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..