The soon-to-be-new mayor of Alcúdia, Miquel Llompart, is a big bloke. He is and has been something of a leading light in Mallorcan basketball for several years, having played for different teams including Alcúdia. Other than the odd run-out with mates, he's not likely to get much chance to do any slam-dunking for a while. (I wonder what slam-dunking is in Catalan? Or maybe they bow to the Americanism.)
Anyway, I met him yesterday, and spent rather longer with him than I had expected. The result of the meeting is an interview piece that should appear in "Talk Of The North" next week.
It is often salutary to actually meet these chaps. Impressions can be formed which are not always accurate without such first-hand contact. And some of the issues also take on a different perspective. Take the old rail extension controversy. At no point did he hint at the fact that the town hall didn't actually want the train, which I confess was something that had occurred to me. Of course, one has to read between lines, but in this instance, the line was pretty clear - they wanted the line, but not to go to the old town. This was the stance that was publicised, but the stress on the benefits to tourism of siting the terminal by Es Foguero or Magic was far more evident when he explained the town hall's position. And in this, one did come away with a feeling that the town hall's attitude - and that of the Unió Mallorquina locally - was far broader than that of the transport ministry. This also served to question any notions that the UM, as a nationalist party, is somehow antagonistic towards tourists or indeed "foreigners". One doesn't quite know where this impression ever arose from, as it has been the UM that has, for example, been to the forefront of golf developments.
Indeed when I brought up the idea that there was some antagonism, he was quick to point out that the UM's "nationalism" is not quite as one might think. He admitted that even in other parts of Spain there can be a view of Mallorca as rather parochial, something that the UM might be said to reinforce. But it is a false impression.
There again, it does rather depend on individuals, and Llompart does not strike me as a little Mallorcan (physically not so, that's for sure). He is highly focussed on Alcúdia, which is fair enough, but he seems to have a breadth of vision as well and comes across as being quite dynamic. In all, I would have to say that he falls into the category of being a decent bloke. We'll have to wait and see, but my guess is that he's going to be a popular and good mayor, and that higher office might well yet await him. At 40, he's got time on his side.
SANT SEBASTIA - PALMA
I know it's not a local event to the north of the island, but it is a great event and any number of folk from the north do make a trip for the festivities, so main events on the programme are available on the WHAT'S ON BLOG - http://www.wotzupnorth.blogspot.com. Important to note is that, though the music night of the 19th is a week day, the fire spectaculars will take place on the 23rd, Saturday.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Peter Gabriel, "Games Without Frontiers", http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKb9XQ39-zc.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
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