Mallorca etc.

Tha landscape of Mallorca looks just like southern California. The rocks are scraggly and gray, the earth ranges from warm beige to red, depending on your location. The buildings mirror the earth in color. The land is dry. Their main agricultural product is almonds, and they have wonderful almond deserts as a result, but they also have an abundance of citrus, olive, and pine trees. Now, of course, the main product is tourism.

The Bousseau/Colon house is in Soller, on the north side of the island in the mountains. Like the main city, Palma, Soller is a tradition European city with a pedestrianized (mostly car-free) center. Truly lovely. The Cathedral and a bank along the main square were both designed after Gaudi.

Our days followed a certain pattern with some exceptions. After a light breakfast, we would walk around the town or something. Lunch was long and involved wine. Then we took a siesta until about 5, at which time we headed to the harbor for a swim until 8 when we returned to the house for dinner. The girls (including myself) walked to the port for the swim and took the tram back while the others would drive in a full car. Not a bad life really.

The whole group included Mido and Jean Pierre and their daughter Juliette, her friend Muriel, Mido’s mother, and Juliette’s sister’s 2 children, Axel (4) and Annabelle (2). When I first arrived everyone was sitting down for lunch, but Axel jumped up and threw himself into my arms (I had never met him before). Juliette warned me, “He’s very sticky” by which she meant that he sticks to you, not that he is covered in juice.

Axel became my best French teacher, although it was a little frustrating because he doesn’t yet read. He liked to torcher ants, snuggle, and he is a wiz with puzzles (up to 200 pieces). I read him French story books, and he corrected my pronunciation.

The house is in a citrus grove next to the main road near the town center. There is a train that connects Soller to Palma a few times a day. There is also a tunnel that just openned up about 5 years ago (4 euro for a car to pass through) which shortens the drive from 1 hour to about 10 minutes. As a result, Soller has remained relatively unspoiled by the tourism that has invaded the rest of the island(s).

Fortunately, we were there for the festival of devils (not sure what it is actually called) that happens every year in Soller, where people dress up as devils and run around holding fire works over their heads while others, soaking wet and wearing headscarves, run around beneath the fire. It was really something, and I took some good pictures of it.

We took several excellent hikes through the scrabbly mountain sides, up stairs and paths over to the sea. Except for in the port, the water is incredibly clear and beautiful, and much of the coastline comprised of volcanic rocks. Twice we went to very nice restaurants for elaborate meals which I can’t describe because a different wine came with every course. I know it was good, however.

Part of Mido’s family is actually from Soller. I think it was her great grandfather who used to take the bank deposits from Soller to Palma on foot with a donkey 3 times a week (about 25 km each way) by himself. The port is now lined with European-style shops with apartments above them, but they have pictures from when the only building there was the military base (now closed) and it was just a sandy cove.

I ended up staying 2 days longer than the rest, except JP who was staying to paint the interior of the house. He took great care to show me around, and did not only speak French to me as he had threatened.

Nicely tanned but covered with more than 25 mosquito bites, I’ve been in Paris for about 36 hours and I am headed to London in a few hours (for no apparent reason at this point). Yesterday I visited 4 French language schools and selected one to attend when I return mid-month. Considering the final break up with Kevin, all these new and beautiful things, and so many decisions to be made all the time, my mood swings between despare and elation. I am very pleased to learn that Jane and Calla had their baby girl, Lulu, a few days ago. There is a little more light in the world.

Ladies beware, it turns out Kevin not only hacked my blog to tell all my friends what an evil person I am (which hopefully I deleted before any of you saw it), he has also been reading my email (I changed the password, so it should be OK now). He chose to interpret what he read a certain way, and that determined our destiny (hence believing that I broke up with him when in fact I was very passive in the matter, maybe I should have let one of the 4 other breakups stick a long time ago). I just kept hoping this would turn into something that felt like an adult relationship, and look what I got. In truth, I can only blame myself for participating. Anyway, I mention this in case any of you noticed anything strange in my email over the past month -- that would be the reason.