Memories We've Been Sharing

What's in a name, as in a bar or restaurant name, or even a sandwich bar name? I bring this up as in front of me I have a card for Sandwich and Moments. This is a sandwich place by the yacht club roundabout in Puerto Pollensa, and "sandwich place" may actually be instructive. What is a moment in the context of a sandwich? The card does say that if you call them, they will prepare your moment. Which is extremely good of them, but what on earth does it mean? Does one really have a sandwich moment, a somewhat orgasmic occurrence or something, the consequence of roast loin in a baguette, or how does it work? "Oooh, ooh, I'm having a sandwich moment." I've got to say that I'm struggling with this one. Anyway, whatever it means, I'm sure that it's very good, and so are the sandwiches which, incidentally, seem all to be named after names, as in male or female names. But I am rather uncertain about "roast beef and cheese to the thin grasses (herbs)", which goes under the title of "dudu". Anyway, bon appetit or bon profit, as they say here, and enjoy your moment.

This is all a roundabout way of getting to names, and how effective they can be, or not. Sandwich place is, I feel, instructive, because my guess is that few people say "oh, let's go to Sandwich and Moments" but do in fact say "oh, let's go to the sandwich place", which may be why sandwich places have, in the past, been called The Sandwich Place. It's not, incidentally, as though the name is particularly meaningful for Spaniards either. There are, it seems to me, types of establishment that, regardless of what name is used, are known by a generic, and to the sandwich place, one can add Indian and Chinese restaurants and even the likes of tex-mex. Who actually calls Dakota, Dakota? It's always the tex-mex in rather sneering tones. To back up what I'm saying about Chinese places, there has been an exchange on the puertopollensa.com forum about the Chinese next to Sandwich and Moments - maybe it's something about that particular roundabout. In that exchange, the actual name has not been used, unless I've overlooked it. It is in fact Luna de Miel, but the name itself is largely beside the point. Further evidence of this lack of name recognition comes in the form, for example, of mentions of Taste of India off The Mile; it is only ever referred to, on the internet anyway, as the Indian, as it was when it was previously Agra.

How important are names, the names of restaurants or bars, or indeed sandwich places? (See, I can't stop using sandwich "place".) I can feel a series coming on. Are local or international names preferable? Are name changes always desirable, as in when a new owner takes over? Is enough attention paid to any implications for different nationalities in terms of names used? So, watch this space. I'm sure you can't wait.


A name that has a good deal of currency, certainly in the boating world, is Fairline. Given something of an interest in the boat fair that takes place in Puerto Alcúdia at the start of April, I had a chat with the Fairline folk yesterday, and found out that there will be a Fairline as it were fair of its own the weekend following that of the boat fair, i.e. 10-12 April. So, there you are. Dates for your diary. Boat (and cuttlefish) fair, 4-5 April; Fairline, a week later - in the Alcudiamar marina.


And ever more about the train
There we were thinking that the route of the train from Sa Pobla and the location of the station in Alcúdia was getting towards some settlement, when along comes a pact of Alcúdia local politicos - the mayor and the main opposition - to present a case against the siting in the town itself, with a preference by the Linkin' Donuts Roundabout, otherwise known as the Magic Roundabout. Apparently the location in the town would ago against some plan or other, while a station in the port would be far better for tourists. The argument goes that the main reason for financial support for the train extension is that it would be as a further aid to tourism. Anyway, more on this tomorrow I think, as there are all sorts of figures which may or may not be of interest.


QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Who else would give you a steam engine live? The Thompson Twins (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y_91nGEDYw). Today's title - a line from a 1957 song about "moments". If it doesn't get better than Lily Allen now, it didn't get better than (whom) back then. Not that I personally remember, I would just add.


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