When I found my way to Mallorca many years ago, it was the simple, unagitated beauty of the island that immediately captivated me. Small villages with winding alleyways, where a Fiat Panda dominated the streetscape, and a life that was characterized more by modesty than status symbols. Back then, the cars here were nothing more than faithful companions, robust and reliable for mastering the narrow serpentines of the Serra de Tramuntana.
But how times change. These days, it seems as if the island's new, wealthy residents have developed a penchant for the motto "bigger is better" - both in terms of their villas and their cars. Oversized SUVs and Jeeps are now parked where a rickety Seat once stood. And then there's the old all-terrain Defender, which rolls along the island's well-paved roads with its air of adventure and African safari feeling - as if the next destination were an expedition, even though it's usually just the café in Palma.
A new street scene - and new challenges
The small, agile Fiats used to pull effortlessly through the tight bends of Valldemossa, but today huge SUVs make their way through the streets like elephants in a porcelain department. The alleyways that were once intended for donkey carts and small Spanish speedsters are now the scene of a daily obstacle course - and not just for the drivers of these rolling castles. When a jeep or one of these oversized SUVs parks, the rest of the road seems to be temporarily out of action.
You could almost think it's time to offer a new course in driving schools: "How to park my tank in a Mallorcan old town". For the locals, who used to enjoy the luxury of free parking, this now often means maneuvering between radiator grilles that block your view of the road and life. And while the new islanders roll effortlessly over potholes in their off-road vehicles, we often just have to shake our heads and hope that we can find a space.
Big cars, big challenges
SUVs have not only changed the street scene, they have also brought new challenges with them. Especially in the hot summer months, when tourist flows and temperatures rise at the same time, space on the roads becomes scarce - and not just in the figurative sense. In Palma, where parking spaces are already in short supply, squeezing the largest off-road vehicle into the smallest parking space is almost a popular sport. A challenge that is only accepted by the most hardened SUV drivers.
But it's not just the space that is shrinking. The environment is also groaning under the weight of these heavy vehicles. While the island government pursues ambitious sustainability goals, the SUVs roll through the streets with their powerful engine noise almost mockingly - as if to say: "Sustainability? All well and good, but we need our space."
A new luxury that leaves its mark
Mallorca has always been an island of contrasts. But who would have thought that these contrasts would one day run between SUVs and Seat Ibizas? The oversized SUVs and jeeps of the island's new inhabitants not only leave their mark on the pavement, but also on the island's soul. They symbolize the change that Mallorca is undergoing - and remind us that this paradise may be losing its innocence.
And the good old Defender, which has already served Daktari faithfully in Africa's rough terrain? It looks like it's ready to tackle any route, no matter how adventurous, but its mission is often limited to fighting its way through the daily traffic jams in Palma - a modern form of survival in the urban wilderness.
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