St Patrick in Ponsa

Kevin was off early again, but Jemima and I took it rather slower this morning - in fact we only just made it to Chameli's during breakfast hours. We were given a table inside, by the bar, with a view of the TV; so our fried eggs were accompanied, rather unexpectedly, by discussion about a La Liga football match between Seville and someone in blue (who kept scoring the goals). Eventually, Jemima decided that she wanted to be a referee when she grew up, because I described them as the boss on the pitch.

My intention was just to pop back to collect the car keys, but Jemima was enjoying the slower pace, so in the end we didn't leave the flat again until about 3pm. Eventually we made it to Santa Ponça (or just "Ponsa" to aficionados), and after a bit of driving around, found a parking place at the far end of the main drag. After a nice scoot to the other end, we could see all the excitement: a St Patrick's Day fiesta, with stalls all along the road behind the beach. (Not satisfied by the plethora of home-grown festivities, the Mallorcans have imported this one.)

It didn't look particularly St. Patrick-y to be honest: the odd stall had a bit of green, and the odd person a giant Guinness hat; but apart from that, it looked like any other jolly fiesta, with food stalls, jewellery stalls and tat stalls (inspired by our conversation this morning, I bought Jemima a sign for her birthday saying "The Boss" - I made her close her eyes while I was buying it, the stall holder thought it was very funny). And of course, it had the kids' entertainment: trampolines, bouncy castles, and a big dinosaur vs gorilla slide. I'd stopped at the bank to get cash out, but I'd forgotten - this is Mallorca, so it was all free.

Jemima got thoroughly into the spirit - trying candy floss (great to start with, then she went off it), and throwing herself into all the entertainments.  Then she had a run about on the beach, before we stopped for a crêpe on the way home. This was a mistake: it had been a lovely sunny day, but the wind by the beach was bitter; and the queue for the crêpes was deceptively slow. I got steadily more grumpy, while Jemima whiled away the time perfectly happily, digging with driftwood in the sand. But the crêpes were delicious when they finally arrived.

Due to the crêpe palaver, we got home slightly later than planned: Kevin was already back, trying to warm up again after another chilly day on the water. He'd passed his course though, so can now officially hire and safely captain a powerboat up to 10m! Bring it on. I made a proper dinner (for the first time in a long while) - scallops and prawns with mashed potato with peas and mint, and we swapped stories about our respective days. And that was it for another weekend! 

Determined to get there...

Fun at the fiesta

Candy floss!

Not so sure now...

More fun

Lunching (again...)

The end of the week wasn't quite as adventurous as the start. On Wednesday, Jemima woke up a bit feverish (to go with the hacking cough she's had for a few days) so I decided school was out. Instead, we had a quiet day at home, punctuated by a family trip to Chameli's for the menú (Jemima and I had John Dory and rice, Kevin had pork knuckle and jacket potato - except Jemima loved the pork knuckle, so basically shared Kevin's as well as eating her own. 

I'd planned a catch-up with my friend Tor that night, so Kevin decided to go to Heroes (the sports bar) for a drink. He staggered in past midnight, bouncing off the walls, having met a new friend who kept buying him drinks. As a result our run, postponed from Wednesday (because Jemima was off school), was postponed once again. Instead, we decided to venture into Santa Ponça for lunch, as part of our continued exploration of the local area.

Santa Ponça is a big local expat area, with lots of villas in a slightly built-up suburban environment, but with a very nice beach. We had a wander, then tried one of the top Tripadvisor restaurants, the Italian "Vivo!", and ordered their menú del día (weirdly only printed in German, which was not encouraging...). The green bean soup was surprisingly really delicious; but the chicken and rösti main was bland, and the apple doughnuts stodgy. (I know I do go on about Chameli's, but we still haven't found anywhere to match it, or even come close, especially for the price.)

After lunch we took a detour home through Magaluf, to see if it was waking up yet. And it was definitely busier - more people, restaurants having renovations and hotels having paint jobs. We finally found our way onto the beach near the Nikki Beach Club, and you can see why Magaluf was developed first - it's a huge expanse of lovely white sand. We'll return when it's all in full swing, to compare.

Then Friday, after a lovely sunny run, was another trip inland, this time to Es Capdellà, a pretty hilltop village a bit past Calvià set in some beautiful countryside. Despite being much smaller than Calvià it seemed a lot more lively, with about four restaurants open. We tried the menú at Es Molí d'Es Capdellà, a roadside restaurant with a nice (sadly full) terrace and a slightly canteen-style interior. It was phenomenally cheap: three courses, plus bread, water, and wine, all for €9.90; and the portions were enormous - our paella mixta starter would have been enough for a main. But it wasn't brilliant - my calamari was definitely straight from the freezer. But it was a jolly stop off (especially after most of a carafe of red wine, as Kevin was driving).

We had a little tour around the village, and it was very pretty, with some lovely old buildings, but feeling much more open and welcoming than Calvià. But there was not much else, apart a Council-run outdoor swimming pool (right next to a restaurant), which must be amazing in the summer.

And that was it for the week. Jemima was shattered again at school pick-up - I think she's been fighting something off - so we had a quiet night to be ready for the weekend. Kevin is off all day Saturday and Sunday on an RYA Powerboating Course, so Jemima and I are having Girls' Weekend: the Sequel. Bring it on!

The beach at Magaluf

Es Capdellà's outdoor pool

A very posh-looking hotel just outside Es Capdellà

Rest and relaxation

Saturday started very slowly. No pancakes today - after a week of them every day, even Jemima had had enough. She didn't even want to get dressed, asking if she could wear her pyjamas all day. So I said she could keep her pyjama top on, which she thought was great fun. There was some TV cuddled up together in bed; some drawing; returning the hire car; and then the three of us headed out into the sunshine. 

Our destination: Santa Ponça for a coffee and a scoot, before collecting Ben at the airport. After a little drive around, we settled on a café on the corner of the main street, with a table in the sun. I finished my blog from the kids' visits while Jemima and Daddy experimented with taking close up photos of different things, to compare textures. Then it was back to the airport to meet our next visitor.

Jemima had a great time scooting around the empty airport before Ben emerged. Then after some warm hellos it was back to the flat, and down to the marina for a late lunch in the sunshine. And what sunshine it was: a proper welcome for Ben. We took him to Wellies, and had a lovely lunch, including (helpfully) a bespoke vegan dish for Ben, all enjoying a peaceful time in the sun. Then after an ice cream/ sorbet stop on the way home, it was back to the flat and an early night for everyone. 

Sunday was similarly low key: more morning arts and crafts for Jemima, plus her half term

homework; Kevin and I restarted our running training after a week off, thanks to Ben's babysitting; followed by a late breakfast in Chameli's. Then Kevin and Ben went to watch Ipswich (Kevin's team) v Norwich (Ben's team) in Heroes Sports Bar, while Jemima and I - well, we went back to bed. (And I actually went to sleep.)

After a 1-1 draw, and 4pm by now, how Mallorcan are we becoming - it was lunch time. We looked at a few Portals Nous options

(Chameli's being completely full), and in the end opted for Babylon, a Persian restaurant we hadn't tried yet. And it was lovely: a very friendly welcome, and good food, including vegan-friendly options for Ben (Jemima particularly enjoyed the houmous and the "yellow" aka saffron rice). Then back to the flat for another early night. We are all feeling much more rested after a quiet weekend, and thankfully that has suited Ben too after a busy time at work. And that's it for half term - back to school tomorrow...

Experiments with photography

Airport scooting

Wellies

Ice cream!

Sunday: homework with Owlie (we haven't lost him...)

An afternoon in bed

Babylon lunch

Last hurrah

The sun finally returned for the last day of Granny and Grandpa's visit. They took Jemima to school, then their plan was to explore Palma - I was very keen they did, because they love a Cathedral, and this is a good one.

Kevin and I did our usual morning work/ run combo (the scheduled runs are getting longer and slightly harder work now). Then we had toyed with the idea of a little walk, but after the run neither of us were feeling that energetic. So instead we had a little drive around the nearby south-west coast.

First to Santa Ponça, where Kevin showed me what he'd discovered (including an extremely nice house we can't afford - it had workmen in, so seeing us lurking they offered to show us around - lovely house, phenomenal view...). Second, Peguera, with a nice big, easily accessible beach. And then finally the Costa de la Calma, a quieter residential area (as the name suggests). A diverting little potter.

And then it was lunchtime: off to Chameli's for a final meal with mum and dad. They had had a great time in Palma, and dad took some very good photos in the Cathedral (he deserves some photo credits for the previous few blog pages too, actually). 

As it was a special occasion, Kevin and I both went off-piste and ordered the non-menú del día dishes we've been eyeing up for a while: the giant Chameli's burger for Kevin, and linguine alla vongole for me. Mum and Dad stuck with the menú and a cannelloni bean and beef cheek stew. The stew was a big hit; Kevin enjoyed his burger; and as for me: the smell of garlic hit me as my vongole arrived, so I knew I wouldn't be able to breathe near Kevin for at least two days after this (he is hyper-sensitive to garlic). But it was worth it - DELICIOUS.

After school pick-up, Granny and Grandpa took Jemima back to the hotel for a final play. She has so loved having them here, but it's probably a good thing she can have a quiet few days now - it's been a very busy time, and she is getting pretty overtired. So it was a very early night for her, and much blog-catching up for me. What a lovely visit, and how great to be able to share the joys of Mallorca. I think my parents are now converts too.

Dad's photos of Palma Cathedral

The rose window!

A postcard dad kindly bought me of what the "double rose" would have looked like...

Peguera beach

January swim

The last of the sunny days for a while, according to the app. We started the day with the normal routine: my work, and our morning run (we are definitely getting fitter!). Then Kevin suggested I take one of our new camping chairs and a book down to the beach for a few hours, as he knew I was hankering for this. 

So while he went off for a nice drive around nearby Santa Ponça, I took a chair, my laptop and a towel, and skipped blithely through the apartment buildings to the beach.

January (albeit the 31st), and it was hot enough for me to sit in a bikini, with the shelter of the wall behind me, while watching coaching videos on my laptop. January, and it was so hot that at one point my iPhone overheated and told me it had to cool down before I could use it. And then the ultimate test: January, and yes, I went for a swim.

The sea is so cold that I didn't even want to paddle with Jemima in the previous two days. But I knew a swim was today or not for ages; and I also knew that you never regret a swim (thanks, as always to Richard Klein for this). And I was genuinely hot. So I steeled myself, and walked determinedly in (accompanied by many stifled squeaks).

It was FREEZING - apparently the same temperature as the North Sea in November. So cold that it was actually painful. But it was also, of course, wonderfully exhilarating; and the sea is just stunning - immersing myself in that turquoise water after seeing so much of it was amazing. 

I didn't stay in long (too cold) but loved every minute. Then I retreated back to the flat to meet Kevin for our traditional late lunch. Another successful Chameli's visit (delicious stuffed aubergines), and afterwards off to collect a happy Jemima from Arts and Crafts Club, before the painting continued at home until bedtime (her creativity has clearly been unleashed...)

Even if that's it for a while, we have been so unbelievably lucky with the sunshine this month. I feel very grateful.

Post-swim exhilaration 

Studying on the beach

Santa Ponça views