A hotel in Cala San Vicente that is not going to be opening this season, that is to be closed this season - possibly. "The Diario" was reporting this yesterday and saying that the establishment concerned would neither confirm nor deny it; the paper would only use the word "posible", which is an s less than an English possible even if it is pronounced differently. I spoke to a tourist office and mentioned this report. Oh yes, it was being reported elsewhere on the internet. It was ... well which one do you think? It doesn't take a lot of imagination to fathom out which one, as it was stated that it was a 3-star hotel in the Cala, so it wasn't, for example, La Moraleja. What was also being reported was that this was to do with a major tour operator. I don't know if that is the case, but the hotel is not on that tour operator's site; well, not now it isn't anyway.
I shall wait to learn more before going into this, but it tells a story - possibly - and a far from unimportant one.
Somewhere else that is closing, has closed in fact: the Crazy Horse in Puerto Alcúdia. Seems like the end of an era. The bar had opened, the 1.50 Saint Mick was chalked up, but a couple of days ago I passed by, it was obviously shut, I mentioned it to someone, and was told that that was that. Finished. Gone. Ended. And the expectation is that some flats might occupy the space at some point. Not just at the moment, one suspects.
I said that I wouldn't do the bad news stuff, but sometimes you have to. Yesterday morning, with the rain and the cold - that became heavier and more pronounced as the day wore on - I was in the old town of Alcúdia and talking with a few people; it would have made you want to slash your wrists. "Cr-eee-sis" + "mucha lluvia" = "desastre". We're all doomed, Captain Mainwaring.
Get over it, get on with it. It will be better than you think. The weather is total crap, but not forever. That said, if it rains on Saturday, as it rained yesterday afternoon, I will be very unhappy, as I have a gig to do with photos and a vox-pop at the boat and sepia fairs in Puerto Alcúdia.
And here is the weather forecast; well, the weather report. How crap can this weather be? How wet and cold can it be for the start of April? We knew we would get it in the neck at some stage, but this is truly awful. I'm going back to bed for a few weeks. Wake me up in May, or June.
But hell, Easter's on its way. And who will make you happy bunnies at Easter? You know; of course you know. Little Britain's specials. See the WHAT'S ON BLOG - http://www.wotzupnorth.blogspot.com - for details of the LB Easter goodies.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqiABp2sHIc, a speeded-up remix of The Thompson Twins. Today's title - what pretty well kicked it off for her.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Showing posts with label Little Britain supermarket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Little Britain supermarket. Show all posts
Friday, April 03, 2009
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Smugglers And Bounty Hunters
People come and people go. Bars, they come and they go, too. Some though have been the same for that long that they seem part of the furniture - if a bar can be described as furniture, which almost certainly it can't be. Take somewhere like the Smugglers in Puerto Alcúdia. Barrie's been there since 1995, so when something of an old-timer chooses to move on, it seems more significant than those bars that do just come and go.
And so an era has ended, and the Smugglers moves on, now in new and capable hands. So, as you might expect, it is an excuse for a Bar of the Week moment - The Smugglers Bar, Puerto Alcúdia.
Where: C. Torreta, Puerto Alcúdia, down the side of the Piscis Hotel.
What: Family bar with all the beers and spirits plus breakfasts (from 09:00 in the season), lunch and evening specials and snacks with good English staples like fish 'n' chips on Fridays and roasts on Sundays. Sports TV.
When: Every day, 12:00 till late at present but with that earlier start for breakfasts when the season kicks in.
Who: Philip, wife Lindsay and mum Sheila.
Why: Feels like a pub, looks like a pub, basically it is a pub. Family run for families in a good location right in the port and convenient for the marina and for hotels such as the Alcúdia and Viva Tropic in the port area, but also an attraction for those coming into the port from further afield - Bellevue and Playa de Muro.
Is there a website? Yes, needs some updating but it is www.smugglersbar.com
AND - SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT second day in a road. Little Britain Supermarket has its Easter offers available, so there's a whole load of info about this on the WHAT'S ON BLOG (link in the menu here).
QUIZ
Yesterday - well, you might have said The Rubettes, but it wasn't. Very Rubettes like, it was in fact The First Class who, let's face it, were anything but. Today's title - well, no bounty hunters as far as I know, but this was a live album by a group with a great name (Poguesish).
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
And so an era has ended, and the Smugglers moves on, now in new and capable hands. So, as you might expect, it is an excuse for a Bar of the Week moment - The Smugglers Bar, Puerto Alcúdia.
Where: C. Torreta, Puerto Alcúdia, down the side of the Piscis Hotel.
What: Family bar with all the beers and spirits plus breakfasts (from 09:00 in the season), lunch and evening specials and snacks with good English staples like fish 'n' chips on Fridays and roasts on Sundays. Sports TV.
When: Every day, 12:00 till late at present but with that earlier start for breakfasts when the season kicks in.
Who: Philip, wife Lindsay and mum Sheila.
Why: Feels like a pub, looks like a pub, basically it is a pub. Family run for families in a good location right in the port and convenient for the marina and for hotels such as the Alcúdia and Viva Tropic in the port area, but also an attraction for those coming into the port from further afield - Bellevue and Playa de Muro.
Is there a website? Yes, needs some updating but it is www.smugglersbar.com
AND - SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT second day in a road. Little Britain Supermarket has its Easter offers available, so there's a whole load of info about this on the WHAT'S ON BLOG (link in the menu here).
QUIZ
Yesterday - well, you might have said The Rubettes, but it wasn't. Very Rubettes like, it was in fact The First Class who, let's face it, were anything but. Today's title - well, no bounty hunters as far as I know, but this was a live album by a group with a great name (Poguesish).
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Thursday, December 06, 2007
One Of The Three
December is the month for holidays. No really, even more so than most other months. Today and Saturday are both public holidays: one political, one religious – Constitution Day and Immaculate Conception. Today’s celebration relates to the fact that a referendum on the constitution for the post-Franco democratic Spain was held on the 6th December 1978. Under the constitution, in addition to statements of democracy and law, there are provisions for regional self-government and the exercise of languages. These were things negated during the Franco era. Regional autonomy and the variety of languages are two of the most profound elements of both the constitution and today’s Spain. But both lead to their tensions, not least in respect of the degree to which a local language takes precedence over the national language of Castilian or vice versa. That is no more so the case than in Mallorca and within the local educational sector, a battleground for the competing requirements of the national language and of Catalan and Mallorquín. For many, it is an absurdity that Castilian, a world language of greater practical benefit, might be subjugated not just by Catalan but also by the more obscure local version. The language issue is not one about to go away. The leader of the Partido Popular nationally, Mariano Rajoy, seems to have a particular thing about the dominance of Castilian: the national elections are only a few months away.
But while on the absurd, the fact that there are two public holidays over three days means that the intervening day, the 7th December, becomes a de facto holiday as well – the bridge or in local terms “puente” (Castilian, that is). If the intention had been, back in 1978, that subsequent anniversaries of the referendum were to be public holidays, why wasn’t it held on the 7th or the 9th or at some other time? Immaculate Conception has long been a holiday in the Catholic calendar. Might it not have made more sense had …? (Could an answer as to why there is a day’s gap be that otherwise there would be occasions when the two days would coincide with a weekend.)
Anyway, just coming back to the constitution, “Ultima Hora” presents the findings of a survey within the Balearics as to people’s satisfaction or not with the constitution as it stands. Not that surprisingly, a strong majority (78%) say that they are satisfied. I say not surprisingly as, is the constitution something people really pay much attention to, except when a pollster comes along and asks?
And after this spate of days off, we have Christmas. It is coming, the goose is getting fat, all that. The lights are being put up, though with energy-saving in mind. The shops are playing naff music. The papers have special recipes. Pretty much like anywhere, even if Christmas is less of an orgy of credit-card busting here than it is in the UK. Still, for those locally who need their anglo-Christmas fill, as always pleased to put in a word for my chums at Little Britain supermarket in Puerto Alcúdia: turkeys and all the trimmings, mince pies, brandy sauce, Christmas puddings, chocolates, cards … . To Steve and Urbano at Little Britain, God rest ye merry gentlemen. Well from the 25th at any rate.
QUIZ
Yesterday – “Going Underground”, The Jam. Today’s title – song by Manchester-ish group, think jam and add two.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
But while on the absurd, the fact that there are two public holidays over three days means that the intervening day, the 7th December, becomes a de facto holiday as well – the bridge or in local terms “puente” (Castilian, that is). If the intention had been, back in 1978, that subsequent anniversaries of the referendum were to be public holidays, why wasn’t it held on the 7th or the 9th or at some other time? Immaculate Conception has long been a holiday in the Catholic calendar. Might it not have made more sense had …? (Could an answer as to why there is a day’s gap be that otherwise there would be occasions when the two days would coincide with a weekend.)
Anyway, just coming back to the constitution, “Ultima Hora” presents the findings of a survey within the Balearics as to people’s satisfaction or not with the constitution as it stands. Not that surprisingly, a strong majority (78%) say that they are satisfied. I say not surprisingly as, is the constitution something people really pay much attention to, except when a pollster comes along and asks?
And after this spate of days off, we have Christmas. It is coming, the goose is getting fat, all that. The lights are being put up, though with energy-saving in mind. The shops are playing naff music. The papers have special recipes. Pretty much like anywhere, even if Christmas is less of an orgy of credit-card busting here than it is in the UK. Still, for those locally who need their anglo-Christmas fill, as always pleased to put in a word for my chums at Little Britain supermarket in Puerto Alcúdia: turkeys and all the trimmings, mince pies, brandy sauce, Christmas puddings, chocolates, cards … . To Steve and Urbano at Little Britain, God rest ye merry gentlemen. Well from the 25th at any rate.
QUIZ
Yesterday – “Going Underground”, The Jam. Today’s title – song by Manchester-ish group, think jam and add two.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Monday, October 22, 2007
Forgotten Town
What goes around, comes around. It was 8 September (“Finding Nothing But Warmth At Fig Tree Bay”) that I mentioned the fact that there has been talk of Puerto Alcúdia becoming a cruise stop. Well maybe a step has been taken in realising this, though one stresses the maybe. After many years of debate, the dosh is finally to be handed out to construct a new passenger terminal at the commercial port. Though the port is already of course used for passengers, it has primarily been a port for goods, but the terminal project - coming in at a tad under 16 million euros - will increase inter-island passenger movement as well as transport to the mainland ports of Barcelona and Valencia. So no talk of cruises as such. Forget that one then.
The port itself is now more accessible by foot since the extension of the promenade. Like Puerto Pollensa, therefore, Puerto Alcúdia has a functional unit at the end of its promenade: in Puerto Pollensa, it is the military area; in Puerto Alcúdia, the port. But here the similarities stop. Does anyone ever eulogise about the walk along the extended promenade in the way that many do about the pinewalk that leads to the Illa d’Or and then onward - as far as is permitted - towards the military base? No. Not that this extension is unattractive, it just doesn’t have anything much going for it. One might have felt that when it was completed, there would be people strolling along, but generally speaking they don’t. Despite the access, there is a sort of mental block that excludes going past Bodega d’es Port: a block that says ”oh, there isn’t much down there”, so people don’t go, which is a shame as there are restaurants along there well worth checking out. This bit of Puerto Alcúdia is the forgotten part, by visitors at any rate. To go to one of the restaurants along the road heading out towards Alcanada and the port is to be rendered somehow insecure; it is the reverse of the herd instinct or the security in numbers, a phenomenon one can witness elsewhere - the packed church square and promenade of Puerto Pollensa, for instance, and the relative quietness of other parts. Human nature - odd thing.
And a note about the charity day held outside the Little Britain supermarket for Victoria’s Animal Refuge (3 October: “Protection”). A success. Over 650 euros were raised. Thanks to Steve at Little Britain for mailing the report of the day, from which I quote Jim Murchie from the refuge: “This is a great help for the many abandoned dogs we have to deal with. We will use the money raised to waterproof our kennels and cages - all the more essential after the recent heavy rains and flash floods". Personal note: sorry, sorry, I just could not make it.
QUIZ
Yesterday - “Stormy Weather”. Today’s title - which group? Clue: they did a cover of The Isleys’ “Harvest For The World”.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
The port itself is now more accessible by foot since the extension of the promenade. Like Puerto Pollensa, therefore, Puerto Alcúdia has a functional unit at the end of its promenade: in Puerto Pollensa, it is the military area; in Puerto Alcúdia, the port. But here the similarities stop. Does anyone ever eulogise about the walk along the extended promenade in the way that many do about the pinewalk that leads to the Illa d’Or and then onward - as far as is permitted - towards the military base? No. Not that this extension is unattractive, it just doesn’t have anything much going for it. One might have felt that when it was completed, there would be people strolling along, but generally speaking they don’t. Despite the access, there is a sort of mental block that excludes going past Bodega d’es Port: a block that says ”oh, there isn’t much down there”, so people don’t go, which is a shame as there are restaurants along there well worth checking out. This bit of Puerto Alcúdia is the forgotten part, by visitors at any rate. To go to one of the restaurants along the road heading out towards Alcanada and the port is to be rendered somehow insecure; it is the reverse of the herd instinct or the security in numbers, a phenomenon one can witness elsewhere - the packed church square and promenade of Puerto Pollensa, for instance, and the relative quietness of other parts. Human nature - odd thing.
And a note about the charity day held outside the Little Britain supermarket for Victoria’s Animal Refuge (3 October: “Protection”). A success. Over 650 euros were raised. Thanks to Steve at Little Britain for mailing the report of the day, from which I quote Jim Murchie from the refuge: “This is a great help for the many abandoned dogs we have to deal with. We will use the money raised to waterproof our kennels and cages - all the more essential after the recent heavy rains and flash floods". Personal note: sorry, sorry, I just could not make it.
QUIZ
Yesterday - “Stormy Weather”. Today’s title - which group? Clue: they did a cover of The Isleys’ “Harvest For The World”.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Protection
And in response to a request ...
Here is a list of the scientific names of the protected species on and around the Balearics that I referred to on 1 October:
Amphibian -
Alytes muletensis (frog)
Birds / fowl -
Aegypius monachus (vulture)
Falco eleonorae (falcon)
Fulica cristata (duck)
Larus audouinii (seagull)
Merops apiaster (the long-beaked budgie type bird)
Milvus milvus (falcon family)
Neophron percnopterus (falcon family)
Oxyura leucocephala (duck)
Pandion haliaetus (eagle)
Phalacrocorax aristotelis (pelican family)
Puffinus mauretanicus
Gastropod mollusc -
Charonia lampas
Mammals -
Miniopterus schreibersii (bat)
Monachus monachus (seal)
Tursiops truncatus (dolphin)
Reptiles -
Caretta caretta (turtle)
Podarcis lilfordi (lizard)
As a sort of footnote to what I did on street names (17 September: Where The Streets Have No Shame), I could also have mentioned that streets take the names of birds. By Albufera, there are, for instance, Corb Marí, Falcó, Gavines (to use their local names) - all of them represented in the above list.
Continuing the animal protection theme. It is the case here that, whilst care for and treatment of animals have improved, there is still a lot to be desired. I recall the time a puppy was retrieved from a rubbish container, having been tied up in a plastic bag and dumped. Just an example. Anyway, this is by way of highlighting the charitable work performed by Victoria’s Animal Refuge in Alcúdia. On Saturday, 20 October, there will be a charity day at the Little Britain supermarket in Puerto Alcúdia for Victoria’s, and if one needs proof of the need for this charity’s work (one aim being to fight pet abandonment), there was a short piece in “Ultima Hora” yesterday. It concerned a dog left on the industrial estate in Santa Ponsa; left without food and water and in an “estado deplorable” - I think the translation is straightforward. More info on the charity day on the WHAT’S ON BLOG.
Also on animals. This weekend sees the annual Alcúdia Fair which, because of its wider-interest factor, is one of the area’s best events. Animals are a feature of the event, the animal fair actually being on the Sunday as are demonstrations with police dogs and horses. Info for the fair is also to be found on the WHAT’S ON BLOG.
QUIZ
Yesterday - Bernard Cribbins. A follow-up to this is - what pop group took its name from another of the Cribster’s classics? And today’s title. Tracey Thorn sang the vocal. But the group was?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Here is a list of the scientific names of the protected species on and around the Balearics that I referred to on 1 October:
Amphibian -
Alytes muletensis (frog)
Birds / fowl -
Aegypius monachus (vulture)
Falco eleonorae (falcon)
Fulica cristata (duck)
Larus audouinii (seagull)
Merops apiaster (the long-beaked budgie type bird)
Milvus milvus (falcon family)
Neophron percnopterus (falcon family)
Oxyura leucocephala (duck)
Pandion haliaetus (eagle)
Phalacrocorax aristotelis (pelican family)
Puffinus mauretanicus
Gastropod mollusc -
Charonia lampas
Mammals -
Miniopterus schreibersii (bat)
Monachus monachus (seal)
Tursiops truncatus (dolphin)
Reptiles -
Caretta caretta (turtle)
Podarcis lilfordi (lizard)
As a sort of footnote to what I did on street names (17 September: Where The Streets Have No Shame), I could also have mentioned that streets take the names of birds. By Albufera, there are, for instance, Corb Marí, Falcó, Gavines (to use their local names) - all of them represented in the above list.
Continuing the animal protection theme. It is the case here that, whilst care for and treatment of animals have improved, there is still a lot to be desired. I recall the time a puppy was retrieved from a rubbish container, having been tied up in a plastic bag and dumped. Just an example. Anyway, this is by way of highlighting the charitable work performed by Victoria’s Animal Refuge in Alcúdia. On Saturday, 20 October, there will be a charity day at the Little Britain supermarket in Puerto Alcúdia for Victoria’s, and if one needs proof of the need for this charity’s work (one aim being to fight pet abandonment), there was a short piece in “Ultima Hora” yesterday. It concerned a dog left on the industrial estate in Santa Ponsa; left without food and water and in an “estado deplorable” - I think the translation is straightforward. More info on the charity day on the WHAT’S ON BLOG.
Also on animals. This weekend sees the annual Alcúdia Fair which, because of its wider-interest factor, is one of the area’s best events. Animals are a feature of the event, the animal fair actually being on the Sunday as are demonstrations with police dogs and horses. Info for the fair is also to be found on the WHAT’S ON BLOG.
QUIZ
Yesterday - Bernard Cribbins. A follow-up to this is - what pop group took its name from another of the Cribster’s classics? And today’s title. Tracey Thorn sang the vocal. But the group was?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
