Palma Spain Pictures
July 13, 2010
Mallorca with kids
by Mike Day
As I drive home on a Friday evening, I tend to contemplate the week just gone. Good, bad, or indifferent… Of course, my weekends tend to be that much more enjoyable if the week preceding has been a belter.
The stressful 12-minute daily commute I endure snakes through olive groves as I head towards the beautiful village of Alaró, my home of the last six years. Nestled in the foothills of the Tramuntana mountain range, the breathtaking scenery never fails to act as the perfect antidote to the challenges of running a production service company.
Friday nights are usually reserved for letting my kids, Molly (eight) and Dylan (four), enjoy the pleasures of village life. Without the week night tasks of homework, snack lunches and early bedtimes to contend with, we can afford to kick back and head for the plaza to hook up with friends. Footballs, roller blades and bicycles all alternate as the preferred evening’s entertainment in advance of the inevitable pizza – never my favorite food, but it keeps the kids happy.
Saturday mornings are dedicated to Molly’s horse riding lessons.
We head for the sleepy village of Biniali and Molly gets to work brushing and preparing her steed. This week she is given “Obelix”, a single-minded horse that has the propensity to break into a gallop. Molly is undeterred and trots over to the arena for today’s ‘horse football’ competition. This involves approximately eight mounted 8-year-olds directing their horses to kick around a large gym ball – really quite a good spectator sport. Wonder if it will catch on?
Horse riding finished, we are back to Alaró to visit the Saturday morning market.
The kids choose flowers and fruit whilst Pebbles and I grab a coffee.
The afternoons are usually reserved for lunch at friends’ houses. BBQs and swimming pools are the order of the day. Thankfully, the Mediterranean climate enables us to enjoy these activities almost year round.
Sunday is beach day. We live 30 minutes’ drive from both the north and south coasts, giving us the easy choice of dozens of beaches. This weekend we head north to Cala San Vicente to rendezvous with friends. Always a favourite, this beach offers a fabulous restaurant – Cala Barques - and the combination of fresh fish and live Cuban jazz.
After a mellow lunch it is time for pedalos. My good friend Rupert and I select suitable launches, stow snorkels and masks and load up with kids before heading to sea. The ladies craftily remain in the restaurant with a glass of wine. An hour of piratical activities later, we return to the beach before heading homeward for a relaxed Sunday evening.
June 7 to 13, a very brief but awesome holiday with Claire. We were staying at Claire's aunt's ten minutes outside Palma de Majorca, up the hills and in the middle of the middle of the forest.It was so beautiful and quiet, and we even had our own separate casita with bathroom, kitchenette and lounge area. Oh, and a hammock with pool view! It really was paradise.
Fi (Claire's aunt) and her family were great with us and I feel we bonded a lot in the time we spent with them. Heer children, Tom and Matilda, are witty and fun, and I can totally see them growing up and become amazing human beings. Good luck guys, we are with you!
Once again, no much time to go through all we've done in Palma, and it also always feel quite weird to be writing about past experiences. So, I'll let images speak for me, and procede uploading a set that'll sum up our 6 days in Paradise.
Enjoy.
