Talk of the North > Previous Issues > Issue 45

Port's Guide Book Arrives
Morning TV Show features Pollensa's Creme de la Creme
"Dash & Splash" helps Fight against Cancer
Restaurant Review - IRU, Puerto Pollensa
Charity Golf Tournament
Bridging the Gap in Pollensa

Recipe -Potted Prawns with Smoked Salmon/Chilled Avocado & Prawn Soup

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Copies of the 14th edition of Pollensa’s top tourist guide were snapped up eagerly by holiday companies and visitors as soon as they appeared on the streets at the start of the summer season.

Holiday in Puerto Pollensa, a 64-page full-colour magazine, is a mine of information for holidaymakers, particularly first-time visitors who know nothing about the area, its history, culture and food. The book is widely available in hotels, holiday apartment blocks, tourist offices, bars and restaurants, and also at
Talk of the North/Holiday in Puerto Pollensa offices in C/Llebeig, Pto Pollensa.

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Readers able to pick up ITV’s This Morning programme on their television sets will find the 10.30am (GMT) Thursday travel slot of particular interest at the moment. The programme is running a feature on Mallorca highlighting the “hidden secrets of Mallorca” and will include programmes on different types of specialist excursions, cycling, canoeing and luxury villa rental in away from it all places.

The Mallorca travel programmes are presented by This Morning’s Steve Wilson, and, for the luxury villa piece he wanted to include the services offered by a top of the range catering company. This is where Bruno Canillac’s Pollensa-based Crème de la Crème catering service came on the scene to demonstrate his culinary skills.

Bruno, chosen for his years of experience as a chef (many will remember when he and wife Charlotte ran the Can Costa restaurant in Pollensa) showed Steve how to prepare some traditional Mallorcan dishes, see below. The villa chosen by the TV programme was on the old road between Pollensa and Puerto Pollensa, and the lucky crew stayed on, after filming the slot for TV, to eat the fine food cooked by Bruno. They also filmed in other parts of the Pollensa area, including by the Calvario steps and the town square.

So watch out for that programme on Thursday mornings, and if you would like to contact Crème de la Crème take a look at the web site www.cremedelacrememallorca.com or phone Bruno on 659 932 556.


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Sovereign Spas and Pools in Puerto Pollensa are holding their third annual charity “Dash and Splash” event on Sunday June 3rd.

The main focus of the day is a one-mile run starting outside Sovereign’s showrooms opposite the petrol station in the port at 7pm. After the race comes the “splash” part of the event, the chance for all runners to enjoy a relaxing hydro-massage session in one of the companies Marquis Spas, where jets of bubbly water will soothe all those aching muscles.

The one-mile race is open to anyone over the age of 16 years, though children under that age can participate with parental permission, and there are trophies for the winners in different age groups. Everyone gets a medal and a commemorative T-shirt, too.

Children under 16 years are not left out, however, since from about 5pm on Sunday June 3rd there will be a number of races ranging from 50 metres to 800 metres in length just for them, and again lots of prizes. Refreshments will also be available.

The event is aimed at raising money for La Asociación Española Contra el Cancér. Contact Jane Halverson on 609 338 953 if you are interested in participating or e-mail her on info@spasmallorca.com.

If it’s anything like last year it will be a great fun event for all the family . . . and in a worthy cause.

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Restaurant IRU on the sea-front promenade in Puerto Pollensa has been a favourite eating place for generations of visitors to the area as well as for local residents. Founded in 1944, the restaurant has always benefited from its fabulous views over Pollensa Bay, but since it was renovated four years ago and the menus given a similar facelift, there are now even more reasons for paying IRU a visit.

My dining companion and I sat in the elegant covered terrace area to enjoy the restaurant’s menu de degustación, this is a set meal with several small portions of starters and main courses to give you a taste of a wide variety of dishes.

Three small starters set the scene for the whole evening; they were beautifully presented and provided a range of flavours. A small glass of a delicate gazpacho was accompanied by a spoonful of crisp frito mallorquin and a saucer of velvety smooth crab-filled ravioli. Then along came a portion of fois gras terrine which was followed by a dish of baby squid with a spicy tomato sauce. The mixture of textures with a sweet and spicy accompaniment was delicious. My friend, who has dined in some of the best restaurants in London, was very impressed by the quality and attention to detail here. “This is so good,” she enthused. “I have not had food like this in ages.”

Our main courses were denton with mange tout and a tomato puree, followed by lechona with tumbet. The fish was firm and moist, the mange tout lightly cooked to perfection and the unique tomato mix smoothly complementary. The lechona and tumbet were equally excellently prepared, again with that combination of crispness and smoothness that makes eating such a pleasure.

Even though the portions had been small, by this time both my companion and myself were feeling rather full, and begged for a pause to allow the food to settle a little while we savoured the excellent wine. The restaurant’s wine list is extensive, fine wines from near and far and with prices ranging from around 20€ to over 500€!

The attentive waiters then brought the restaurant’s speciality “palate cleanser”. I won’t spoil the surprise by revealing exactly what this is except to say that not all eggs are what they seem on the outside!

Having used up most of the relevant complimentary adjectives in preceding paragraphs, I am now left speechless when trying to describe the chocolate soufflé dessert that wound up our excellent meal. A recent study revealed in British newspapers alleged that women get more satisfaction from chocolate than a lover’s kiss. Well, let me tell you guys, this soufflé makes you completely redundant!

IRU Restaurant is really something special, both for the quality of the food and the service. Expect to spend around 50€ (though there is a lunchtime 15€ menu) and expect to enjoy an exquisite eating experience.

IRU Restaurant, Passeig Anglada Camarassa 23, Puerto Pollensa. Tel: 971 86 70 02.
Also see www.puertopollensa.com/iru

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A golf tournament in aid of ARA, the Friends of the Hospice organisation which raises funds for the hospice facilities in Mallorca’s Joan March and General hospitals, is taking place at Golf Pollensa on Saturday June 9th.

The first tee-off in the tournament is expected to be at 9am and will continue through most of the day. After playing has finished there will be a buffet dinner, a raffle and an auction and, of course, the presentation of trophies to the winners.

The price for golfers is 95€ (including dinner), and for dinner only it is 60€. To book call Golf Pollensa on 971 533 216.

The Friends of the Hospice in Mallorca has been very successful in raising money to improve facilities for palliative care on the island, and in making Spanish authorities more aware of the need to provide such facilities. A very worthy cause.

Footnote: Readers may remember a feature in Talk of the North last year on Glenn Turner, the golfer who was aiming for a Guinness World Record by playing the most golf courses in one year - including several in Mallorca. Glenn has completed his epic journey, played 383 games in 365 days, driven 18,200 miles, worn out six pairs of shoes, lost two and a half stone and raised £1m for the Rhys Daniels Trust’s home-from-home children’s hospice appeal. Well done, Glenn.


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Judy Phillips had enjoyed seven years of retirement in her home in Bonaire when, earlier this year, she decided she was ready for something new and the challenge of helping people less fortunate than herself.

With husband Paul, Judy had travelled fairly extensively on various holidays, but was envious of the modern trend for ‘Gap years’ during which students take the opportunity to travel the world. She discovered a number of opportunities on the Internet which were advertised as ‘Gap Trips for Grown-ups’ and the one that really appealed to her involved helping children in Bolivia, a trip in which her knowledge of Spanish would be an asset.

So, off she went to work in a nursery for under-privileged children for a month, and, on her return, spoke to Talk of the North about her experiences.

“The trip was organised by a Spanish language School in Bolivia, and the arrangements were admirable,” said Judy. “I travelled to Bolivia where I was met at the airport, put up in a hotel for the night and then transferred to live with a family in Sucre. Most of Bolivia is in the Andes mountains and therefore very high up. Sucre, where I worked, is in the south of the country at 2,800m above sea level. It is a beautiful Spanish colonial city, with no high rise buildings, and has a population of about 250,000, somewhat smaller than Palma. I found it very friendly and at no time felt in danger or threatened - I was happy to walk around the town alone at night.”

The charity which ran the nursery where Judy worked is called, Sanyariy Warmi, which in Quecha, the language of the local indigenous Indians, means ‘woman, raise yourself up’. The charity is for abused women and has medical, legal and social security facilities, as well as the nursery and a refuge. The mothers are all indigenous and previously would lock the children up at home while they worked on the markets. There were about 25 children at the nursery, aged 2 to 5 years, with only 2 assistants and a full time cook to care for them. The cook was extremely important as the children were malnourished and their meals at the nursery were probably all they received. There was also a doctor who visited regularly to check health and treat problems.

“The children were very happy and loved to be cuddled and made a fuss of,” said Judy helped in all ways and was often in sole charge of them as the assistants had also to do cleaning and any other necessary jobs. “I took some Spanish books, which they loved, as they did not seem to have any books there. They also loved footballs, but wanted to hold onto them rather than play with other children, obviously a sign that they had very few personal possessions.

“Every day the assistants wet and combed the children’s hair. The children enjoyed it, but the assistants were obviously looking for nits! All adults were called tia, auntie, including me Tia Judith!”

The day Judy left she gave them all presents and they gave her some chocolates and a locally woven handbag, followed by tearful farewells. Unfortunately, there is not a future of great opportunities ahead for these children.

Judy, is now back in her life of privilege in Mallorca, but since the language school also operates voluntary opportunities in Peru and Ecuador, she may well repeat the experience in other parts of South America.


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Potted Prawns with Smoked Salmon

● 6oz unsalted butter, room temperature
● 1lb cooked prawns
● juice and grated rind of ½ lemon
● salt, pepper and nutmeg
● smoked salmon, 1 slice per person

1 Beat the butter with an electric whisk until it is really pale in colour (almost white) and very light and fluffy.
2 Add the lemon juice and rind then beat for a further minute.
3 Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix well. Now fold in the prawns.
4 Line 4 ramekin dishes with clingfilm, allowing the film to overlap the sides.
5 Spoon into each ramekin the butter and prawn mixture. However, only half fill as mixture is very rich. Cover top with the overlapping clingfilm. Leave to set by chilling in the fridge.
6 When ready to serve, arrange smoked salmon on each plate. Pull the clingfilm a little to ease out the butter and prawn mixture and place in the centre of the plate on top of the salmon. Serve with buttered brown bread, cut into quarters

Chilled Avocado & Prawn Soup

● 3 soft avocados
● ½ pint milk
● ½ pint cream
● juice of 1 lemon
● salt and pepper
● Worcester sauce and Tabasco

1 Place the avocado, milk and lemon juice in a liquidiser and whiz until “pureed”.
2 Empty mixture into a bowl and mix in the cream to get a nice, creamy mixture
3 Add enough Worcester sauce and Tabasco to give a little bite. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4 Leave to chill in the fridge. Pour into soup bowls and sprinkle prawns on top when ready to serve.

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Contact
Ann MacDonald, C/Llevant 46, 2d, 07470 Puerto Pollensa.
Fax 971 864 163
E-mail: carduusann@yahoo.co.uk

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C/Llebeig s/n, bajos (near the square) Puerto Pollensa
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