Insights from Soller Valley

For visitors this is a challenge. They don’t want to read of normal life in La La Land. They want everything to remain as it was when they were last here. Lovely memories are great, and I don’t want to dispel them, but sometimes reactions are over the top. Life in all its fulness happens on our doorstep and sometimes have consequences. Complaints come in that the beach isn’t as pristine as it should be for summer visitors. The fact that we have had three days of hot, gale force winds swirling about, and bringing branches down, seems to be not newsworthy. The beachgoers are disappointed if debris isn’t immediately sorted. I have huge sympathy for those whose job is it to sort this and many other similar examples.

Current visitors are arriving with airport delay stories. Some seem to have efficient experiences and others talk of long queues and delays. The facts seem to change depending on which paper you read, but there is no doubt there has been a problem. I get the picture of the family arriving to a chaotic airport, leaving for the resort of Puerto Soller and then finding the weather has made their resort and beach look a mess. The grumps set in and maybe takes a couple of days before being forgotten in the lovely bigger experience.

In Soller, this week’s visitors will see the completion of the work on the Gran Via Boulevard. Soller’s premier street has had two years of work which now being finalised. This is a great introduction to the town for people arriving at the main bus stop. They will walk the leafy space to get to the centre of town. A bit of seating will enable a rest along the route to take in the beauty of many of the buildings. Apologies for the scaffolding outside the cultural centre of Can Dulce, but they need a new roof, and work begins now. There is always something going on in the repairs and refurbishment world.

Plans emerged last week for a project to retile the floor of the centre of Soller. The area in front of the town hall is the gathering space for everything. When the floor is wet or damp it can be lethal and this is said to be because the surface is worn away by constant use and a lot of dancing! Many falls happen in that space and that is now the focus for repair. We have only heard of this at the ‘ideas’ stage so far. I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess as to when it will happen, but it is certainly on the list.

Consternation for the gym bunnies for the next couple of weeks. The Son Angelats gym is being refurbished with great new machines and expansion of the space. A host of young people will be forlorn as this happens as the place is their fitness and social hub. The end game will of course, be magnificent. This project gives us hope as this was talked about for many, many months before the date for works was set.

The Orange Fair is our celebration this weekend and all things citrus gets the focus. Wear something orange and visit us. Orange menus in local restaurants and events in Soller Square and in Fornalutx. This is always a great weekend, and you are very welcome.