First Day of Spring
I know, the Spring Equinox is not due until March 20th this year. That’s another eleven weeks to go. But in Mallorca, the first signs of Spring can usually be […]
Pirates! Pirates!
This might be a bit of a last minute alert, but, did you know that the Great National Circus of China is visiting in Palma de Mallorca? Sadly, today will […]
Three Kings’ Arrival in Mallorca
Tomorrow, January 6th, Spain celebrates the Holiday of the Three Wise Men from the Orient, also known as the Three Kings, or the Feast of Epiphany. But, in true fashion […]
Time For Some Thinking
The holiday season is not over yet. In fact, in Spain the holiday season starts in early December and does not end until after Three Kings. We may think that […]
Mallorcan Twin Towns in Mexico
Should you ever stroll down the streets of Petra, in the central Pla de Mallorca, you will perhaps be surprised by some evidence of Hermanamientos with some exotic places in […]
Vila Reial Since 707 Years
On the last day of the year I happened through Montuïri. Due to its location in the Pla de Mallorca, which is the island’s central hinterland, and because of its […]
Mallorca Is Not Spain
You may have noticed an occasional voice that clamors independence from Spain for Mallorca. The reasons for such declarations are numerous and varied. For a start, Mallorca speaks a different […]
778 Years Ago Today
778 years ago today, on December 31st, 1229, Mallorca was recaptured from the hands of the occupying Moors. King Jaume I from Catalunya-Aragon sailed to Mallorca with a contingent of […]
12 Grapes At Midnight
Tradition has it that for good luck in the New Year, and all year long, 12 uvas de la suerte (grapes of luck) have to be eaten at midnight on […]
Red Underwear
Superstition is a matter of every day life in Spain. This country still has some very conservative habits and attitudes, which is no wonder if one considers that Spain was […]
April Fools
December 28th (i. e. today) is something like April Fools Day in Spain and in most countries in South America. This day is named after the Santos Inocentes (innocent saints) […]
The Merriment of Food
Christmas time in Spain is predominantly a succession of culinary feasts. Christmas Eve is called Noche Buena, when friends and families like to go out to wine and dine. Spanish […]
White Christmas
Despite some snow in the Mallorcan mountains some ten days ago, there was no snow over Christmas, here. Instead, we enjoyed the most gloriously sunny weather yesterday, a weather pattern […]
Bon Nadal
May I wish you a Merry Christmas or, as the Mallorcans say, Bon Nadal. In the Castilian lingo, one would wish Feliz Navidad. Whatever your idiom of preference, whatever your […]
Nativity Scenes
As of today, you will see untold numbers of Beléns all over Spain. In Mallorca, where I live, you will find a large number of Nativity scenes on public display. […]
Lottery Fever
Spain has suffered its usual annual lottery fever. Christmas is the time when the ‘Sorteo extraordinario de Navidad‘ is drawn, reportedly the world’s richest lottery bonanza, sharing out total wins […]
