The Shropshire Star - "Life is too short not to enjoy a Coastline break"
My, oh my, oh Mallorca….
Andy Richardson lets the plane take the strain and give in to the lure of decided decadence.
Our twin-sail yacht elegantly glides into port as silvery sun rays dance on the Mediterranean Sea. Its 80 degrees and we’ve been skipping around Pollenca Bay for four hours with Saracen Sailing skippers Kay and David Ovenden. Now it’s time for lunch. In the distance we see an Aurora Powerboat start its journey across the aquamarine water. Simon Foster, its owner, moors his souped-up craft at the stern of our 39ft vessel, asks us to climb aboard, and we nestle into its comfortable, cream leather seats. Simon leans on the throttle and whisks us ashore.
Across the beach chef Jay Boyd and his assistant, Jan, are standing over a table laden with the finest local produce. There’s caviar, smoked fish, lobster claw, charcuterie, cured duck breast, almond-stuffed olives, salads, bread, cheese and vibrant ripe fruits. Chilled wines, bottled beers and glasses of crisp clear water complete the display. Jay hands out glasses of local cava and invites us to tuck in. Welcome to Mallorca.
Our party of four travelled to the Balearic Islands 36 hours earlier on a relaxing Monarch Airlines flight from Luton to Palma. The leatherette seats and ample legroom made the 150 minute journey pass with almost indecent ease. At the airport we were met by the gregarious Phil Caistor, a resort manager with urbane London-based tour operator Coastline. He transported us to the salubrious Villa Bonnix, located midway between Alcudia and Pollenca, 45 minutes away on the island’s north-east coast.
In recent years Mallorca has shaken off the unenviable reputation it gained when developers built tower blocks for the bargain-basement package breaks. The island has always enjoyed enchanting landscapes, sophisticated outdoor pursuits, great food and drink, and rich cultural attractions. However the emergence of ubersmart boutique hotels has helped it keep pace with the jet-set Jones. In this case, the Catherine Zeta-Joneses. Today, Mallorca’s bucket and spade brigade has been replaced by A-list celebs like Michael Douglas and his aforementioned wife, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and notable others. Coastline offers nine villas in the peaceful and unspoiled north-east quarter of the island. It specialises in high-quality service and refinement and provides similar, superior standards on Ibiza and Corsica.
Bonnix is a Mallorquin stone house, skilfully dressed with local artefacts, contemporary works of art and views of the Serra de Tramuntana Mountains. It’s a classy number, chic, stylish and impressive. The villa sleeps eight in four sumptuous bedrooms, each offering balconies with chairs and tables outside. There are three modern bathrooms, complete with marble surfaces, tiled wet rooms, contemporary fittings and expensive shampoos, moisturisers and gels. Air conditioning, an integrated sound system, wi-fi access, online shopping, plush home furnishings, lawns, a pool and sub-tropical trees and plants make for a pampered and relaxing break. Coastline also offers additional services with nannies, beauticians, masseurs, and personal chefs taking responsibility for day-to-day chores.
We arrived at Bonnix on a Monday evening and were greeted by Jane Chapman from Coastline and chef Jay who offered drinks and canapés. Jay learned his craft at the four-star Sefton Hotel on the Isle of Man. During his tenure at the island’s first-choice hotel, he helped its restaurant achieve two AA Rosettes and spent six weeks cooking daily fish dishes for one Renee Kathleen Zellweger, the Hollywood actress who booked in while filming Miss Potter.
As the evening progressed he led us to a vast black marble table where dinner was served. We started with plump, pan-seared quail breasts with cherries, orange, a light salad and a red-wine reduction. The main course featured Serrano ham wrapped monkfish, landed earlier that day, or chorizo potatoes with julienne carrots and a saffron cream. Wow.
The following morning, Jay’s culinary demonstration continued as he served fresh pastries and bread, yoghurt drenched in almond-blossom honey, fruit, cereals, freshly squeezed orange juice and local cheeses and hams. Our party enquired a tour of nearby Alcudia’s market and a visit to Roman ruins at Pollentia before touring local hills and visiting the Jose L Ferrer winery. The cellar was founded in 1931 by Jose Luis Ferrer Ramonell, a descendant of a family of winemakers. An evening supper of Parmesan and truffle tortellini in a cream sauce brought a pleasurable conclusion to our first full day.
We awoke in splendid seclusion the following day before enjoying a breakfast of local sausage, poached eggs and Jay’s customary treats before heading to Pollensa to sail. Our spectacular picnic preceded a tour of Mallorca’s rugged coastline, and when we returned to Bonnix later that afternoon, we were greeted by two masseurs from Pamper By The Pool, a mobile spa service. They offered a range of treatments including facials, manicures, pedicures and waxing, as well as Swedish and holistic massage. Their services brought a rare and purifying level of calm.
An evening visit to a local stud farm proved to be a highlight. We watched a dressage demonstration before learning about beautiful Andalusian and Arabic horses. All too soon we travelled back to Bonniz to enjoy a leisurely barbeque and an evening of good wine and erudite chat that lasted late into the night.
And so our sojourn to Mallorca ended. We’d enjoyed the understated polished charms of Coastline and the fragrant, charismatic thrills of the island. The discreet, highly personalised service provided by staff lulled us in to a blissful state. Attention to detail was paramount, from the early morning newspaper delivery to the late-night digestif. Bonnix was a dizzying place of true majesty.
Life’s too short not to enjoy a Coastline break.
Andy Richardson - Shropshire Star - May 2008
Andy stayed in the Villa Bonnix - click here for details of this villa. Click below to see the full article with photographs.