As one fiesta ends the next begins in Mallorca

Then it was decision time, would the younger members of the community run with it or was it time to stop? The older generation had organised a fantastic annual series of fiestas, but life had changed for many, and the energy was not the same. Last year the young, rallied round and were encouraged by all past members. L’Horta fiesta was back with a vengeance. The traditions of the watermelon eating race, the card games and bingo are still there. No-one would mess with these annual delights.The sophistication of the competition for the best dressed table for the outdoor dining in the final night adds a new dimension. The residents of Poetissa Fca Alcover have decided its ‘game on’. The finest table linen, candelabra, French glass, and Noritake China are all going to appear. I wouldn’t be surprised to see printed menus too and some will be ‘dinner party’ smart. Two nights of live music and dancing till 6 am and L’Horta will be jumping. The butcher at the top of the road will be running the barbeque and a good time is guaranteed.

L’Horta is the halfway point between Soller and the port. The tram always stops there, you don’t have to ring the bell. It has its own Church (the Victory Church) and is very important in the folk lore of the Soller Firo. The Valiant Women came from L’Horta in 1561 and we never forget them.
When I moved here 20 years ago, we were the first of the UK crowd to settle in this very local street.

Our neighbours had no clue why we were there, in this place where everyone was related, and the bar and the shop were owned by the same family for generations. We got on with our lives and we all got used to one another. Produce from the gardens were shared and jokes played. The language was never too much of a problem as the local school was part of our lives. My granddaughters share the language, jokes and understand the local rhythm, they have had a glorious childhood in this place.

In those twenty years our proud ‘barrio’, who march to the beat of their own victory drum, has been ‘discovered’. New English-speaking friends live in our main street and more in the ‘garden of Soller’ lands round and about. This was a very important horticultural area of the past and you will still buy locally produced vegetables in the local shop. When the politicians come calling to ask about local issues, they generally get a tough time from the locals here. The feisty Valiant Women of the past set the pace, politics and football are supported very loudly!

If you walk from town to port it is likely you would walk down Poetissa Fca Alcover. You will see a tree lined street, houses with big wooden doors, not giving much of a clue about what’s inside. You would walk past a bar or two with people sitting outside. A few shops, a laundry and a tram stop. What you won’t see is the beating heart, pride in the traditions and a huge respect for the hard work of the local people in making this area a ‘community’.

The Fiesta is a celebration of all that, and a wonderful example to the other ‘barrios’ of Soller. They are all challenged with an aging population and whether the younger members will rise to the challenge. L’Horta is showing them that it can be done. We will all be there participating and trying to win the ‘best dressed table’ competition. The young will be begging to be allowed to stay dancing till it finishes (even if it is at 6am).
What a wonderful life...