Sabotage

Fires seem to be the theme of the moment. If it's not the Bellevue hotel, it must be the Sa Pobla train. There was, you may recall, an incident last month (16 May: Wheel's On Fire). There was another three days ago. A breakdown of the train between Muro and Sa Pobla stations led to a small fire, albeit one that caused no great alarm. This might have passed off without any great comment, were it not for the fact that the regional government's minister for transport "insinuated" that there had been an act of "sabotage" (as reported in "The Diario", 23 June). Yesterday the paper reported that the minister had posted a note on his website which said that the train breakdowns "cannot be attributed to acts of sabotage". The operator, SFM, has said that the incidents are down to "deficient maintenance" and that train workers are not "delinquents". Whatever. There is apparently a threat of a strike on 1 July which the minister had originally, it seemed, linked to the alleged sabotage, which we now know it wasn't.


The ensaimada doesn't taste so sweet
One of the less obvious victims of recession is the Mallorcan ensaimada, that lump of lard and sugar that passes as a local delicacy. Production and sales are down, the latter by a quarter in a year. The decline can partly be attributed to competition from other produce, such as cheese and oil, which is bought as a "souvenir" in airports and elsewhere (and it is common to see passengers at Palma airport traipsing around with boxes of ensaimadas). Perhaps there is a further reason, and that is that people have finally come to the conclusion that, amidst all the excellence and healthiness of the beneficial local diet, there is really no place for something that has no benefit. I refrain from saying that these people do not find the ensaimada excellent (well I suppose I have actually said it), as there is enough fuss made about it to conclude that some do consider it be so. Why they do is a mystery.


Restaurants resigned to their fate
Wandering around the restaurants of Puerto Pollensa and Puerto Alcúdia, there seems to be a sense of resignation about this season's problems. In Puerto Pollensa one hears a regular refrain: things are bad or very bad, but there is an apparent acceptance that everyone is in the same boat, which makes things rather less difficult to bear. In Puerto Alcúdia, one frontline restaurant had but only one table occupied the other evening. This does rather echo a view elsewhere that, though the same restaurant is doing ok at lunchtimes, the tendency seems to be for tourists to go out for only one meal a day as opposed to two or even three. There is a hope that the San Pedro fiesta will boost flagging revenues. Away from the bars and restaurants, there is one sector that does seem to be doing reasonably well, and that is car-rentals. Despite the problems in this sector, those of a lack of credit to buy in new and large fleets, resulting in a reduced number of cars available for hire, the effect has been generally positive where local companies are concerned as they are picking up customers whose demand cannot be satisfied by the larger operators. Not that this prevented one local car-rental company owner complaining that "there is no money". No, of course there isn't. Discretion prevents me from naming his car of choice.

QUIZ
Yesterday's title - The Prodigy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmin5WkOuPw. And congratulations to Lynne who, in getting the right answer, wins a copy of the special limited edition book "Great Barmen of Alcúdia". Today's title - two Mikes, an MC and an Ad, and they still are (some acts never grow up).

(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)