MALLORCA, ISLE OF LOVE

'Just off the coast of Spain, there lies a lovers’ lane,

And it’s known as Majorca, isle of love’.

So went a hit song of 1955.

In 2010, when Akhila and I were planning a trip to Spain, the song flashed in my mind and I immediately thought of including Mallorca (as it is more commonly spelt) in our itinerary. Some people suggested that as a beach resort, Ibiza was more hep but following my dictum of visiting places which I was familiar with through songs I had heard, I stuck with Mallorca. Another song to be fulfilled!

That was 11 years ago and almost forgotten when we happened to see the movie ‘The Last Letter From Your Lover’ on Netflix the other night. I loved the movie which is so like the romantic movies of the 1950s-60s. In fact, the main story is set in the ‘60s and is reminiscent of ‘An Affair To Remember’. An emotional movie I would recommend to all who enjoy plain, simple romantic stuff. I only wish the movie had a theme song like ‘An Affair To Remember’ or ‘Lara’s Theme’.

But why Mallorca? Strangely, the large part of the movie story that is set in the French Riviera is for some reason shot in Mallorca! And that brought back memories of our lovely trip.

We stayed in an exquisite hotel set in its own cove. The island is full of coves and beaches and one just has to step out and be overwhelmed by the scenic beauty. There are, of course, historical spots to visit and among them is Santa Maria Cathedral overlooking the Bay of Palma. In line with the common Spanish trait of having Christian and Muslim monuments together, next to the Cathedral stands Almudaina, a Moorish-style Arab fortress now converted to a royal residence. Then there is Bellver Castle, a 14th century medieval structure with its unique circular design. An old watchtower is located on top of a hill on the seaside and it is worth the climb to take in miles and miles of spectacular scenery all around.

A walk through the old town is a must with its quaint cafes, art galleries including one of Salvador Dali, boutique hotels and designer shops. Beaches are plenty with one right next to the city itself.

We saw many hoardings of Mallorca’s favourite son, the Tennis star Rafael Nadal. At that time he had won 5 French Opens and 3 other grand slams. Today, with 13 French Opens and 20 grand slams overall, his image must be plastered all over Mallorca!

While driving to our hotel, we saw a small house with a signboard saying Gandhi Restaurant advertising Indian food. We stopped to inquire and found it belonged to a Punjabi from Ludhiana who prepared food on order. We asked him to make some Kala Chana, Dal, Gobhi Aloo and Nan and came back in the evening to have dinner in a homely environment.

Our hotel had its own beach but we wanted to go to a bigger one. The concierge told us there was a public one just 10 minutes bus ride in the direction away from the town. We went there and saw a big crowd of bathers. We walked along the beach hoping to find a spot with less people. Suddenly we found we had walked into a nude beach where people were frolicking in the altogether. We have never felt so embarrassed as then for being well-dressed. We beat a hasty retreat and took the bus back to the hotel to wash and purify our eyes!

It was a fun trip!