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Adios Mallorca

We have spent nearly a month living in Mallorca. We didn’t intend to stay so long, but we were having fun, enjoying good company with our friends Richard and Sandra Pearson. We were also generously lent an apartment by fellow former Greenpeace sailor Shaun Naylor (thank you again Shaun!), so what the hell.

Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands of Spain. It was first settled between 6,000 – 4,000 BC and almost ever since has been fought over, occupied, claimed and reclaimed by Romans, Turks, Moors, Christians, Catalans, Spainish nationalists, fascists and republicans.

But by far the biggest invasion was last year – 25 million tourists filled the island, swelling its 800,000 local population. Around 80% of employment on Mallorca is tourist related.

Our mini-incursion didn’t always follow the usual tourist trails. We did some sailing on Richard and Sandra’s boat Dragonfly – if you are ever in Mallorca then book a charter, it’s wonderful;  some extreme gardening; some touring and some lazing around. Geoff pulled down and dug up trees with his bare hands, we bought what must surely be the world’s biggest onion, saw glorious sunsets and great goats!  Here are some of our Mallorca memories..

 

 

 

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No kidding, you won’t believe what’s in the car wash

 

“I’m just going to swing in here and give Charlie a quick rinse” said Geoff, as we headed into Prades, the nearest largish town to do some shopping.

 

It was hot and I was sleepy, until he added “There are two goats in the car wash and a llama under the tree.”

Just a rinse?

Just a rinse?

Car wash neighhhhbours

Car wash neighhhhbours

And so they were. The goats were roaming free and the llama was tied up under a tree alongside the butane bottles.

Not so much a tiger in your tank, but a llama in your gas bottle

Not so much a tiger in your tank, but a llama in your gas bottle

As you might imagine – a series of bad jokes followed about smelling like a goat and needing a wash.

They upped and huffed-off for a while once Geoff fired up the hoses, but came back for a final inspection just before we left!

Deux Chevre, Oh!

Deux Chevre, Oh!

Is that a 2CV in the car wash?

Is that a 2CV in the car wash?

Staring at goats

Staring at goats

The humdrum explanation is that there is a circus in town and they were being let out for some air …. No, not at the tyre pump….