This morning I headed to Port de Pollença after saying goodbye to Cala Ratjada and its perplexingly-named businesses, like “Mallorca Shooting” (a photo studio), “The Parking Box” (a fitness club), “The Toy Center – Not Just Toys” and “Platagonia.” And don't get me started on the steakhouse "Boy - Prime Meat." I feel creepy even writing that down.
I had a bag of peanuts for dinner last night after wandering around the town and being unable to find a restaurant that served anything other than bratwurst, sausage, steamed meat three ways, or at least didn’t have German technopop blaring through the speakers.
Given my insatiable quest for knowledge, I did some extensive research this evening consisting of doing a Google search on the terms “Germans in Cala Ratjada” and found the following: “The latest invaders to the area are retired expat Germans, and in the summer swarms of young German sunseekers. There are so many Germans that the tourism brochures are printed in Spanish and German. There are German schools, markets, and tours.” So there you go.
Today I’m in Port de Pollença (seen in the distance at left), which has a much more laid-back vibe, assuming someone in their 60s can still credibly use the phrase “laid-back vibe.” While Cala Ratjada was overrun with Germans and had a few British tourists, Port de Pollença is overrun with British people and has a few Germans. Which makes me wonder if people in different parts of Europe congregate in different parts of Mallorca, but I’m not curious enough to look it up.
My hotel is neither 4-star nor does it have a pool, but it’s about 50 feet from the ocean and has a
bustling outdoor café outside the front door, so I can go out the front door, walk through what sounds like ten simultaneous Monty Python skits and be in the water in about 45 seconds. It’s what I did this afternoon and, after some serious reflection, is what I’m going to do again tomorrow.
Today, for the first time, I realized that whenever I get to wherever I'm going is irrelevant. So I stopped and ate the apple I swiped from the breakfast buffet this morning. And perhaps I dozed off for a moment at the picnic table.
No need for Google Translate here.
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