Tag Archives: Majorca

The Hostatgeria del Castell d’Alaró

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The Puig d’Alaró makes for an exciting outing for a number of reasons. You could hike up the northern ascent from Orient which will take you just under two hours before you get to the Castell d’Alaró, or you could choose to hike up from Alaró and the southern approach. On top of the impressive rock, the fortress allows glimpses into history with sometimes bloody chapters, going back to the Arab period and quite possibly even to the Romans.

Even further up, you will find the Hostatgeria del Castell d’Alaró and the 17th century chapel of the Mare de Déu del Refugi. The restoration work at the Hostatgeria has now been completed, at long last, and currently there are four dormitories with bunk beds for four each, with more to be furnished any time soon. The refuge is capably run by a young Catalan couple who rent out beds for 12 € per person, or offer a half board arrangement at 24 € per head. There are reductions for children. The hostel brings the number of refuges along Mallorca’s Dry-stone Route up to six, along with Tossals Verds, Muleta, Can Boi, Son Amer and Pont Romà. A stay in the refuge can be thoroughly recommended if you seek rest in peaceful surroundings of historic heritage and good food. Up here you are closer to the essence of life if that is what you might seek.

Alaró and the hamlet of Orient are within walking distance and the cozy restaurant of Es Verger is just a half hour stroll away. You will have heard of Es Verger‘s fabulous lamb specialties, all slow-cooked in the wood-fired oven at affordable prices (Paletillas are now served at 16 € a piece) and all eaten with great gusto.

The photos were taken near Alaró, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 21st, 2012. The time was 16:25:02, 15:04:14 and 14:48:03, respectively.

A Thousand Roads to Sóller

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I reckon that one does not really know Mallorca in all its beauty until one has been to Sóller and Port de Sóller. There are a thousand ways (well, not quite) of getting to that part of the island, a task that not all that long ago proved quite a daunting and challenging one.

Those of us who have children or even grandchildren, have probably already enjoyed the experience of boarding the Palma to Sóller train, leaving from Palma’s Plaça d’Espanya seven times every day and coming back again, five times (see photo centre). Now would seem like a good time to embark on this journey, as the Tren de Sóller has just completed its first centennial. This trip on the old train and its wooden carriages is like a magic journey to the past. There are no longer any excuses for not boarding the train, even though charges have recently gone up, again, to 19.50 €  for adults (14 € for Balearic residents) for the round trip. Up to 1,000,000 tourists take the one hour train ride to Sóller every year, but that should not deter you from enjoying the landscape on the way, especially now when most of the tourists have not arrived on the island yet for this year’s holiday and when temperatures are not hot and scorching.

Of course, you could always take the car to Sóller via the tunnel. The Sóllerics more than welcomed the new Sóller tunnel when it was inaugurated fifteen years ago. This new connection cut their travelling time to Palma down from some 60 minutes to less than twenty; not a mean feat when you are going about your daily business instead of, like most of us, going about our leisurely ways. These days, taking the car to Sóller through the tunnel, which starts not far from the splendid Alfàbia gardens, would cost you a fare of 4.80 € (one way). The Sóllerics are not so enthusiastic at the moment at all as they were promised to have their fares subsidised by the Consell de Mallorca, with tolls being paid in full upfront and subsidies being reimbursed at a later stage. However, these subsidies have not been paid for the last 15 months or so. Thus, the tunnel was recently blocked for hours on end in protest against the high charges and broken promises. Be warned that the Sóller tunnel has one of the worst test results on safety standards, according to the British AA, with 39 points out of 100, even though no accidents have ever occurred.

If you want to see Mallorca and one of its most beautiful landscapes, I would like to suggest that you take the road from Palma to Sóller by car, and up into the mountains along that almost alpine road full of serpentine bends at a length of some 14 km. When I went with some friends up to the Coll de Sóller and down again last week (see photo top), there were plenty of cyclists tackling the challenge. Of course, they wouldn’t be allowed through the tunnel, and the mountain climb is a welcome physical endurance test for them as it is.

You could also get to Sóller from Port de Sóller by tram. Fares have gone up to the ridiculous amount of 5 € (one way) for the ten minute ride, but still worthwhile at least once in a blue moon (see photo bottom).

And you might want to sail from Palma to Port de Sóller, a bit like Junípero Serra in 1749 when he set off from Port de Sóller to Mexico to set up numerous monasteries in Baja California as well as in what is now California, USA.

The photos were taken in Sóller, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 14th, 2012. The time was 14:15:14, 17:08:36 and 18:29:37, respectively.

An Invasion of Snails

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You may not be much into snails as a gastronomic treat or even as a pet but, this being a blog about Mallorca and its traditions and customs, snails it is today. Caragols or caracoles (snails) are an indispensable part of the Mallorcan cuisine, and sometimes are kept as a domestic animal, and certainly so in Sant Jordi.

Yesterday, the pueblo of Sant Jordi, near S’Aranjassa, staged its annual Fira del Caragol (Snail Fair). Snail race competitions were held for the youngsters in the afternoon and a cooking contest of dishes made with snails was staged in the evening, before the night was danced away. An invasion of snails indeed. The agricultural Fira continues today, May 20th, and if you haven’t been to Sant Jordi, this might be the day when you go.

We recently had an invasion of snails in our patio garden, much to the delight of our carniverous tortoise (Manouria emys). We catch the snails for him as he is too slow to outpace them, would you believe it?

The photo (top) was taken in Felanitx, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: April 25th, 2012. The time was 11:00:23. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of lauryngreen.blogspot.com.es.

Thank you very much.

The Malvasia Grape

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The Malvasia grape variety has historically only grown in the Mediterranean region, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but is now tended to in many other wine-making regions of the world as well, such as Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Corsica, the Iberian Peninsula, California, Arizona, Australia and Brazil. In the past, Malvasia wine was predominantly consumed as a sweet dessert wine similar to Malmsey wine from Madeira. The white Malvasia grape is more common but, a red Malvasia grape also exists.

In the old days, wine generally only had about 7 per cent of alcohol. It was then quite difficult to sufficiently cool the wine and as a consequence, much of the wine turned sour and could not be stored for any length of time. In contrast, the Malvasia wine even at that time had an alcohol content of about 14 per cent, making it considerably easier to store. Its low degree of acidity was regarded as delicious. Soon, the sweet Malvasia dessert wine was very popular at the European courts.

Here in Mallorca, the Malvasia vine was only rediscovered in the 1980s. The Malvasia grape only grows in the Tramuntana area, in Estellencs, Banyalbufar, Deià and Pollença, with Banyalbufar being the main producer. Of all the wine grown in this municipality, Malvasia is the only grape variety there. During the 16th century, a total of 25,000 litres of Malvasia dessert wine were produced by the Cooperativa de Banyalbufar alone, with most of that astounding amount being sent to the Court of Aragón. You might want to go to Banyalbufar one day; all vines are cultivated on terraces there, first built by the Moors some 1,000 years ago.

The consumption of dessert wines has decreased enormously in recent years. Mallorcan Malvasia grapes are now primarily used to produce white table wines. There is a young white wine from 2010 with a deliciously fruity aroma, selling at around 15 € and a slightly older, oak-barrel stored white wine with a heavier, round body selling for around 25 €. The first would be drunk to accompany a meal, whereas the latter would stand up as a wine drunk on its own, full of character. Mallorcan Malvasia dessert wine sells in half-litre bottles at around 12 €.

The photos were taken in Banyalbufar, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 18th, 2012. The time was 16:33:40 and 18:25:38, respectively.

A Submarine Visit in Palma

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Not often do we have an opportunity to look at a submarine vessel here in Mallorca. There was a time when such visits were more frequent, during the seventies and eighties, and most of them, courtesy of the US Navy.

Two days ago, a submarine belonging to the Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy) docked in Dic de l’Oest in Palma’s port. The vessel with the name of Dolfijn entered service in 1993 and was built at the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (Rotterdam Dry Dock Company) in Heijplaat, Netherlands. She has a length of 67.7 m and a beam of 8.4 m with a surface displacement of 2,450 tons. The diesel-electric attack submarine can reach 13 nautical knots on surface and 21 knots when submerged. The Dolfijn has a crew of 50 men and women. The vessel will remain in port until Monday. The Royal Netherlands Navy currently operates 4 submarine vessels.

The Dolfijn had visited Mallorca on three previous occasions, in 2001, 2003 and 2004.

Unfortunately, we will not be allowed to enter the Dic de l’Oest to admire the submarine from close range, I don’t think. Should you have information to the contrary, please let me know.

The photo (top) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of diariodemallorca.es and the photographer, Manuel R. Aguilera. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of dutchsubmarines.com.

Muchas gracias, and

thank you very much.

The Mallorcan Bindweed

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The Mallorcan Bindweed (Convolvulus valentinus) is an exquisite plant with a rather pretty flower. The bindweed is a hermaphrodite plant which usually comes with a blue flower but, occasionally can also be pink as shown here. The plant is indigenous to Alicante, Valencia, Ibiza and Mallorca, and can also be found in Algeria.

According to Herbarivirtual, the flower is rather rare in Mallorca and can only be found in one place. Well, I happen to disagree; I believe to have seen this flower near the coast line in the South East of the island, and also, in the North, and on quite a number of occasions. The plant flowers now (April, May and June) on sandy terrain near pine forests in coastal areas.

The photos were taken near Ses Salines, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 9th, 2012. The time was 16:11:41 and 16:13:26, respectively.

Biodiversity and Conservation

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The Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies) is a research centre, jointly run by the Consell Superior d’Investigacions Científiques (CSIC) and the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB). The objective of IMEDEA is to develop high-quality scientific and technical research in the area of Natural Resources, with special emphasis on interdisciplinary research in the Mediterranean area.

One of the many projects of IMEDEA is the Estació d’Investigació Costanera, a Coastal Investigation Centre, based at the Cap Salines lighthouse, near Ses Salines (see photo). The Investigation Centre busies itself with observation and research of the marine environment, especially that of the Reserva Marina del Migjorn de Mallorca, a marine protection area covering the southern part of Mallorca’s coast and stretching from Cap Blanc in the West to Cala Figuera in the East. There are three other Reservas Marinas in Mallorca, the Reserva Marina de la Bahía de Palma, the Reserva Marina del Levante de Mallorca, and the Reserva Marina de las Islas Malgrats. They all come under the supervision of the Coastal Investigation Centre and are all overseen by the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, together with the Conselleria d’Agricultura, Medi Ambient i Territori of the Govern de les Illes Balears.

For further information you can get inspired by concerns such as Biodiversity and Conservation, Ecology and Marine Resources, Global Change Research, and Marine Technologies, Operational Oceanography and Sustainability, courtesy of the IMEDEA website, if you so wish.

The photo was taken near Ses Salines, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 9th, 2012. The time was 16:28:01.

The Hospital Joan March, in Distress

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The Hospital Joan March in Bunyola is in a bit of distress. The hospital is set to be closed any time soon. The Govern Balear has run out of money and, seemingly, out of ideas. Recently it was decreed that two hospitals will have to be closed on the island, the Hospital General in Palma, and the Hospital Joan March in Bunyola. Also, the newly built Hospital Son Espases, inaugurated not much more than twelve months ago, will have to close 40 percent of its operating theatres.

It would appear as though the new Balearic government is quick to cut on health and education when the going gets tough.

Why is it that politicians of whichever side of the spectre are always so terribly quick when it comes to invest or, likewise, to cut when in fact so much is at stake every time that more careful thinking and planning would seem so evidently necessary? Can’t they sit down and do some thinking first, perhaps even employ some experts, before they build new motorways, underground transport, airports, hospitals or congress centres, instead of just approving the budget, accepting a customary budget overrun and, once completed, find themselves without any uptake or tenant or without funds to run the thing? It would all seem so easy; why can’t they get it right? Or is it about something else? Is it not about the welfare of the community but instead, about the ego, or about party politics, or simply, about personal gain, kickbacks perhaps? I wish I knew the answers. They all seem a thoroughly untrustworthy lot, they really do.

The photo was taken near Bunyola, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 14th, 2012. The time was 13:43:59 and 13:48:21, respectively.

The Festa de Firó in Sóller

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For the last few days, the town of Sóller has been celebrating its annual Fires i Festes. Today is the last day of festivities and the most important of all celebrations, the Festa de Firó. The Firó celebration always happens on the Monday after the second weekend in May, i. e. today. The Firó goes back to a date in history, when on May 11th, 1561, some 2,000 Moorish intruders arrived in the Port de Sóller from Algeria, with nothing but unfriendly motives and aggressive plans. Luckily, the then Viceroy in Ibiza had sent a warning to the citizens of Sóller who could prepare themselves for a possible attack and organize their defense. For the last 120 years, the town of Sóller has been celebrating the legendary battle and its favorable outcome with an annual reenactment of the historic skirmish of Moros i Cristians (Moors and Christians).

In 1561, the Sarraïns (Saracen pirates) landed on the Platja d’en Repic , pillaging and looting whatever got in their way. They soon had the upper hand, marauding houses and capturing the parish church. The pirates’ Wazir (leader) did not take long in declaring victory in the Sóller Plaça, triumphing over the local farmers. The Sollerics and their Valentes Dones (brave women), however, regrouped under the helm of Capitán Angelats, counter-attacked and finally managed to overpower the intruders. I expect it will be the same today, and everyone will be happy ever after, until next year.

The photo was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of flickr.com and @potti (José Juan ‘Potti’ Luna).

Moltes gràcies.

Water Music

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One could argue that Mallorca lived a moment of advancement and prosperity during the period of Moorish jurisdiction. During that time (902-1229), progress was made by refining agricultural methods, by introducing plants hitherto unknown on the island, by developing new forms of management of water resources, by governance of land areas and communities in newly determined juridical districts, by reshaping seafaring routes through accomplished maps and atlases and by starting new trade relations with North Africa and the European continent.

A lot of these achievements had to do with water. Perhaps water was more scarce and precious where the Berbers came from and thus more knowledge and wisdom was coming with them in the way they dealt with water resources and water management here on this island. The settlers only ever founded Alquerias (settlements, villages) where they had found a water source. Once found, they took great care to channel the precious liquid and to store it in ample Aljubs (cisterns). From here, they would conduct the water to where it was needed through canals or watercourses, or other forms of irrigation.

Alfabia is a good place to study the Moorish ways of water management. The estate goes back to an Islamic settlement near the Font d’Alfabia, a water source in the Puig d’Alfabia mountain, from where it was channeled through watercourses to storage reservoirs near the residential quarters, and from there through canals and ducts to the fields and terraces of plantation areas and gardens.

The sound of water is ever-present in Alfabia like an orchestrated composition of water music. Sit back and relax and you can enjoy the peace and solitude of nature, accompanied by the sound of trickling water, interspersed with chirping bird sounds and the resonance of wind in the trees. Bliss.

Admission fees have recently gone up to 6.50 € in Alfabia. Oh well.

The photo was taken near Bunyola, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 11th, 2012. The time was 15:15:31.