Event Previews & Reviews from Mallorca

A trip to Deià on the north coast of Majorca is a must for anyone wishing to experience the diversity that this beautiful island has to offer.

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations may be over in the UK, but here on Mallorca, we enjoyed a quintessential English garden party at La Residencia Hotel in Deia to mark the British monarch’s 60th year on the throne.

The Esporles Sweet Fair began in 2005 and is held on the first Sunday of October to guarantee fine weather. The event is becoming increasingly popular and diverse with every passing year and offers a unique opportunity to meet the people who make a fine range of traditional, homemade and, often, organic foods including wines, cakes, pastries, jams and sweets. And, of course, to sample their wares! Here are some of my favourite stands from Sunday's fair, with an insight into the characters and traditions behind the produce.

The craziness of peak season is over here in Mallorca and as the summer begins to draw to a close there's just enough time for one last big party, or if you want several. The closing parties for Mallorca Rocks, BCM and Nikki Beach Mallorca are just around the corner and if you want to say goodbye to the summer in style then there a few dates to add to your diary.

On Saturday, February 1st, I went along to the 2nd edition of The SuppER Club, hosted by The Van Mallorca. This was a Japanese evening held at the trendy Zunray Yoga Studio on Calle Sant Feliu.

Before you reach for your top hat or fascinator, this is not Ascot, nor is it actually horse racing as you know it. For in Mallorca, it is trotting races that is the king of sports. The specially bred horses (with a height of 1.5 - 1.7 metres) pull a small and lightweight cart which carries a ‘jockey' around a race track going at speeds you would not think possible. This sport has been popular in Majorca for 200 years and tracks in Palma and Manacor host races once a week.

Valldemossa was packed with visitors on Friday to celebrate 'Artdemossa', its annual evening dedicated to art, music and poetry. The pretty mountain village burst into life with entertainment for all the family; taditional giants and teasing demons, live painting and soulful singing were all essential ingredients of this cultural fair.

The month of June gets the summer beach parties in Mallorca off to a fine start. The weather is glorious and we all look for excuses to get down on the sand and remember why we moved here. The beach and perfect horse shoe bay of Port de Soller never fail to delight and the children start to look forward to their holidays and swapping school shoes for no shoes. The diving platform is installed in the water this week and then the locals know that summer has officially started.

In recent years, Mallorca has embraced the street food trend that has hit Western Europe, with food festivals popping up at various events around the island. This new found love went to the next level, as the first weekend in June saw Barcelona’s legendary VAN VAN make its debut trip across the Spanish waters to Palma’s Parc de la Mar, next to the city's iconic cathedral.

On a summers evening, I headed deep into the depths of Palma’s old town to join in the fun and frolics of the city’s legendary ‘Tapas Tuesday Tour’, known and advertised as Ruta Martiana on the island.

The Kaiser Chiefs played Mallorca Rocks last night in the Majorca beach resort of Magaluf. The Chiefs were only the second band since the opening party with Ed Sheeran three weeks ago. Since then the crowds have been treated to the likes of Maverick Sabre and Chase and Status but this was the first full band with guitars and vocals and it was a band who are making something of a come back after a long hiatus. Could they still be enough to entertain the Mallorca crowd?

After a fairly hedonistic weekend of parties, late nights and frivolities it's good to finish a Sunday with something calming, relaxing and healthy. In the Palma area one of the best ways to end the week is at the Zhero Hotel Barbeque.