Where have all our postcards gone?

Knowing that cards seldom reach their destination during the summer months we decided to use the new (to us) service.
We have learned our lesson but other visitors may like to be aware of our experience.
We shall be returning to Majorca next year but, sorry, no postcards will be sent.

Lovely city, shame there are no public toilets

Dear Sir,
Another visit to this delightful city and once again the variety of the architecture of the houses of the Edwardian era delights one specially as so many of them have been renovated.

I understand that millions might be spent on a relief road for the motorists.
Could I ask that a minute part of this cost be spent on the provision of public urinals in the old town.
To a visitor having to side-step pools of urine in the narrow streets is very unpleasant.
To end on a more pleasant note, on every visit we go to see the magnificent metalwork on the wall of the Camera Oficianal de Comercio y Industria y Navigacion in the carrer Estudi General.

This is a magnificent piece of Majorcan craftsmanship, yet no one else of our fellow visitors have heard of it, how strange.

Yours faithfully

It's a big con

Dear Sir,
Two articles published in the last few days lament the loss of the Mediterranean Diet which has succumbed to the hamburger culture and aggresive marketing of certain other countries lifestyles.

In the same editions we see a slick new logo of the Illes Balears - lots of smooth marketing on how this and the correct sales approach will overcome the shortcomings that are all too plain too see - it's like the letter from a fellow reader who told of his timeshare sales pitch - don't let the purchaser have time to think - blind them with all the good bits - cover up the bad. It's called “Dont sell the steak Sell the sizzle” We've all been conned to having a desire created for something that falls short: The hamburger tastes like cottonwool - and if it wasn't for the ubiquitous slice of dill pickle you wouldn't taste a thing! The timeshare is all smooth talk and empathy - once you've parted with money - you're forgotten.
Med Holidays - well sorry Mr. Antich but you've been sold a great load of sizzle - people who come here are mass market tourists - I'm sorry to say they don't give a damn about culture, language, historic sites or fancy logos - it's beach, booze and cheapness.

Who's to blame - well I guess we all are - the great public as a mass are easy to manipulate and don't the large companies just know it - it's called Greed.

Hamburgers, Timeshare and cheap holidays are profitable - to large corporations - and those like me - who don't like Hamburgers, Timeshare, and cheap tourists have to put up with it.

Oh! Well I'll just have to console myself with a large glass of red wine, a pa'amboli and enjoy the tranquility of the Med winter while it lasts!!

Yours

PS.
Is the new logo meant to look like a set of upside down traffic lights?

The new Balearic logo of discontent...

Have you seen the new tourist logo for the Balearics? Ever since Miró started using a few strong slashes of bright colour, it has been the fashion to simulate these in logos as in a local savings bank.

Now we have this red, yellow green and blue sign that is supposed to look like part of an umbrella or maybe a parasol with the words Illes Balears superimposed. In fact the type of print used makes the first three letters look almost the same and I wonder if people from other countries are going to recognise this.

The presentation of the logo by the Balearic Government was completely boycotted by the tourist industry, brilliantly obvious by their absence. They are simply not impressed with the Government's project.

One of the complaints is the use of the Catalan word Eivissa when the name Ibiza is so synonymous with holidays on that island. Another danger is that there could be confusion with Evisa in the north of Corsica. Neither do the Ibizan hoteliers like the colour chosen for that island, red, which they think portrays too much aggressiveness.

My personal argument is that when I started this particular column, the Balearic Government was doing all it possibly could to reduce tourism, they even said so. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!! I'm surprised that they didn't think of importing “foot and mouth” as a possible deterrent.

One of their subtle points was the invention of the tourist tax which they cleverly managed to get nicknamed the ecotax since they say the money will be spent to improve the environment and tourist facilities.

But, and it is a big “but” the Partido Popular put in an official appeal against this tax and so the Balearic Government's Progress Pact made up in most part by parties to the left, has had to prove that this tax has not endangered the income to the island. Since there had been no bookings including the tourist tax, I fail to see how a decision has been reached that the tax has not caused a lowering of income.

Now, to combat this possible decrease in tourism, the Balearic Government has had to back-peddle and spend a fortune on promoting the islands, whoops, sorry, I should say the “Illes”.