Enroute Mallorca

It was still dark when I got to the airport. It’s when I’ve got a significant amount of waiting time in airports that I’d miss my guitar so much. 

The cheapest flight that I could find from Thessa to Mallorca was via Munich, Germany. Go figure. All I knew was I had to arrive in Palma before 5, as what Ann told me.

A few weeks ago before I decided to head for Mallorca, I’ve been emailing and contacting some hosts via the helpex site. There was a point earlier on in my Europe trip that I just wanted to stay for a while in a place and stop moving. I believe I was in Santorini when I was deciding what my next destination was after Greece. So I took it as a sign that whoever replied to me first on the helpex site would be my next place. And that was Anne.

Anne and her partner Patty owned an Irish pub by the name of Patsy Fagan’s on the island of Mallorca, Spain. It was located in Cala D’or, a resort area on the east side of the island. The write up on the helpex site mentioned that they were looking for someone who can play music at night and keen to help in the kitchen/bar in exchange for accommodation and food. I figured it was about time I tried something in that kind of environment since I’ve always wanted to try working in a pub and since it was coupled with my chance to play music, I grabbed the opportunity. I did give her a heads up though that I didn’t play any Irish songs which she said was fine. 

I was a little bit anxious on my way, not knowing what to expect. All I could do was to pray that my hosts were okay and easy to get along with. In hindsight, the only thing that went amiss was the fact that I neither read nor researched about the background of the island. It was only when I got there after a few days that I did find out.

I arrived in Palma around 4:30 pm and was a little bit concerned that Anne might have been waiting too long since I had to collect my backpack. After 2 calls I was finally to get a hold of her and figure out where I could easily spot her. She was a petite lady with glasses, slight blonde hair and a big smile. We hugged each other spontaneously and from that moment it just felt right and I felt at home quickly. Before heading out Anne offered to stop for a coffee. We sat outside the car park café and she gave me a quick blurb about the business, where’s it at and she did mention about a Polish bloke by the name of Adam who was helping out. She described Patty and gave me a little bit of a heads up. She did commend Adam a lot though and couldn’t stop raving about his good qualities, personality and I guess the depth of his mind. 

We picked up a couple who they’ve met at the pub a night before. She gave them a lift to one of the well-known long beach in Palma and agreed to collect them once she’s picked me up from the airport. They were a lovely couple on their honeymoon. 

The drive from Palma to Cala D’Or was an hour, not including the minutes we spent getting lost. It was hilarious when we were going around in circles. Anne was cool on the wheel though. There were olive farms along the way and the stretch of highway showcased the dry land that Mallorca had. Apparently it’s been months since it last rained. 

Mallorca or can also be spelled Majorca, is an island located east off the mainland Spain. Geography-wise it can be located in the Mediterranean Sea and is the largest island in the Balearic Islands Archipelago in Spain. The etymology of the name comes from the Latin term “insula major” or larger island. It’s main city is Palma, located a little bit south-center of the island. It was founded by a Roman camp called Palmaria. In 1983, Palma was established as the capital of the Autonomous Region of the Balearic Islands. On to the west side of the Island is the acclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site (2011) Serra de Tramuntana. Reading through the variety of influential names that were tied with Majorca, I wondered what was there with the island itself that it drew and gave some great artists such inspiration. It was only later on when I learned that former no.1 tennis players Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moya were born in Mallorca. A lot of writers, and even Polish composer Chopin, stayed on the island and produced such great compositions. Poets and even the likes of Agatha Christie stayed there and even started a list of short stories.

The whole island was a big holiday resort spot for numerous Europeans but mainly, British, Germans, Polish, Irish and Scandinavian countries. In summer, the whole place they say becomes a massive party scene. There was a specific resort in the west of Palma that was known to be a crazy outpost of people who just wanted to get drunk and perhaps laid. All of these I didn’t know till I got on the island. Apparently the whole of it had a different reputation. And a lot of people were surprised that I was going there. 

We arrived at Cala D’Or after over an hour. The place was coloured white and surrounded with arches. I honestly found it really cool and pleasing on the eyes. The pub was still closed so we walked up the flight of stairs. Patty was in the kitchen and I got introduced. He was a typical Irish guy look, with glasses and cheery smile. My bedroom was still getting painted so I had to put my stuff temporarily in the other room. I eventually got to meet Adam. He wasn’t your typical looking Polish. His hair color was darker though. Apparently he was from Wroclaw a little bit northwest of Krakow. He was painting the edges of the room with blue and I noticed his tattoo that read “The Limitless Life”. Not sure where he got the inspiration from. We chatted for a while until dinner was served and I got more introduced to the bunch. 

That was my “home” for the next 2 weeks. And oh boy, it was a stint of learnings, adventure and realizations for me.