Last week the Soller Valley was the centre of the universe with filming and hundreds of trippers. Largely great daytime weather, meant there were plenty on the beach and a few brave ones in the water. This week it’s all gone a little quieter with just a trickle of half termer children arriving from Germany.
The restaurants are gearing up for the Mushroom Festival which will be with us now until the beginning of December. The work behind the scenes is mostly fiscal with some restaurants still not sure when, or if, to close for the winter at all. Never has there been a time like it when it has been so difficult to make decisions.
From the weekend the English half termers are arriving in droves. Some to hotels and many more to stay with grandparents. Such happy reunions for this particular week and so many exciting plans. Then the family crowds pour in again to be ready for the bridge weekend of All Souls and All Saints. No wonder it is difficult to make financial predictions when the upsurges happen. It is after that we will see a difference as hotels close till February and Soller takes on its winter coat and temperament.
Use your vote!
In this ‘between week’ the local papers are full of the new projects which are supposed to be starting this winter. The politicians have had their honeymoon two years and now they are on the countdown to the next elections. We can expect a huge amount of work in our streets in the next 12 months in both the Port and the Town. I urge all who can vote in the next local elections to register your intention with the Town Hall. If you are a resident here with your TIE card you can vote in local elections. Please use your vote.
‘Bolets’ are back
We love the mushroom season here and can learn all about them in a series of workshops in the Soller Botanical Museum. You have to know which mushrooms are good to eat and these are very well attended lectures. Local children know much about the ‘Bolets’ and have learned to differentiate from an early age thanks to lessons from the Natural History Museum here.
Money, money, money...
Food prices are on the rise in Mallorca and shops selling the gluts of local produce are becoming more and more popular. Good prices and almost no carbon footprint works for many around here. In the lockdown home baking and cooking were very popular. Friends say that is what they are going to do this winter too. Electricity prices, food, petrol are all rising every week and some decisions have to be made when the family is living on unemployment benefits.
There is still plenty of room in our world for the work of the Food Bank and all our donations of fruit gluts and money. A very unequal winter is around with finances so fiercely under the spotlight.
Stay home and watch TV is often the answer this season rather than go out and spend money. The new winter programmes make it easy. I am really looking forward to Derry Girls series three, Shetland and the like. I am loving All Creatures Great and Small and The Larkins. Adele’s new music just released is a great listen so staying in is not all bad. That’s without all the book series which kept me going through lockdown. I have held on to the habit and hate to look at the Kindle bill.
So we hover over the next two good weeks of visitors and then wait for the winter future to unfold. Long haul travel used to be a feature for many here in the winter. So many grandparents in Argentina, Bolivia and Columbia would help with the air fares to see their families.
Travel hasn’t opened up yet to all destinations so that is not fully on the horizon. We learned this week that direct flights between New York and Palma are a feature of next years itinerary. All very exciting if it happens and a gift to those of us with family there. So next year, if all goes well we can start making real plans again, if we have the money.
The financial decisions businesses make this week will have long term implications.