Spring 2022 in Mallorca has been a bit different from the usual. It began unseasonably cool and grey. The Boss was reluctant to stop using the wood-burning stove and the electric blanket to counter the chilly evenings indoors. Both were in regular use until later in the spring than usual. Climate change? Or were we turning into wimps?
Then … BOOM! Someone flicked a switch. May heated up. And kept on heating up. AEMET – the Spanish met office – reported that the average temperature for May 2022 was three degrees above normal … and it was the warmest May of this century. It was also the second driest May since records began, which wasn’t great news for local farmers and keen gardeners. Oh, and we’ve had a lot of Sahara dust over the island too. Ask any swimming-pool owner how annoying that is! (Makes us grateful not to have one).
As I write in almost mid-June, we are teetering into the first heatwave of the year, fuelled by an anticyclone bringing hot air up from Africa. AEMET has said the summer of 2022 in Mallorca could be the hottest summer since records began. Even the UK is expecting higher-than-usual temperatures.
A Spring 2022 Return to Mallorca
This is Cala Sant Vicente – Cala Molins
My dad came for a holiday in May for the first time since September 2019. Since we’ve lived here, he’d flown over from the UK every year for spring and autumn holidays … until the pandemic. This year he was determined to come and celebrate his birthday again here with us in Mallorca.
Many of us have been unable to be with family or friends for a long time. FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype have enabled us to see them but there’s nothing like hugging a loved one after a long time apart, is there? It was so good to have him here and be able to spoil him during his stay.
We record the temperatures daily at our finca, using a thermometer that’s in the shade all day. There was no day during Dad’s holiday when the maximum temperature fell below 30 degrees Celsius. It was his hottest holiday with us by far, but he never complained about the heat. He was with us in spring 2022 in Mallorca, on holiday once again.
A Useful Service for those with Poor Mobility
My dad is now 93 – an impressive milestone celebrated over an excellent lunch at Ponderosa Beach in Playa de Muro. Many of our friends are in awe of him travelling alone at his age (as indeed am I). But he has slowed down since we last saw him and suffers leg pains when walking more than fairly short distances.
With queues at airports due to staff shortages and Brexit-related changes, I wanted him to get through Palma’s Son Sant Joan airport as easily as possible and without the long walk to baggage reclaim. I booked the airport’s PRM (Person with Reduced Mobility) service through the airport’s website for his inbound and outbound flights. It’s a useful service to book for anyone with mobility issues.
Writing Again
I am 15,000 words into the first draft of my next novel, the sequel to Daughter of Deià. Motivated by my Dr of Accountability – to whom I am emailing my daily word count – I am writing (almost) every day.
On the subject of books, I’ve recently had two real-life stories included in a new anthology entitled Our Stories – compiled by our dear friend James B Rieley. Although the stories aren’t individually accredited, you’ll find mine as ‘A Close Encounter with a Cliff’ and ‘Being “That” Girl’. The 262-page book is available from Amazon.
Until the next time, stay cool! We’re trying to.
©Jan Edwards 2022
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