Easter looks like it’s going to be positive for the island. Headlines spotted in the Bulletin this week were;
‘Easter flights near 2019 numbers in Palma’
‘85% of Mallorca hotels are open for Easter’
‘Taxi drivers benefitting from Mallorca’s good Easter.’
‘Car hire firms booked out for Easter.’
I’d like to add one that hadn’t yet made it into the news as it was last night.
‘Pirates Adventure sells out their opening night!’
Reports I’m seeing and reading about the summer season are encouraging, so long may it continue.
One thing I think has helped the numbers is the return of the Easter football tournaments. The biggest is over on the East coast called the East Mallorca Cup. Clubs have arrived from all over the World including USA, Brazil, Japan, Australia, UK and all over Europe. Teams such as PSG, Liverpool, Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich to name just a few have sent squads from their U-11’s, U-13’s, U-14’s and U-15’s. All the teams are staying on the East coast and it’s a definite boost to the local economy. My youngest Sons team are playing at Sant Llorenc Des Cardasser. The stadium was devastated by the flash floods in October 2018, but it has been rebuilt and in December 2020 they hosted Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey. I think my sons team must have been inspired as on Thursday they beat Espanyol 1-0.
The Santa Ponsa Cup is another tournament being held down in the Calvia region. Smaller than the East Mallorca Cup but still boasting 48 national and international teams. Including, Sevilla FC, Real Betis Balompié, València FC, FC Barcelona, Nàstic de Tarragona and RCD Mallorca. The international teams include Maccabi Petah-Tikvah FC, Bologna FC, SK Sturm Graz and lots of local ones too.
The Mayor of Calvià, Alfonso Rodríguez Badal and the Deputy Mayor for Sports, Eva Serra highlighted the importance of this event in its two aspects, Sport and tourism. The area will receive around 1,000 overnight stays per day over 5 or 6 days. My nephew and his girlfriend are staying in the Rey Don Jaime which is right opposite the ground in Santa Ponsa and it was full of visiting teams.
I mentioned Atlético Madrid above and I’ve watched them twice over the last week. Once was live last weekend against Real Mallorca, when they hardly managed a shot against a team threatened with relegation. In fact it was probably a good time to play them as it looked like they had one eye on their Champions League Quarter Final against Manchester City. Mallorca ran out 1-0 winners and three much needed points. Meaning they are out of the relegation places for now.
Watching on TV on Wednesday night, it was a totally different team who were using the phrase “dark arts” to its full potential. They were kicking, punching and even head butting at one point trying to rile the City players. It didn’t work and City went through. I’m sure some sort of sanction will be served on the club because for me their behavior was unacceptable. It does mean though we now have two English teams and two Spanish teams left in the semi-finals.
I wanted to end this week on the Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz wedding. They and their families have received a lot of stick this week for the extravagance of the event in the wake of the war in the Ukraine and the cost of living crisis in the UK. Why can’t people just be happy for them? It’s not their fault they chose to get married at this time and that they come from very wealthy families. If it was my son or daughter I’d want him or her to have the best wedding I could afford, regardless of outside influences. It’s been reported so heavily because of who they are and the media know it. What didn’t get widely reported at the time was they had asked all guests to donate to CareOrg(which aids relief in Ukraine) in lieu of wedding gifts and that David and Victoria Beckham had pledged £1 million to provide immediate aid to the people of Ukraine. Probably still not enough in some peoples eyes.
Happy Easter to you all.
Take care everyone and enjoy the sunshine!
Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.00-10am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance!
Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com
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