Palma was declared a decade ago by the Sunday Times as one of the best places to live in the world. | EFE
Palma15/06/2023 14:52
Palma was declared a decade ago by the Sunday Times as one of the best places to live in the world. It took no-one by surprise, in fact the survey was welcomed by all not just as major accolade for the city but because the survey had reached the right result. Fast forward 10 years and the state of the city was a major election issue. The opposition Partido Popular, which went on to win the election, proclaimed that Palma was in a mess, it was dirty, there was too much traffic, and too much graffiti.
3 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
All cities all around the world have their share of undesirables. Criminals who prey on visitors and locals looking for easy pickings. If Palma didn't have their share it would be a miracle. So the job is to make life as hard as possible for these thieves. Watch your personal items at all times and if possible be aware of those around you. If certain persons look greatly out of place, they're probably up to no good. I have stopped several thefts simply by being more aware of who was around the bar and restaurants that I was patronising than others. I've seen backpacks being opened while the unsuspecting tourists were shopping, thieves about to pounce on a wallet placed (stupidly) on a table by a diner and advising fellow drinkers that there bag was being watched by two men ready to snatch. My own bag is constantly either in my hands, between my legs or looped with a strap to a chair. If we all take these measures the thieves will remain empty handed and abandon the city for pastures new. It doesn't take much to secure your things. As for Palma being expensive, maybe. But there are always shops, restaurants and bars offering lower prices if you search for them. But it's horses for courses. If you want to eat in the Galleria or in Passeig del Born then don't expect to get a bargain. Natch. Graffiti is an issue but again so it is with most major cities. What some cities are doing very successfully is to convert a negative into a positive by authorising graffiti artists to produce artworks on bare walls. This reverse-Banksy strategy decorates bare parts of a city at no cost and with creative decorative artwork. Palma could do well to try this approach. Palma is a great place to be, to visit, to live, but it's every visitor and resident's duty to make their contribution to its well being. Together we can get Palma back on the Sunday Times list, sooner rather than later.
I agree. Mass immigration into the UK definitely hasn’t improved law and order.
According to some who post on here, Palma is a dangerous, dirty city full of graffiti. Have these people ever spent time in cities anywhere else in the world. As I've said before, it's safer than any city in the UK.