Day one
We arrive at about 8pm and our Airbnb host Rosa is all smiles. What a delight it’s going to be to live in a place lifted out of the pages of a style magazine for a few days, instead of among the clutter and chaos of three children in our small London flat.
The place is immaculate and so much better than the photographs, with handcrafted tables and wardrobes, and quirky touches such as painted starfish ceramics and the weather forecast chalked up on a blackboard outside.
After unloading the car we head straight into the village to find Sa Fona, the restaurant she’s chosen for us. It is small and inconspicuous – we probably would have marched straight past – but inside every table has a “reservado” sign on it. We order fried eggs and chips for the kids and calamari, serrano ham and bread and aioli for us, and an earthenware jug of red wine to celebrate the start of our holiday.
Day two
This morning I open the wooden shutters of our bedroom window to see that the sun is already hitting the terrace, so race downstairs to lay breakfast on the outdoor table – it’s a treat to all sit out in the first warmth of the day eating cakes and fruit, and drinking coffee. Our doorbell rings and Rosa is there with a bag of floats for the kids to use in the pool. She’s also got a picture that makes their eyes widen: a woman with seven legs carrying a fish and a basket of veg. Rosa explains that referencing this figure during Lent is a Mallorcan tradition – her seven legs represent the seven weeks of Lent and each week a leg is cut off, until Easter Sunday, when she’s thrown in the fire.
We head off to explore the medieval town of Santanyi, where the Wednesday market is in full swing. We buy salad, nuts and manchego cheese, and a flamenco dress for Zayla, who is getting into the culture and calling “hola” to the locals.
At 4pm we visit a nearby port to watch the fishing trawlers come in, before picking up some fresh octopus for ourselves and heading back to the house. After dinner at home, we get the kids to bed early and – for the first time in forever – Shyne and I enjoy a glass of wine together.
Day three
Zenya takes her first teetering steps today. The kids always seem to hit a developmental milestone when we take time out to be together. Today I want to take them to the Caves of Artà, which inspired Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and visit another local restaurant recommended to us by Rosa.
The caves are fascinating and even Zenya enjoys the light show, where they play Vangelis’s Heaven and Hell at full volume.
After that we head to Cala Sa Nau, a seafood restaurant right on a nearby beach. It’s a real find. A small white-sand cove surrounded by pine forest with a restaurant shack in the centre. Wooden tables and chairs spill out on to the sand, and again each one has a reservado sign on it. Of course one of them is ours, because Rosa told us to book. It’s the perfect setup. The beach is small enough to let the kids roam free, while we work our way through plates of gambas.
I even get to read my book for an hour, which is something that never happens. We agree that we should definitely book an Airbnb again next time we go on holiday. It’s not just about having a lovely house to enjoy, but about having a local as your guide. Our host’s recommendations have meant we’ve had the best local experience – and not one dud meal.
Zayla’s take on Mallorca’s Caves of Artà
I had such a fun time in Mallorca. I loved trying all the different things to eat and staying in such a beautiful house. The best bit was visiting the magic caves. They were huge with lots of bits growing out of the ceiling and up from the floor.
The man said it took 100 years for them to grow just 1cm and there was one that was so long it must have been a million years old. Mummy told me that people used to hide in the caves when there were wars in the olden days. We found rooms that we would make into our kitchen and chose places to sleep and where we would put our toys.
Ziggy even found a dragon’s lair where we said we would keep our pet dragon. It was fun imagining living there. I can’t quite believe that people really did.
