Back to school and the start of the autumn term routine is just so hard for the children of the Hidden Valley and for the rest of Majorca. The twelve weeks of holidays where the learning experience has been far more beach orientated makes the discipline of this first term of the new school year such hard work. The weekend comes and there is no money to spare so the families – mine included are looking for free entertainment and relaxation. A little wind and the kite flying get its first outing in months. To run the beach, pulling at the strings of a kite and watching it soaring into the beautiful blue sky is such a pleasure. The scooters come out and the skates are found from their rusty pile in the cellar and the beach board walk becomes a superb playground. This is especially true of the Port of Soller since the new prom has been built alongside the sea. The children’s play space has been increased by 150%. In the summer and in the evenings when the adults are promenading the route the increased play space isn’t so obvious but the local children have already spotted it’s potential and are looking forward to what they can do on it this winter.
Each season brings its new crazes and the economic climate has brought a very gentle one our way. Scooby Strings- have you heard of them? They are causing great consternation round here as the children buy their brightly coloured plastic strings from the Chinese shops and then sit in huddles finger knitting with them. Elaborate things can be created and it is the skill that autumn 2012 is going to be known by. It is an opportunity for Grandmothers to shine because we have been here before. We did these ourselves and then taught our daughters when they were small. There must be generations of plastics manufacturers that have made their money on these bits of plastic that appear every generation. My daughter has forgotten how to do them and she doesn’t want to let her girls down so she took a course on ‘U Tube’. Unfortunately even this went a bit too fast so a Scooby Strings expert is being sought for the children of Soller. We can’t let this generation of children down now can we.
The time for evening class registration is almost here and Soller is full of places to improve your mind, body and soul. Can Dulce is the community centre situated in the Gran Via which hosts most of them. Can Dulce is a beautiful old Soller Palace with rooms large and small for community activities. Ballet and Majorcan dancing is taught to adults and children. Patchwork and sewing classes take their place alongside bridge and chess. The full programme will be available in the next week and you are required to register your interest. Value for money is always guaranteed as most classes meet twice a week to guarantee proficiency in whatever new hobby you have chosen. The Line Dance group’ Minerva’ will be having their reunion in the next two weeks and the location and dates of the classes will be announced then. They are benefiting from their group appearing on the Soller fiesta stage. There is now a groundswell of interested in Line Dancing. I can’t wait…
I think I am going back in time with some of this week’s snippets – Scooby Strings, Line Dancing and now Tupperware parties. Tupperware also appeared in Soller square at the fiesta and was celebrating a significant anniversary – surely not 100 years of Tupperware?? This has led to a resurgence of the ubiquitous Tupperware Party. The excuse for the girls to drink a serious amount of wine and decide what they could do with all those plastic dishes. We are ‘cutting edge’ in Soller and it all provides a balance to the Poetry Society, Book Clubs and Choirs. The Hidden Valley is nothing without its eclectic and basic tastes. Whatever Sollerics want to do is available in this town as long as you don’t miss the registration and fee paying date. Once you get passed the usual bureaucracy you will find a warm welcome. The skill of patchwork and line dancing doesn’t need a proficiency in the language and ensures you will make friends here in Soller. Happy Autumn.
