3 CHEERS

... for the small army of men and women who work to keep Palma looking green and colourful at all times of the year. Although it is more common to hear complaints about Palma being a noisy, dirty building site the fact is that many parts of the city are a delight to walk in and the landscaping and greening that has been done over recent years has resulted in appealing areas of calm. An example is the Paseo Mallorca which, notwithstanding the cyclists, has charming, leafy walkways on both sides of its central waterway and offers plenty of seating for those with time to spare. Even more impressive is the often attractive state of the motorways around Palma. Of course, there are limits to what can be achieved, and in places advertising hoardings are too prominent, but some of the roadside oleander displays would do credit to a model garden. Money spent on the Palma's gardening department is money very well spent - both in impressing visitors and in making residents' lives more agreeable.