Jogging round Majorca

by Gordon West

In the 1920s Gordon West and his wife decided to go somewhere unexplored and unspoiled, right off the beaten tourist route. They settled on the little-known island of Majorca. Travelling via Paris and Barcelona, they finally boarded the small white steamboat which was to take them to the idyllic Bay of Palma, where they began their exploration of the enchanting island, sometimes in hair-raising motor rides round steep cliffs and on unmade roads, and sometimes by mule, but more often on foot. They lodged in simple hotels, small houses, and once in a monastery, and everywhere they observed the rich pageantry of a people whose customs, gentle manners and generous hospitality made Majorca a unique and fascinating place. This is West's account of those experiences.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Ian Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming book - a book to read between books - a pleasant 'jog' in literary land. West's narrative is sometimes harsh and at other times empathetic of a people and life that has now completely disappeared. It is hard to imagine that these words were written almost 100 years ago and in the time since, this small island and its surrounding sea has changed so much. Like much of Europe in the late 20th century you will no longer find the same customs and traditions - they have been thoroughly worn out by the tread of a million tourists. If you are familiar with Mallorca, then you will recognise the landscape and the shadow of the people that West describes.Familiarity alone will help in appreciating the lightness of the narrative, otherwise the text might seem trivial. For me this book is more about the loss we all suffer by the relentless march of progress.

[Bookshop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although written almost 100 years ago, the cliche of travelling is surprisingly still relevant. Also shows that things hasn’t changed much: Americans like cruises and do 'day trip' on cars without interacting much with locals. Poverty forces those who are ambitious to harass or take advantages of tourists. Etc.

If this is written today, I'd of thought it is sarcasm.

[Reena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, Jogging Round Majorca was certainly a misleading title. I was expecting the author to have run (gently) around the island, taking in the sights but he does it by every other mean. Unfortunately, this turned out to be an unamusing dated drag to read.

[Bettie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Leonard Pearcey reads Gordon West's Majorcan tale.

This island seems to attract polemics - this is SO boring, and george Sands version was vitriolic.