Monthly Archives: August 2007

An Alternative to Chocolate

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At this time of the year you will see farmers in Mallorca beating long dark locust beans off their trees with long sticks. Now is the time for the annual algarroba harvest.

The seed of the Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqua), also known as St. John’s Bread, is the ancient weight used by goldsmiths for the carat. The carob seed is always of the same weight.

Carob pods were the most important source of sugar before sugarcane and sugar beets became widely available. Nowadays, the seeds are processed for use in cosmetics, curing tobacco, making paper, and as a substitute for chocolate. The fruit also serves as animal feed.

The photo was taken near the village of Ca’s Concos des Cavaller, in the municipality of Felanitx, Mallorca. The date: August 23rd, 2007. The time was 16:29:00.

After the Bullfights, it’s Correfoc Time

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Most every village in Mallorca has a correfoc, a run with the fire. In the town of Felanitx, this tradition is celebrated with much aplomb during the night after the bullfights.

If you have not participated in a correfoc, do yourself a favour and pluck up the courage. What a spectacle. Quite frightening. Not suitable for the very young ones; they might get scared. But from a safe distance, nothing but fun and excitement.

The photo was taken in the town of Felanitx, Mallorca. The date: August 28th, 2007. The time was 22:48:26.

Felanitx Has Its Own Pamplona Day

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Felanitx celebrates a bullfight only once a year, on August 28th, the day of Sant Agustí.

The photo shows the Plaza de Toros (bullring) with the novillada going on inside. Seats are sold for either Sol (you might suffer from the heat as well as the anxieties) or Sombra (you pay more for some shade). It is noisy all around in there because most of the audience will have consumed lots of alcohol all day long. The bulls, we don’t know what they might have consumed.

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There was a bit of anti-bullfight protesting going on outside the bullring, but not too much.

The photo was taken in the town of Felanitx, Mallorca. The date: August 28th, 2007. The time was 18:26:48.

Felanitx is All Verbenas

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Felanitx celebrates the fiesta de Sant Agustí.

The annual festivities are called the verbenas (fun fairs) which are celebrated from now until 2nd September. There will be five or six pop concerts played at the Municipal park, Sa Torre. Unfortunately this year, rain plays havoc some days. It’s a bit like Wimbledon, really.

The photo was taken in the town of Felanitx, Mallorca. The date: August 25th, 2007. The time was 19:03:11.

Art for Art’s Sake

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Felanitx celebrated a Nit de l’Art as part of the town’s festivities of Sant Agustí, last Friday night. Very few artists’ work impressed me. An exception was Felanitx sculptor, Jaume Canet, with his series of gargoyles, on view in Can Cabestre, the temporary gallery of Jaume Prohens.

The gargoyles’ photo did not turn out to the art works’ merit. Instead I offer you an installation photo taken at Espai d’Art Miquela Nicolau, also Felanitx.

The photo was taken in the town of Felanitx, Mallorca. The date: August 24th, 2007. The time was 23:16:59.

Ready, Steady, Go

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Felanitx is the third largest town on the island of Mallorca, after Palma and Manacor.

Felanitx is known on the island for its wine and for the annual verbenas. The festivities coincide with the fiesta de Sant Agustí, celebrated from now until 28th August.

Yesterday saw some athletics activities with start and finish in the local Plaza España, otherwise known as the Palmtree square.

The photo was taken in the town of Felanitx, Mallorca. The date: August 24th, 2007. The time was 19:05:51.

After the Race

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The 23rd Almirante Conde de Barcelona Trophy was raced in Palma de Mallorca last weekend.

The beauty about this particular, annual boat regatta is that it is being raced between classic yachts, each one of which more stunning than the next, at least in full sail. The absolute winner this year was the ship Lak, built in 1939 and captained by Roger Vanni. King Juan Carlos I, himself an ardent sailor, presided over the prize giving.

As far as I know, the British ensigned Veronique (above) did not win a cup, but I think the sleek vessel, built in 1907, is an absolute beauty. Happy Centenary, in any case.

The main photo was taken in Paseo Marítimo, Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: August 22nd, 2007. The time was 17:52:51.

Library of Mallorcan Artists

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One can find a lot of art in Palma de Mallorca. Plenty of the artworks are sculptures, lots of which are placed in public spaces.

This one here is a work by Austrian born artist, Ben Jakober (Vienna, 1930), which you can see in the gardens of the Centre Cultural de la Misericordia, at the top of the Ramblas de los Duques de Palma. The Sculpture is called Library III and is an homage to Mallorcan artists, writers, painters, poets, composers, like Joan Miró, Costa i Llobera, Guillem Sagrera, Ramon Llull, etc., or artistic personalities related to Mallorca, such as the Archduke Lluis Salvador, Ricardo Anckerman, Robert Graves.

There are other versions of similar Libraries by the same artist, one more in Palma (see below top), one in Pollença (see below centre), and one in the gardens of the Fundación Yannick y Ben Jakober, in Alcúdia (see below bottom). The artist currently resides in Malta.

The main photo was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: August 22nd, 2007. The time was 17:10:59.

Garden Delights

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Rainbow coloured chili peppers were for sale at the market last Sunday. What beautiful little things. What delightful colours.

Chili peppers not only are pleasing on the eye, they are very useful in the kitchen too. Some are hot, some are mild, and some are fiery. They cost from 4 € per string.

The photo was taken in the town of Felanitx, Mallorca. The date: August 19th, 2007. The time was 12:21:58.