Straight after all the Christmas celebrations and endless fiestas, most people are on the wagon. Dry January, Veganuary, gym memberships, and let’s face it, most are possibly a bit barren in the old bank account. However… if, like me, you’re not a fan of following the trends, plus you’re not a lover of crowds and chaos, January is the best month to get out and visit the island and enjoy the culture and restaurants.
Our Australian friends arrived straight after the 3 kings to spend a few days here on their 5 week European tour (it’s summer holidays over there) so we were on tour guide duties. Our first outing was up in the mountains with a hike up the GR222 old pilgrimage trail, before driving to Sa Calobra. It was lovely to have the trail to ourselves and the roads weren’t choked with rental cars. Ok, so the iconic Torrent de Pareis was still fairly busy but nothing compared to summer numbers. And there was only bar open, but I had a feeling that might be the case – and packed a picnic.
On another day we ventured into Palma to see the Cathedral and also hit Mercat Olivar for the foodie experience. Usually on a Friday, the market is chockers and the bars are 3 or 4 people deep – imagine my utter joy when the stalls were not only queue free, but we were able to get tables for 7 of us.
Don’t get me started on the elation of being able to park with no dramas either. Honestly I’m easily pleased with the little wins… Plus it’s good to support local businesses during the quiet times so there’s that. And Dry January is overrated, I’m going for a Moist March. Think of our vineyards, they need us!