 Changing Places Week 138 W/C 12th October 2008
The market place in Soller on Saturday morning is a hive of activity. The stalls selling everything wind their way up the little streets and spill over to the main square. There are no fruit and vegetables on sale as Soller has its own market hall selling local produce. The local market hall is open every day and is where the discerning buy their fish, meat and vegetables, have any necessary mending done, see Magdalena the estate agent and drink coffee perched on high stools watching the people come and go. The occasional art exhibition and display of children's paintings add seasonal colour and its best not to go in unless you have all the time in the world to chat - nothing is going to happen in a hurry. I went to market this week with a visiting godson and his girlfriend who were ready to shop. These kids were into any designer sunglasses, bags and watches and had been given advice on how to shop Soller street market style. Look at the stall and its goods, try on the sunglasses and then haggle. The price will always start at €25 or more but can always be bought for between €7 and €10 if you keep your nerve. The `looky looky' guys will look hurt and try and unnerve you but the phrase `I live here you can't expect me to pay that' usually works. In the event the kids came back laden with Prada this and D & G that all for the lowest of prices and pleased with their bartering prowess. The small streets of Soller had supplied them with enough credibility to go back to North London with.
Jay and the girls were not spending time with all their friends in town they were on a heavy party circuit the whole weekend. The birthday party celebrations of school friends take them to wonderful places and this was a two party weekend involving lots of horses and Shetland ponies. The Saturday party took them to the pleasures of the Rancho Grande near Alcudia. Kate and her classmates rode the horses and Emma got to grips with the Shetland ponies. The Sunday invitation was to a grand Finca near Lluchmajor where horses and another group of Shetland ponies were to be found plus more generous hospitality. The birthday party scene is a great way to see lovely places on the Island and meet interesting people.
The next party on the calendar is Halloween and the plans are underway. The creative, actor friends who live in this lovely valley transform their house and garden into a place where witches and ghouls hangout - a veritable grotto of horror. The children love it and it is a hugely anticipated event. The costumes have to be well thought out and planned and Jay is determined this year that the costume shop will be visited in good time. She has horrors of last year in Palma being there with every other mother doing the same thing and spending three hours before she was served. Emma has her costume on its way from Marks & Spencer and Kate is till thinking about hers - now she's eight she doesn't want anything too babyish………A style statement at the very least.
We have been in Majorca awhile now and still have boxes to unpack from our relocation. My weekend job was to finally crack the remaining boxes - but there was a reason they had been left till last. They were full of photographs and albums reminding us of the life we lived before we came here. Of course you can't just tidy away pictures and arrange albums on shelves! I sat there surrounded by photos and memories and didn't put one away. All the baby pictures and holiday snaps, weddings, parties and endless Christmas dinners all wrapped up with stories of family life. A glass of wine, a box of tissues and the hours passed and I was transported to a kaleidoscope of memories. The boxes still remain cluttering up the office; I just need the frame of mind to go through the rest - it is too disconcerting to be reminded of so many people that looked back at you in pictures who are no longer here.
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