Sizzling summer madness in Soller valley

Okay, so I’m being a tad gloomy, but ask any Solleric or foreign resident and they’ll back me up. Many have already got out of town for sanity’s sake and headed back to Blighty, Sweden, Germany or cooler climes for two months. We’re thinking of leaving the valley completely next summer.

When the traffic and parking became near impossible a month back, unless you got to Soller town at 9am, I decided to give up driving and strap on my rucksack for shopping and walk. That’s alright for me because I love hiking and running but not so good for my husband who has a bad hip and elderly people who can’t walk far. Many of them rely on the public bus service but many buses are full to the brim with tourists.

I also feel bad for the visitors entering the valley at this time of year as the streets are groaning with people and the cafés and restaurants packed. It would be so much nicer for them to see our beautiful valley out of season when the air is sweet, the sun kinder and fewer people are on the loose.
Luckily for me I am hopping off for most of August to Iceland and cannot wait for cool air, rain, wind, peace and stunning vistas. With the sizzling sun, traffic and crowds, high summer has sadly become a bit of a misery for us Soller valley residents. The cost of air con is staggering and trying to work with just a whirring fan is quite a trial during the hottest hours of the day.

So, I wish those arriving in our valley this month lots of luck and bon courage. They will need to be patient and accept that there will be queues everywhere and some weary and hardworking locals will be a little short on good humour and grace. It’s one thing to be on holiday and another to be working flat out in high temperatures. Yes, of course the valley need tourism but there comes a point where saturation is not a good thing for locals or visitors. For those braving the throngs, I advise always carrying plenty of water in vehicles and also having some salt tablets handy. In the street, hats, shades, more water and sun cream are essential. As this is peak holiday season, visitors should ensure that wallets, mobiles and purses are safe and should keep a beady eye out for opportunistic thieves. Soller is their playground in the summer months so good to leave them disappointed.

Nibbling, grumpy fish

It seems that it’s not just locals who are in grumpy mood in this heat. Word has it that many swimmers have been bitten by fish along parts of the coast in the southeast. With the soaring temperatures and hot water, it seems that some grumpy fish are nibbling at holidaymakers in protest. The bites aren’t serious but it pays to be nimble (or nibble) toed to avoid the little terrors. Despite the current hysteria, fish such as Bream have been biting swimmers’ feet during the summertime in countless Mediterranean countries over the last few years. As they don’t like a song and a dance, it pays to move a lot in the water to send them on their way. Still, some might happily welcome the idea of a free pedicure at sea.

Cry babies

A social media story went viral recently and ended up in various national newspapers. It was a very canny stunt by a young actress named Georgie Grier, who posted a Pierrot image of herself in tears on Twitter, while mawkishly bemoaning the fact that just a single spectator had turned up to watch her one woman show at the Edinburgh Fringe. Hundreds of people piled in to offer virtual hugs, wise words and sympathy including a raft of celebrities and stand ups. Sadly, the story unravelled quickly when it emerged that Georgie had posted the very same tragic tale the year before for the very same show. Awkward.

These days, it’s all about using social media and platforms such as TikTok to build audiences and fans but a new and cynical ploy has been to blub to camera (or offer some manufactured tears on a downbeat video) in order to get the sympathy vote and sell a product, book or show to viewers. It is disingenuous and a pity that women such as Georgie need to rely on this kind of marketing ruse. All the same, to pull the same trick twice and fool millions of viewers takes some brass, so I have a sneaking admiration for her. The stunt won her a full house the next day, as no doubt she had anticipated. The public might be gullible, but Britons are a good-hearted bunch and will often back the underdog, a warming trait. However, I’d advise this plucky performer to come up with new material and a fresh PR stunt next year. Third time, she might not be so lucky.