Christine Neubauer publishes "Bon dia Mallorca" – a personal walk across the island

Christine Neubauer publishes "Bon dia Mallorca" – a personal walk across the island

A resident-by-choice shows where to find the real Mallorca

When in the early morning the fishing boats are still gently rocking and the scent of freshly brewed coffee drifts from a small cafetería in Palma, that is one of the scenes Christine Neubauer paints in her new book. For about 15 years the actress has called Mallorca her home; see How Mallorca Really Becomes Your Home: A Practical Guide from Island Experience. For about 15 years the actress has called Mallorca her home; now she has released with Polyglott a booklet that shows more photos of narrow lanes than of postcards – priced at €22 in stores.

"Bon dia Mallorca" is not a travel guide in the classic sense. Neubauer focuses on personal encounters and everyday places: quiet coves, paths into the island's interior, narrow streets with boutiques and small cafés, weekly markets with fruit stalls and herbs. People appear between the chapters – a passionate flamenco dancer, an Argentinian street musician, women with shops who raise their shutters in the morning, and a market vendor who tends his stall with pride. They do not come as celebrities but as characters.

Wandering through Palma's old town, Neubauer's descriptions let you hear the clinking of cups in the Plaça Major, the distant tolling of a church bell and the hubbub at the Mercat de l'Olivar. In the countryside the book reads like a summer morning among broom and dry-stone walls: simple scenes, small pleasures, an eye for what happens here every day. You feel the salt of the sea when she talks about a cove, and the sweat of the craftsmen when she looks into a workshop.

The choice of content is deliberate: it's about encounters away from the typical tourist centers. Especially for people who already know Mallorca, the book renews curiosity about less traveled ways – a short walk to a cala, a lunch in a village, an afternoon in a small gallery. This is not a set of instructions but an invitation to look differently.

On a personal note, the accompanying information also mentions that Neubauer recently married her long-term partner José Campos. Such life moments are woven in discreetly; the book remains focused on the people, the tastes of the island and the places that connect them.

For Mallorca itself this kind of volume is not merely a cultural event but also has a small local effect: attention for markets, boutiques and cafés that are supported by visitors and residents alike. This visibility raises questions of boundaries and visibility similar to discussions in Danni Büchner: Between Show and Protection – a New Summer in Mallorca. For regular local updates see New on the island: 'The Editor-in-Chief Informs' - Your weekly Mallorca update.

My observation: books like this bring the most joy when you open them in a café you already know. On the Passeig Mallorca on an afternoon with a light breeze, or in Santa Catalina to the sound of a street musician – then the reading becomes a small trip you want to take immediately. And that is the strength of Neubauer's approach: it awakens the desire to see the familiar anew.

If you are looking for inspiration, you can see the book as a companion: not as a strict checklist but as a collection of prompts. Tip for the curious: be early at the market, walk through La Lonja with open eyes, try a narrow country road heading west. Those who take their time discover more than postcard motifs.

Conclusion: "Bon dia Mallorca" is a warm-hearted view from a resident-by-choice of her surroundings. Not a textbook, not tabloid, but an invitation to experience the island with the senses and to meet the people behind the shop windows. And incidentally the book reminds us that Mallorca consists of many small stories – and that it is worth listening to them.