This is the week where night becomes day. After resting in air conditioning most afternoons playtime begins from around 7 pm. Out for the Ramblas along the seafront and the obligatory glass or two of something to cool down with. The people watching and bumping into, are part of the fun and then there are the celebrities.
We have a couple recently moved into Puerto Soller and also into Soller itself. I have been told their names but they mean nothing to me. Every generation has its celebrity names it remembers and these are definitely in the younger age group. The famous are also arriving on the yachts and walking casually in Puerto Soller for dinner in big dark glasses. It’s really impossible to work out who is who because everyone looks so gorgeous in the summer here.
The amalgamation of new people into the Soller Valley world has been going on for generations.
The writers, the poets, the artists and the pseudo intellectuals form their tribes and beam down upon the rest of us mere mortals. I have been here long enough to give half a smile to the ‘wannabee importants’. Others get mighty irritated and stamp their feet in a huff and move on when they are in earshot of those who think they know so much more than the rest of us. Newcomers have to decide how they want to be known and behave accordingly. A poor reputation in early days relocation can take years to shake off. That is village life for you.
Some of our Brexit affected residents are still angry. The 90 day chatter has seriously affected the periods they want to spend here. Some want to be here from April to October for the 7 months of the best weather. This isn’t currently possible and they have no winter desire to spend time here at all. Some of their houses have been on the market for a few days and then sold on. Whatever the current part time residents feel, it is making absolutely no difference to the many who are trying to buy houses here currently. The rich UK person is the most dominant and some of these can come in on a ‘golden ticket’ if they fulfil the criteria.
This past week has seen a cluster of our USA friends looking to buy. Some of them have history here and know exactly what they are looking for. Others are here for the first time having travelled on the direct flights from New Jersey. The fascination of the Soller Valley is that it will ebb and flow dependant of who is in its landscape. Recent years have seen a dominance of Swedish and Danish buyers and this year it’s the UK and USA who are busy acquiring. The new influences filter through to restaurants, art exhibitions, music recitals and general chatter. Every new person has something to add to the bigger picture.