Bitter sweet in Palma

Starting with the positives, the Christmas lights in the city were most impressive with some Palma streets looking like festive picture postcards. I would say that this year the city council got it just right. The lights also helped city retailers who have reported a good festive period along with bars and restaurants. The only low point is that shops were unable to open more and cash in on the festive boom.

Now the negative. The Three Kings parade was poor and lacked imagination. Also, the council has got to do something about the traffic situation. You can’t seal off city centre streets but still allow traffic. The best solution would be to ban traffic from the centre of Palma during the parade and introduce a fleet of buses which could ferry people free of charge from a pick-up point on the outskirts to the centre of town. This would take some organising but it would certainly overcome the traffic problems.

The Three Kings parade is one of the most eagerly awaited events on the island. Thousands of people watched the parade but it fell short of its expectations. The whole parade was completed in two hours and this year there appeared to be far fewer floats than usual. This is a shame because this event is usually first class. The popularity of the Three Kings shows no sign of going away with most Mallorcan families celebrating the Kings, even though Father Christmas continues to gain in popularity.

Looking ahead to the next big fiesta in Palma, San Sebastian (January 20, the patron saint), the council does appear to have got their its together.

On Friday January 19 the free open air concerts will take place in many city squares and the music line-up is good. It is mostly Spanish music but the groups are quality. The council has spent large sums of money to ensure that San Sebastian is celebrated in style. So overall, some good Christmas lights, a poor Three Kings parade and an excellent San Sebastian on the horizon. There appears to be something for everyone this year.