A few days after my 30th birthday my mum said to me ‘just because it’s a round number doesn’t mean it’s celebrated more’. Obviously this is factually incorrect, as most cultures all over the world will celebrate a birthday with a big/round number with more gusto than any other birthday. Turning 30 is seen as a big step and I was happy being in my twenties. But I still enjoyed wearing a 30th badge all day!
This is why we went to Mallorca for my 30th, only four weeks after returning from Disney World. I love history, which made the positioning of our hotel so much better, as it was right next to Alcudia old town. We decided to save the old Roman town for my actual birthday, as I love everything Roman, so to look round an ancient Roman town was perfect for me.
It is thought that the Romans established Pollentia in either the first or second century BC. It was built in a well located spot in between the bays of Alcudia and Pollenca. It was a very important city for the Romans on the Balearic Islands and was a thriving city by the second century AD.
There was a decent amount of ruins to see and it only cost €3 each. The original design of the town was very visible, with the shops and houses lined up next to each other, some separated by streets. Several pillars still stood with what looked like some modern and ancient graffiti on. A couple of minutes walk away from the centre of the town led us to the forum, where there were archaeologists digging and brushing away at the stones and artifacts in the ground. One of them wore jeans, they must have been so hot without any shelter from the red hot sun.
Another ten minute walk down the path and we arrived at the amphitheatre. It was quite small, but still in decent condition for a two thousand year old structure. I walked up the crumbled and worn stone steps and sat on one of the seats, the coolness of the stone came as a relief from the heat of the Mallorcan summer sun. I imagined what it must have been like to have been a spectator all that time ago…maybe someone on their 30th birthday also sat on one of these seats and watched an ancient Roman spectacle.
30 is a big birthday in my eyes. It’s the end of being young and the first age of being a proper adult. I contemplated age, adulthood and ancient Rome as we explored this ancient site, until the heat got too much for us and our thoughts turned to food.
Where The Wildings Are 