Street Fighting Man

I am almost reluctant to do this, but here goes. Tomorrow a demonstration is planned against violence, insecurity and "impotence from which we suffer". The words are taken from a notice that is doing the rounds in Alcúdia, calling on people to join the demonstration, which is due to take place at 5 in the afternoon from the Magic roundabout, close to where Gabriel Marquet was seriously injured after having been attacked "without reason". He has been in a coma since the attack nearly two weeks ago. I am told that the life support is to be switched off tomorrow, though I stress that is what I have been told.

My reluctance stems from the fact that it does no-one any favours to make an issue of this, but the incident happened and the demo will go ahead - one cannot subdue the process of news, however unfortunate it might be. One of those suspected of causing the injuries that have led to Marquet's life being threatened was implicated in a previous incident that occurred "in the parking of a discotheque in the area" (says "Ultima Hora"). The suggestion is that the latest incident was if not a direct result but indirectly associated with the street drinking "botellón" that occurs by the Magic roundabout, and to which I referred the other day; this is the street drinking that was meant to have been outlawed.

The notice goes on to call on "all of Alcúdia's society" to join in the protest. It is at this point that I wonder. Word of the demo was filtering through into British circles yesterday. It was only having been told about it that I happened to find a mention in "The Bulletin". What I'm wondering is the extent to which all that Alcúdia society is being asked to join in. Likewise, I wonder to the extent that all that Alcúdia society will be inclined to join in. It may not be a Brit thing, but it still impinges upon all those who live in Alcúdia. Join in.


Crisis or no crisis, new seasons always bring changes. One of the most striking additions to the Puerto Alcúdia restaurant scene, or it will be when it's finished, is L'Almirant at what was ... ? Can't remember the name of the place. Toni's? Maybe it was a Chinese. Anyway, it's on the corner opposite Big Banana. Almirant is a terrific restaurant, the Puerto Pollensa original at any event. Quality tapas and all that. And down in the Alcúdiamar marina, the restaurant at the bottom, Caliu, is to become a fusion restaurant with chill-out. Blimey. Two fads in one. However, as one of the partners is my good friend Toni from Pippers, I can say, with reasonable certainty, that this will be a fine new development.

The new Caliu represents a further step along the road of the chic-ing of Alcúdia and its restaurants. Fabulous location right on the sea, it is an ideal spot for a sort of chill-out eaterie-cum-drinkerie. And chill-out and fusion appear to be the order of the crisis-what-crisis day. Franck from Celler El Moli in Pollensa was telling me the other day about a place he will be opening, also in Pollensa. Bistro-style, it will have a sense of chill-out. Meanwhile, up at the golf club, the restaurant has become a chill-out bar-fooderie. Taking the name of Zhan, it sounds like an Indian fast bowler whose names have been compressed into one. Lots of looking at the sun setting over the bays and all that. Fair enough, even if Café del Mar was there a long time ago. And then there is fusion, or its close culinary companion, con-fusion. I am indebted to Ben who sent me an email in which he pointed out that one of Alcúdia's several thousand Chinese restaurants had become fusioned, in the sense that it was now also a pizzeria. This does, as he rightly suggested, raise limitless possibilities as to ever more bizarre fusion styles.

Anyway, this is all good stuff, especially the chill-out. It may be somewhat after the Lord Mayor's Show, but whoever said that things needed to be cutting-edge here? I'm fully in favour of chill-out and lounge and all of that malarkey. So much so that I once thought, how many years ago was it, pre-Café del Mar, that what was needed was somewhere with a relaxed atmosphere ... . You know something? I never thought it would work.


QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Frankie Goes To Hollywood (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZwNXiFWsZQ). Today's title - fairly well-known rockers from the 60s onwards and now in their 60s.

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