Majorca
Thursday, 7th August 2008
We travelled on an Acciona ferry and booked a 2-berth cabin. It was a large boat and the wharf was well set up with elevated walkways that fitted to portals on the ship.
You could walk along a few passageways and relax on this deck on the stern. Kitty is at the rail looking at the town as we pulled out.
Cars, trucks and containers were carried on the lower decks towards the stern. Lifeboats were arranged along the side.
Our cabin had 2 beds - I slept in the one above. There wasn't much room. The bathroom was also very tiny with a toilet, sink and shower (which had a drainage problem).
This long corridor led to a stairwell to the upper deck and lounge.
I got up early to see the approach to Majorca which is in the Mediterranean. It is part of the Belearic group of islands and belongs to Spain. The trip takes about 7 hours.
Majorca is a well-known holiday destination and has a number of towns spread around the coastline. We were headed for the major port of Palma.
We could see other boats coming into port. The Mediterranean is very popular at this time of year.
Palma is a mixture of old Spanish architecture with many modern high rise blocks of holiday apartments.
Sailing is also a popular pastime. We berthed at this wharf.
The gangway operators were waiting to link the walkways with our ship. It's a fairly complex task moving the ship to an exact point so that everything matches up.
We disembarked and looked for a taxi to the hotel. This map of Majorca was used as a placemat in a cafe we went to for breakfast.
The hotel was very modern and we were upgraded to a better room. There were palms everywhere and it was all well maintained.
We sat at these outdoor tables (in front of the restaurant) and had coffee or a drink. I went swimming in the pool - Europeans don't tend to do freestyle and the pools are never long enough for a good swim.
After we settled in we went into town to find a blister pack for Kitty who got blisters from walking around Valencia the previous day. I suggested she also get some thongs as everyone in Spain seemed to wear thongs. We took the bus to the Old City, looked at shoe shops and visited St. Michael's Cathedral.
Like in Valencia, the Old City had lots of very narrow alleyways. A couple of dancing buskers entertained pedestrians.
The skyscape was fascinating - lots of towers built in a particular Spanish architectural style.
We took the bus back to the hotel and relaxed near the pool. Kitty stayed at the hotel while I went down to get some sandwiches for lunch. Afterwards I had a swim and then suggested we go to see the Pueblo Espanol, a complex of buildings made into an open air museum. It was not far from the hotel. Kitty wanted to have a siesta so I went by myself. It was really worth it. The buildings were fantastic with different elements from all over Spain displayed in the one complex. Along the way I walked past this empty moat. The archways had an islamic influence.
The entry is through this lovely courtyard.
Features of the pueblo are the religious symbols and the beautiful glazed tiles used as house signs. You see these on houses all over Spain.
The baths featured interesting archways and the exit had some exquisite carvings.
This courtyard with pool was very beautiful.
There was an exhibition opening scheduled for that evening and the staff were busy setting up tables, etc. in the main coutyard.
One of the streets featured tourist shops with some interesting items for sale. Spain caters very well for the tourist. You can buy just about anything. I had to limit myself with souvenirs because I was carrying a rucksack and my little case was full of gifts for the relatives.
I decided to climb the tower so found the entry archway tucked around the back.
The flights of stairs were steep but I managed to get to the top where some friendly Germans took my picture. After that I went back to the hotel. We had dinner and watched Spanish TV.
The next morning we packed up and took a cab back to the ferry terminal where we boarded the boat for Barcelona at midday. Our time in Majorca was short but I felt that I had got the feel of the place. It would be good to spend time with a car and explore the whole island. You would need a month to do it well, immersing yourself in the history, visiting beaches and bars and having a sail around some of the coves. We watched the islands recede in the distance and spent the afternoon in the lounge watching the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.
