The December Puente
On December 6th, 1978, Spain went to the polls to vote in a referendum to decide about the Spanish Constitution. 88 % of votes were in favour at the time. […]
Pa Amb Oli
Pa amb oli is in all probability the quintessential Mallorcan food item. It could be compared with the Catalan Pa amb tomàquet even though it is said that the Mallorcan […]
Moon Phases
Earlier in the year I commented that 2009 was going to be a special year, a year with 13 moons. Last night we could witness the first of two full […]
Twist & Squeeze
The function of a lemon squeezer is simple: pressure is exerted on a lemon to extract its juice. The squeezer itself must resist the pressure, hence soft, easily deformable materials […]
The Nuisance Of Pamphlet Distribution
Let me congratulate you in case you should live in the Mallorcan countryside. You will not suffer, I expect, from the irritating annoyance of advertising pamphlets being stuffed through your […]
The Massive Eaves of Cort
The city hall of Palma de Mallorca is known by the name of Cort. The Ajuntament de Palma has its seat in an impressive building dating from the 17th century. […]
Local Taxes
November 30th is the deadline for paying your local taxes here in Mallorca. If you own property here or a car, the annual impuestos become due now and your municipal […]
Tordos and Thrushes
Tordos (lat. Turdus philomelos, Song Thrushes) are migratory birds which come to our Mallorcan shores during the month of October. This year, the hunting season for these birds started a […]
Tempora Tempore Tempera
The Convento de Santa Teresa de Jesús is one of the 43 monasteries that once existed in Palma de Mallorca. Nowadays, only six or seven of them are still operating […]
Gírgolas, Picornells, Bolets and Setas
The mushroom period is upon us in a big way this year. Everywhere in Mallorca’s markets we find a plentitude of Girgolas, Llenguas de Bous, Peus Blaus, Esclatassangs, Picornells, Bolets, […]
Slaying The Pig
Mallorca’s Moroccan population is busy preparing for Eid al-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice, November 29th) when corderos will be slaughtered in Felanitx and elsewhere on the island. I think I […]
The Palacete
Jaume Matas Palou, the former president of the Govern de les Illes Balears, is under investigation. Señor Matas was the Mallorcan prime minister, if you want, from 1996 to 1999 […]
Swine Flu in Mallorca
Last weekend, Mallorca suffered its second fatal victim of the swine flu virus. A 2 year old boy died at the hospital of Son Llàtzer in Palma with symptons of […]
The Pumpkin Fair in Muro
Yesterday, Muro held its annual Fira de Tardor, encompassing the Fira de Sa Carabassa (pumpkin fair and competition), plus other highlights more. Farmers from Muro and outlying pueblos had entered […]
Sharpening The Knives
Mallorca has moved rapidly into the 21st century, away from the 1950s when the island was a rural society and pretty impoverished. The Illes Balears were amongst Spain’s poorest regions […]
Six Weeks To Christmas
I find it unbearingly early to have seen, a few days ago, that Christmas lights were being mounted in the streets of Felanitx. Oh dear. Yesterday the same occurred in […]
