“Hottest real estate deals in Spain. You can’t afford not to buy.”
We were sitting in the cigar lounge of the Queen Mary 2 in 2006. He had one of those true believer voices – somewhere between Rapture predictor and infomercial barker. It didn’t take me long to figure out he financed his expatriate stay in Mallorca with real estate commissions.
His fervor was not contagious . At least, not for me. Mallorca never made it to my “see this and die” list.
I have been to Spain numerous times. But never to Mallorca – the largest of Spain’s islands in the Mediterranean. So, I was pleased to see it was one of the few stops on my transatlantic crossing.
Like most cruise ports, the time on shore was very short. Instead of trying to take another rushed bus tour, four of us decided to walk through the capital (La Palma) to get a feel for the place.
For the past few days, I have tried to find a hook for this piece. To no avail.
The town was pleasant enough – a Mediterranean port dripping with Euro-wealth. After all it is one of the spots where the well-to-do come to let down their overly-coifed hair. The King of Spain has a palace there.
But, like Oakland, if there was a there, it wasn’t there when we were.
We saw the usual sights. The cathedral. The royal palace. The broad tree-lined pedestrian boulevard where children chased pigeons. Dogs jealously eyed the children. And older faces content in their wisdom passed by. A pleasant day. But not a highly memorable one.
As I think back on the day, what I will remember most is the four of us sitting down for a snack at a marina-side café. I know this is starting to sound like an eat-your-way-to-and-through-Europe blog, but I brought home a great suggestion for future meals.
One of my favorite treats was a bit of goat cheese on a small piece of toast topped with an anchovy, a caper, and a bit of olive oil. A rather traditional dish for Mallorca.
What I would like to do is experiment by combining the cheese, capers, and olive oil into a pâté to spread on toast. I might even toss in a jalapeño to add a Mexican twist. Or a bit of quince jam.
And maybe that is the hook. The stop in Mallorca was not about touring the sights. It was about developing the future.
For a quick cruise, that may be good enough.
As I think back on the day, what I will remember most is the four of us sitting down for a snack at a marina-side café. I know this is starting to sound like an eat-your-way-to-and-through-Europe blog, but I brought home a great suggestion for future meals.
One of my favorite treats was a bit of goat cheese on a small piece of toast topped with an anchovy, a caper, and a bit of olive oil. A rather traditional dish for Mallorca.
What I would like to do is experiment by combining the cheese, capers, and olive oil into a pâté to spread on toast. I might even toss in a jalapeño to add a Mexican twist. Or a bit of quince jam.
And maybe that is the hook. The stop in Mallorca was not about touring the sights. It was about developing the future.
For a quick cruise, that may be good enough.
