Moving around the Soller Valley
Published in the Majorca Daily Bulletin
Tuesday 30th June 2015
Photographs by Rachel Fox
The Fiesta of San Pere marks the change in the calendar that many people love in Soller. It is the sign that summer has really started and we can party and stay up late until autumn. The key to this is the arrival of the‘Nit Tram’. This wonderful means of transport extends its timetable for 10 weeks a year and allows us to come home at midnight. This late night tram is used by local visitors and residents and is a far cry from the packed tourist trams that shunt people from the train to the boat in the Port of Soller during the day. The night trams are a local catch up point and a way of spreading the news about the ‘happening’ place of the evening. Immediately the tram is mentioned people get very cross about the price. I wonder sometimes if the complainers have ever made the effort to get the cheap tickets that are on offer here if you are a resident or a frequent visitor. Nothing is quite as it seems and the book of pink tickets you can buy reduces the tram fare drastically. The key is to take your passport to the booking office at the train station and purchase a book of tickets. I can guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised at the price.
A little movement was detected in the Port of Soller last week which caused great concern. A snake was spotted slithering its way up the Cami des Cingle away from the sea. A snake in the long grass of the overgrown verges was observed and the police were called. The squad car arrived and a team of officers screeched to a halt. This is such a rare occurrence that the full arm of the law was required. A crowd gathered and soon the little grass snake was put in a box and taken back to the station as evidence. I’m not sure what his crime was other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time officer…
Unesco celebrated its fourth anniversary in the Tramuntana of Mallorca this weekend. The award recognised the work of the Moors centuries ago in taming the mountains, making terraces for olive trees to grow and installing the finest irrigation system which is still in use today. The Unesco award was not given to the Island for beauty but for the work that man and nature can do together. Soller enjoys a special place in the heart of the Unesco world and it is the capital of culture in Mallorca for them. This is a reputation that is hard earned and the musicians, poets, writers and artists of the area are prolific in their work to maintain all the cultural connections.
As the fireworks hit the sky on Friday night, the bands played and the Habaneras groups sang in competition to all the musicians working in the Port of Soller that night. The live music available in the Port of Soller is huge for this year… From jazz to rock to the singer/songwriter strumming his guitar the selection is there for all. One of the bars on the sea front has an eclectic mix of salsa, flamenco and reggae nights on its weekly itinerary. The music in the mountains has never been so varied and people love it. The night trams make enjoying this so much easier – who wants to take the car out when the tram is such a great way to travel?
My day job includes collating all the information about events for the Soller Valley to put on the events calendar of www.sollerweb.com. In my opinion there is one event every year that takes people by surprise yet it has been going for the past 52 years! This is the concert of Torrent De Pareis in the acoustic wonder of the gorge. For over fifty years people and musicians have made the trek by sea or winding road to get to this magnificent place. The date for 2015 is next Sunday – July 5th 2015 with a start time of 5.30 pm. Sollerics use the boats of the Port of Soller to get there, take a picnic and make a day of it. When the concert is over the ferry boats do a quick turn around shuttle and get people back to the Port of Soller . This service is in addition to the published times and is special to this occasion. Private hire in sailing yachts and other craft also take guests to this once a year experience with the cava and nibbles thrown in to the price. The Choir of Bunyola – Le Coral Minuet and the swing group Le Carromato will be performing and the whole occasion is eagerly anticipated by those ‘in the know’. You are now one of those people and I hope this is enough notice for you to make your plans to be there. This experience is the highlight of the summer for many people.
Night trams, exclusive concerts and a full list of cultural events is what you find in the Soller Valley right now – do come and see us soon.
