From Paella to Porridge: A Farewell to Mallorca and a Scottish Adventure

Snowball Oranges #5

by Peter Kerr

This is the fifth and final book in Peter Kerr's award-winning pentad of fun-filled Mallorcan travelogues, which also includes Snowball Oranges, Mañana Mañana, Viva Mallorca! and A Basketful of Snowflakes.After three years of hard work, the Kerr family say a reluctant goodbye to their little orange farm in the Tramuntana Mountains. Their Mallorcan experience comes to an end with a surprise paella feast, full of bonhomie, though tempered with an inescapable sense of poignancy.Now begins their return-to-Scotland adventure. A period of challenges and change finds them attempting to start a deer farm on the brow of a remote hill, and trying to earn a living by restoring houses in the rolling East Lothian countryside. Yet they still find time to explore their homeland with fresh eyes, visiting such places as the 'Biarritz of the North', once a haven for witches and Treasure Island pirates, and even gaining an insider's view of the world-famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo.There's never a dull moment in the Kerr household – even when it's porridge for breakfast!

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

323 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

Peter Kerr, the award-winning Scottish author of the 'Snowball Oranges' pentad of humorous Mallorcan travelogues, is a former jazz musician, record producer and farmer. He has also written a range of fiction titles, including the 'Bob Burns Investigates' trilogy of humour-spiked mysteries and 'Song of the Eight Winds', a historical novel set in 13th century Spain. 'Thistle Soup' is a set-in-Scotland prequel to 'Snowball Oranges', while 'Don't Call Me Clyde!' is a memoir of his life as a young jazz musician in early-60s London. A comedy-laced caper called 'The Other Monarch of the Glen' is set in the Scottish Highlands and was published in December 2017, while 'Goblin Hall', a humour-peppered fantasy adventure for a family readership, was published in April 2020. July 2021 saw the release of 'Jen - A Border Collie's Tale', the heart-warming life story of an old farm dog, narrated by Jen herself. 'Author - Don't Make Me Laugh', an amusing though frank and revealing account of the long road to becoming a published author at sixty, was published in November 2024. Peter, an accomplished artist, also illustrates his own books. His reputation as an entertaining and amusing speaker has resulted in regular appearances at book festivals and similar literary events throughout the UK and abroad.

Reviews

[Philip Raby]

A strange book in that the author simply recalls often mundane events in his life. It's not funny, it's not gripping but it is oddly enjoyable to read. My only gripe is that the dialogue is false and contrived; perhaps because the book was written many years after the events took place.

I'd be tempted to read other books in the series.

[Peter]

As always an amusing and well-written book. A continuation of the drawn-out saga of Peter Kerr and his long-suffering family. I spent the whole of the last book wondering why they left Mallorca, and now I know (you will have to read it to find out). I know East Lothian quite well so I really enjoyed his descriptions of that area. Yet again I am left wondering what happened next.

[Paul Juniper]

This book begins well but I think the wrap up to their lives in Mallorca is too rushed. Conversely there are many many pages of Scottish history that feel like filler and could have been dispensed with. Disappointing.

[Kathryn]

As enjoyable as the others.

[Fiona Evans]

Not quite sure while I persevered with this book and actually finished it. I think I was hoping that something was going to happen. But a gentle easy read . Back to a nice murder now I think.

[John]

Kerr does a good job bring the family's story full circle.

[Simone]

If you have been following the escapades of the Kerr family in Mallorca you'll just have to read this to find out why they eventually left.