On Sunday my husband and I returned home from Minorca, the beautiful neighbouring island I had visited frequently as a child and which, luckily, my husband loves and cherishes as much as I do. Even on return from our honeymoon around the Caribbean, we felt we really needed Minorca! Have you ever been there?
The British influence there is clearly present in its architecture and even in its language. Did you know that the word “bottle” in the Minorcan variety is bòtil? Furthermore, the word xoc comes from “chalk”. The British influence is evident, which is understandable since their presence lasted for almost all the eighteenth century. I’m not a history geek like my hubby is but I do like to understand “the why” in context which, while exploring, is truly eye-opening and fascinating.
I also love trying out local and seasonal gastronomy and I take this part of the holiday very seriously indeed! Minorca’s most famous dish is caldereta de llangosta (lobster stew), which is served in most restaurants around the island. The lobster is slowly cooked in a tomato, onion and garlic sauce, which is simply delicious and I’m not sure this photo does it any justice!
What I definitely did not expect on this holiday was to be recognised by an Instagram follower, who was actually reading my book at the time, El Book de Amanda. It was music to my ears listening to Toni saying how much my book was helping him, especially with pronunciation.
Despite my being totally incognito, wearing a bikini, a huge summer hat and big black “Jacky O” sunglasses, he recognised me because of my voice. With that motivation and attitude, I’m sure Toni will achieve his goal and pass his exams in September, a piece of cake!
When we returned home to the most beautiful island in the world where I was born, Mallorca, it hit me again how privileged we are to live here. Not only because of the amazing scenery and nature, but also because of our rich gastronomy, history and culture. Sure, you can fly thousands of miles, as I did for collecting the international award for my Documentary Mallorca is not Magalluf or for our honeymoon all around the Caribbean, but in the Balearic Islands we have paradise round the corner, either visiting our neighbouring islands (all gorgeous and different) or right here in Mallorca.
The more you travel, the more you appreciate what luxury and life quality really are. When I went to Miami, we had to pay a fortune for a sea-view, a decent bottle of bubbly and some strawberries. Here history and culture are deeply rooted in our gastronomy. Any Mallorcan village you go to will surprise you! When we arrived home my hubby and I without even unpacking, had a shower, put on some nice clothes and went to Es Fum restaurant at the Saint Regis Mardavall hotel.
The invitation thrilled us to our very core and the star Michelin chef, Miguel Navarro, surprised us again with a fresh delicious repertoire, which blew our minds and was the perfect welcome back home. The more we dine and wine out, the more I cherish the excellent quality and services Majorca has to offer.
Mallorca might not be on TV so much for the right reasons, but it surely deserves to be! The same goes for the famous Plaza Hotel in New York where we also went on our honeymoon and I’m glad we did, but it got me thinking about the excellent five-star and even four-star hotels we have in Mallorca, which are as good or even better! I was raised at the Bonanza Hotel in Illetes and my father, Joan Ferrer, who was the manager, taught me a lot about tourism.
The “problem” is that these hotels don’t appear on Sex and the City or many other series and movies! We really should be regarded as Cannes, Monaco, Saint Tropez, Capri... As you know, this newspaper, Mallorca Daily Bulletin, has always valued and appreciated the good publicity the British TV show The Mallorca Files does for our island. To make a long story short, Mallorca is the perfect sustainable luxury destination and the world has to know.