“Palma gone downhill”

Dear Sir, WE have just returned from another visit to Majorca - our favourite place. One evening we decided to go to Palma and walk around the shopping lanes to the Plaza Mayor. All was closed at 8.30 pm. It was dirty with litter, the shutters to the shops were down, some of which were covered with graffiti. All in all it looked a sorry sight. Why do the shopkeepers moan about not enough tourist income when clearly no one cares about the state of the main shopping area. Surely, as with many other Mediterranean capital cities, shops could stay open a little longer during July & August and the cafes would follow suit. The local authority could take some action to sweep up and clean up. Palma could and should be a vibrant place but by 8.30pm the centre looked more like a run down backstreet with the last of the shopkeepers scurrying home and the tourists left to wander forlornly. We moved on to the Apuntadores area where there are a few restaurants but also cars parked in the narrow streets, rubbish piles and general litter were very off-putting. Quite a few of the bars and restaurants are closed giving a run down impression. Why have these bars etc been forced to close, including the excellent Golden Door, apparently due to very strict rules imposing limits on opening hours. If we go for a meal we then may want to move on to a bar or nightclub without driving miles to get to it or try to mingle with the youngsters at Titos or Pacha.