We hired a car and set off to explore the island, in search of great ideas to inspire your next adventure. However as with so many trips it became the journey that we found inspiration in. Driving in Mallorca really is like a Top Gear challenge. The Western coast of Mallorca has some of the most awesome roads. For hours it twists and turns through the Tramuntana mountains and around the cliffs above hidden coves and secluded beaches, only inches from the edge. There were a few scary moments when we did get rather close to the edge. Maybe it was the inner child trying to escape but you actually feel like the Stig as you race along the coast line. It isn’t all about an exhilarating race however as the whole time you have a wonderful backdrop of the Mediterranean ocean and hidden beaches. Traditional Spanish villages pop up in the landscape as you round each cove. Acting as check points to enjoy the some tapas whilst taking in the views from roof top terraces perched on the cliff edge.

Some of the nicest villages are situated along the Tramuntana mountain range, home to the rich and famous like Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas and also Claudia Schiffer. Here are a few of our favourites.

Located in the south-east of the Tramuntana mountain range is the scenic village of Banyalbufar. This beautiful village clinging to the top of a sea cliff is a popular, yet unspoilt, stop for many visitors to Mallorca. The ancient village has a 17th century Baronial Palace with impressive coastal views from the ancient defence tower.

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Location location location

Living in downtown Miami is well worth the rent money when big events come to town and the city decides to host them a couple blocks down the street from my apartment building. In celebration for the World Cup Final, the city of Miami held a block party in the blistering sunny 95 F degree weather that we call summer in Florida. Being a fan of Spain was the popular route to go. Groups of people walked the streets in red and yellow, many with their faces painted to only have their intricate designs drip off with sweat minutes later.

World Cup Finals Miami block party

In 2008 it was recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau that 62.4% of Miami-Dade residents were of Hispanic or Latino origin. Nearly 65% of Miamians are of Hispanic decent. Of that 65%, 35% are Cuban. Where have all the Spaniards come from?

Non-Spanish fans rooting for the Spanish

Now I know for a fact that not all of the Spain fans on my downtown block are actually of Spanish decent, seeing how I saw some of my college friends (who are not Spanish). In a world sporting event do you support the country you live in? Or the country that most resembles, or is most associated, with your own? My father was born and raised in a small town in Portugal and immigrated here when he was ten years old. My mother was born and raised in Dominican Republic and immigrated here when she was two. She was never too much of a sports fan, but my dad on the other hand rooted all the way for the Americans to win the World Cup. Of course, if Portugal was playing he absolutely could not miss it.

Listen to the octopus, or your gut?

If your motherland isn’t in the World Cup or Olympics, how do you choose who you root for? Some people I asked said they choose whatever country their family supports. Most simply pick who they think is the best and is going to win the tournament (I wonder where all the Brasil fans went). The immense superstition of an octopus deciding on the World Cup winner has created a world following thanks to his eight consecutive pickings, all correct. Apparently, even psychic Paul the octopus has received death threats, having reportedly doomed his own country (sorry, Germany) to the win.

The Spanish impostors roaming the streets surrounding my building took their World Cup fervor as far as shooting off fireworks reaching as high as my 11th floor balcony. Maybe supporting a country that is not your own is more like a fashion trend. Everyone’s doing it, so why not? In the next World Cup, let me know who the trend is going to be. I need to find a fitted jersey.

Idyllic Beaches and Crystal Clear Waters

I used to think that with all the news about the Philippines being shown on international television, my country was already popular for being infamous – a coup d’état here, a typhoon there, corruption in the government, terrorism in the south; ousting of the once action star turned president, replaced by a hobbit-size woman with enough balls to stay despite all the allegations being put on her.

I am a proud Filipino and an optimist, and so despite of all of the above, I used to think that people from other countries also knew the other side of the coin – the beautiful country that is the Philippines, and the goodness of its people. When I moved to Spain though, I learned that a lot of people are not familiar with the Philippines and I learned a lot about the sort of ideas and knowledge that some people have regarding to my country. Some of the questions that i’ve been asked I found funny, some I found very ignorant and some made me a little mad. I’ve outlined some of these questions below, followed by my own thoughts and ideas.

Geography

“Hay playa en Filipinas?” which can be translated to “Is there a beach in the Philippines?” This question is something that never in my life I thought I would be asked, but I thought wrong, believe me. To this I answered, “No hay playa en Filipinas. Hay miles de playas.” – “There isn´t a beach in the Philippines, there are thousands of them.” ” The Philippines were a colony of Spain, right? And so you are in South America.” Hmmm… This question made me pause for a very long 3 seconds with a look on my face that said “What in god´s name are you talking about?” The first part I admit is a very intelligent remark. Philippines was a colony of Spain for 333 years, explaining a 92% Christian population in the country, a thousand Spanish words similar to the vernacular and a heavily Spanish influenced the culture. This may confuse some people about the location of the Philippines who think that because “it was a colony of Spain, it is in South America”. To answer the question though, Philippines is located in South East Asia below Taiwan, above Malaysia and Brunei.

The Language

There are about 76 major language groups with more than 500 dialects. It sounds crazy but not to worry, Tagalog is considered the official language and is widely used. English is the second official language. You can travel all the islands just speaking English and have no problems. “… and you, why do you speak English?…you are Asian, why do you have that American accent?” These questions put a smile on my face. I have been asked these questions so many times I don’t care to remember. The long version of my answer is this: After being colonised by Spain Philippines was sold to the United States. The Americans colonised the country for 44 years. They demanded the Filipinos speak English instead of Spanish and so now we conduct busines in English, schools teach English from kindergarten to Masters. You can hear people having conversations switching from Tagalog to English, and vice versa. As for the accent, I can honestly say that it is learned. I am a product of the numerous call centers and BPO firms that have infused momentum into the Philippines market, which includes Fortune 500 companies. These call centers provide accent training depending on the client whether it’s American or British and do not allow their employees to speak any other language inside the office aside from English. We are considered the third-largest English speaking country in the world.

The Culture and The People

I can describe the culture of the Philippines like this: Malay + indones + chinese + arab + india + spanish + american + british + japanese = Filipino The ancestors + the merchants + the settlers + the colonisers Like our vernacular, the Philippine culture is heavily influenced by the people who stayed in the country – close family ties and food of the Chinese, words and religion of the Spanish, democracy and English as an official language from the Americans are just a few examples. Personally, I describe a Filipino as a person who smiles easily, welcomes you to their home with open arms and serves you the best food that they can offer, gives respect to their elders, values freedom, believes in God and fights for what they believes in.

The Country

How can I describe it? Heavy traffic in the metropolis, 24hours of work in the business districts, lots of partying and beautiful people on weekends. Then, there are people who live in shanties who would be happy to earn $2 a day and thousands of unemployed. Physically, it is very beautiful – beaches like Boracay, Palawan and Bohol; countrysides like Tagaytay; volcanoes like Taal – the smallest in the world and of course mountains too. It has so much to offer! I always tell myself that when I get the chance I will go island-hopping and discover my own country – the Philippines — visit Philippines Tourism

They owe their design sensibilty to geographical, cultural and historical heritage. They were born out of the dream of a Majorcan family who have been manufacturing shoes since 1877. Camper are one of the increasingly few shoe manufacturers not based in China where the exploitation of factory workers is commonplace.

“Camper” means “peasant” in the regional language of Catalan. All of their shoes are inspired by farmer footwear and are steeped in island tradition. Lorenzo Fluxá, who started the company in 1975, has always said that it’s better to build a brand around old-fashioned ideas than to try to be fashion-forward. Their design director and all-purpose muse, Guillermo Ferrer says “Some people try to tell us what kind of product to make, we appreciate their opinions, but we usually say, ‘No thank you.’ We make Majorcan shoes. If they don’t want our product, we accept their decision, close the factory, and go home.”

Camper stands for the preservation of rural culture, a culture that is quickly diminishing in these modern times of urbanisation, both the setting and the values that it represents.