Every so often I open up the blog to Miki de Goodaboom and her partner Kevin Moore, who recall stories from small towns they’ve visited alongside incredible watercolour illustrations by Miki herself. I love the whimsical world which I’m thrown into when I read a piece of theirs, and I’ve already got a whole host of new places to add to my must-visit list thanks to them! You can see more posts by Miki and Kevin here and here.
At the risk of sounding glib, I’ve actually lost count of the amount of times I’ve visited the island of Majorca. It was the first place I ever went when I left the shores of my Native Eng-land for the first time (unless you count Wales). I spent a week there as a lairy 17 year old in Arenal, near Palma.
Some years later, I had a two week holiday in Magalluf, and later still another fortnight in Porto Cristo, on the East Coast. At the turn of the millennium, I started visiting Palma weekly. Sometimes by plane, sometimes by ship. I was performing on a cruise ship which docked there every Tuesday. Sometimes I would fly in to join it, other times, to disembark and fly home. I could probably draw you a map of Palma airport from memory!
But what I hadn’t really done, was explore the island properly, to visit the towns and villages that dotted the interior, and our recent trip to the Balearics was a chance to correct that oversight, as my artist partner Miki de Goodaboom, wanted to sketch and paint the scenes and life of the island.
One gem that we uncovered was the wonderful town of Soller. Accessible by both road and rail, the wonderful train is by far the best way to make your way there.
You arrive at the top end of the town, where the lovely old station sits, boasting a long curved platform that snakes towards the stone building. On the particular day we were there, a cat was waiting patiently at platform’s edge for the train..no doubt planning a mouse-hunting excursion into Palma!
The station building has a surprise in store too…it is home to an exhibition of works by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro, Ceramics from the former and Lithographs and paintings from the latter. Stumbling upon these treasures was entirely unexpected, and therefore doubly delightful. The framed photographs that interspersed their works are a testament to their enduring friendship.
Exiting the station, one is confronted by steel rails once more, but these are embedded into the old cobbles of the town, and the glorious wooden trams will then transport you through this lovely town, like a thread through the eye of a needle, somehow squeezing past the sidewalk cafes, parasols and pedestrians and on, away on its picturesque journey to Port de Soller.
The square in Soller itself boasts a cathedral with an impressive facade, and a number of lovely bars and cafes dotted around its periphery. One such cafe proved to be a great choice, as we were not only served coffee that was drinkable as opposed to rocket fuel, but the most gorgeous slice of lemon meringue pie that I have tasted since my Mum was alive. I made a point of complimenting the chef for pleasing my palate and reawakening childhood memories.
It’s a lovely old town, and clearly adored by the German tourists who were out in force. I barely heard a Spanish voice! Several pedestrianised streets lead-ing off the main square sported attractive shops worth a good browse.
As I mentioned earlier the tram affords access via a lovely route to the Port de Soller, with its bobbing boats and picturesque waterfront, a worthy ‘companion piece’ to the main town further inland.
After such a fabulous day visiting these two places, I harked back to my earlier visits to Majorca, and the regular hotel/beach holidays, and wondered how many people were missing out on these gems. Certainly not the Germans!
Have you been to Majorca? What was your experience like?
