Time passes and new routines are quickly established. The memories of the early lockdown are easing only to be replaced now by the new reality. One week after school resumed a teacher tested positive. This means stay home from school for 2 weeks for her class. Then a basketball group had a child testing positive after an outside, fresh air practice when the children were in groups of 2. No matter how unlikely the transmission two week’s quarantine for them too. The snowball effect on families is catastrophe. Add to this the families of the Care Home workers who have tested positive this week and the numbers are already in their hundreds of ‘stay at homes’
Life doesn’t work in stops and starts either in school or working day life. My story will be being told all over Majorca in coming days, that inevitability is clear. To access Food Banks when income stops and starts because adults have to stay home and care for children is just the tip of the ice berg. The worries about paying rent and bills is becoming overwhelming for some.
The comments from businesses closing up here is where are the second homers? The people who own houses here and usually spend 6 months a year here? Every country has its rules about travel but Europe is still open to Europeans. Some locals feel let down that more haven’t made the effort to come and support their second home country in a crisis.
Set against that the Estate Agents here will all tell you how busy they are. New interests are fighting over prime properties. There are two dominant reasons for the flurry. UK people who want to be resident here before the end of the year Brexit finale are very much in evidence. The others are USA led by those who simply wont stay in the USA if Trump remains president. Big political stories are driving the Estate Agents commission in the Soller Valley right now.
In the mean-time the politics of the land is occupying our Mayor. Biniaraix is a beautiful hamlet between Soller and Fornalutx. It is the starting point for the mountain walks of the Barranc. Parking is a huge issue here, particularly at weekends as the walkers arrive. Car Parking was a battle cry of the last local elections and the ruling party are trying to keep their promises. You can imagine this is not going to please everyone.
This week we are told of a land swap idea which is finding favour in principle. An orange grove holder of Bini is willing to give the Adjuntement land for a Car Park. This will be in exchange for a piece of land in the Port of Soller which the Town Hall have not been able to sell. This is almost breaking news, so the opinions on both sides haven’t reached a crescendo yet, but they will.
Soller has stood under its umbrella installations this summer and most of us loved them. The citrus fruit colours in the square and the blue and white at the sea shore. The made us smile and watch as the weather scorched or blew them about into sculptures of their own. On Saturday in the market the umbrellas were there again. This time they were for sale.
We are raising money for a child with mitochondrial disease. The umbrella donations will go to a fund to purchase a purpose built electric chair, valued at 30,000 euros. This is for the young Solleric Emy Maduka who needs this urgently. Umbrellas will be the first of many fundraisers for this purpose over the next couple of months. That is, unless a really generous donor steps up and pays the full amount. The people of Soller will step up for Emy and for all the other children who need support right now. Food Bank, School Shoes and rent support are all high on the list for our winter of discontent.
Coffee time chatter this week designed winter masks. The merits of balaclavas and snoods were investigated. I am certain out there right now someone is knitting a scarf and mask combo. Maybe we will get busy in Soller and make the definitive fashion item for the next season. Someone’s got to do it and we are very inventive. Watch this space…