First impressions arriving in PP

[Portofan]

Hi there !

Whether you are someone who has a house, a frequent visitor or arriving for the first time ever, there must always be a sense of excitement building , the nearer you are to reaching your destination.

On my first visit ,flying in over Formentor and able to get a spectacular view of the Port itself, in glorious sunshine, sticks in the memory. And luckily this year getting the view too.

Then the remarkably quick journey up the new motorway, past Pollensa and finally to the roundabout at Caprabo, with the seaplane structure. Dusk had fallen so missed the one in Pollensa.:eek

And so to the roundabout at the Marina and yes, there was Senor Valls going about his ice cream sales in the kiosk.Next of course, love it or hate it, El Kiosko, in it's new site, doing the business. Bit of a hornet's nest that topic was last year!

Then the Formentor Road and diners starting to fill up the eateries strung along it.

Next morning the first wander along the Pine Walk, noticed a new restaurant just at the start, nearly missed it, blending in as it did. Only the name caught the eye.

Visitors enjoying the sunshine, locals going about their business and as a bonus I see PM, yes THE PM of Puerto Pollensa, Pollensa Man himself, and we had a short natter together.

Just a few of the things that make you feel quite at home again.

Oh well..........better get on with this holiday thing:\ :\

Made me think about the post a few months ago about the leopard not being able to change it's spots!

Everyone will have their own first impressions. Tell us.

 

[Sapphoxxx]

The excitement starts building in my stomach as soon as I am waiting for my baggage. I'm all :rollin whilst everyone else waiting for their luggage seems to be :rolleyes



Then I get worse when I get outside into the sunshine and see the trees etc. It never seems a short trip up the motorway for me, I've never grown up, I was the worse child for "are we there yet?"

No matter what time I arrive, the first place I like to go to is the harbour. It's beautiful, it makes me feel like I'm home

I love the first time I go into the square in the evening, hearing everyone joking and laughing (and trying to avoid the guys from Tango making me dance with them!)

What a lovely thread.

Enjoy your holiday, Portofan

 

[bee66]

mine are first impressions are not of PP but majorca itself!. I even have my grand children trying to be the first to see the windmills.
Then you stand on the steps of the aircraft and feel the warm air, see the spanish notices and the enjoyment starts.
happy days

 

[RingSpin]

On the motorway driving up to PP I always try to head into Alcudia so that I can drive along the coastal road.
The part were the buildings disappear and the sea is suddenly there by the side of the road is the best, you can see PP off in the distance with the mountains forming the backdrop and you're driving towards it

On the journey home we always leave along the coastal road too and that's the worst when you get a sinking feeling as you pass by the road sign telling you that you've just left PP

 

[its cd]

Great post pf ........ and as you said I really do stand by my "leopard doesn;t change its spots" post

My first impressions

Well it changed a bit this year due to the motorway because traditionally we always felt we were nearing gods country when we passed the Glas blowing place , but this year we almost mised it becaus ethe motorway is now behind it.

The next key moment is when we turn left at the roundabout and head down the lovelly road to Pollensa ......

Then, you spot Son Brull ( used to spot it even before it was Son Brull ) and the excitement level really starts to rise.

Then its a quick wave to Pollensa ( the town , not the lady ) and a left turn onto the "home straight"

We usually arrive early evening , so we always ( year in and year out ) comment about the people "walking in " from the Habitat and in later years "the Duva"

Then its down to the front ( not for us the new road, why take speed when you can have the hustle bustle and wonderful feeling of arriving at the central roundabout, waving to "el Heldos" and heading off along the Formentor Road.

Quick detour to the Flora to pick up our Keys and then off to
our favourite place on earth . the really great thing is that almost every year we have a few new member of our extended family ( cousins, nephews , neices, real sisters and brothers, good mates who become honourary sisters and brothers ) with us and I get so so excited anticipating their faces a sthey see the pine walk fo rthe first time.

So when does that happen , well its into the apartment, dump the cases and straight out for a walk, past the Singala, Past, round the little dog leg near the phone box and there is is ........ a view to die for, PP in all its glory, the early eneving light, the calm sea with the last bits of the sun glistening .... orrr I'm getting goose bumps just typing. One of my friends just burst out crying when she saw it ...... she had heard so much about it that she just couldn't cope with the emotion of actually being there in person.

Next step, an about turn, back to the apartment via the Illa D'or for an early afternoon coffee or somethign stronger, whatever takes our fancy.

Let the holiday commence !

 

[debz1]

I always say at some point on the drive up to PP ,since the children were 6 and 8 ( and they are now 24 and 26 )
...."Make the most of this guys as this is the best bit 'cos we've just arrived"

Then as we enter the port, it's a competition to see who's first to spot somebody they recognise.

And for some unknown reason we always shout "CAPRABO!!!" when we drive past??! :\

 

[spudbag]

The world's woes drop of our shoulders the moment we pull out of the airport car park. We too always head via the edge of Alcudia for that first distant glimpse of the bay before pulling onto the sea front road. Part of the excitement is to see what shade the sea is each year - let's face it, it does vary. As the driver, it is tough keeping the eyes on the road as that delicious, inviting azure inlet lures the view across all the way to the Illa D'Or and the army zone - beware all cyclists I say!

Then the eyes skip to the left checking off the restarants that we're going to visit, imagining the suckling pig, lomo con col, mussels, chipirones, shoulders of lamb.......

No, no, no, no - this is too hard. Stranded at work and dreaming of paradise.........I'll have to pour a cuba libre tonight now.....

 

[Keithmarwell]

I am off on the 20th Oct for a week, off the plane into the cab and chat all the way to PP arrive in the Alcudia end and take in the view of the bay
Wonderful

 

[graham]

first impressions

Funnily enough, my kids used to shout BUGER when they drove past!!!!!!

 

[joey36]

first impressions

Funnily enough so did mine

 

[JH02JLH]

Athough not technically a "first impression" I have one very vivid memory of our last holiday...

It was our last night and we were driving into PP from our villa way out in the country. Instead of going via the main road into PP, we drove to Alcudia and approached the resort along the coast road which must rank as one of my favourite stretches of road in the world.

I was driving :rolleyes but I can still see that view unfold in front of me - the beautiful curve of mountains with the town nestling comfortably beneath. It was early evening and everything was bathed in that gorgeous soft glow. The danger for me of course, was looking at that beautiful sight and not concentrating on my driving, but I'll never forget it.

Every time we drive along there, I keep meaning to get out and take a series of photographs, but I'm sure the camera won't do the scene justice.

Jane

 

[The Blunderer]

Well my first impressions were a little different.

The noisy road running through the town centre and behind the beach, the tacky shops by the road, the crowded pavement and the identikit tourist restaurants.

It was nicer at the Pine Walk side of town, but heaven on earth it wasn't, I'm afraid.

Sorry to be negative but I thought the place was OK but still just another resort.

 

[Tonsyl]

We have just had a fantastic two weeks on the pine walk and already booked for next year.

Our first impression this year was one which I feel might affect lots of people. Having travelled up from Palma on the public bus we got off at Eolo and the stench from the drains was awful. Why is it that for the past 3 years the stink is getting worse, and right by the bus station where the visitors get their first impressions of PP.

Maybe the council has matters in hand but I can honestly say it is the only thing we dislike about PP and, as I said, just back from the best holiday yet in the town.

 

[JH02JLH]

As much as I love PP, I have to agree about the drain smell. We could even smell it at the Cafe L'Algar in the summer and it was really bad.

And as Tonsyl said, it's what the passengers getting off the buses will notice first.

Jane

 

[sandy]

Am I wrong, but wasn't this supposed to be sorted when they dug up the Formentor Road and the roundabout by the marina?

 

[HikerBiker]

My first impression of PP was nearly clipping another car as I was negotiating the roundabout.

 

[Portofan]

Having in the last few days returned from a week in PP, may I with respect to Pollensa , our leader, resurrect this old post and see what some newbies have to say?

The day we arrived the 12th October, at Palma airport , the rain was miserable but as we came up the Motorway it had stopped and it was good to arrive in PP, but as it was the National Holiday so much was shut up for the day.

Oh and btw it was great to read the post by my old M8 from years ago, The Hiker Biker himself!

Porto

 

[Rosie34]

I start getting a bit giddy as we approach Barcelona and you can feel the plane start its descent. And then I crane my neck to catch a first glimpse of the island - on a clear day it sort of looks blue and misty in the distance. And then as the plane gets lower and it gets nearer and then you can see the jagged Formentor cliffs and then suddenly you're over them, and there is PP dozing in the sun - well hopefullyin the sun, sometimes you cant see it at all!! And I always think, illogically, why cant the plane just drop us off here and save all the drive back up the island!

 

[joelise80]

Whether travelling as a family when my boys were younger or when we escape on our now I know we are not far off when I see the Pyrenees, then the descent down into Palma. The last few times we have flown along the west coast of Mallorca - most disappointing not to glimpse PP from the air
When the plane doors open I just love the feel of the warm air and that distinctive abroad smell. Like others have said we always drive in from Alcudia along the bay just to see the view of the bay for the first time. In the late 90's there was an upturned boat on the beach before Tamerells Beach Bar and that was when my boys realised we were nearly 'home'.
When staying in CSV we drove into PP most evenings and my boys would shout 'Habitat people' as we saw them all trudging into town or back from the beach.