Mallorca Reading
Mallorca has a rich literary background beginning with the writings of Ramon Llul who is credited with being the first philosopher to encourage language learning. To this day Mallorca has a rich heritage of art and culture, not to mention literature associated with it.
For some Mallorca focused holiday reading you may enjoy the books by Anna Nicholas. A Soller resident she puts a light and quirky view on life for an ex-pat slowly integrating into the community and high-lights the ups and downs of moving from a country where everything is known to a location where you never know what's coming next. A Lizard in my Luggage is the first in a trio, followed closely by Cat on a Hot Tiled Roof. Look out for her third book which is based around a little known animal, some might compare it to the dodo.....
For something a little more in the genre of classical then George Sand's A Winter in Mallorca is a must read. Written from the perspective of an independent woman, accompanying her boyfriend Chopin to Valldemossa in the winter of 1838. A pretty radical woman, she is not well greeted by the locals and it makes for an interesting piece of historical literature.
For food lovers we would recommend Tomas Graves (son of Robert) Bread and Oil which is really a biography of the classic Mallorcan dish, Pan B'oli, that is seen on just about every restaurant menu. Full of anecdotes, recipes and ideas about the dish this really is a must read for any true gastro lover. Musically Tuning up at Dawn takes readers on the journey that led Deia to establish itself as the leading Bohemian community in Mallorca.
If detective novels are your thing then the books of Roderic Jeffries may appeal whilst you lay on the beach. Inspector Alvarez investigates trouble on the island of calm. An Engimatic Disappearance and Mistakenly in Mallorca both throw a whole new light on the island. For a little more detective sleuthing then you may also enjoy one of our hoteliers, George Scott's gripping The Bloody Bhokara is an easy read and one worth picking up.
From a guide book perspective the Time Out guide is our preferred option. Easy to use, good information and accurate descriptions its not too sniffy about some of the more touristy sides of the island, eg the Caves of Drach, but also includes information on the cultural side of the island. For a balanced and well laid out book this is the one for Mallorca. If your only interest is food try finding a copy of Vicky Bennison's The Taste of a Place Mallorca which gives insight to the island's unique recipes and suggests restaurants and dishes to try.
Walking is a very popular past time in Mallorca and undisputably one of the best walking guide book authors is Valerie Crespi Green. She's written a number of different books with a slightly different focus ranging from books that act as guides that just want to walk, to books that provide a number of restaurant options between walks, one of our personal favourites.
Email: jane@balearicdiscovery.com
Tel: +34 971 875 395
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