A holiday booked a few months ago, when I had fully functioning legs. More or less as soon as it was booked, I partially tore my Achilles tendon. So….wearing a large, ugly, unwieldy boot on my right leg.

We couldn’t really cancel, because it was a last minute holiday, the amount we would have got back would have been negligible.

Having felt quite despondent before setting off, I had a realisation that in some ways, there is a positive slant. I can take more shoes as only need one. I have been rotating my shoes and boots so that they don’t wear down more than the right ones, or evermore I will have a hobble.

Why Bucharest? Well, we had looked at Rotterdam, going on the ferry from Hull, but as it’s half term, it was wildly expensive. Looking at options, Bucharest was much cheaper. A different stamp in our passports.

That said, we were staying in the rather swish Monaco Apartments. On the outskirts of Bucharest. I had been drawn to it because reviews were good, and downstairs from the apartments, there were lots of facilities, a supermarket selling champagne, a beauty salon, a gym etc.

I had envisaged myself sweeping down the escalator, looking glamorous, as I picked up a bottle of Bollinger.  I think the reality would have been vastly different. Knowing my track record of accidents, it would probably have been me falling down in a dishevelled heap.

Another part of having an apartment,it would have enabled us to cater for ourselves. On the face of it, menus are very meaty, even the things that seem vegetarian, have a bit of pork fat or whatever chucked in. Unless we just have a diet of cakes…

After a bit of deliberation we changed hotels to one in the centre of the old town. We booked with loveholidays, so it surprised me how easy it was to change. Had to pay a little bit more but got a hotel in the middle of the old town.

I was really blown away by how grand it looked,all wood, marble and stacks of chandeliers.

An image from the past.

---

When I booked, I hadn’t realised that  Casa Capsa is a legendary place in Bucharest. Opening in 1852, it became a  place for famous personalities,  as well as supplying royalty from Serbia and Bulgaria, with luscious cakes. In fact,  writers were not considered writers until they visited Casa Capsa. A place for intellectuals, so of course we would be at home.

Added to that, it seems as if it is roughly a 5 minutes walk or hobble to many of the places we want to visit.

Reading the reviews was a crazy experience as they were so polarised. Either they were amazing, or people bemoaned the faded glory. When we arrived, everything sparkled and looked so grand and eye-popping, nothing faded about here! I just remembered another review that stated the hotel had ruined their life. Strong words indeed!

Travelling from Leeds Bradford Airport was a first for me, but not Pete. I quite like the smaller airports, less overwhelming and more compact, having less margin for error. Pete got held up at security for a while because the sketching pencils looked lethal. He got to keep them whilst I breezed through with my boot and crutch.

I will never stop loving traipsing through Duty Free shops, lathering myself with Chanel and Versace. It’s possibly not a great combination but it created a powerful zone around me.

Again, another first was travelling with Wizz Air, like Ryanair and Easyjet, everything apart from breathing, an additional cost, This may be considered in the future!

It took about three hours, not too bad. I watched downloaded films, the first being From Prada to Nada. I can honestly say it will not become a modern classic. A bit of a rom com, where you had to suspend your disbelief quite a lot. Pete had a snooze.

The drink and snacks trolley was interesting, including oreo flavoured coke zero!

Moving through customs etc was really quick and effortless. Although, despite having our passports stamped, haven’t located it yet.

A taxi would have been 35 euros and a bus was 3 euros. So it was a no brained, especially as the bus more or less went directly to the hotel,bar a 5 minute walk. Having got a bit confused as to how to get a ticket, as well as sleep deprivation, we ended up not paying at all. So, it was very cheap for all the wrong reasons.

Travelling from the airport to the hotel we passed lots of building and regeneration happening. Bucharest has a fast growing economy and is benefitting from millions in investments. Then huge mansions from a bygone era, some standing proud, others looking very much worse for wear.

Arriving at Piata 21 December 1989 within about half an hour. About 6 stops from the airport. Witnessing some crazy driving and much honking of horns, I was glad that we hadn’t opted to hire a car.

The walk to the hotel was quick and easy. Which was fantastic…..now the adventure begins!

Yesterday we pretty much stayed in all day, as per advice. It started looking better in the afternoon, so Annie and Joab had a break while we did grandparent duty.

We managed to get out to the nearby playground during a break in the rain. Armed with a towel to wipe down the swings etc.

We also managed to find somewhere to have a drink.

We had another bbq, Pete, in the rain with various umbrellas positioned in places.

It wasn’t a bad day, just a bad weather day.

Today we walked to the town centre with Joab and Bea, went to the local produce shop, a cafe and the playground. I got various salts, honey and jams. We have passed fields full of lemon trees, vineyards and fields awash with rosemary bushes. Initially wondering how things grow in this arid climate, the level of rainfall put us right.

The salt is known as flor de sal. The salt comes from the thin layer that forms on the surface of seawater as it evaporates.

At the cafe I shared a cake with Pete. It was lovely, a thick custard over trifle sponge. Joab had a cream puff and Bea and car biscuit.

After this we went to Sa Bassa Blanca Museum, near Alcudia, which is located within a protected wildlife sanctuary.   

The foundation was started by artists Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu, with the support of philanthropist  George Coulon Karlweis.

A bit like Yorkshire Sculpture Park but with a few stark differences. On the plus, in this heat, the sculptures coveted a relatively small area. On the downside, they could not be touched. Some French children were roundly told off for touching an outdoor bird sculpture. You also had to keep to paths. It was really hard as Bea was supposed to have come the day before, the sculptures scream out to be touched.

We had refreshing gazpacho and tempura before looking around the place. It was all very stylish,I don’t think there was anything in the gift shop below 300 euros,beside the postcards.

One underground gallery was dedicated to 16th and 17th century paintings of children, or as the images depict, mini adults.

A case in point is a snowman sculpture.

This sculpture was created as apparently a ‘playful and poetic creation’ to enable Mallorcan children to experience something that is common place in other lands. But it screams out to be hugged znd touched and interacted with.

There were a lot of animal sculptures. 

0

At first, I thought these megaliths were the real deal but realised they had been produced in 2007. Twelve stones each weighing some 10 tons.

Returning home Bea helped us to make tea, chopping peppers,mushrooms and cheese, she was truly amazing!

Our evening ending in the town square….

Today we had many plans but all pretty much came to an abrupt end due to ‘an isolated high-level depression (DANA).

Which means the sun disappeared and catastrophic storms replaced it. Torrential rain and 67mph winds swept across the island. Flights arriving and departed were cancelled.

Areas were flooded with  affected areas seeing up to 180mm of rain fall over just a few hours.

All festivities were cancelled across Mallorca, for their national holiday on August 15th. A public holiday in Spain because it is the Feast of the Assumption, known in Spanish as ‘Fiesta de la Asunción’. It is observed as a religious occasion in Spain and has its origins in the spiritual heritage of the country.

People were advised to stay at home and close windows and doors securely, on the Thursday rather than celebrate.

In the evening, we woke in the middle of the night and watched the electric storm flashing across the mountainside.

Looking across the mountains, we could see the storm clouds starting to form. The sky blackening at an alarming rate.

Thunder and lightning, very, very frightening!

Nothing had really happened on the Wednesday, In the evening, we woke in the middle of the night and watched the electric storm flashing across the mountainside but although it boded worse the weather reports were widely conflicting.  We had decided to set out and meet Annie and Joab near to Alcudia because it looked ok but very soon, we were ringing up to say we were heading back, just as they had decided to do the same.

On the way back, we stopped, and Pete took some photos. It doesn’t look as ominous as it was.

Even though everything had been firmly closed, there was water everywhere.  It had come through the skylights, somehow through the kitchen window, as well as both French doors.

Not only that but there was no electricity  and very soon after there was no water. Initially thinking that there was a widespread electricity shortage. Eventually we had to get in touch with the owner.

He sent a maintenance man, he dutifully went round and decided it was beyond him. It went higher up. Alphonso came out, and this took about an hour as he had to come from Palma.

He went through each socket and identified the culprit, which was an outside light. Everything came back to life. He explained he wasn’t an electrician but had experience fitting alarms. Whatever experience he had, he put it to good use.

The electricity did come off and on after this, but only for moments and all houses impacted.

We managed a swim between the terrible weather, had a bbq, and played with Bea, and kept ourselves entertained.

Today we decided to visit Soller and go on the much touted train ride to Palma and back.

Soller was truly beautiful. The name comes from the Arabic, word soliar, which means golden bowl. I think it is a nod to its fertile lands but it looked dry and parched to me.

Lined with trees, many abundant with lemons.

We passed Sant Bartomeuchurch, which was built before 1236, large and imposing, having been added to over the years.

The shops were definitely less tacky.

We had some time before the train to Palma, so we stopped off at Sant Christo cafe, famed for making ensaimada since 1910. We didn’t have any but opted for sandwiches.

I hadn’t realised how hungry I was!  Bea had made us an imaginary breakfast, cheese and banana croissants, soup and potatoes. A filling and interesting combination!

We headed to Estacion de Tren de Soller to catch the narrow gauge railway to Palma. Th Ferrocarril de Soller is a wooden train that has been running since 1912. Initially, to transport oranges to Palma,now a thriving tourist attraction.

A very arty train station you will ever find, with Picasso and Miro!

Seeing the train arrive was very exciting as it looked so quaint.

The journey to Palma took about an hour. We travelled through lemon groves, very long tunnels, parched landscapes, city scapes, and mountain ranges. Pete stood outside to get the best picture’s and also it helped to keep him cool!

Arriving in Palma we were greeted a throng of people boarding the train back to Soller.

We headed to a cafe, it was very gen z or whatever the term is. Many English speaking people talking about their  very particular version of bollocks. Hearing our native language cut through the bustle of the cafe, and although I didn’t want to listen in, there was no chance I wouldn’t. Maybe because they thought no-one could understand, their voices just a bit louder than normal.

To counteract it, I had lovely iced chai,

We passed this impossibly cute car.

We had just two hours in Palma, before we had to return to Soller. Although we had a little time, we made sure to use it well.

We we to one of the main art galleries in Palma, close to the train station and free, Museu Fundación Juan March. Juan March must have  been absolving his sins, known as Francos bankers, a Spanish business magnate, arms and tobacco smuggler, banker, and philanthropist. His descendants have an alleged 5 billion worth.

So, for his sins it was good to see the art for free.

A good day all in all….

Today, we started early in the pool followed  by eggy bread and tomatoes, obviously tomatoes!

While Bea had her mid-morning nap, we went to the nearby town of Inca. The third largest town on the island, a centre for leather work.

It is a mish mash of architecture, not altogether beautiful.

There were some pretty parts though.

We saw another Joan Bennasar sculpture.

I forgot to mention that Pete bought a traditional Mallorcan pastry the day before in Sa Pobla, eye wateringly expensive.

Called the ensaimada, its heritage debated but most say it is Arabic in origin, from the times the island was occupied. The inside tasted like marmalade, after googling I found out it was from pumpkin. So sweet, I didn’t like it but everyone else did, even Bea. Traditionally eaten for first or second breakfast or in between, or in the afternoon, so basically any time. Puddings like this are considered a moment of joy and celebration in Spain.

We popped to a supermercado, it was the cheapest one yet. One squid ot two.

In the afternoon we travelled to Palma to the aquarium. I often worry about places like this, how ethical they are. What I found out was that they are involved in many conservation projects (particularly the blue fin tuna) and education activities. They are also involved in rescue and rehabilitation projects, we saw a massive turtle going through this process.

This was the start of the aquarium. It was at this point Pete asked for his mobile phone back, I had lost it! I rushed back to the ticket booth, someone had thankfully handed it in, so catastrophe averted!

Bea was so excited and enthusiastic about everything she saw, jumping up and down on our leg and laughing infectiously. It made the experience even better, seeing it through her eyes.

Seeing Bea this entranced was wonderful!

There were lots of activities, some for older children and adults, such as swimming with stingrays and sharks. I prefer thinking of the way Pete had done it the previous day at the beachor when we swam with sharks in Belize in the Caribbean last summer, as the people doing it were seen in see through tanks, it all seemed a bit intrusive,

I thought these were very cute, they also stuck out of the sand, looking a bit like stargazy pie.

Bea’s favourite fish were the orange, white and black stripey ones, so we got her a t-shirt with one on.

This was a great activity and Bea loved it. Just a pile of sand and lights, the more you built it the more lava. Flattening it down, it became green grass. The next activity was colouring outlines of fish, seahorses etc. Bea and Annie coloured pictures in, Annie did really well keeping in the lines!

A man scanned it, then the appeared on an underwater scene on a huge screen.

This was a truly amazing fact, this is how much milk a balleen whale consumes daily.

This was a funny activity, you have a picture taken in a booth and then it comes up on a big screen. I tried doing it but think I pressed the wrong buttons.

I travelled back with Annie. Joab and Bea. My job was to keep Bea awake. It was really a tough job! Eyelids flickering  down at a rate of knots. ‘I collapsing .’ She exclaimed.  We made it home so she could have a final plunge in the pool before bedtime.

We decided to have a look at some other resorts, to see if they would be Bea friendly.

First stop was Alcudia old town with its restored medieval walls, which encircle the old town. Narrow streets full of over priced restaurants and gift shops.

Inhabited since the Bronze age, it has a long history. Tourism began in around the 1920s. Probably welcomed initially, the tide has turned and tolerances are running thin. Anger towards developers building 6 new bar areas, trying to get round the planning laws, has infuriated many locals. Anti-tourist graffiti etc evident in many places we have visited.

Tourists are seen as unwelcome pests.

We started walking to the port, but the heat was unbearable.  We wanted to eat somewhere but it was easier said than done. The places we passed in the old town were very much style over substance, and the places we passed were shutting up shop. As well as the age-old issue of very little that was vegetarian.

After a cooling beer, our reconnaissance mission took us to Can Picafort. Voted the second best beach in Mallorca and the 22nd best one in Spain. The sand and water depth seemed perfect for Bea,which was reported back to Annie and Joab. I even included videos!

I was so glad not to be driving. There were zebra crossings every few yards, great for pedestrians but a bit scary, as people popped up from nowhere.

Looking at the news before bed, I read there had been more demonstrations in Palma. Thousands have protested in Mallorca, with organizers claiming the island’s tourism model “impoverishes workers and enriches only a few.” Fighting against over tourism and the need for affordable housing is understandable, as the numbers who visit here is enormous.

So we arrived in the house, having navigated the cycling race. I have googled and googled the race and found nothing. When we had left in the morning there were loads of cyclists going round the circuit. A few people watching. When we got back there were fewer on the road but more spectators on the pavement,  young and old.

We decided to go down to the square to see what was happening.  It had been decked out with a stage etc. 

When we left the house there were even less cyclists, a motorbike at their front and a car at the rear. It had going on for hours, I wondered if it could be an endurance ride, the winner being the one who fights it out to the bitter end.

The circuit wasn’t lengthy so we saw the same people going round and round.

There was a stall set out with the hugest trophy and hampers of local produce. We sat outside a bar, sipping red wine and people watchers, still clueless as to what it was all a out.

Then a great furore as the winners were announced.

The whole square became livelier. It was great to be part of it all, albeit as baffled onlookers. At about 10, the staff from the bar began to put out cutlery, etc, on the tables, and everyone started eating. They brought us olives, cheese and bread. Some olives had a bbq tang, which was an odd flavour combination but delicious in a strange way.

And so to bed…..

The next morning, I was playing with Bea, and Pete started shouting from the bathroom. The bathroom had flooded while he was showering. The shower is very fancy, so fancy that we couldn’t find a plug hole. After some time exploring,  Pete realised that part of the shower floor came away, but it only exposed a thin slit. What proceeded felt like an elaborate operation, as I ran backwards and forwards from various pokey instruments, all the while sloshing back through the bathroom floor.

Pete managed to get some of the culprits, seaweed! So, despite showering at the beach the previous day, I still managed to bring a sizeable quantity back with me. As I previously mentioned, the house has everything, so after a bit of poking around I found some drain unblocker, which made me feel tonnes better as it made me realise that this was not such an isolated occurance.

I think I forgot to share an image of a lovely sculpture from the beach yesterday by Joan Bennassar.

He is a Mallorcan artist and sculptor, inspired y the Mediterranean, with sculptures running along the coastline.

After all the bathroom excitement we had croissants, etc, that Pete had bought from the local bakery on his daily early morning cycle rides.

I had heard that the market in Sa Pobla was really something not to be missed. I hyped it up with everyone, and so it was a done deal,  Expectations were high, too, too high!

The first few stalls we saw were full of cheap clothes, knickers and garish towels. Then we saw a stall selling all types of birds and gorgeous white bunny rabbits.

This wasn’t a stall selling pets. It was for consumption. The baby ducks looked so forlorn. It reminded me of a visit in France to a farm. The farmer had rescued a baby deer in the forest, wherever the farmer went, the deer followed. It was a big love affair! The farmer then took us round the farm, opening a large barn to room full of bouncing and frolicking rabbits. Stupidly, I thought these were pets, as he had shown so much benevolence to the deer. Laughing heartily, he explained they were livestock to be killed.

The rest of the stalls sold fresh produce, but nothing very exciting.

To add some fun to the day we went to a cafe by the square,opposite a large banner. Something to do with women in Mallorca being victims of sexist violence.

One in every 100 women in the Balearic Islands is a victim of sexist violence according to new data from the General Council of the Judiciary.   1,085 Protection Orders were issued last year for women whose lives were at risk and 5,368 battered women reported gender abuse.  That´s 3.7% more than in 2016.

The heat has ramped up quite a bit. We had thought of going to a beach, but decided that staying at home, relaxing and chilling out would be a better option.

Later that night we had a cool beer in the square, after walking round a bit more Llubi.

All ready for the day ahead!

We decided to visit the Caves of Campenet. Although locals had always known that there was something about where the caves are located. They knew that a current of fresh air came out from a small hole at the surface. It wasn’t until 1945 that the Caves were discovered when the landowner wanted to investigate if it was a stream.

What they instead found was a series of interlinking caves.

There are many caves in Mallorca due to the sandstone and limestone, an ideal combination for the formation of caves. There are over 200 cave systems in Mallorca, with many believing there are more to be found.

I do get a bit agitated when people blatantly disregard the rules that are in place, to ensure that the forms aren’t damaged. There were instructions in various languages, plus info graphics. But a couple were determined to get the perfect photo, the woman draping herself over a formation. I bit my tongue! But she was touching a stalagnate that looked very fragile, stalagnates are when a stalagmite and a stalactite meet.

I really enjoyed it, looking at the shapes that .oozed like petrified people. Also the added bonus was that there were only a few steps down to them.

On the way back we stopped at the small-town of Sa Pobla, translated as The Village in English.

Very pretty and typical for the region. We sat in the square and had an ice cream, people watching.

On the way back we stopped at Hiper Hao, a bazaar. There are many bazaars in Spain, which the Spaniards call ‘el china’, translated as the Chinese. When Chinese immigrants travelled to Spain, they saw a gap in the market, cheap tat! Cheap and filled to the rafters with everything you can think of and more, toys, school supplies, electronics etc etc.

I thought I had found small containers of play doh, so Bea could create more dinosaurs in Dino World.

I found a great orange one, prized it open just go check. Ended up with thick day glo orange hands, it seemed to go everywhere! We had a few things to buy, so I made Pete get them as I made a quick exit out of the shop.

After a siesta we decided to try out a ‘local beach’. Getting there was somewhat problematic, as there was a cycle race at the bottom of our street, just as we were loading the car, we saw a police car pull up and put tape across the road. We hadn’t noticed the signs along our street.

I noticed them after the event!

The woman in a car in front of us waited until the police had driven off, then she leapt into action, striding towards the tape and promptly pulled it off the wall, sauntered back and drove onwards.

We were not so strident. Pete drove backwards, and in his words the longest he had ever reversed for. We then tried another road, but it was the same. What with road closures and the lambryinth of one way roads, I a very surprised we reached the beach at all.

It was definitely a local beach, in some way it reminded me Dinas Dinlle, with the mountains on either side.

As we reached the beach we could see all these lumps that looked like manure, but lighter colour. These I found out are called, sea balls, sea rissoles or sea potatoes.

Manure…..

The water was quite seaweedy, and it was this abundance of seaweed that creates the sea balls. The seaweed is ribbon like (oceanic posidonia), the movement of the waves breaks the older brown leaves off, creating these balls. So thankfully nothing ominous at all.

We all went in the sea, the waves at times quite high. I tried snorkeling but didn’t see anything but seaweed. Pete went further out and saw a stingray, I was quite jealous.

Heading back home we were faced with the same road closures, and had to do everything in reverse from what we had done earlier. At least it seemed easier second time round, utterly I couldn’t be.ieve they were still cycling.

A lovely start to the morning, swimming in the 9pool. It is salty not chlorinated. Slightly odd but exhilarating nevertheless. It is too hot to do very much, even reading feels a bit too arduous.

After dinner I went with Annie, Joab and Bea to the nearest hypermarket. I always get excited walking down the aisles of shops when I am abroad. I love seeing the differences, I get somewhat giddy with it all. Over the years with globalisation, many brands are similar the world over, with sometimes a slight regional twist.

Heinz tomato sauce had it’s own special stand, making it ‘exotic foreign food.’9

Bea is allowed to pick something she likes, but only one thing. So….our first stop was the toy aisles, so many similarities with the UK, Paw Patrol paraphernalia, Marvel cups, toys, etc. Bea made a great decision, a Dino world carry case with play doh and a variety of moulds. Endless possibilities!

Nostalgia overtook me when we went passed the stationery or is it stationary (too hot to think). In times gone by Annie would have made a bee-line towards the exercise books, shrouded in foreigness and other, squares not lines. To be honest, I would be just as excited as Annie, but just managed to keep it under control.

My favourite part of was walking along the fruit and vegetable aisles. I have never seen so many different varieties of tomatoes, some the size of a small melon, some triangular. I picked up a lot of different types of tomatoes, that pretty much got demolished by the early evening.

As I said yesterday, food does look more appealing on a rectangular plate.

The frozen aisles were good too!

I bought what I thought was a vegetarian pizza, I hadn’t realised that it had an abundance of blue cheese…..something Pete hates. But he was a trooper and ate it up. To be honest by the end of the day we were starving.

I also bought gazpacho, so many different varieties. That’s reflective of the fact that everyone has their own take on how to make this dish. There are many stories of where gazpacho originates from, one is that it came with the Romans. It was a verynbasic version, just bread, oil, and garlic. Quite different to nowadays as the peppers and tomatoes would later be added after the conquest of the Americas.

I love Gazpacho as much as I love tortilla de patat. With the added gorgeous weather, it certainly feels quite authentic.

After yet more swimming and general laziness, we headed to a bar.

As we sauntered down the hill to the square, we wandered down the small streets, we saw houses with cardboard metals tied to the doors. I am sensing it could be linked to the Olympics possibly. There have been 14 athletes representing the Balearic Islands. Six have brought home medals, two gold, one silver and three bronze. Good going for a small group of Islands!

We found the Bar s’aturada 23. It was a bit quirky but had a good atmosphere. We had a bottle of local red wine. It was OK ish but a great place to catch up on the news etc.

Walking up the hill passing these majestic palms, i think they are fan palms as they are the only indigenous ones in Mallorca. A real sense of being somewhere exotic.

A few snaps of the house before caused disarray!

The journey from Palma to Llubi went without much incident. I hate driving abroad, so it’s up to Pete. Our car was so tiny, a black hybrid Fiat 500. Reviews aren’t terribly flattering, describing it ‘as the cutest, laziest hybrid car’, as well as being like a ‘chicken korma.”

I have no idea why I have my tongue stuck out here.

Having a smaller car has its advantages, as we can park more easily. It is big enough for what we need.

When we first thought of a holiday as an extended, albeit small family, it seemed better for Annie and Joab to come up with some suggestions. Annie found the house we are staying in for the next 10 days. I can honestly say, I have never, ever stayed anywhere as well equipped and amazing.

The house literally has everything, mountain bikes, beach tents, picnic sets, snorkeling sets, and the list goes on. The kitchen is like something from a cooking programme, with an island, cupboards chock full of gadgets, as well as a mind boggling array of dishes and plates. The garden has a view of the mountains in the distance, a great sized swimming pool, an inflatable unicorn and flamingo. As well as a container filled with water guns, toys and an inflatable paddling pool.

A seating area with a bbq, festooned with bunting. Enough space for us all to lounge and relax.

Upstairs there is a play room for Bea, with so many toys, train sets, dinosaurs, a wooden kitchen, and the list goes on and on. Table football as well! (I lost immediately!) And for more serious endeavours a large telescope to star gaze.

Obviously the toys have a wide age range appeal!

We spent a lot of the first day in the pool. What a great experience, being able to pop in and out. Bea loved the unicorn but was wary of the flamingo, promptly dragging it out of the pool. With a firm stance on health and safety she had decided it wasn’t safe. The most recent data (2019) recorded 84 aquatic accidents in Spain, which involved UK citizens. I couldn’t drill down to whether any were linked to giant pink flamingos,but who knows….

Llubi is a tiny village in the centre of Mallorca with about 1 800 residents, famous for capers,honey,almonds and tradional Mallorcan architecture, numerous windmills and and old stone houses. There are a lot of windmills around, dotted around the peripheral agricultural land surrounding Llubi.

Our house is close to the square which houses the church of Sant Feliu, built between 1570 and 1650.

This was the first square we wandered to. Bunting stretched across the square and adjacent streets, in the welcome, gentle breeze.

As we walked towards the square, many elderly were sat outside their homes. All very friendly and chatted with us about how hot it was. Before we came here, we had been a bit anxious, as some sections of the press would make you belief that the whole of Spain hates us. But everyone has been lovely, with the added bonus that Pete can practise his Spanish.

We decided to throw caution to the wind and decided to stop at the nearest restaurant, S’acústicafè. Very,very little suitable for vegetarians. We picked olives, and tortillas questions and bread and tomatoes. Very disappointing, I didn’t each much, but the olives were tangy and delicious.

We had a small glass of local red plonk, tasty!

Before coming on holiday I love researching the strangest facts. Actually, there aren’t many of them for Mallorca, well not compared to some crazy places we have been to.

There are 2,500 restaurants in Mallorca,that is a fact that is considered amazing, but I have a strong feeling that none really cater for us.

The ensaimada, the spiral-shaped, sugar-dusted pastry you see everywhere, enjoys special status as a unique regional food. Plus, it has been given the prestigious protected geographical indication (PGI) status from the EU. They say it is everywhere, we are yet to see it!

The journey from Palma to Llubi went without much incident. I hate driving abroad, so it’s up to Pete. Our car was so tiny, a black hybrid Fiat 500. Reviews aren’t terribly flattering, describing it ‘as the cutest, laziest hybrid car’, as well as being like a ‘chicken korma.”

I have no idea why I have my tongue stuck out here.

Having a smaller car has its advantages, as we can park more easily. It is big enough for what we need.

When we first thought of a holiday as an extended, albeit small family, it seemed better for Annie and Joab to come up with some suggestions. Annie found the house we are staying in for the next 10 days. I can honestly say, I have never, ever stayed anywhere as well equipped and amazing.

The house literally has everything, mountain bikes, beach tents, picnic sets, snorkeling sets, and the list goes on. The kitchen is like something from a cooking programme, with an island, cupboards chock full of gadgets, as well as a mind boggling array of dishes and plates. The garden has a view of the mountains in the distance, a great sized swimming pool, an inflatable unicorn and flamingo. As well as a container filled with water guns, toys and an inflatable paddling pool.

A seating area with a bbq, festooned with bunting. Enough space for us all to lounge and relax.

Upstairs there is a play room for Bea, with so many toys, train sets, dinosaurs, a wooden kitchen, and the list goes on and on. Table football as well! (I lost immediately!) And for more serious endeavours a large telescope to star gaze.

Obviously the toys have a wide age range appeal!

We spent a lot of the first day in the pool. What a great experience, being able to pop in and out. Bea loved the unicorn but was wary of the flamingo, promptly dragging it out of the pool. With a firm stance on health and safety she had decided it wasn’t safe. The most recent data (2019) recorded 84 aquatic accidents in Spain, which involved UK citizens. I couldn’t drill down to whether any were linked to giant pink flamingos,but who knows….

Llubi is a tiny village in the centre of Mallorca with about 1 800 residents, famous for capers,honey,almonds and tradional Mallorcan architecture, numerous windmills and and old stone houses. There are a lot of windmills around, dotted around the peripheral agricultural land surrounding Llubi.

Our house is close to the square which houses the church of Sant Feliu, built between 1570 and 1650.

This was the first square we wandered to. Bunting stretched across the square and adjacent streets, in the welcome, gentle breeze.

As we walked towards the square, many elderly were sat outside their homes. All very friendly and chatted with us about how hot it was. Before we came here, we had been a bit anxious, as some sections of the press would make you belief that the whole of Spain hates us. But everyone has been lovely, with the added bonus that Pete can practise his Spanish.

We decided to throw caution to the wind and decided to stop at the nearest restaurant, S’acústicafè. Very,very little suitable for vegetarians. We picked olives, and tortillas questions and bread and tomatoes. Very disappointing, I didn’t each much, but the olives were tangy and delicious.

We had a small glass of local red plonk, tasty!

Before coming on holiday I love researching the strangest facts. Actually, there aren’t many of them for Mallorca, well not compared to some crazy places we have been to.

There are 2,500 restaurants in Mallorca,that is a fact that is considered amazing, but I have a strong feeling that none really cater for us.

The ensaimada, the spiral-shaped, sugar-dusted pastry you see everywhere, enjoys special status as a unique regional food. Plus, it has been given the prestigious protected geographical indication (PGI) status from the EU. They say it is everywhere, we are yet to see it!