Christmas in Mallorca 23rd of December - 2nd of January

Getting tipsy at lunchtime...

I started packing this morning and I think we were all ready to go home. However, after doing a little shopping at a tiny supermarket nearby for lunch, we had a drink at one of the bars and rapidly changed our minds!

Sophie took our shopping back to the house and Keith and I chose Tarambana again for a drink. When one of the serving staff approached us, I panicked and ordered two beers as our Spanish speaker was absent! However, when Sophie arrived, she ordered a glass of Sangria and I took a sip... it was delicious! I gave my beer to Keith and Sophie ordered me a glass as well. It would prove to be my downfall as I had three glasses and felt a little tipsy!

I didn't regret it for a minute, though, as we had a thoroughly enjoyable time sitting in the square, chatting and enjoying the sunshine. We couldn't help but overhear an English party at the next table boasting of meeting Jeffery Archer and his wife, banging on about EasyJet, and getting fast-tracked through security. They sounded frightfully posh!

Back at the house, Sophie made lunch and we spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the table on the lower terrace and enjoying the sunshine. Sophie linked up Alexa with the wifi and we listened to music, which was lovely as I've missed hearing our favourite songs!

Counting down...

After getting ready we walked into the town hoping to have a cocktail at La Scalinata but it was closed. We could see U Gallet open so we went there instead and spent a delightful hour sipping our drinks and watching the fish in a tank opposite our seats watch us!

Our drinks and, bizarrely, sweets!

These fish kept an eye on us the whole time!

U Gallet was very chilled out with Spanish music playing and friendly staff. Sophie had a Moscow Mule, I had a very strong Negroni and Keith had his usual beer. Above us was a television screen showing the countdown to 2025.

Once we'd finished our drinks we made our way through the square to an Indian restaurant for dinner. There had been some confusion over whether we'd booked a table or not, and we were hoping we had as there was nothing at all open in the square. I had imagined crowds of people gathering to celebrate the New Year but it was very quiet indeed!

At the Indian restaurant, there were just another couple of tables occupied. We took our seats in the window and had a good look at the menu. We chose chicken pakora to start, followed by chicken Jalfrezi for Keith and me, and chicken tikka marsala with mushroom rice for Sophie. We munched on delicious poppadoms and ordered Peshwari naan bread. I was hungry as we'd barely eaten anything all day!

The staff were excellent and couldn't do enough for us, and the food was delicious. The waiter said that the tables would be full later in the evening as people weren't going to turn up until about 9.30pm. We doubted very much whether we would stay up until midnight tonight as our normal New Year's Eve routine had been disrupted! We love watching the fireworks from London and then Jools Holland's Annual Hootenanny!

We paid the bill, received a lovely hug from the owner, and made our way slowly back to the house. The square was still empty!

We watched the Spanish spelling show again on television, but none of us wanted to stay up until midnight to see in 2025, the first time we hadn't stayed up for decades! Isla will be our first footer at home. I hope she brings us luck!

Celebrating the best days of 2024!

The best days of 2024:

Sunday 14th of January - A drive to a bitterly cold Arromanches, snowy landscapes and lunch in Deauville. A wonderful drive back to the Airbnb along the coast.

Sunday 25th of February - A visit to Woburn and lunch in an Italian restaurant. A deer spotting on the way home made our day!

Thursday 14th of March - Our first full day in Lisbon, Time Out Market, a sunny lunch, trams and a delicious evening meal.

Friday 5th of April - Sophie's birthday and a visit to Oxford, followed by a fantastic lunch at No 1 Ship Street!

Wednesday 22nd of May - An indulgent day in London and lunch at L'Entrecote. Cocktails at Bar Termini made it the perfect day!

Saturday 29th of June - A pub mooch and lunch in Woburn. The weather was gorgeous and sunny!

Saturday 31st of August - A visit to Market Harborough, lunch at Casa Nostra, laughs with Duncan and his merry men, and an unexpected treat at an art exhibition at Lamport!

Wednesday 25th of September - A special and indulgent day in London. Drinks, cocktails, lunch at Cote Brasserie, a fantastic experience at The Hansom Bar and The Booking Office. One of the truly great days!

Tuesday 1st of October - Exploring the villages of the Cotes du Rhone, coffee in Vacqueyras, and lunch in Gigondas. Stunning scenery and a snooze by the pool in the afternoon.

Wednesday 2nd of October - More exploring and lunch in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. 

Wednesday 27th of November - A day in Oxford, I discover the Morse Bar at the Randolph Hotel! Lunch at No1 Ship Street.

Monday 30th of December - A day out in Soller and Port Soller, Mallorca. Gorgeous sunshine and scenery!

Edited to add: Tuesday 31st of December: A lovely, relaxed day sitting in the main square with a drink, an afternoon spent at the house and a new bar in the evening!

Christmas in Mallorca 23rd of December - 2nd of January

A trip to the Sollers

After the usual morning ablutions, we set out for both Soller and Port de Soller at about 10am. I decided not to take the mountainous route to the town, preferring instead the motorway and the tunnel to get to our destination. Sadly, the train from Palma wasn't operating as we would have taken this again, so enjoyable was it the last time.

The motorway wasn't busy and we took the turn off for Bunyola, where the train also stops. Once past Bunyola, we travelled on lovely, smooth roads to the tunnel which cuts through an enormous mountain. I thought we'd need to pay for the privilege but there wasn't a toll, so that was a bonus. We still had a descent to the town of Soller where I asked Sophie to direct me to a car park. She found one in the middle of the town, a short walk from the main square and shopping street. I had to navigate increasingly narrow streets to get there, though! At one point, the road was the width of the car with tiny paths alongside! I just closed my eyes and hoped I wouldn't hit a pedestrian!

We walked along pleasant tree-lined streets to the centre, window-shopping along the way. We remembered this street from our previous visit to Soller back in 2021 where we stumbled upon a Christmas market.

Coming out at the main square, we took a seat at a café (where we'd had lunch in 2021) and enjoyed a drink. Sophie ordered a glass of Sangria, which she said was very strong, more Brandy than wine! I'm glad I stuck to a small beer!

The gorgeous ornate church in Soller

It was lovely to sit and do some serious people-watching! This was a Monday morning when normally I'd be at work!

After our drinks, we strolled back to the car, stopping at several shops on the way. I bought a small bottle of Hiervas, a Mallorcan liqueur to add to the Ratafia and walnut liqueur we have at home, and Sophie bought some beautiful small bowls. We really need to display these somehow in the kitchen as they're so lovely.

We also visited a shop specialising in spices, wine and oils where Sophie bought a packet of spices to make a curry paella and a jar of aioli. We were also on the lookout for slippers for Keith and stumbled upon a shop selling products made from cork, which reminded me of Lisbon!

Back at the car, we set the SatNav for the Port de Soller and I navigated the narrow streets again. We had a slight mishap but made it the the port without incident! The next goal was to find a parking space and after a trek halfway up a mountain, we found a multi-storey with tight spaces. Why are car parks so horrible? The steps down to ground level reminded me of a particularly nasty car park in Northampton!

Emerging out into the town we could see the sea and it wasn't long before we arrived at the promenade. Before us was a gorgeous vista of the curving bay and shuttered, almost Italianate, buildings lining the road. Expensive yachts were moored in the harbour and people were strolling along the seafront, with some families enjoying the beautiful beach.

The last time we were here was when Sophie was a baby and my Dad had driven us over the mountains. Soller is famous for pilchards and I remember my Dad eating them the last time we visited. We were hungry by now and looking for a restaurant where we could have lunch in the sun. The place was packed with visitors and we turned right towards the town, hoping we'd made the right decision!

To the right of the promenade were the tram tracks. It's possible to take the tram from Soller to the port, which we had done back in 1996. We walked further into the town and all the restaurants looked full. It was amazing how many people were about on a Monday in December!

Luckily, a restaurant called Albatros had a table free and we were seated and given menus. We chose a couple of tapas dishes for starters - Padron peppers and dates wrapped in bacon. We all had beers to drink and our mains were fish and chips (Keith), chicken burger (Sophie) and breast of chicken in a honey sauce with rice (me). The starters were delicious - I'm tempted to do dates with bacon when we have our "Christmas" dinner at home on Saturday!

There were so many people eating, that it felt like it should be summer! As we sat and ate our meal, people were constantly queuing for a table and I couldn't understand why some places had made the decision to close? Was it the gorgeous warm and sunny weather that was making people visit?

We lingered over lunch, enjoying the sunshine and ambience. After paying the bill we strolled back to the car, deciding to have an ice cream at a shop on the way. They were doing great business as people queued up for a sweet dessert!

It was great to amble back to the car and I would consider Soller and the port as a holiday destination in the future... as long as we could drive there from the UK!

The journey back was fine, apart from one hiccup when I was in the wrong lane and I was forced onto the motorway towards Palma! We had to come off at the next junction of the motorway and retrace our steps! We arrived back in Pollensa and strolled slowly back to the house. The square was quiet and the town shuttered and sleepy. It was great to get back and relax and try and warm up the house!

I downloaded the Sky app onto my laptop in the hope that Keith and Sophie could watch the Newcastle - Manchester United game, but I was told that it wasn't possible in Spain. I recorded the match instead... I hope it worked!

I even contacted a local bar - U Gallet - to see if they were showing the match. I messaged them via Instagram and had a great conversation with one of the staff who said they weren't showing it because the manager was ill. Clicking on their website, I somehow inadvertently attracted a malicious pop-up that took me a while to get rid of. Not what I wanted after a long day!

In the evening, Keith and I watched the film, A Knight's Tale starring Heath Ledger and the gorgeous Rufus Sewell and James Purefoy... what an end to an immensely enjoyable day!

Christmas in Mallorca 23rd of December - 2nd of January

A walk around the market.

When we opened the shutters this morning, the sun was shining out of a clear blue sky. We have been so lucky with the weather! I dread to think what it would have been like if it had rained every day. I think we'd be back at home now!

This morning, we were looking forward to visiting the market in Pollensa and having a coffee in the square. In the past, the market stalls have stretched right up to the Calvari Steps, but when we turned the corner to go down into the town we couldn't see any stalls at all. Was it still on in the winter, we wondered?

Of course, it was, but on a slightly smaller scale! The cafés at the bottom of the steps were greeting tourists and locals alike and as we walked towards the square it became busier. Turning the corner by the church into the main square, we could see a few stalls next to the cafés, which were very busy indeed! Tables were at a premium and we felt lucky when we managed to grab one at U Placa. There was a lovely atmosphere as people sat basking in the beautiful sunlight, drinking coffee and ordering breakfasts.

We ordered coffees and a hot chocolate, and two pains au chocolat and a croissant for breakfast. Service was hectic and the poor waiters rushed hither and thither with loaded trays. We were surprised at how busy it was, and wondered why some places were firmly closed up? Admittedly, it wasn't as busy as it can be at the height of summer, but there were lots of people visiting and both locals and tourists were circling the tables ready to grab one as soon as it was vacated.

My first coffee disappeared in a trice, so I ordered another - it was delicious and strong. I miss my coffee machine!

We enjoyed our light breakfast and it was lovely to sit and relax and do lots of people-watching! When we finished, we strolled around the stalls, with Sophie on the lookout for jewellery. I spotted a stall selling lavender products and bought a candle and a soap from the friendly stallholder, who hailed from West London, and not Kent as I thought! He'd been in Mallorca for fourteen years... he was living the dream!

There were lots of stalls selling fresh flowers and we saw local people carrying huge bunches. We left Keith sitting in the sun and visited a shop called Hygge which sold jewellery, scarves, perfume and accessories. I treated myself to a new perfume, made in Soller, where we're going tomorrow. It smelt beautifully fresh and clean. Poor Sophie had a full-blown cold and couldn't smell anything, but she did buy a pair of gorgeous earrings.

As we wandered slowly further into the town we came across the fruit and vegetable stalls, people selling clothes and most of the shops open for business. Sophie bought a pair of new sunglasses, so overall we did very well! We want to get Keith a pair of new slippers and we keep going into the shoe shops and trying to find the perfect pair for him!

We paid a visit to the pharmacy to buy more paracetamol for Keith as he still has a toothache. We normally make one visit to a chemist every holiday, but we've had to go three times on this break! He will be contacting his dentist when we get home and I'm going to have to register with one as well!

Stay for lunch.

The car park was full of cars with people waiting for a space so we made a hasty exit and drove to Puerto Pollensa. I headed towards Alcudia and we approached the town on the coast road. The weather was stunning, with the mountains sharply outlined against the azure blue of the sky.

We managed to find a space near the marina and strolled towards the front for a drink before lunch at Bucca.

Again, the cafés and restaurants that were open were busy, with tables at a premium. We managed to get one at Bucca under the awning but we still had a great view. Keith and I had a small beer each and Sophie had an Aperol Spritz. We sat and chatted about our upcoming holidays and said how much we were looking forward to driving to Spain in June. Apart from my and Sophie's break in Vienna in March, this will be the last time we fly anywhere. With the car, we have so much freedom and can decide to leave early or even go elsewhere if we wish. 

Our lunch booking at Stay restaurant was for 2pm and it was only a short walk away. We hadn't eaten here for years (I think the last time was in 2007) but it's a popular restaurant and I had forgotten how large it is. I remember, on a previous occasion, likening it to a works canteen, and this opinion hadn't changed! It was very busy with tables inside and around the outside of the building close to the water's edge. There were lots of smart staff in attendance and the service was impeccable.

We ordered Padron peppers and prawns in tempura batter to share as starters, followed by lamb for Keith, cod for Sophie and chicken in a Teriyaki sauce with rice for me. We were given bread rolls, melba toasts and a freebie amuse bouche of what we think was Gazpacho soup, topped with whipped sour cream served in shot glasses.

The starters were delicious - the prawns moist and succulent and the Padron peppers hot and salty. I was looking forward to my main course but it disappointed. The hit of flavour from the Teriyaki sauce was missing and it seemed to be watered down somewhat. The chicken was coated in a thin batter but it wasn't crispy. Sophie enjoyed her cod, but Keith said his lamb didn't have any flavour, either! Are we all suffering from a lack of taste and smell?

Sophie and I had room for puds. I chose creme brulée while Sophie opted for her favourite, tiramisu. We were offered complimentary liqueurs and chose Limoncello. Because we didn't have a bottle of wine, and Keith and I just stuck to a small beer each with Sophie having a couple of glasses of vino blanco, the bill was a shade under 150 euros.

Sophie and I wanted to walk along a pier which jutted out into the sea, so I gave Keith the car keys and we set off. Virtually every table was taken as we rounded the corner of the building; it's such a popular restaurant!

Looking back at the restaurant

The sea looked beautifully clear and we saw several large fish and a couple of pinky-coloured jellyfish. It didn't look too deep, either, but I wouldn't have wanted to fall in! We wandered about for a while, admiring the views and then walked back to join Keith at the car, taking in views of the marina on the way.

Restaurant La Llonja

From Puerto Pollensa, we drove to Cala San Vicente again, a place I can never get enough of! The drive from the main road to the town is beautiful and reminds me of the Lake District. Today, the sea was a lot calmer and there were a few people on the beach, including some men with small boats. We sat for a while and soaked up the sun, watching the comings and goings of visitors.

A much calmer sea!

As the sun set over the mountains, we made our way back to Pollensa. The car park had emptied out and we parked easily before walking back to the house.

As I'd only had a couple of small beers during the day, I decided to try some of my whiskies throughout the evening:

December 18th: Old Pulteney 15-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky at 46% The first taste was fiery and bitter. The whisky softened with water and made me think of dried fruits and honey. I couldn't share with Sophie as she had lost her sense of taste and smell. 3/5

December 19th: Royal Lochnagar 12-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky at 40%  Peaty and antiseptic. Softened with water and I detected smoke. 3/5

December 20th: Glen Grant 18-year-old Rare Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky at 43%  Cherries and vanilla, Bakewell tart, sweet and honey. 4/5

December 21st: Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky at 40%. Peaty, almonds and smoke. 4/5

We had a relaxed evening, keeping warm in the living room and either reading or watching Spanish football!

Christmas in Mallorca 23rd of December - 2nd of January

(Unintentional) surf and turf!

Today we haven't moved from the house and spent most of the day reading or playing cards on the terrace. I thrashed Keith completely this morning at cards and he was not pleased! Sophie managed to read an entire book so that's how relaxed we were today.  We sipped glasses of Cava and beer and it was lovely to stay at the house. The weather was gorgeous, with clear blue skies and hot sunshine. It was so hot that I used the Factor 50 sun cream I'd, fortunately, brought with us and I think I have a light tan on my face!

We didn't have breakfast as we were planning to eat the steak and vegetables we'd bought for lunch the other day. I parboiled the potatoes (for ages!) but they're not the Maris Piper we use at home so when I shook them they didn't go fluffy! Sophie cut up the sprouts and mushrooms and we roasted them in the oven as well. About half an hour before we were due to eat I added a bag of "onion rings" to the roasting dish and then I cooked the steaks over a high heat.

The potatoes had turned out well and the veggies Sophie had prepared were delicious. However, we discovered that the onion rings were actually squid rings! It was a great meal and I was relieved that we'd eaten the food we'd bought, especially as the steaks cost about 20 euros!

I opened the bottle of Jose Ferrer Crianza to go with the meal but both Sophie and I weren't keen at all. I then opened the Macia Batle which was slightly better and discovered it was an astonishing 14.5%!

As the sun sunk below the mountains we retreated indoors. Keith had a long nap and Sophie and I sat in the chilly dining room until we were forced into the warmer living room as well. Sophie suspects she has a cold and was feeling a little miserable today, poor thing. If I'm honest, we're missing the comforts of home and our central heating, carpeted floors and the cats!

Sophie was content to read this evening so I fetched my laptop and Keith and I watched a film, The Critic starring Ian McKellen, on Amazon Prime. I was hoping to be able to get BBC iPlayer but it's not available in Spain! We covered ourselves in blankets so we were lovely and cosy!

We're looking forward to tomorrow as it's market day in Pollensa and then we're booked for lunch at Stay in Puerto Pollensa! Bring it on!

Christmas in Mallorca 23rd of December - 2nd of January

A walk in PP

We had a very relaxed start to the day this morning, but the skies were cloudier than yesterday. Sophie and I could still sit on the terrace and enjoy a coffee, though, and it looked like the clouds were heading inland.

We were ready to venture out by midday and drove to Puerto Pollensa. We parked on the seafront and had a lovely walk to the centre. By now, the skies had cleared, and it was so warm I had to remove my coat!

Most of the shops, bars and restaurants along this stretch were closed but Café 1919 and Bucca, where we went on Christmas Day, were busy with people sitting and enjoying the sun. We took our seats and I decided to have an ice cream. It was tradition to go to Café L'Algar at least once on previous holidays with the children and treat them to an ice cream, but I wasn't sure if the café was still open.

Sophie chose a hot chocolate, Keith had a beer and I ordered a Copa Laura. 

 As soon as my ice cream arrived, the sun disappeared behind the clouds and the temperature dropped rapidly! Brrr! 

After we'd paid the bill, we headed for the square to see what had changed. Only one restaurant was open but we were pleased to see Centric still there, and Tiberi, where we'd had one of the hottest nights we'd ever experienced years ago. That night ranks as the hottest I've ever been, even warmer than the tropical climes of Florida!

Bony's Bar was closed, and I swear the man who runs it has become even crazier if that's possible! He was always mad but the front of the bar was plastered with weird sayings and posters!

We would visit often in the summer and the measures he poured for drinks were huge! He would also throw sweets for the children and there was a general air of madness which went down well with holidaymakers!

Puerto Pollensa away from the main seafront looked a little sad, which I suppose is common with seaside resorts out of season. We had a look in an estate agent's window and we were amazed at the prices for apartments and houses. You wouldn't get much change out of a couple of million for a house and even small apartments would set you back about £300,000!

We took a slow walk back to the car and returned to Pollensa. The square was busy with people having lunch and Café Espanyol was back open. We went back to the house and had a very light lunch and a beer on the terrace. The sun had moved away and it became chilly again so we moved indoors where we read and tried to get warm!

Splendid isolation!

At 7pm we ventured out again and headed for La Scalinata. There was some confusion when we asked if we could have a drink and one of the staff disappeared to seek advice. We were on the point of leaving when he reappeared and beckoned for us to go in. We ordered two glasses of white wine and a beer and a woman, who we think is the owner, said they were actually closed but we could stay until 9pm if we wanted. She has a beautiful baby and her and her husband? smiled at us as they left. We felt honoured!

So, we sat in splendid isolation in the gorgeous bar where Christmas music was playing and it was warm! Heaven!

Beautiful mural on the wall

Another family tried to come in but they were turned away so we did feel a bit special! The building is a hotel and it looks very smart:

Calvario Plaza Hotel

Just before 8pm we paid the bill and walked the short distance to Cantonet. We were glad we'd booked as the restaurant was busy! It was great to see other people! The two women serving were friendly and one of them was delighted that Sophie ordered everything in Spanish. We chose the Parma ham and melon to start, followed by ravioli stuffed with Mallorcan sausage for Sophie, chicken for Keith and the "Secret of the Pig" for me. I ordered a bottle of the Ca'n Vidalet "Blanc des Blancs" to drink.

The restaurant was beautiful, with oil paintings on the walls and lots of cream-coloured stone everywhere. There was a great atmosphere with people of different nationalities dining.

The food was very good and my pork dish was delicious, and accompanied by plenty of vegetables and new potatoes. Sophie helped us out but said that even though she only had five ravioli, the dish was still substantial. We found room for puds - tiramisu for Sophie and Panna cotta for me. Before we paid the bill we were given shot glasses of Limoncello, a great end to a lovely evening and meal!

We walked back to the house and Sophie chatted to two cats, the ones we'd seen in the shop the other day. They looked like they hung out together on the streets of Pollensa!

Back at the house, the living room was warm and we caught the spelling show we'd seen the other night before it was time for a slightly later bedtime!