From Russia With Love
Of the many e-mails in my spam folder, I found one yesterday that I would like to share with you, if only for its creative use of the English lingo. […]
The Monasterio de la Real
One of the nicest courtyards anywhere in Mallorca has to be the patio of the Monasterio de Sant Bernat de la Real (Monastir de La Real). The problem is that […]
Time’s Up
It was time’s up for Gordon Brown yesterday, but also for some of Generalissimo Franco‘s heraldic emblems in Palma de Mallorca. Of course, there is no relation between the two […]
Happy Birthday, Guillem Timoner
Guillem Timoner, six times Campeón del Mundo de medio fondo tras moto (Track Cycling World Champion, 1955, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964 and 1965) celebrates his 84th birthday today. Feliz Cumpleaños, […]
Come Fly With Me
Forty-six years ago this month, Francis Albert Sinatra performed at the Teatro Lírico in Palma de Mallorca in 1964. During the same year, or thereabouts, Ol’ Blue Eyes acquired a […]
The Mallorcan Sphinx
Along the Passeig des Born in Palma de Mallorca two pairs of Mallorcan sphinxes can be found. Originally, the passage was a dry riverbed occasionally filling up with water after […]
Franco’s Coat Of Arms Is Erased
The monument in the Parc de La Feixina with its origins in the Spanish Guerra Civil has now been cleared of its, for some, provocative inscriptions and in particular, its […]
Bats, Forevermore
In my never-ending pursuit of introducing you to the image of bats in the city of Palma de Mallorca’s coat of arms, as well as some other unimportant snippets that […]
Another Word On Ramon Llull
Ramon Llull (Raymond Lully) is to Catalan written works what Shakespeare is to English, Dante to Italian, and Goethe to German literature. Llull zealously dedicated his writings to an idealistic […]
The Chopin Quandary
Two hundred years ago next March will be the anniversary of the birth of Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin (1810 – 1849), Frédéric Chopin to you and me. But there appear to […]
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 […]
Spain’s National Holiday
Spain celebrates a holiday today. It’s another saint’s day, that of Mare de Déu del Pilar. As the holiday this year falls on a Monday, a puente can be bagged, […]
Language And Literature
In 1959, during the reign of Francisco Franco and with Spanish culture at a great distance from its European neighbours or its South American cousins, the Spanish author Camilo José […]
Arxiduc Lluís Salvador d’Àustria
The Consell de Mallorca is busy preparing Saturday’s Diada de Mallorca celebrations (September 12th). On that occasion, a number of honours will be bestowed upon personalities, ordinary people and institutions […]
The First Major Female Poet In Catalàn
Maria Antònia Salvà i Ripoll is considered as the first major woman bard in the history of poetry written in the Catalàn language. Salvà Ripoll (1869-1958) was Mallorcan. Her own […]
The Fray Junípero Serra Museum
Petra is the birthplace of Miquel Josep Serra i Ferrer, later known as Fray Junípero Serra. He joined the Franciscan order at age 16 and later became the monk who […]
