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By Jason Moore

I was sitting at a bar, next to the sea, on Sunday morning soaking up the sun. The bar in question was packed and a Spanish couple took the table next door to me, which was the only one vacant. It was a table for four. All of a sudden a German couple asked the Spanish two-some if they could sit with them occupying the two vacant seats. The Spanish couple refused because this is not a practice which we are used to in Majorca but it is quite common-place in Germany and Austria, I believe. The German couple finally left looking pretty displeased. Moments later another table became vacant and another German couple quickly moved in. It was a Sunday morning, Palma's Paseo Maritimo was at its best, and the bar's staff were obviously finding it difficult to keep up and service was slow. This other German couple got up and left after five minutes because they hadn't been served. Now, I am recounting my Sunday morning experience because I was rather shocked that German tourists feel they are no longer welcome in Majorca. Perhaps they are demanding standards and codes of conduct which are alien to us here. In an ideal world there would have been more tables available and service would have been much better. But we don't live in one and perhaps German tourists should understand that in different countries you have different customs. Thankfully, we don't live in the United States, but it has some good points with service in bars and restaurants being excellent. If I've got to wait ten minutes for a drink because the bar staff are busy, well it's just one of those things. Nothing is perfect. The sun was shining, the view was beautiful, there was plenty happening and watching the world go-by was great fun. Waiting for a drink is a small price to pay for what was otherwise a wonderful experience.