If you take the right turn by the traffic lights close to the auditorium in Alcúdia, the road heading past the cemetery and down to the horse roundabout, as you negotiate the bend there are various signs. Some of these are billboards, Wind and Friends, Bulldog Clothing, but there is also a much smaller road sign, its pink or purple or whatever colour washed out by the sun, in rather similar fashion to the way in which the sculpture of the horse on the roundabout has been beaten by the weather, turning it a salmon colour, thus adding to the debate as to whether it really is a horse or not.
This smaller sign I had never noticed. Until yesterday. It is for the "Cova de Sant Marti". The Sant Marti cave. Positioned quite some distance from the cave, a good four kilometres or so, I wondered if there were further ones to advise the driver as to the trail of the cave with its icons. There weren't. None that I could see, anyway.
Why direct people to the roundabout? Because that's about as far as you would get before giving up or winding down the window and asking a cheery local for directions, one who would - in all likelihood - have no idea what you were talking about. If there is one sign, then there should be several. Especially as the cave is meant to hold such importance in Alcúdia's heritage. But the absence is indicative of the half-hearted, impractical nature of promotion, as opposed to that which may find its way into local tourism literature, and even with this I'm not sure that the cave does actually get much of a mention.
For many, its existence is unknown, including those who live locally. This may have to do with where it is. Middle of nowhere in truth, stuck between Bellevue and the bypass by the mountain. Its unknown presence is nothing new. When I spoke with Jan at the Jolly Roger about the "good old days", she mentioned that the girls - Joy and Julie - used to go and play at the cave and that few others, at that time, seemed to know that it was there.
By coincidence, I was later at the ranch in Puerto Alcúdia - Rancho Ses Roques. A place, a bit like that road sign, I had been unaware of in terms of what lies behind the entrance building and stables. A small zoo, a magnificent white stallion, cows which look like they are advertisers-cartoon moo-moo's promoting butter and full-fat milk. Hayley said that they take riders on a horsey excursion past the Sant Marti cave, hence the coincidence. It would probably be the only way these riders ever become aware that it is there.
Unlike the cave, the ranch is well-publicised. Therefore, it's a mystery to me why it is such a mystery - to me. Not quite so much now, though. Its rural ambience, lying by the old "cami" road, and close to the karaoke and lager of The Mile, seems a peculiarity of juxtaposition. But there was something else about this short visit to the ranch. As I walked towards the entrance buildings, I happened to look across to my left. It was a stunning sight. Nothing particularly beautiful. Quite the contrary, really, but impressive nonetheless. The Siesta 1 apartments building. The sight stopped me in my tracks because I had never seen the apartments from this angle or distance. The impression, close up, is of a tower with arms off; it's an illusion. My familiarity with the apartments is such that I have always classed them as only slightly better than hideous. But this new view changed all that. The different perspective was magnificent, and reinforced the impression, when speaking with Jan, as to the dramatic changes to the landscape that had occurred almost forty years ago. From where once was nothing came the Siestas and Bellevue. And their brooding imposition, today, only serves to remind us of what once was but now seems to be being taken away.
There are things that you have never seen - in Alcúdia, Pollensa, wherever. And some of these things can still astonish. Small signs, stallions and Siestas. Just one day, once more.
(The photo shows the Siesta 1 apartments, taken from Ses Roques.)
Alwyn - Gavin's At The Port
Just a note to say that the mightily well-liked Alwyn, Gavin's dad, is doing well after his heart attack a few days ago. Gavin reports that he is "ok", which is a relief. Speedy recovery, Al.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
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