One would not normally expect Mallorca to be a destination for winter sports. Once, many years ago, I came across a Palacio de Hielo in Palmanova, or was it Magaluf? But no ice skating activities were going on there as the name would have suggested, nor were there any installations of the kind. There might once have been some pipe dreams but, it would appear they never came to fruition.

However, there is now a temporary ice skating rink in Palma called Pista de Gel Ice Park. An ice rink with a respectable skating area of 450 m² was installed last November in the Parc de Ses Estacions in Palma, opposite Plaça d’Espanya. The ice rink is open to the public daily from 10h00 to 22h00 until January 31st. That would give you another fortnight or so to do your very own Toller Cranston or Jayne Torvill impersonation, as the case may be, or to take your children or grandchildren, whatever. Entry admission in Palma’s Ice Park is granted for slots of 25 minutes each, at 5 € per person, including the hire of ice skates. If the kids have not previously done any ice skating, there are small and sturdy penguins on skates to hold on to for safety and added comfort. One is requested to wear gloves.

The photos were taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The dates: December 31st and 17th, 2010. The time was 17:47:36 and 16:20:29, respectively.