One thing was Pollença, and the other was the Port. In Pollença they would say master Biel and here cousin Biel; in Pollença they said master, and here patron; in Pollença, mistress, and here Patron, and to make matters worse, in Pollença the Patron was a Madonna who had helped to chase the Moors away, which made me see our patrons, who fetched the bread at the bakery can Buger with the corner of their aprons absolutely full of scales (the reason why they wore it was to sell the fish under El Tamarell) tied to their waists, made me see our patrons as supernatural creatures, and I´m not saying that they haven´t stopped being that.

Quan venia l’esquadra (When the squad came), 1994

Translated by Núria Cohen.

(Port de Pollença, 1952 - Inca, 2009). Xesca Ensenyat was a writer and blogger. She was an active promoter of cultural initiatives and championed the Catalan language. She is the author of books including L'amagatall de Guipur (1976), Una moda fresqueta (1991) and Canvi de perruqueria I alters misèries (1995). Her novel Quan venia l´esquadra (1994) includes the memories and reminiscences of the surroundings where she grew up and the Port of Pollença with which she held strong ties. In her blog entitled L´Hidroavió apagafocs she would serialise Una altra vida, which was to be her last and unfinished novel. She also wrote newspaper articles and her writings were published in the press and in the magazine L´Espira, which she founded in 1987.