Nan’s Day Out: To find the people

Then the island is your great escape as Alcudia, Port of Pollensa, Inca and more inland town can all be accessed easily from here. This is the one straight road of all the ‘Start rite shoe’ adverts of the past. Once you are on that motorway it is one straight road.

My aim today was to see a few more inland villages while I am the only kid in town. The main roads have low levels of traffic and getting around is easy. Not so when you turn off to one of the said villages. So many places are doing road and other renovations while the world is quiet and the government is giving improvement grants.

My first stop was Campanet centre where I was hoping for the first coffee of the day. Road works and cranes met me and a policeman standing guard to make sure the one visitor their village had that morning, was not able to park.

I drove round the one-way system twice and admired the pretty streets all narrow enough to have hundreds of bollards to stop anyone parking. I can quite see the point but maybe bollard design ought to be given to a university project.

They are mighty ugly when there are masses of them. Eventually a stop and a coffee was had in the main square. I have taken other trips to this area and visited the Ufanes fonts. They are the most unique hydrological phenomenon in Mallorca.

The rocky landscape springs to life after heavy rains and the trickles become streams and then torrents. This happens after the accumulation of sufficient rain in the Puig Tomir massif and its surroundings.

Leaving the one policeman and the workmen I crossed the main road and headed for Buger. No work going on here just a great ramblas leading down the main road from the church. A busy café at the foot of the church where everyone wanted to know who I was and why I was there.

Visitors, especially at present are few and far between. We all stick out like a sore thumb. The Church is the focal point and the string of lights all down the street must mean that the whole area is very pretty at night. The view across the vista towards Campanet in the distance are magical.

Strange how you get a feel for a place and whether they are your ‘sort of town’. I expected to feel that about Campanet but it was Buger which got the prize. Lunch in the car picked up from the local bakers and then it was back down the motorway for the Airport experience. In normal life I can drive to the airport in a trance.

An often repeated journey and part of the lives of most of us who live here. We are normally going on trips ourselves or picking someone up. I haven’t been to the airport for over a year and it was a very different experience. For a start you decide as you approach whether you want the lane for the 15 minute pick up time or the proper (mighty expensive) airport car parking.

I opted for the second as I had no idea how long my friend might have to spend explaining her reasons for travel. Then comes the walk through the empty bus stop area of the airport. Many taxis parked up and drivers having chats through their masks. The main door near the Taxi rank was where a few people were hanging about and I joined them. As flights came in more people arrived to wait and the reunions were joyous.

I watched for over an hour as children ran into the arms of Dads or Grandparents who had just arrived. I watched hugs that seemed to last forever and the absolute bliss of human relationships was there. Dad’s took their masks off to kiss their babies and who could blame them.

My friend eventually emerged with airport tales to tell. So many airport workers fly the flag beautifully for us and go the extra mile. The odd one lets the side down and so it is with all businesses. We drove to Soller with my passenger in the back of the car with her mask on. I too was masked in that journey and it was bizarre to say the least.

I drove with the windows down to air the car at all times and obeyed all rules as I understand them.

It was a beautiful day as you will see from the sky colour in the photographs. Great to get out and about and spend time in a group of happy people meeting their friends and family at the airport. Let’s hope that is soon the experience of us all...