She had her mind set on Santa Catalina or Old Town, but Ciara Faber found her dream apartment where she least expected.
– I am so happy my realtor talked me into seeing this one!
Just a couple of streets away from the sea, but still in the middle of the city, in the area of Foners and Palma City Beach, Ciara Faber has just bought her first home. The apartment is light and welcoming, with a big kitchen and a sunny terrace.
– I love it here, it feels like a real home, Ciara says.
Ciara Faber has recently moved into her new home.
There is still not so many furnitures in the living room, leaving an open space on the floor, but that actually has a purpose.
– There is a barber shop underneath me so I can practice dancing here without having to worry about disturbing anyone, Ciara says with a laugh. But there is still so much I want to do here, but it has to wait a bit more.
Soon she is going to Japan for a six week tour with her Irish dance group, Trinity Lace.
– I am so excited. This is our first gig as a group and we are going to visit different schools to perform and talk about Irish culture. I have never done anything like that before, Ciara says.
A perfect place for dancing!
Ciara makes her own outfits for the upcoming tour.
Even if Ciara is really looking forward to going on another dance tour, this time something different.
– This is the first time that I am actually really looking forward to coming home! Before, the end of a tour always felt more like “Oh god, tour is over. Where am I going to live?”. Now I know I have this place to come home to.
Between dance tours and working on yachts she has been traveling the world, living in a suitcase, on a boat or rented an occasional room here and there. Now it is time to finally unpack.
– I love just having a wardrobe, she says with a laugh. And my own kitchen!
“I really have a thing for flamingos”
The kitchen is open and light, with direct access to the terrace.
Having her own kitchen was something Ciara longed for.
The apartment is about 90 square meters, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a 15 square meter terrace.
– Initially I was looking to buy something in Old town or Santa Catalina, but I can not imagine how much more I got for my money here.
She had her mind set on areas closer to the city, and when the realtor suggested she would take a look at this one she hesitated at first.
– Just five years ago this area was very different, not a place where I could see myself living. But I got really surprised when I came here. So much has happened in just a couple of years.
She was positively surprised with both the apartment and the area and she decided to go with her gut feeling and made an offer. And she has not regretted it once.
– I love it here! It is actually an amazing area. You are close to everything. You can walk to Old town, to the beach, to Portixol. If I would have spent the same money in one of the more popular areas, I would have gotten nothing in comparison.
– And I mean, I am from New Zealand, where everything even remotely close to the water is so expensive. I can’t believe I’m just a couple of minutes walk away from the beach.
The sea is just a couple of minutes walk from the apartment.
Along the beach promenade there are beach clubs, restaurants and of corse, the beach!
Ciara left New Zealand for Ireland when she went to study Irish dance. After finishing her three year studies she got a job as a dancer in a hotel in Menorca. For some time she was working in the hotel entertainment business in the Balearic Islands until she finally came to Mallorca in 2012. Back then she was living in Can Picafort and working in a hotel, but a visit to Palma would change the course of her dreams.
– The first time I came to Palma I was amazed by its beauty. I was walking around the Old Town, just looking at the old houses with the classic shutters and stone walls. From that moment I had a dream of moving here.
She came one step closer to her dream when she got a job at the famous dance and show restaurant on the island, Son Amar. For two years she worked as a dancer in Son Amar.
– I loved dancing full time, it really is my passion, but it is hard to live off and it is hard on your body. And if you get sick or injured – that is it, Ciara says.
So because of that, and wanting be able to travel more and save money to eventually buy a home, she started to split her time between dancing and working as a stewardess on a yacht.
She started looking to buy an apartment in Palma last year, but it would take until June this year until she found the one.
– I was not rushing it, I wanted to find something that felt right. I am even surprised that I ended up here, but I am so happy that the realtor talked me into seeing this one, she says.
The daylight finds its ways in every room, even the bathroom.
The big terrace is like an extra living room, nicely decorated with table, chairs, plants and a small sofa.
Not only does she love her apartment, but Ciara also thinks it is a good investment. The area of Foners, Pere Garau and Palma City Beach is believed to become some of the hottest areas in Palma within a couple of years.
– You can already see how it pops up more and more restaurants and cafés in the neighborhood. It is really an up and coming area!
There is no doubt that Ciara has found her home in Mallorca, but it might not be forever.
– One day I will probably move back to New Zealand. It is tough to live so far away from your family. But I think I will always have a home here in Palma. Maybe I can spend a couple of months a year in Mallorca. That would be the perfect life.
A few doors down the street is Ciaras favourite café. “They have the best almond milk lattes.”
The dream is to always have a home in Palma.
Text: Maria Strömqvist
Photo: Ida Carlsson
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