Mallorca

**Let me begin this post with a disclaimer.  While photos rarely do any place justice, I am generally content to let my pictures speak for themselves and to let the reader/viewer fill in the gaps.  In this instance I feel my pictures didn't just fall short--they are woefully inadequate.

One of the beautiful things about living in Europe is the proximity to so many other cool places.  One of the beauties of Germany is that as a nation, we like to travel.  After all, the term "Wanderlust" is German.  That means travel agencies with lots of options and packages.  A few weeks back when plans fell through for a ski week, we decided to go for one of those packages (flight+hotel+breakfast and dinner).  We booked a trip to Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands.  It belongs to Spain (a new country for us) and while people speak Spanish, the primary language is Mallorcan, which is similar to Catalan.  It can be accessed by ferry from Barcelona as well as from the other islands (Ibiza and Minorca).  It has TONS of German tourists--most of the locals speak some German if they're in the tourist industry.  Temperatures for the week ranged from 10-16 degrees Celsius (50-60 Fahrenheit, though at times it felt warmer in the sunshine).  Nice change from the snow here!

We flew out on Sunday night on Tuifly from Munich to Palma de Mallorca.  It was dark by the time we got there, so we didn't get to see much on the hour long trip to C'an Picafort.  Monday we enjoyed the fact that it was off season and the town was quiet.  We walked on the beach and through the harbor.  Did you know that it's REALLY noisy when the wind blows through a sailboat harbor?  We also took advantage of the spa and workout facilities.  Tuesday we took a bus to Port d'Alcudia, looked at sailboats, and picked our future yacht.  Then we had seafood tapas on the boardwalk before walking into old town Alcudia.  The city sits on a small peninsula between the two bays, Alcudia and Pollenca.  The wall, which was built around the town in the early 1300s, is still accessible.  We walked along on it and got great views of both bays.  We ended up by the ruins of the Roman settlement of Pollentia before catching a bus back.

From the hotel to the beach--during high season this is just packed with people, but it was completely empty!

 The black stuff you see is an endemic plant (not an algae) that produces tons of oxygen and improves water quality.  It also prevents sand erosion.  It is left there in the off season.

This little bunker was open and washed away underneath a part, but you could still go in.

Note the patterned sidewalks in C'an Picafort. 

Our hotel and the Badia d'Alcudia

The view from our balcony

The Hard Bike Cafe

The bay at Puerto de Alcudia

One of the city gates of Alcudia's old town

One of the advantages of off season is that one can get great pictures without tons of tourists in them all.  The streets were empty!  There were a few people around, but it was nice and quiet.

 Walking along the wall built in the early 1300s by Jaume II.  The stairs coming down were extremely uneven.  Coming down was pretty funny, actually.

I could include so many more pictures, but there are better ones to come--hard as it is to believe.  And no, they still don't do it justice.

Wednesday we rented a car and drove east through the city of Arta to the Coves d'Arta, a large set of caves with amazing formations and dramatic caverns.  The drive there wasn't too shabby either, though it was a bit off the beaten track.  We continued south to Porto Cristo and the Coves del Hams (Hams are fishhooks--the caves are so named for the stalactite formations that look like fishhooks).  This one had a nice botanical garden, a Jules Verne themed video, a hologram presentation, and a more touristy setup.  The formations were smaller and more delicate, and flash photography was not allowed.  There was an underground lake where we saw a performance to Mozart music.  We wanted to stop at Ses Paisses, a Bronze Age ruin, but it was closed.  :(  For those who want to see it, be prepared to drive through some modern day ruins to get there.  We passed tons of bikers and learned the next day that many national biking teams train in Mallorca over the winter (in fact we passed a British team with national flag uniforms).

Coming into the city of Arta.

Just outside the Coves d'Arta on the northeast corner of the island.

This cavern is called Hell, and it comes with a light show to the "O Fortuna" song.  COOL.

The exit of Coves d'Arta.

 The only decent picture I have from inside the Coves del Hams, where flash photography is prohibited.

Thursday we left early for a tour of the mountain's northwest side.  On a side note, our guide was a native Mallorcan who has an MBA from the U of Minnesota and spoke flawless English and nearly as excellent German (the tour was in German).  We started in Pollenca, a medieval town with a church built by the Knights Templar.  We climbed the 365 steps (one per sin according to the locals) to the Calvary church.  Over time more have been added, so it's 413? steps.  Then it was on to the monastery at Lluc, which was hit by a tornado last year.  We kicked down the 2 Euro to be allowed to decorate a roof tile that will be used in the repairs.  While we were there too early for the famous boys' choir concert, we enjoyed the church, the sunny courtyard, the old rooms, and the mountain location.  At this point the drive got a bit scary for me (I am afraid of heights), though we had a phenomenal driver who made it as painless as winding mountain roads can be.  My husband, who was not afraid, got a glimpse of some of the native mountain goats.  We passed the two main reservoirs and reached an altitude of 1000 meters in our drive through the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Serra de Tramuntana (mountain range).  We passed the Puig Major, Mallorca's highest peak, before stopping for lunch at a mountainside restaurant overlooking Port de Soller.  Pictures of the first part of the day:

The 365 steps (starting at the hood of the car--the bottom ones don't count) . . . 

. . . to this little church at the top.

Pollenca

 The monastery at Lluc

 Puig Major and the radar station on top--the highest point on Mallorca.

Port de Soller

Valentine's Day lunch above Port de Soller

After lunch we went to Fornalutx.  Fornalutx is a village of about 500 residents in the middle of olive country near Soller.  This citrus growing hamlet was twice voted the prettiest town in Spain (including the mainland), and it was easy to see why.  WOW.  Pictures do not even come close to doing this place justice.  Flowers, aloe plants, olives, sandstone and limestone buildings, citrus plants, mountains . . . . We've put it on our list of places we want to retire.  Because we are well traveled, we've seen a ton of amazing places--only the best of the best make the retirement list.  That should tell you something about how absolutely stunning this place is!  When walking through the town we learned that if a plant is hanging over the fence it's fair game.  We took advantage and tried a local orange.  WOW again.  We didn't want to leave, but the tour went on past Soller and Lluc Alcari, which is featured in many Mallorcan brochures.  Our guide likes it better than Fornalutx, though we didn't stop and I find it hard to believe.  Deya might come close, though its cliffside location makes getting around town tricky--we drove through easily enough, though.  We stopped at Son Marroig, the home of Archduke Ludwig (Luis) Salvatore, now owned by his secretary's niece, a cute little old lady.  After wandering the gardens we drove through Valldemossa and down into the valley, stopping briefly to take pictures of the almond trees in the valley before heading back up the valley to C'an Picafort.  A long day, but worth every minute!

Okay, my pictures of Fornalutx don't even come close to doing it justice.

 Roof tiles decorated on the underside.

Gus picking our orange.

This dog didn't have a ball--he had his Fornalutx version!

Deya

Near Son Marroig

Valldemossa

Almonds

Friday we drove back across the island to the airport--again in the dark.  We sat on a plane that was subject to random inspection by the Spanish aviation authority.  Because of a missing screw (one of about 50) holding in a panel, we were delayed.  When a suitable (and unnecessary) screw was located, the washer didn't fit.  Then the paperwork took time.  Total delay?  Over 2 hours!  Anyway, otherwise we had an uneventful trip home, picking up the dogs, getting groceries, and shoveling snow off the walk.  Since shoveling, another inch has accumulated.  Welcome home, eh?  Shopping, a bit more laundry, and some lesson planning are on the agenda for the remainder of the break before we return to school on Monday.

If you're wondering if Mallorca is worth a visit, the answer is a resounding YES.  And that's without the beach life (and the famous Ballermann, where all the Germans party) and without the capital city of Palma or the Arab baths.  We didn't make it to Cap Formentor, the big mountain cape known for its views.  We didn't get on a single boat or ship, nor did we explore the wetlands between C'an Picafort and Alcudia.  We could have spent days in the regions we DID get to see.  History, ruins, nature, old world charm, churches, caves, hiking trails, scenic cliff drives, climbing, biking, beaches, and villas are all right there.  What a place for a vacation, and what a way to spend Valentine's day!


Oh, and just for kicks:  Zolling in the snow: