On my last trip to Palma, I was surprised by the number of groups of, I suppose, tourists, all trouping behind a tour guide and one or even two men with video cameras, filming the group’s outing for posterity. I expect that most of these groups were old age pensioners from mainland Spain – I could hear them chatting away in Spanish – but some groups may have come ashore from one of the cruising ocean liners that were anchored in Dic de l’Oest (Dique del Oeste) last Saturday.

Old age pensioners traffic to Mallorca would normally be channeled through Imserso, the Spanish Social Services. It is expected, by the local media, that this year some 240,000 elderly and retired Spanish residents will be brought to the Illes Balears by Imserso as tourists during the low season (i. e. between October and May), most of whom will come to Mallorca. Let’s wish them all happy times here on this island. Perhaps the weather will improve later this week for their benefit, and for ours.

The photo was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: February 13th, 2010. The time was 09:49:51.