Changing Places Week 152 W/C 18th January 2009

Long walks with Reg the puppy who is now entering his teenage phase is a challenge.  We went over the mountain today from our house to the Port of Soller.  The route climbs up the side of a mountain and down into the port at the exit of the new road tunnel.  The dog runs ahead only pausing occasionally to sniff out the odd sheep or goat lurking around.  The walkers with their stout boots and sticks take the terrain carefully but Reg  runs higher and higher and finding wonderful new paths and hideouts before he comes looking for me.  His enthusiasm is boundless and he can take as much exercise as we have the time and energy to give. Such perfect weather for walking today with the blossom just appearing on the trees. The carpets of yellow flowers among the grasses in the meadows complete the picture.  The other favourite walk is round the mountain towards the sea and ending with a run on the beach.  Wherever we walk in this beautiful town we are surrounded on all sides by beauty and all roads can lead to the sea.  Soller with its perfect horseshoe bay and the rugged mountains is a unique place for us.  We have no regrets that we chose this place or then maybe it chose us.

Occasionally we have to leave our all encompassing town and head for the other side of the Island. It all depends where the action is and this week it was in the theatre in Calvia where we took Kate to see the Bay Entertainers panto.  We started our treat with Roast Beef at Roosters in Magaluf and then to the all English world of the traditional pantomime. We watched the last performance of the four day run and the cast were in fine form.  From hisses and boos to double entendres - it was there for all to see. A great show and credit to the Bays.  We sat in the balcony and it was fascinating to look down on the very English audience and pick out the people that I know.  One of the fears of relocation is how long it takes to make new friends and develop acquaintances but that crowded place reassured me that it really doesn't take long at all!

Trev takes time out each week to visit a friend in Palma.  He lives in a home for the elderly, run by nuns in the centre of Palma.  The building is beautiful and polished within an inch of its life by the industrious ladies.  This relationship started because our friend wanted someone to talk to in English. He speaks perfect Spanish having lived here most of his life but wanted the comfort of speaking in his mother tongue.  He has no relations left and lives his days in a totally Spanish community.  Trev takes him on little drives which trigger memories of different times when his mother and other friends were alive.  A popular trip is to Valldemossa where he lived for some time.  He takes delight in correcting my husband's pronunciation of the place name - he invariably gets it wrong.

We live in interesting times and the changes that each day brings leave us reeling.  Some friends and fellow relocaters are very worried about the coming season.  The bookings in their rental apartments are almost non-existent for this summer and they are looking down a deep dark hole that might see them not able to pay their mortgage.  They are scared and unsure about whether they will be looked after here as they would have been back in the UK.  Somehow when things are tough the familiarity of a system you understand with no language barrier seems very comforting.

The only way is up and we can take heart from Mr Obama's lead this week.  A momentous event and an instrument of change for the world.  All very exciting and just what we need to stop the introspection and get on with our lives.  As the US celebrates a first in their history lets hope the celebration extends everywhere inspires a great dose of optimism back in our lives.  Majorca needs it right now!
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