Back From Barcelona – Mallorca – #4 – Touring Around Palma

Taking tours is always a great way to get some history and to see new areas. The tours are very informative, often giving a lot of the history of the area you are visiting, along with little bits of fun facts and trivia.

On our first full day in Mallorca, we took a walking tour of the city and had a great time. There is so much to see and so much history to learn. We toured with a little local group called Orange Umbrellas, though some people carry different colored umbrellas. Marina was out tour guide for the day, and ironically, in this photo she is the one with no umbrella, though she did bring it out once the tour began.

Marina is a Palma native. She knows her city very well and she made the tour a lot of fun. Palma is a large, very busy and bustling city, so there was no way we could see everything in only a 90 minute walking tour, but we did see and learn a lot.

As we were waiting for the tour to begin, Larry and I did a little exploring on our own. Much of old Spain and the Spanish world was contained behind walls, and had been for centuries. Keeping the cities behind walls was a way of protecting the people from enemies.

Fishing nets by the marina that the fisherman use everyday. Mallorca is an island, and the sea is a way of life for all the roughly 1 million residents who call Mallorca home, most of whom reside in Palma.

Palma’s Cathedral. We were not able to visit the Cathedral on this day, however we did go back and tour it at later time. I will feature it in a later post. It’s a magnificent cathedral, redone by Antoni Gaudi, the famed architect of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Just some beautiful sights of the city. As with any very old city, there is a blending of the very old mixed with the new and modern. I personally like the old charm and beauty much more than the modern sites. I just love all the attention to detail and I greatly appreciate all the labors of love that are proudly on full display with all the old structures, statues and styles.

I don’t think I could ever live in such tight quarters, but I guess it is all a matter of what you are used to.

Marina explaining this statue. It is representing the woman’s fertility and ability to recreate.

This is the tree of Mallorcan Saints. There is a very famous Saint residing on this wall, who was very well known for his work in Christianizing California through building all her missions; Junipero Serra. I grew up visiting a lot of these missions in California.

This is the view atop the Palace walls. It is indeed a royal view. King Phillippe and the Royal Family still use this palace, but only for official state events. They do not reside here.

The Royal insignia. We toured through the Palace too, but we did that on our own, after the tour. King Phillippe, also known as Felipe VI, is a member of the Bourbon Family, who has ruled over Spain for centuries.

The angel watching over Spain.

The Royal insignia is even on the ceilings of the Palace.

Dragons are part of the Royal crest and have been for centuries. But ironically, what was originally thought of as a “dragon” is what we call a crocodile or a crocodillo today.

The Royal Chapel.

This river was actually moved as the city started to grow and expand. It is a beautiful river that still plays a vibrant role in the city of Palma today.

I hope you enjoyed this little overview of Palma. There is so much to see, but no way to show everything. The best way to experience Palma is to visit it and see it all for yourselves.

Be open to new experiences and don’t be afraid to go back in time. You’ll be amazed at all the things that come your way. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.