Majorca Mallorca holiday

diary and photographs of a budget, short-break holiday Majorca (Mallorca) dedicated to obtaining justice for Erica and Eric Williams, Port Hope Simpson, Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada; photographs, Palma Cathedral, Arenal, Palma Nova, classical Spanish guitarist, http://porthopesimpson.blogspot.com/

Sunday, June 20, 2004

Day 2 Monday 21 October 2002 Walking around Palma

After breakfast of coffee, du pain and jam I walked down to the seafront in about 40 minutes or so. The temperature is about 20 Centigrade at 0930 a.m. I’ve just been walking along the clean and tidy interesting seafront. Palm trees with their fruits growing in the sand. Looking out over the sea towards the mountains is relaxing. Looking back towards The Flying Haggis, Fantasia, Fotos in 1 Hour, Inibis, Gisela, Euro-Boutique isn’t. The sand is white and clean and the mountains are still hidden in mist. I forgot my toothbrush! E1.95 bought me a new one as I walked and walked and walked along the seafront to its never-ending end. Everything is much of a muchness on the seafront: Restaurants; Pizza Places; McDonalds; Burger Bars; Pubs; Caves British-owned pub; Sportsman Pub: a cubicle with bar stools and a TV – Watch Live Football, as if anybody is going to watch the Dead, games; Hotels; Souvenir Things on Sale; an Underground Supermarche and many Clothes Shops all competing for the tourists’ money. There were very few public services to be seen. Spanish is the main spoken language.
I came out to see what Majorca was really like not this tagged on Commercialized, Touristy ”Palma Nova.” I walked up arising road at right angles and away from and behind the seafront and the tarmac ran out! The houses were very well kept, crisp-looking tiles; cacti and succulents growing in pots on the steps of the homes; shuttered windows to keep out the heat. All very nice but the road was in the state of an old stream bed. I carried on explore.
I saw a 1E Potage sign so I went in and had an ice cold beer and a delicious bean, vegetable, sausage, lamb and bread soup for what I thought was an absolute 1Euro bargain, or so I naively thought. Up to my table came the cigarette-puffing barman with a plate full of fatty chips, pork and vegetables! I said, “No thanks.” There didn’t seem to be any problem until I realized I was charged for a whole three course meal, about 5E in total. I argued but to no avail. Later on my walk back on the seafront I saw soup at 3E.50 so I didn’t feel totally ripped-off because by then I had made my food purchases away from the over-priced, over-hyped seafront. I carried on walking.
I passed a few dilapidated windmills, an old rectangular hole in the ground, orange sandstone quarry that was now being used as a storage yard for equipment of different types. I decided that it was too far to walk into Palma itself so I headed back into Palma Nova.
I flopped on the bed back in the hotel, tired out, fell asleep and awoke at about 9.30 p.m. I went out to buy a drink and enjoyed it in the still lovely and warm evening weather watching batch after batch of five rows of small waves blown inshore by the sea-breeze. Southampton 1 Aston Villa 0 was the score advertised outside The Sportsman’s Pub.
I recalled watching a television programme in Faro, Portugal which explained that this place, Palma Nova was swarming with middle-aged and elderly Germans some of whom suffered from the absence of public welfare facilities for their age groups. This may or may not be the case. It does seem to be an area of limited interest but that’s probably only the case until you get to know what’s going on. I posted four postcards home today and phoned Jennifer last night to let everybody know I was here OK.
I am definitely pleased I slogged through word-processing my Port Hope Simpson diary and sent it out to Margaret Burden, The Mayor. Also of course, that I was able to take up her wonderful invitation of visiting everybody again after 33 years. I hope my research work will be of some benefit to the people. Who knows?
I also thoroughly enjoyed my stay on the island of Newfoundland, especially St. John’s and Gros Morne fabulous Mountain National Park and World Heritage Site.

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