Nature | The Daily Norm

Aug 7

On the trail of S’Arxiduc (Part 2): Monestir de Miramar

Following on from our visit to Son Marroig, our tour of the Deia coast on the trail of S’Arxiduc, the Archduke Ludwig Salvador, took us back towards Valldemossa and to the Miramar Monastery. Contrary to the name, there is very little left of the 13th Century monastery which once stood on the site, other than one length of what must have been a stunning cloister, now to be found almost floating amidst a garden full of flowers. However what was left of the monastery was purchased by the Archduke in 1872 when he fell head over heels in love with the coast, and there he converted the site into another of his great coastal houses.

The old monastery, the house an its gardens

Today the main attraction of the house is undoubtedly the gardens and land which surround it. As the Archduke himself declared: “Without doubt no other place on earth deserves with more reason the name Miramar”. And on this count, I could not disagree, for just beyond the more formal gardens which surround the ancient chapel and old cloister remains, extensive land takes the visitor all the way to a cliff edge which benefits from utterly breathtaking views over to Son Marroig and the stunning emerald sea below. From there, the grounds lead on to a mysterious Italianate pool, and beyond a series of canals and mills which appear to be left over from the ingenious reign of the Moors whose engineering innovations managed to tame this otherwise uninhabitable land long before the Archduke arrived.

Views and aspects of the land beyond

It is not at all hard to appreciate why the Archduke fell so in love with this incredible strip of coastline, and it is thanks to him that much of the coast today remains unspoilt and unashamedly beautiful for us all to enjoy today.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Aug 3

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Mallorca’s ultimate eden: The Son Viscos Bed & Breakfast

Many may smirk when the inhabitants of paradise complain, but even we locals of Mallorca know when enough is enough. And having lived now for almost two months of temperatures in excess of 35 degrees, every so often, one just has to get away from it all. Nothing extreme mind you – I’m not talking the 20 degrees drop which a visit to London may entail, but rather a drive up into the stunning Tramuntana mountains where, at night at least, the air is notably fresher than city life in Palma and sumptuously comfortable. And as this very hot weather happened to coincide with my 32nd birthday (yesterday!) it seemed like the perfect excuse to treat ourselves a little, and book a little night away in a cooler, lusher paradise.

The location we chose could not have been more perfect. Located in the footfalls of the Tramuntana in the valley which gives the magical town of Valldemossa its name, the Son Viscos Bed and Breakfast was like a home from home, but we’re talking the kind of home which only the most avid readers of interior design magazines could wish for.

Interiors of the Son Viscos

Owned by the proprietors of the popular interior design store, Mosaic, located in cool Santa Catalina in Palma, the Son Viscos hotel is a euphoria of design harmony, with understated muted tones and natural woods offsetting perfectly amongst carefully chosen rustic antiques and ceramic items. The west-facing kitchen, which was flooded with light in the afternoon, and filled with a bounteous feast of the freshest breakfast produce in the morning, was the beating heart of a guesthouse which maintained all of the characteristics of the most welcoming of family homes.

The Son Viscos garden

Our room, the Menta suite, offered the very best of comfort with a lavish but pared down minimalist wooden four poster bed, together with haphazardly placed original art, design arm chairs and super soft towels. Flooded with light from an ample terrace, the room boasted enviable views of the Valldemossa monastery, and benefited from all of the freshness of the lush mountains opposite.

And it was precisely that fresh air which so loving nurtured us as we settled down for our night at the Son Viscos, finally able to escape the suffocating heat which had tampered with our dreams for months. Waking enlivened and refreshed, we had yet more pleasures to discover, for opposite the Son Viscos, the hotel’s extensive grounds extended to sun dappled woods hugging the side of the valley, and included fresh water streams, ancient moorish mills and even a dainty stone bridge which had more than survived the tests of time.

The Son Viscos’ sumptuous grounds

The Son Viscos hotel was frankly an experience in a million, for its meticulously conceived design, its perfectly bucolic location, and for the sheer welcoming comfort it offered. As I sit here now, back in hot Palma, recounting my time there I long to return. Something tells me it won’t be long.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

May 22

Discovering Mallorca: La Granja de Esporles

Sometimes the very best discoveries are those made by chance. And such a chance recently led us to a jewel of Mallorca’s Tramuntana mountains – an ancient palace surrounded by the most lush gardens and grounds – of which we previously had no knowledge. Almost like entering a kind of Lewis Carroll surreal wonderland, we came upon La Granja de Esporles in a densly forested turn in the road as we entered the mountains near Valldemossa. Through an opening in the vegetation, a grand building decorated with a series of elegant arches framing an open portico came into view. Around it, a mix of floral gardens, free formed parklands and formal lawns were just about visible. And in the air, a distinct harmony of birdsong became even more evident than normal. We knew that we had to park the car and discover more.

The lush surroundings of La Granja

Reaching the front gate, the surreal feeling of this wonderland grew stronger as we encountered people dressed in traditional Mallorquin costume. Only a camera in their hand and a cash booth for tickets betrayed a sense of modernity, but beyond we were once again plunged back into the past as we toured a house packed full of the artisan crafts – lenguas fabric, pottery making, wine production – which are famous across the island, and beyond, the sense of surreal unease increased as we toured a cellar full of medieval torture instruments and childrens’ dolls with two heads…

From the ancient to the surreal…

The pure light of reality flooded down upon us as we entered gardens abundant in flowers and larger than life trees. But this was a better kind of reality – a kind of bucolic nirvana in which birds gave out almost tropical sounding calls, and the air was suffused by the fresh dampness given off by a nearby 30metre tall waterfall. Meanwhile beyond this watery masterpiece, sun-dappled forests were enriched with further touches of wonderland, as we encountered baby donkeys asleep under trees, and mountain goats strolling fearlessly across our path. Had we entered paradise?

Freely roaming animals, a vast waterfall and other touches of paradise…

Paradise or otherwise, La Granja is a former lorded estate today owned by the Segui family and opened as a museum in order to promote recognition of traditional Mallorcan crafts and to share the kind of blissful manor house living which was once possible on the island when you had pockets full of money to match. Amongst the natural beauty and a house packed full of history, a horse gala showcasing the incredibly skills of Spanish horses (rearing up on hind legs, trotting to rhythm and so on) rounded off a thoroughly fantastic, much unplanned discovery. Now we are looking forward to the next secret we stumble upon on this ever intriguing island.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

May 20

Mallorca Sketchbook: Orient Olive Tree

Recent readers of The Daily Norm will know that I am in love with the graceful free-form beauty of Mallorca’s olive trees. So it was only a matter of time before I put pen to paper, and made the olive tree a feature of my sketchbook too. It doesn’t take much in Mallorca to stumble upon a stunning olive specimen, but in Orient, a tiny hamlet nestled in the Tramuntana Mountains, these trees are at their most abundant, and some are pretty ancient too. The tree which I chose to sketch must be hundreds of years old, such are the bountiful folds and undulations of its ancient trunk, and drawing these free forms was nothing but a pleasure, and an act of pure admiration for this incredible work of nature. I hope you like it.

Orient Olive Tree (2015 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

May 19

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Discovering Mallorca: Mountain miradores from the Monastery of Lluc

Just when I thought Mallorca’s Tramuntana mountains couldn’t get any better, I stumbled (or rather drove, extensively) across the uniquely magical village of Lluc. Built around an ancient monastery-come-school, and set at the peak of some of Mallorca’s highest mountains, Lluc feels so steeped in historical wealth and religious fervour that we could feel a kind of magical aura suspended in the thin mountain air.

Founded in the 13th century after a Moorish shepherd reputedly found a statue of the Virgin Mary on the site where the monastery was later erected, Lluc is today considered to be the most important pilgrimage site on Mallorca, not least the ancient statue herself, around whom a queue of the faithful gathers even at the quietest times of the year.

However as beautiful as Lluc may be with its ancient grand basilica silhouetted gracefully against a stunning mountain backdrop, and a lush botanical garden full of surreal statues and flowering plants, the real highlight of my visit was the mountain scenery surrounding it. Lush multi-layered mountain strata, olive-tree lined slopes, thick green forests and brick-red rugged rocks; this was scenery to truly take the breath away, and is the focus of today’s Daily Norm latest discovery in Mallorca.

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May 13

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A homage to the Olive Tree

If I were a poet, now would be the time to lapse into a suitably poetical homage to what I consider to be one of the most beautiful trees on the earth: the olive tree. And I should know, for living now on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, I find myself surrounded by them. And yet poetry has never been my strong point, hard as I might try, but happily I always have my camera, and a photographic homage is surely apt adulation for a tree which is, after all, so visibly magnificent.

Whether they be young trees cultivated in long lines for the mass production of their oil, or the stunning old trees whose every twist and turn and ancient nook and cranny tells a thousand stories of its longevity on the earth, olive trees are a veritable feast for the eyes. Every tree is so different, and the older they get, the more whimsically sculptural their trunks become – like the creation of the maddest surrealist or the most imaginative fantastical painter. And amongst leaves of near-silver, plump fruit of purple and green, and sometimes even a polished lacquered black are the perfect product of so complex and beautiful a tree.

So with photos taken across Mallorca, this is my homage to the olive tree.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

May 8

The Daily Norm Photo of the Week: Mountain Goat

Mallorca’s mountains are full of goats. Little bouncing hairy goats, roaming the mountain plains in herds and on their own, and reaching the dizzying heights of cliffs and precipices, seemingly able to balance on the most precarious of terrain. I love the goats of Mallorca. Almost everywhere we have gone in the Tramuntana mountains, they have been a feature, whether it be avoiding a near collision on a mountain road, or watching a family of little kids gently baaaahing their way around an undulating pasture.

This week’s Daily Norm photo focus is one such Mallorquin mountain resident who posed so elegantly in this photo, with his two chocolatey dark eyes staring straight into the lens of my camera, that I could not help but make him a feature. Wild and timid by nature, there was something deeply satifying about photographing this marvellous animal at such close quarters – a rare and intimate moment captured in the most stunning of Mallorca’s landscapes.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Apr 22

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Reflections on Ibiza in bloom

My January weekend on the infamous island of Ibiza feels like an age ago, and while my recent return to the island to open a new restaurant for work was only around 8 weeks after my first visit, the island was transformed. True, it was not the boom-beat party-rammed hedonistic madhouse into which the island metamorphoses in the height of the summer (thank god!), but with the onset of the Spring, it was an island transformed. In the streets on the foothills of the Dalt Vila (old town) where I was based, restaurants had reopened after a long winter break, squares were once again filled with life, and an atmosphere of allegria seemed to waft through the air.

Now being as project managing the opening of a restaurant is a fairly hefty role, it will not surprise you to know that I did not have all that much time to enjoy what are otherwise the beautiful surroundings of the island around me. However, when the odd opportunity afforded it, I took out my camera to snap Ibiza, and this post is the culmination of those odd moments – my reflections on an Island in bloom, whether it be the yacht filled marinas, or the squares newly dappled with sunlight through fresh spring leaves.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Apr 17

The Daily Norm photo of the week: Cúber Caterpillar

This will not be the first time that my photo of the week has prompted me to bless the macro zoom feature on my camera. It never fails to surprise me just how much more becomes visible in a closely shot photo than can be noticed by the human eye, whether it be in the ugly form of an insect, or in the stunning stamen of a flower.

This week’s photo focus goes to one such example of close-shot mastery – a lovely little furry caterpillar that we spotted crawling along a random rock by the stunning lake of Cúber in Mallorca’s Tramuntana mountains. Its incredible spiny fur, burnt umber colours and rippling body form is all there to be enjoyed in precise detail under the zoom of my camera. If only this image was shot in movement too, as the caterpillar’s steadily rolling passage across this crumbling old rock was almost hypnotic to behold.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Apr 16

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A weekend in Fornalutx (Part 3): The Embalse de Cúber

If there is one thing that living these past 5 months on the stunning Mediterranean island of Mallorca has taught me, it is that mother nature is truly the best creator of beauty. With pristine white beaches flanked by momentous mountains, sweeping orange and lemon groves and vast surreal rock forms of every shape and size, Mallorca is truly nature at her best. However, as the final experience of my recent weekend in the mountain village of Fornalutx demonstrated, man too can do his level best at creating beauty within the confines already set by nature, and this has been no better evidenced than through the creation of the Embalse de Cúber located on the other side of Mallorca’s highest mountain. The embalse, or reservoir, looks to anyone passing by like a perfectly appointed mountain lake. Set within the shallow basin formed when some of the island’s most magnificent mountains come together, this lake fits perfectly into these momentous surroundings. And yet this reservoir, constructed to supply water to the bustling capital city of Palma de Mallorca, was made by man. And what a job he did. Gasps escaped our mouths when we first saw the sight of this stunning lake. Expansive, perfectly still and forming a wonderful reflection of the mountains surrounding it, the lake is a visual delight in this most incredible of landscapes. With paths lining the full length of the lake, we were able to appreciate the lake from up close, and there appreciate a multifaceted landscape which changed from one stretch of the lake to another. In one section, small prickly donught shaped plants interspersed with large craggy rocks looked like a landscape from out of space. A little further along, pine trees stood so perfectly erect and symmetrical that they appeared to be almost plastic in their lego-land perfection. And round on the other side of the lake, imposing cliffs of huge rocky forms rounded off a series of landscapes which thrilled along every inch of this incredible waterside walk. And just in case we became bored of the landscape, nature’s habitats were there to thrill us as well, including many number of colourful little birds, a snake, and even a big hairy bull… Now that was one encounter we were not expecting as we rounded off an incredible weekend in the mountain scenery of Fornalutx. All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.