastically joined in with.  It was lovely to see families enjoying themselves in a safely distanced, outdoor, mask wearing environment:

So....as autumn draws in......stay safe and hasta octubre! 

Spain out of lockdown!

Gradually the Port is getting quieter......and quieter......but there are still plenty of businesses open who will appreciate your support if you are able to travel out here.  It's similar to how the Port is in winter but with heat thrown in!  Everyone is definitely looking forward to next year and better times ahead.......

You will probably have seen that numbers of cases of Covid are rising throughout Spain as well as here in Mallorca.  Local newspapers are reporting that the medical authorities on the island were braced for a rise in numbers Oct/Nov but it has come rather sooner than expected.  But importantly, hospital admissions are far less than they were previously and of those who are, there are fewer seriously ill patients than before and their hospital stay is far shorter.  It is believed that this is partly due to the age of patients being much younger and also a better understanding of how to treat patients with Covid.  In terms of numbers in Pollensa municipality, there have been 32 cases in total so far.  In any event, it's important not to become complacent as time passes and it does seem that most people locally are wearing their masks, hand sanitising and keeping social distance.  Mind you, the other day a friend was getting on a bus and an elderly gentleman tried to get on without a mask; the driver told him in no uncertain terms to put one on or no bus journey - he complied 😷  

With regard to the tightening of regulations out here, the closure of all the childrens' playgrounds is one which is both poignant and telling.  The authorities are focusing on children gathering in an educational setting which I totally understand but it is nevertheless a very sad sight to see:

I recall when the country was working through the phases of de-escalation, the most memorable moment for me was the opening of the playgrounds and hearing children playing again.  Throughout lockdown here, children were not allowed out and it was almost as if they'd vanished apart from a glimpse of one playing on a balcony.  So to see the playground closures again is heartbreaking 😢 on the brighter side, this evening a number of small children were playing happily in the square so........💪

This past week for me has been a busy teaching one.  Adults and children are still attending English classes, probably in greater numbers than I was expecting if I'm honest.  I'd thought that many wouldn't return due to financial or health regulation issues but it's certainly wonderful to see that I underestimated their determination to progress their English!  And it was so lovely to see everyone again.  Mind you, one or two of the teenage boys had grown about a foot taller and what with that and the mask wearing, I barely recognised them! 😂  It's great to be back doing what I love doing and am really proud of one of my younger classes who have been working on superlatives - closest, most interesting, biggest etc - using the planets of the solar system and behold (proud teacher moment! 😊) their wall display:

The students at N1 Language School are the BEST!

In local news, the new restaurant Salma (where Guru used to be) has closed - for the season by the look of it - as has Bar Coral whose last night was.....well.....last night!  A number of other restaurants/bars have shortened their opening hours too but importantly they are still open.  We only eat out occasionally and were lucky enough to do so tonight at Ambrosia.  Gorgeous burgers and divine risotto - what's not to love 😍

English Radio Pollensa 107.9FM is doing its bit to support local businesses in these challenging times - the businesses are displaying a radio sticker and we're doing adverts on air during the three weekend English Radio Pollensa shows for these local businesses:

Bar Bondia     Simply Pilates Studio    Hamill Care International   Ovenclean Mallorca

Love Letters Language School   Corner Shop, Pollensa   De Cor, Pollensa   

Liberty Kitchen   La Granota hoe Shop   Finca 49   Rollings Property Services

Nostalgia Bar Bistro   Himalaya Indian Restaurant   Pollentia Rentals

If you want to hear some great music why not tune in via www.englishradiopollensa.com to the One4All Show 1-4pm (12-3pm UK time) on Saturdays; the Easy Like Sunday Morning Show 10am-1pm (9am-12noon UK time) on Sundays; and the Sunday Lunchtime Show 1-3pm (12-2pm UK time) 🎧 🎶

In the meantime, stay safe and hasta el próximo domingo!

Spain out of lockdown

Well, another week bites the dust and it really is VERY quiet here.  But more about that later.  From my perspective it's a second busy week teaching and I'm back in the old routine already - albeit with masks, hand sanitiser, wipes....... and, for my adult classes, a visor!  The adults prefer me to wear a visor so that they can see my mouth for pronunciation, and a couple of them also wear one; I must admit it makes understanding what they are saying much easier I must say, especially for those who have a strong accent.  But my goodness, how many times have I knocked the wretched thing with my hands - I 'talk' a lot with my hands, don't judge me 😳 - and then have to re-position it, re-wash hands.......and repeat......often 😂

We've had quite a bit of rain lately but the last few days have been lovely, with blue skies and sunshine.  This makes the lack of people here even more poignant as normally the season for visitors without children or with very young ones, would be in full swing.  But the number of tourists here you could almost count on two hands - I exaggerate of course - but you get the idea.  There are still plenty of places open to enjoy a drink or a delicious meal should you be heading out here any time soon, but there have been some recent closures of which the major one is Bar Bonys, who shut up shop earlier this week.  So no more amazing cocktails for a while but they will be back next year 👍  However Stefanos in Gotmar (around the corner from the Rosa Blanca) has shut for good and Al Mattarello in C/Juan XXIII (specialist Italian food shop/delicatessen) is also closing for good shortly.  Sadly I am sure they won't be the only ones 😢  However, in a triumph of hope and optimism in the face of all that this year has thrown at us, some brave souls have opened Manolo's in what was Rincon de Mami with an extensive menu, eat in or takeaway.  They are apparently linked to Manolo's in Alcudia but not to eb confused with Manolo bar/cafe on the corner of the square near the church; as reported some weeks ago, the Manolo who owned that passed away and now the once thriving premises lie empty and forlorn.

During the past week a food bank in Puerto Pollensa, inaugurated on 4th September, for families in the area who are in need, opened its doors on Monday 7th; it is a joint enterprise by various bodies including the council and social services.  People have also been donating felt tip pens, colouring pencils and other items of stationery via some local small business drop off points for those families who are unable to provide them for their children who are all returning to school, in staggered year groups, from tomorrow.  The very large box of stationery that I saw in Tartas de Alba certainly indicated that people had been very generous in their donations 💕

This week we've been lucky enough to eat out twice - once at Liberty Kitchen where I had yummy fish and chips and Ian had their mixed grill, and once at Himalaya Curry House whose portions are so generous we always end up taking a 'doggy bag' home which provides Ian with a light lunch another day.  Brilliant value.  

Today we went to Cala san Vicente again for another Sunday dog walk, but in different woods to last week's walk.  We are so lucky to be able to walk in such beautiful surroundings:

Both main beaches in Cala san Vicente were actually pretty busy (in a socially distanced way), lots of people enjoying the weather and water activities.  But it is telling that very few of the cars we saw parked near the beaches were hire cars 😦

We have watched, with interest, the new restrictions announced for the UK as from tomorrow although it does make you wonder if people will have enjoyed themselves a little too much this weekend before the rules come into effect......  This week, the Balearic government announced a clampdown on the mandatory mask wearing and also on the prohibition of smoking/vaping in public places.  The curfew for beaches and parks is firmly in place, and bars/restaurants must shut by 1am, and no more people allowed in or on terraces from midnight.  The saddest restriction of all is to see the playgrounds all taped up again since yesterday, to prevent children from mixing there now that the schools are starting back from tomorrow.  I can see the need to prioritise education but it is a sad sight to see.   In addition, other children's leisure activities have been prohibited or limited.  In gym classes the required minimum distance is now 4m, and fairs and festivals are forbidden.  Difficult times but we need to pull together to get through it all and in the meantime I will leave you with this thought 😂:

Stay safe and hasta el próximo domingo!

Spain out of lockdown

We had a fair old storm earlier this week - the lightning was so bright it woke me up and we were treated to one of the biggest and longest claps of thunder I think I've ever heard!!  Mind you, I do love a good storm and the ones in Mallorca are storms on steroids 😂  I took this photo when I took the dogs out first thing on 'the morning after the night before' when it had gone very, very still and the water was like glass and reflected the amazing sky:

This week at last I returned to teaching (and earning money!) for the first time in 24 weeks!  What a great felling it was to be back at work and I feel very lucky 💕  The school has made every effort with safety measures - we have hand sanitiser everywhere, separate waiting areas for the two classrooms, mats which are sprayed as each student enters and cleans their feet, individual pens/crayons etc, masks all round, distancing - the list is endless!  Each student also uses a wipe to clean their books, table and chair area at the end of every lesson.  But we've all settled into things quite well and the youngest students have taken it all in their stride, the older ones are fine but more reflective about the new 'normal'.  And it's wonderful that the parents have confidence in us to provide a safe environment in which their children can learn English.

Unsurprisingly it's the adults who are the ones who find it more of a challenge which I guess is to be expected.  In any event, the adults (both beginners and high level) expressed the view that learning a language and not being able to see the teacher's mouth was definitely a drawback so I am now the proud owner/user of a visor for my adult classes and they are all going to get them too.  Now I don't know if anyone has used a visor outside of a hospital but it takes some getting used to!  It's like wearing a wide brimmed or tall and fancy hat for a wedding for example, and trying to get into a car - or is it just me that finds myself ducking and diving as I do so?  How the Royals do it I have no idea!  Anyhow, with a visor the boundaries of your face area are suddenly much larger with the added 'bonus' of the fact that your eyes can't see the new boundary as it's clear for obvious reasons.  And I'm the classic 'talks with her hands' kinda gal - I like to think of it as expressive thank you very much - but this meant that I had swiped the visor nearly off within the first couple of minutes of wearing it.  And kept doing it.  This added an entertainment value to the adult students that was hitherto absent in classes and I'm beginning to wonder if their enthusiasm for me to wear a visor is less about their ambitions for great pronunciation and rather more about a class sweepstake as to how long it will be before I dislodge it! 🤔

On Friday we had another wonderful menu del dia at El Posito - my goodness, their 'huevos con tumbet' (egg with tumbet) is my idea of total food heaven and their tumbet has to be the best in Mallorca!  There are still lots of places that are open and if you are still able to travel here in the next few weeks there will still be plenty to choose from.  However the following have all closed in the last week or so: Tolos, Angelos, Ca'n Panxo, Neptuno, Tiberi and Iru.  It is now extremely quiet here and quite unlike a normal September BUT it is still gloriously beautiful 😍 and the sun is shining 🌞

Today we took the dogs for a lovely walk in the woods at Cala san Vicente.  Luckily we didn't come across any goats as our two dogs' lifetime ambition is to meet one at close quarters 😳quite what they would do once they achieved this I'm none too sure and suspect the goat would have a very great deal to say about the matter too.  But there wasn't a sniff of a goat to be had, so after about eleventy billion wees (and other more substantial toilet offerings) - perhaps I should emphasise I refer to the dogs, not us! 😂 - we had a coffee at Cafe Mallorca opposite Cala Molins before making our way back to the car through a different path in the lovely woods.  A perfect Sunday activity 😎

Next week it's back to a normal routine of sorts with me back at work.  The weather is predicted to be stormy again for several days so I guess we'll be experiencing some more wonderful thunder/lightning displays.  In the meantime.....stay safe and hasta el próximo domingo!