Richard Frisbie
Mallorca is even more captivating in Autumn.
I recently visited Brooklyn for a dinner celebrating Mallorca, Spain’s Mediterranean island. The Mallorca Tourist Office brought in Chef Maria Solivellas from Ca Na Toneta in Caimari, Mallorca—renowned for having cooked for Michelle Obama—as well as passionate musicians, creating an evening of wonderful Mallorcan food, wine, and music.
The UN building dominates the NYC skyline view from the Wythe Hotel
The setting was the rooftop bar of the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn which offers a stunning view of the New York skyline across the East River. There was great food & wine before the young musicians performed torch songs reminiscent of Portuguese Fado. Through it all was a pervading sense of place – not Brooklyn, certainly – but the dream destination of Mallorca.
Mallorca, an island located in the Mediterranean off the eastern coast of Spain, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are probably better-known for Ibiza, Mallorca’s hedonistic little sister. With mountain ranges, great beaches, and an inviting climate, Mallorca has long been a vacation destination for Northern Europe. Now they’re inviting North Americans to visit as well. If my dinner was any indication, we all want to visit Mallorca now.
Mallorca was in the news recently when a rare flood, caused by unusually heavy rains, devastated the small area of Sant Llorenc in the northeast of the island, but no other parts of the island were affected. News footage of the flooding caused many UK and European vacationers to reconsider their plans to visit Mallorca, prompting tourism board director, Jaume Alzamora, to say flooding has “not affected Majorca’s main tourist destinations with hotels, restaurants, as well as other tourist infrastructure remaining open and fully functional.” He also offered that “autumn is a fantastic time to visit Mallorca.”
I think it would be fine to go there any time. Over the centuries, forces from all over the Mediterranean did just that, making the island’s history a patchwork quilt of influences (both architectural and culinary) and religious beliefs. From pre-historic megaliths called talaiot, to Roman & Moorish ruins and fortified coastal towers, evidences of the conflicts of the past belie today’s tranquil landscape. Mallorca is an inviting destination as much for its climate as it is for its rich history, with the icing on the cake being its fantastic wines and culinary traditions.
Direct flights from the US will soon be available, but a layover in the must-visit cities of Madrid or Barcelona will only help you to appreciate the cultural differences each part of Spain enjoys. They all share that fantastic Spanish food, but while Madrid has the vitality and Barcelona the architecture, you can think of Mallorca as the balm for your soul.
Lodging and Things To Do in Mallorca
The international Hotel Chain Iberostar was born on Mallorca: https://www.iberostar.com/
A reliable local chain is Serrano Hotels www.serranohotels.com
The official tourism site: https://www.mallorca.es/ca/?lg=en
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