Mallorca update
This part is old, this is how it all started:
Sometime in 2021. The school holidays are set, actually until 2025. I want to plan our vacation for the coming year as early as possible, because the prices are high during all school vacation times, and I haven't thought about Christmas/New Year's Eve for years , crazy expensive. So far, the publication of the EasyJet flight schedule in September of the previous year has always been my deadline to start planning my holidays for the coming year. Berlin airport is such a thing, it's best to just look at EasyJet anyway, everything else usually involves annoying changes.
So, said, done. Every year since we've been in the "school holiday business" it's been the same game: planning, even though you don't yet know what the next year will bring.
What I'm writing about here is of course an absolute luxury problem. Just saying...
But back to holiday planning. It's September, I'm sitting in front of the EasyJet flight schedule and looking at where you could go in the summer and Easter or during the autumn holidays.
I can't think of anything for Easter, besides, we're in 2021, so Corona, baby.
So focus on the summer holidays: Then we'll let it rip. We are self-employed, for the first time positioned so that we can work from anywhere, and since we don't know what the Corona autumn will bring, we decide on two vacations of 14 days each in the summer. Easter, summer and autumn holidays in one dish, so to speak.
First Stop Creta Malia Park. The hotel is okay. My husband found it much worse than I did, but he is always very critical. For me, the spa area failed with a 6- below, which of course I always test for work reasons. But: We unexpectedly met an old kindergarten friend of Moritz's who now lives in Hamburg. And I met three of my customers there who kindly spoke to me. Warm greetings from here! Conclusion: The children had a lot of fun, the vacation was overpriced. And somehow a disappointment because we were hoping for something completely different from the pictures.
Next stop Almyra in Cyprus. I discovered this on the Design Hotels site about 15 years ago and it was the very first place I went on a wonderful holiday with the eldest children after the divorce. In this respect, this hotel will always have a special place in my heart. And always happy to visit with the new family. Like last summer too. As I said, my husband, who is critical, also has a lot to complain about here, I always find it very relaxing. The spa there is A+.
The conclusion after two vacations: a lot of money spent, semi happy. But then my husband discovered “our” house on Mallorca. Crazy as we are, we signed the rental agreement (permanent, with a minimum term of one year) sight unseen, and the problem of “where to go on vacation” is solved for the next few years – or as long as we want.
I'll be taking you with me on one of my Mallorca trips on all of my next vacations, and I'll be back from my favorite tapas bar!
UPDATE 2/11/2024
Since February 7th We are now officially residents here on Mallorca. How on earth did that happen?
On the one hand, you have to say that we were no longer happy in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg. Too unsafe for the children, no secondary school places, an apartment that is so overpriced, although it is beautiful (we have only lived nicer in Los Angeles), and after the two Corona years, the certainty that we have everything that Berlin "offers". don't use it at all. Our life revolves around family and basketball. And I love working. So we don't need the range of museums, opera, cinema and restaurants at all.
At the same time, over the entire holiday weeks we really fell in love with our village here, with life on Mallorca and the house here. The long-term rental against hotels actually worked out, especially since my older sons also went on holiday here alone. And close friends too.
But at some point the idea of moving here came up. Actually pretty much when we saw our Carl playing basketball in the club here. He was so relaxed. He was happy. Without language skills. Simply because of the different mentality. Spaniards, both children and adults, show their emotions naturally. Every training session was always a big celebration with lots of hugs, high fives and a lot of community.
We then started looking for schools. And at first we only thought about international schools. There are two in our corner, we only liked both of them to a limited extent, and the places are usually only available on a waiting list. That was too unsafe for us. At some point we looked at the village school and immediately knew that our children would be happy here.
Small classes, well equipped, olive grove, chickens, orchard, Montessori education. The director was super personable and everything was very uncomplicated. We immediately got two school places. Easy.
Dirk and the children emigrated before Easter, I emigrated on December 31st, 2023. The fact that things worked so well with the children was due to the basketball club. They already felt at home there. Of course also the fact that they knew their way around here. If the children don't want to, it's difficult, but children adapt very quickly.
I had concerns about the language, completely unfounded. Everything works great, both are supported in the best possible way. Moritz is now in the 7th grade, Carl is in the 5th grade, and there is automatically a place at secondary school. Unimaginable in Berlin.
I probably forgot a lot of details. But it is also a comprehensive topic. And I could talk for hours...
Just this much: We did all the administrative work with an agency, which was uncomplicated and easy. You don't have to drive cars to Mallorca, there are transport companies for that. By the way, there are also transports for animals. Our dachshunds weren't allowed in the cabin, Clara is too long and we didn't want to transport her below deck. As far as the job goes, of course, that was extremely easy for me as a “freelancer”. But please seek advice from a good lawyer. If you need a contact, I have one!
PS For everyone who now wants to look for houses or apartments in Mallorca (and there are a few who have written to me), here I am putting up-to-date links to offers that my husband has picked out for you:
https://www.idealista.com/inmueble/102847103/
https://www.idealista.com/inmueble/103106086/
https://www.idealista.com/inmueble/103546714/
https://www.idealista.com/inmueble/103663119/
https://www.idealista.com/en/inmueble/103871014/
All regular long-term rental properties, no Airbnb, no vacation rentals.
Tip: Enter a search request at Idealista... there are a lot of offers without an agent, and a monthly rent deposit is common here.