In 2019 we put down the deposit on an apartment that was being built in Palma, buying off plan. We had been coming to the island for years, had made good friends, felt at ease in the city and had long wondered how we might make the leap. In the end, the generosity of a couple of dead aunts with no offspring gave us the necessary rocket fuel to set off on our mission.
In March 2020 we came to check on the project’s progress. While in town I went to see my friend Roberto, a potter, in his studio. As we chatted he helped me to make a cup on his potters’ wheel. I assured him that I would return to glaze my masterpiece in three weeks’ time. Then came coronavirus.
We finally made it back in June 2021 and by then I – unlike the wiser, calmer other half – was wondering whether we had made a terrible decision. Coming here suddenly involved five coronavirus tests and a week of home isolation in London. How would this be the gateway to an easier life?
That first day I walked over to see Roberto and there on a shelf was my now white-glazed cup, which had been matched with a saucer in my absence. Placed on our kitchen counter, it was the first real sign that our apartment would become home – not an escape but still a place where life was often just different, renewing. Magical at times.
Everyone has their edit of a place and ours is beyond eclectic. But if you are coming to Mallorca, here are a few places that you might want to add to your to-visit list.
1.
For starters, you could go to see Roberto’s work. He has a courtyard shop, PK Studio, at 17 Calle Sant Feliu. It’s open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings. There are non-wobbly cups, plates and works inspired by everything from island myths to ikebana. paparkone.com
2.
Mallorca was once one of the great production centres for footwear but much of this industry vanished in the 1980s as outsourcing to China took hold. But Carmina is a thriving exception and makes formal shoes for men and women. The front door has a shoe last as its handle; push it open and discover a gem of a store.
carminashoemaker.com
3.
There’s a good furniture and design shop called La Pecera that produces its wares on the island (we are the proud owners of its lounge chairs). Nextdoor you’ll find its sister business, Medina Mallorca, which sells vintage furniture. On the same strip is a shop for Gordiola, a maker of hand-blown glass – but I would visit its factory.
lapeceramallorca.com; gordiola.com
4.
We drove up to Sóller this week, hound in tow, for dinner with friends at a new restaurant called Pueblo, from the folk behind the popular Patiki Beach. It’s just opposite the tiny train station, which has the cutest museum of Picasso ceramics. We sat in the courtyard, eating honey-soaked cheese and peppers shawled with anchovies, while making easy work of the rosé. I also like driving up to Hotel Corazón in the Tramuntana Mountains, between Deià and Sóller, and having drinks at the Grand Hotel Son Net in Puigpunyent.
pueblosoller.com; sonnet.es
5. Also new is the Lobster Club in Portals Nous. It’s from the family that owns the successful Grupo Cappuccino chain of restaurants. The sea view is perfection; you pay more to secure a prime spot when making a booking. Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of lobster on the menu (a touch more sun and I could have been mistakenly served up with a side salad). It’s a yachty, moneyed crowd but fun to observe. And fun is what we all need.
lobsterclub.es
