Writing Inspiration in Mallorca - that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Alright, I admit it. I've been away again but I'm not going to feel guilty.

The reason I'm not is because of my neighbour. She and her husband are in their eighties and are not able to do the things they used to do. Even a trip to the village shop is a major outing for them these days. Whenever I stop for a chat with her, she always says to me, "Wendy, do as much as you can, while you can. One day you'll be old and may not be able to do everything you want to do. Make the most of life while you can."

These words were an echo of those of a dear friend who passed away two years ago and it made me think about the truth in them. Life is for living... for enjoying. I've had periods of my life when things have been challenging but, at the moment, life is great. None of us know what's around the corner and, while we are able, my husband and I have decided to make the most of it. Having wonderful breaks in beautiful places such as the one we've just had in the Tramuntana Mountains of Mallorca, being one way.

We were there for five days and stayed in a simple finca on a hillside studded with orange and lemon trees. This photograph was of our garden and, each morning, we'd pick oranges from the trees and have freshly squeezed orange juice with our breakfast.
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Each morning, we'd wake up to the sound of sheep bells and birdsong, and, when we opened the shutters, the air was filled with the fragrance of orange blossom. Once, we looked out to see a heard of mountain goats in our orchard!

Fifteen minutes down a steep and cobbled track (and over stepping stones in a stream) led us to the village of  Fornalutx, which prides itself on having the title of the prettiest village in Spain. It was obvious why - nestled in the mountains, its cobbled streets and warm stone houses with their red-tiled roofs are a delight.

The place is a walkers' paradise but, having only brought trainers, my husband and I were content to take the footpath through the olive trees to Soller in the valley below and then on to Port de Soller. If we were looking for a beach resort, this is probably where we'd choose as it was lovely.

Feeling a bit lazy, we caught the little tram back to Soller, then walked back to Fornalutx, stopping for a well-earned chilled glass of white wine in the square.

The rest of or days were spent, visiting the lovely seaside resort of Puerto Pollensa, discovering the villages of Valldemossa and Deia and eating good food. We were lucky to have several restaurants in the village and didn't have a bad meal. In fact, the paella we had on our last night was probably the best we've ever eaten.

As you can imagine, we were very sad to leave our little finca but holidays must come to an end. My husband needed to get back to work and I needed to get back to my writing. I like to think of these breaks as inspiration for my magazine stories - needless to say, I have already started one set on this beautiful island. 

Speaking of magazines, I came home to find I had a story in the latest People's Friend magazine and here it is!