Slumbering Beauties
I have occasionally been asked about, or sometimes even been criticized for, my intermittent reporting on matters of the Catholic church. There were suggestions that my blog entries on monasteries in […]
Ramadan in Mallorca
Tomorrow, July 20th, will be the first day of Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar, lasting for 29 or 30 days according to the visual sightings of […]
Alqueries, Rafals and Rafalets
When the Catalans came to Mallorca in 1229 to successfully conquer the island from the hands of the Almohad Caliphate, all Mallorcan land and its properties, titles and possessions had […]
The Hostatgeria del Castell d’Alaró
The Puig d’Alaró makes for an exciting outing for a number of reasons. You could hike up the northern ascent from Orient which will take you just under two hours […]
The Festa de Firó in Sóller
For the last few days, the town of Sóller has been celebrating its annual Fires i Festes. Today is the last day of festivities and the most important of all […]
Water Music
One could argue that Mallorca lived a moment of advancement and prosperity during the period of Moorish jurisdiction. During that time (902-1229), progress was made by refining agricultural methods, by introducing […]
The Poetry of Clouds
I never cease to be amazed by the utter beauty and the poetic quality of clouds, here in Mallorca. For the last few days and in the run-up to the […]
The Maurish Years
Often, language is discriminatory, derogatory, disrespectful, sometimes outright sexist. Normally, we don’t notice such offending subtleties unless we ourselves are the victims of such linguistic malpractices. My female readers will […]
The Sardine’s Mock Funeral
The Sardine was buried in Felanitx last night, the night before Ash Wednesday (today). The mock funeral sermon was thoroughly enjoyable for its wit, burlesque mockery and joyous satire. I […]
The Aljub in Santanyí and the Ancient Art of Water Storage
The aljub is Santanyí is a particularly fine example of an […]
The Berber New Year
Today, I want to wish a happy Yennayer (or Yennair) to Mallorca’s Berber community. This year, January 13th marks the first day of the Amazigh (the word for Berber) calendar, the […]
Eid al-Kabir
Moroccans and other nationals from North Africa celebrate Eid al-Kabir today in Felanitx and the rest of the island. The holiday marks the end of the Islamic Hajj pilgrimage to […]
The Barraca de Roter
In Mallorca’s countryside we can find a Chozo de Pastor (Mallorquín: Barraca de Roter, Catalan: Catxerulo) like this one, built in piedra seca (dry stone). This is a shepherd’s hut […]
The Convent de Santa Clara
One of the many convents and monasteries in Palma de Mallorca was founded by the Franciscan order in 1256 and dedicated to Santa Clara. The Convent de Santa Clara has always […]
Festa de Mallorca
Ever since 1997, September 12th has been celebrated as Diada de Mallorca (Mallorca Day). This day – today – is considered the date when Jaume I and his troops landed […]
The Coffered Mudéjar Ceiling in Alfàbia
The Possessió d’Alfàbia is one of Mallorca’s great historic estates. The property is said to go back to a Moorish alquería and the 11th century when an Islamic Virrey, Ben-Abet, […]
The Mallorca Photo Blog 