Everyone is welcome in the Soller Valley

Published in the Majorca Daily Bulletin

on Tuesday 28th April 2015

Photographs by Rachel Fox

 

Sometimes the Soller Valley has its moment and the eyes of the world are upon it.  So it was this week when the Lewis Hamilton road show rolled into the Port of Soller .  Did he land in that smart black helicopter that was hovering?  Did he drive in the smartest Mercedes we have ever seen? Did he take the dog on the train and arrive on the ‘Orange Express’? Everyone has their own version of events but for authenticity Lewis Hamilton posted a picture of himself leaning against a Jumeirah balcony on Instagram.  The picture went viral probably as much for the tattooed torso as the perfect location. The official photograph of Jordi Tarreda the General Manager welcoming him and his dog to the hotel has not been published yet – although I must admit to having had a sneak preview! 

 

Lewis Hamilton was here filming for Mercedes and driving the circuitous route of the Sa Colobra hairpin bends.  Notices were posted on the approach roads that the road would be closed for filming but were ignored by many cyclists and coach drivers.  The end result was a traffic jam up the mountains while the car sped down them with Lewis at the wheel.  The passengers in the coaches and the cyclists could only wonder at that stage about what this was all about but now their delays have become very clear.

 

Super yachts are no strangers to the Port of Soller these days and we all have a great time researching the names when they gently glide in to moor.  Nirvana caught our eye this week with its onboard swimming pool and the tender boat used to come on shore bigger than the average size yacht.  The speculations are of course that it was waiting for Lewis Hamilton to finish filming and then was going to whisk him off gently round the Tramuntana coastline. This may or may not be true – how would you know in the game of bluff and super bluff that surrounds such celebrity visits.

 

The next highly publicised Port of Soller moment of the week came when the name of the owner of the big front line refurbishment was revealed.  Chelsea Handler is an American stand up comedian, chat show host and author and is now the proud owner of a slice of the Port of Soller .  She will enjoy remarkable sunsets from her terrace and access to the beach within seconds of her front door.  When the name was revealed there were many here who said ‘who?’  The younger Sollerics know exactly who she is and those who have met her love her for her choice of the Port of Soller as her special place in the Mediterranean . The American connection to this area is an old established one from all the American writers and artists that relocated here after the war to the American air base on the top of the Puig Mayor.   A little slice of the USA is alive and well and living in the Soller Valley and we are glad to welcome Chelsea Handler to their number.

 

In this area we are used to the photographers on the look out for the next famous face to snap.  We know they have a job to do but we are all fiercely protective of their right to enjoy their time here without being hounded.  The staff at the hotels in this area sign the equivalent to the official secrets act when they start work.  They agree not to discuss or divulge any information about the guests staying in their establishments…  That what was so great about Lewis Hamilton – no one had to reveal where he was staying – he did it all himself on instagram and twitter.

 

Sollerics are very proud to live in this beautiful world where the mountains of the Tramuntana meet the perfect horse shoe bay of the Port of Soller .  We love having the place to ourselves for a couple of months in the winter but are always excited by the new experiences and the new people that arrive as spring glides into summer.  New ‘Sollerics’ are born every day in the season – the ones that having discovered this place know they will return often.

 

The last week of the Fira of the Orange is now underway with the 17 participating restaurants doing a great job.  The orange menus are proving so successful and another new generation has been introduced to the delights of this area and its cuisine.

Just around the corner is the battle of the Moors and Christians on Monday 11^th May 2015. The week before the battle the Soller Valley shares its art, music and culture and the fair rolls into the City.  We love to party in this place and hope we have the pleasure of sharing it with you.

 

 

Everyone is welcome in the Soller Valley

Published in the Majorca Daily Bulletin

on Tuesday 28th April 2015

Photographs by Rachel Fox

 

Sometimes the Soller Valley has its moment and the eyes of the world are upon it.  So it was this week when the Lewis Hamilton road show rolled into the Port of Soller .  Did he land in that smart black helicopter that was hovering?  Did he drive in the smartest Mercedes we have ever seen? Did he take the dog on the train and arrive on the ‘Orange Express’? Everyone has their own version of events but for authenticity Lewis Hamilton posted a picture of himself leaning against a Jumeirah balcony on Instagram.  The picture went viral probably as much for the tattooed torso as the perfect location. The official photograph of Jordi Tarreda the General Manager welcoming him and his dog to the hotel has not been published yet – although I must admit to having had a sneak preview! 

 

Lewis Hamilton was here filming for Mercedes and driving the circuitous route of the Sa Colobra hairpin bends.  Notices were posted on the approach roads that the road would be closed for filming but were ignored by many cyclists and coach drivers.  The end result was a traffic jam up the mountains while the car sped down them with Lewis at the wheel.  The passengers in the coaches and the cyclists could only wonder at that stage about what this was all about but now their delays have become very clear.

 

Super yachts are no strangers to the Port of Soller these days and we all have a great time researching the names when they gently glide in to moor.  Nirvana caught our eye this week with its onboard swimming pool and the tender boat used to come on shore bigger than the average size yacht.  The speculations are of course that it was waiting for Lewis Hamilton to finish filming and then was going to whisk him off gently round the Tramuntana coastline. This may or may not be true – how would you know in the game of bluff and super bluff that surrounds such celebrity visits.

 

The next highly publicised Port of Soller moment of the week came when the name of the owner of the big front line refurbishment was revealed.  Chelsea Handler is an American stand up comedian, chat show host and author and is now the proud owner of a slice of the Port of Soller .  She will enjoy remarkable sunsets from her terrace and access to the beach within seconds of her front door.  When the name was revealed there were many here who said ‘who?’  The younger Sollerics know exactly who she is and those who have met her love her for her choice of the Port of Soller as her special place in the Mediterranean . The American connection to this area is an old established one from all the American writers and artists that relocated here after the war to the American air base on the top of the Puig Mayor.   A little slice of the USA is alive and well and living in the Soller Valley and we are glad to welcome Chelsea Handler to their number.

 

In this area we are used to the photographers on the look out for the next famous face to snap.  We know they have a job to do but we are all fiercely protective of their right to enjoy their time here without being hounded.  The staff at the hotels in this area sign the equivalent to the official secrets act when they start work.  They agree not to discuss or divulge any information about the guests staying in their establishments…  That what was so great about Lewis Hamilton – no one had to reveal where he was staying – he did it all himself on instagram and twitter.

 

Sollerics are very proud to live in this beautiful world where the mountains of the Tramuntana meet the perfect horse shoe bay of the Port of Soller .  We love having the place to ourselves for a couple of months in the winter but are always excited by the new experiences and the new people that arrive as spring glides into summer.  New ‘Sollerics’ are born every day in the season – the ones that having discovered this place know they will return often.

 

The last week of the Fira of the Orange is now underway with the 17 participating restaurants doing a great job.  The orange menus are proving so successful and another new generation has been introduced to the delights of this area and its cuisine.

Just around the corner is the battle of the Moors and Christians on Monday 11^th May 2015. The week before the battle the Soller Valley shares its art, music and culture and the fair rolls into the City.  We love to party in this place and hope we have the pleasure of sharing it with you.