h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hmm. I would have appreciated a link to A629228 Menorca

I am surprised that the language given is Spanish. On Menorca, it seemed to me that Catalan had taken over. (again, after being repressed by Franco).

Perhaps on Majorca, the tourist industry is more global, which is why Castilian is spoken.

Otherwise, a nice gentle entry with some interesting new points of interest. Can't say much more, as I haven't been to Majorca myself (yet).

My colleague just came back, though, and he cycles a lot. He spent every day cycling around and found it particularly pleasant at this time of year (October) as it wasn't too hot.

how would you say that bothin spanish and castilian the article and your comment are vary interesting

Castilian is the Spanish spoken in the Madrid area. During Franco's reign it was forcibly imposed on all of Spain, to the extent that local languages (they are more than dialects) were forbidden - in speech or writing.

Now, of course, all the regions are re-discovering their origins and using their own languages again. The road signs on Menorca, at least, are - like in Wales, Provence, or Brittany - in both languages.

Catalan is the language or dialect spoken in the Barcelona area, which includes the Balearics. The Balearics, however, being islands, each have their own patois which is more a version of Catalan than of Castilian Spanish.

Catalan is related to Provencal (South of France) and has words more similar to French.

Whoops, I've gone on a bit. It's explained in my Menorca entry.