The next Chapter
As the new owner of Estudio 3 takes over next week, Joanna is preparing to work on her next dream...
Vicki McLeod
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What’s Up with WhatsApp?
What can you do to improve your data security on WhatsApp?
The future looks bright
She was able to launch the song onto the global music scene through a kickstarter campaign that she organised to fund the release.
Against all odds!
The Rotary Club of Calvia International successfully runs their Inter Schools Debate Competition for 2020/2021.
Business support in 2021
Will we see many visitors this year at all? What can you do for a business you love?
Step by Step: The Power of Walking
Ideally, walking at least 30 minutes a day can do everything to improve your health.
Minorca joins the fight against hunger
The various food banks across Mallorca continue to report a huge demand, if you are able to make a donation to your local food bank and are not sure which is most local to you get in touch with the Majorca Daily Bulletin office.
Staying sane in crazy times
Vicky McLeod gives us some of the tips that people have been using to overcome the difficulties of lockdown.
Celebrate every win!
Vicki McLeod talks to Carys Anderson and her clients about keeping fit for the new year.
The culmination of an ambition for Dr. Joe Arrindell
Joe first started working with professional athletes in 2003, working for a legendary Belgian cyclist.
Keep Calm and Carry On
“We are delighted to be able to encourage young people to develop skills in communication, critical thinking and public speaking."
Prepare for the worst: no need to hope for the best
If you have been relying on your European Health Insurance Card you might want to consider other options as UK leaves the EU.
Once bitten, twice shy
“The chiropractor told me I should have an MRI, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for one privately, it just devastated me”.
British people vulnerable as rights to health care change
A new service entirely in English is to be launched, the first of its kind in Spain.
Majorca Mallorca
Woman on the verge
Could 2020 be the world having a midlife crisis as well? Are we all in it together? Is it just me?
Majorca Mallorca
Tales from the hunger queue
How can we help?
Business
The Mallorca business survival guide
Local Majorcan businesses who will offer their advice and experience to others to stick together into 2021.
Majorca Mallorca
Perfect Pollensa
Where else would you suggest we try to have a staycation in Majorca?
Majorca Mallorca
The British are...
It’s a family business with a staff team of 25 which has seen its fair share of challenges over the years, not least of all 2020, coronavirus and now… Brexit is looming.
Majorca Mallorca
The “Real Women of Mallorca”
I interviewed Lucy and some of her Real Women to ask them about what it means to them.
Majorca Mallorca
Rotary welcomes a new president
The club is always open to new members, but the prospective members must hold dear the mission of the Rotary itself with the motto “Service over self”.
Majorca Mallorca
Plant power!
There’s plenty of opinions about detoxing, some say it is the best thing ever, others claim our bodies don’t need to do it.
Majorca Mallorca
Bridging Cultures- Bridging People
Participants are given 48 hours to write, shoot, edit and submit a film adhering to an as yet unannounced theme and rules.
Majorca Mallorca
Hands across the sea
We want you to have a lovely holiday but the sacrifices of our liberty, income and sanity over the last months cannot and must not go to waste.
Majorca Mallorca
The pizza of legends
In a bid to bring Majorca’s best things to you I took one for the team and went to the Galilea Trattoria and Lounge...
Majorca Mallorca
Making a splash!
“We started off on small jumps to warm up, at about three metres, and slowly worked our way up to about eight metres.”
Majorca Mallorca
Marathon Man
Fuel to the fire perhaps because on Tuesday June 16th Ben Miles entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the new holder of the Longest Marathon Static Cycling with an incredible 277 hours, 20 minutes and 32 seconds on the clock.
Majorca Mallorca
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Collaborations can be easy and fun, and you can make some new contacts doing them as well.
Majorca Mallorca
Business Focus: 2020 Reboot
To get the most from your collaboration opportunities, you need to choose the right partner.
Majorca Mallorca
Business Focus
I believe more long term rentals will become available over the next few months however I do not believe the price will necessarily drop.
Majorca Mallorca
Keep smiling
Would you like a visit from Geordi the clown?
Majorca Mallorca
Ride for charity
This will be a regular event for cyclists and everyone is very welcome to join to help raise money for charity, stay fit, enjoy Majorca and meet likeminded friends.
Majorca Mallorca
Grief in Lockdown
There are two certainties in life, death and taxes. That’s what they say. Some of us are better at dealing with them than others that is for sure. The COVID-19 crisis has meant we have had to find new ways to cope with loss. Where we would have previously held a funeral for a loved one it has not been possible during the strict period of the lockdown. But the process and ritual of the event of a funeral is a crucial part of the grieving process and a way had to be found to facilitate that, lockdown or not. The world has only just begun to experience the collective grief that we are all facing—and because we’re self-isolating and avoiding crowds, we won’t be able to practice the rituals that help us process this difficult emotion. We won’t have access to typical kinds of grief support. We don’t even have the language to describe it. Grief left untended has long-term consequences to mental, emotional and physical health that could impact individuals and communities far into the future. Complicated grief presents with extended time periods of heightened experiences of bereavement that disrupt normal functioning and sometimes include suicidality. The pain of loss is real, and we have yet to scratch the surface of understanding how this will look in a post-COVID-19 world.
Glynis German has been running Death Cafes in Majorca for several years. The Cafes are run on the basis of a regular meeting, either in person or more recently also online, and they take the shape of an informal and relaxed opportunity to talk with other people about your feelings about death. It sounds very challenging and but Glynis says that “Platforms like the Death Cafe really do help people to be able to talk about what concerns them about the process of dying”. The meetings are led by Glynis but she says that “In the end, we do have the answers ourselves”. One of the things we typically find difficult is what to say to someone who has lost a loved one. We want to shy away from the subject, afraid of upsetting the other person. Glynis says “It takes practice, but being honest with the person who is grieving is the start, if you don´t know what to say then say that. Say, I don’t know how you are feeling, but I am here for you. Compassion goes a long way to starting to help, and through the years of your life you learn tools to help. Grieving is so important, you have to allow the time and space for that journey which is unique to each person.”
Jane Winterbottom, hosts a Death Café in Deya every month. She started talking to Glynis a year ago about help with arranging the funeral for her elderly father, Michael, when the time came. “I wanted to be prepared because I knew I would be grieving.” She couldn’t have imagined that the time would come during the first week of lockdown. “My father was in the Juaneda hospital. We went into quarantine on the 14th and he died on the 20th.” The first weeks of the confinement were chaotic and new hygiene regulations inevitably affected the crematorium. “Glynis told me that having a funeral at Bon Sosec Crematorium was going to be very difficult and she suggested that we do it online. It turned out much better than I could have possibly imagined.” The service, which was written by Glynis after discussions with Jane and her sister, allowed nineteen family members to gather together virtually whilst being in several locations around the world: the USA, the UK and Spain. “People were able to talk and share memories, to show support for each other and everyone felt part of something”, Glynis commented. Jane said that she found the ceremony to be “An amazing experience, I never felt that I was alone. It felt as if we were all together. Glynis was amazing. Everyone had the chance to speak. I think, even if we weren’t in the state of emergency in lockdown it would be a good idea, it brings the family back together I think.”
We grieve in different ways in different cultures, but the concept of having to grieve whilst in lockdown is a first for many. “I felt like I hit rockbottom during the lockdown”, said Jane. “Although I am a very positive person it was very intense”. The confinement and the inability to leave the house to go for a walk meant that Jane spent a lot of time isolating from the others living with her. “I had lots of skype chats with friends, but I missed hugs and closeness”. But strangely she says that she thinks the process might mean that she has managed to come through the different stages of grief quicker than she previously thought she would be able to. “It magnified all the emotions I was having, but I feel as I have come to the place of acceptance in the process.”
Jane runs a Death Café in Deya, and I ask her what it is like to attend one. “The rule really is there is no rule, that’s it. We have between five and fifteen people at each meeting and there is broad range of subjects that we speak about. It is a really positive meeting, there isn’t any doom and gloom.” Why is it so hard for us to talk about death? “It is a really difficult subject to talk about. The subject of death has been put away under the carpet. A hundred years ago we would have gone to a wake and been with the body of the person who has died and that would have helped with the grieving process.” But now it is out of sight and much harder to speak about, which is where the concept of the Death Cafes began, to help us to talk. “In the café we speak about our fears of death, funerals, the dying process, our relatives or other people close to us who are dying. A friend of mine, mid 70s has had a lot of fears alleviated by coming to the café. Yes the conversation can drift off into other topics as well but it lifts a burden from you. And you feel more connected to each other.” Which after so much separation in the past months I am sure many of us are yearning for.
There are regular Death Cafes around the island in English and in Spanish. There is also a new Grief Café which is being launched shortly. The meetings are free and online or in person. Call Glynis for more information (+34)666 987 430, glynis@glynisgermancelebrant.com https://glynisgermancelebrant.com/
Majorca Mallorca
Lockdown Business Focus Part 3
Where shall we go next to focus on your business? Let us know!
Majorca Mallorca
Lockdown Business Focus
“My best advice for everyone who has a business is to find different ways to network and generate close and trusted relationships, help other business people and they will help you.”
Majorca Mallorca
Start all over again
Wandering around areas of Palma that used to be bustling with vibrant businesses it is quite apparent that some of our well known and much-loved restaurants and bars will not be opening again.
Majorca Mallorca
The Psychology of Baking
But we managed, and we baked and baked, and baked, like these members of the group and friends from around the world…
Majorca Mallorca
The McLeod Burger
Emm has been a chef on superyachts for eighteen years and has had a base in Majorca for twelve, but during our lockdown she made a few changes…
Majorca Mallorca
Cake Makes Everything Better
Diane Hughes grew up in Stepney Green and then moved to Brentwood. She has lived in Majorca for a decade.
Majorca Mallorca
Shannagh’s Shakshuka
Today’s sneak preview is of a wonderful dish: Shakshuka.
Lifestyle
Fastighetsbyrån Sunny Friday - this week two apartments are being shown in the Palma area
This week there will be two live digital viewings: Son Rapinya at 12.00 and near Palma tennis at 12.30.
Participate
Do you agree with the closure of bars and restaurants at 5 pm?
Participate
Do you now believe that you will be able to come on holidays to Majorca?
News
Bargains of the Day
Don't miss this lovely ground floor apartment in Can Picafort
News
Mallorca Weather Forecast for Saturday
Most of Mallorca will be sunny today with moderate to strong winds in some places.
To find out what the weather's like in other parts of Mallorca, click here.
Community
Queen's College carnival - Characters from history
The parades were distanced without the cheers from the parents but it was still a memorable day for everyone.
Lifestyle
Films in English in Palma
Check the new films and times that have been updated on Friday February 19.
Lifestyle
Vaccine passports?: It’s about managing risk
The principle of safe travel risk in a Covid environment hasn’t changed since last summer.
Lifestyle
Time to Plant Your Pants
The areas where the material was eaten away produced as suspected, the best produce.
Lifestyle
Where to order out on the island
Check out these fabulous menus and treat yourself!
Lifestyle
Guide your health with a plan of action
"Even though I’m a fitness coach, I still write down my workouts before I start exercising."
Community
“At Home 2020” - A photography book from the students at Mallorca International School
The images are so powerful that we will be publishing a book available to parents and the local community.
Lifestyle
Welcome, Mister Marshall
the Balearic view is that Madrid does have a tendency to skimp somewhat when it comes to generosity for the islands.
Sports
Mallorca play Logroñes Saturday at 9 PM
After our brilliant win over fellow La Liga automatic promotion, the next two fixtures come as a respite to the Palma side.
Lifestyle
Palma Fish Market: a meeting point for science and fishermen
The number of sharks and rays in the Balearic Sea has gone down dramatically over the past decades as in the rest of the Mediterranean.
Lifestyle
Castell Abogados creates Castell Law
The multinational recognised law firm based in Mallorca renames its department with exclusive dedication to international clients.
Comment
Anna Nicholas: My Column
Anna Nicholas, about the uncomfortable truth of the COVID-19 narrative and the cancel culture.
Lifestyle
The Mallorcan who invented arrocerías
Paella is Spain’s best known dish and because of that many foreigners think Spanish rice is grown only in Valencia.
Comment
Merkel is calling shots...
Frustration with how Brusels is handling the EU pandemic appear to be setting in.
Community
Carnival, Colour and Costumes
Rafa Nadal International School was resplendent with colour, costumes and carnival fever this week.
Comment
What not to wear in a pandemic - but you will anyway!
Our columnist Frank Leavers gives his thoughts on the strange fashion of these semi-lockdown times.