Spain (Mallorca) in revised level 4 restrictions!

Well we made it to the other side - Happy New Year! 🎉  It's definitely turned wintery here in the Pollensa area - daytime temperatures at around 9 degrees and at night around 4 degrees.  And of course in the mountainous areas it's a lot colder and there has been snow on the peaks down to 600m 🏔  Given that houses and apartments here are designed to keep the heat out and most of us don't have central heating and lovely warm carpets, the weather is even more of a topic of conversation here than it is in the UK!  

The weather has been generally so gloomy that it's wonderful to see Jose's (Bar Bonys) balcony display of geraniums which, although naturally nothing like the enormous display of earlier in the year when it featured in this blog, is still providing a very pretty sight as I walk past to and from the gym a couple of times a week.  To have geraniums looking like that at this cold time of year he really must have green fingers! 

The above mentioned weather has meant that eating or drinking out (literally!) means wrapping up well in quite a few layers.  And the coveted seats by the terrace heaters are soon gone!  I've taken to bringing a warm, wide scarf with me, not to wear but to put on my lap.  It works very well but it feels even chillier when you remove it to walk home though!  We are still only able to eat outside, and cafes/bars/restaurants have to close at 6pm so the last thing those local hospitality businesses still open needed was really cold wet weather 😢  It is of course possible that people will just stay at home thus helping prevent the spread of coronavirus, but so far the figures still aren't looking that great here and the restrictions are not due to be reviewed until 11 January.  In the meantime we just need to keep going.  Vaccinations have started not only in Spain but here in the Pollensa area - the care home in Pollensa started vaccinations on 30 Dec with this gentleman 👏

Of course it's going to take time in 2021 for the vaccinations to be given and to take effect insofar as preventing the spread of coronavirus, but it brings to mind the Yazz song "The Only Way is Up"! 🎶

We did have really good weather for one day this week - New Year's Eve.  This was rather lovely for me as it was my birthday 🎂  I started the day with a video call with my children in the UK and then we had a lovely dog walk in Cala san Vicente with views like this:

The afternoon was spent sitting in the lovely sunshine having a birthday meal at Centric.  Due to the weather, lots of people were keen to eat and drink so Tecun, Bar Arux, Nostalgia and Centric - all of which I could see at a glance - were all kept busy which was lovely for all concerned 😎  We spent a quiet evening in and, for the first time in living memory were all tucked up in bed way before midnight but hey, the whole year has been different so....

Next week is the Three Kings fiesta here and an important time for Spanish children who traditionally receive their presents not from Father Christmas but from the Three Kings who parade through the streets on the night of 5th January showering the crowds with sweets and then handing out presents to the children in the square.  This year is of course going to be different.  Mailboxes have been installed in 4 locations in Pollensa and in the square in PP:

The Kings also put out a message on social media to all children in the area that they would be parading through every street and that children should stay indoors, watch from their homes and stay safe 👑🎁

So as we take our first steps into 2021 let's hope we can turn the woes of 2020 around and make this a year to remember but this time for all the RIGHT reasons! 💪

Stay safe and hasta el próximo domingo!