Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Mallorca is such a pretty island. It is a lot bigger than we first imagined too. Though Palma is the biggest city on the island, and as we noticed from our travels, all roads lead to Palma, there was still plenty to see in other parts as well. We drove all through the mountains and around the coast, stopping wherever we happened to be at the time. We saw so much, including castles, towers, wineries and so much more.

This area called Puerto Andratx is most definitely a playground for the rich and famous, and you can see why. Brad Pitt has a home in this area, though we didn’t see him while we were out and about. He must have forgotten we were coming. 🙂

Lots of tunnels to go through too.

This painting is painted right at the entrance of the tunnel. Maybe as a warning to be careful or cuidado? I don’t know, but I had to stop and take a picture.

We saw lots of windmills all over Mallorca, though many were in bad states of disrepair. This one is still in great shape. They are iconic features of the landscape of the the island dating largely from the 16th to the 19th centuries, on water and flour mills as symbols of the engineering acumen of Mallorcan farmers, harnessing the wind to grind grain and pump water.

Of the 3000 or so windmills on the island, about 2,500 are water-extraction mills mainly seen in the areas of Campos, Ses Salines and in the middle of the island near Sa Pobla and Muro and 600 “classic” windmills recognised by their wooden vanes and conical  “cap”, used for grinding grain.

The oldest and most common type of water-extraction windmill is the “Ramell”, meaning `flower´ which have wooden vanes opened manually, hence the need for a flat topped tower.  These sadly are often in a poor state of repair, with maybe just the tower remaining. Later models had metal vanes, some with `tails´ or `arrows´ used to pump water into a “safareig” or water reservoir and these have fared better. 

The Mallorcan government has developed a project dedicated to collating an inventory of all the windmills on the island with the help of the Association and plan  for their restoration.

Castles and towers are spotted all over the island as well. Some are in great condition and have been restored, and others, not so much. If you can get to them, most are available for people to visit. Most of the them sit atop high spots where they were used as fortresses to peruse the areas to spot and prevent enemy invasions. Many are overlooking the waters too, for the same reason.

Some are just lighthouses, both old and new.

After touring the castles and towers, we worked up a bit of a thirst, and some wine tasting was in order. We had planned to go visit one winery, but we never found that one. We did however, find another one that was just beautiful, and the wine was very good too. We literally just stumbled upon it by accident, but it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise indeed. It was nestled in a valley between the mountains. It was called Can Vidalet.

This cool, crisp white blend was a perfect way to enjoy a mid-day siesta. We brought a bottle home with us too.

Larry is a planner and I am not. I like the element of surprise. Some of my best experiences are the ones that are not planned, but are treasured little gems just waiting to be uncovered and discovered. This winery, Can Vidalet was definitely one of those little hidden gems.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well, and always keep an adventurous spirit. ‘Til next time.

Caves are always a fascinating experience for us. We love to explore caves and to see all of nature’s handiwork and creations. We explore the caves underwater, which are known as the Cenotes in Mexico, and we explore the caves underground too. Little did I know that this day I would do both. I dived in the caves in the morning and then we explored Cuevas del Drach that afternoon. Las Cuevas del Drach or the Caves of the Dragon, are located in Porto Cristo, up in the mountains of Mallorca. These caves have literally been around for millions of years. It is estimated they were created anywhere from 5.3 million to 11 million years ago. Estimating by their formations, I would say they have been around closer to the 11 million year mark. The stalactites grow 1cm every 100 years and these caves were filled with so many huge formations.

These caves are truly some of the prettiest caves I have ever seen. They are filled with 1000’s of beautifully sculptured formations that align the path all throughout the caves, from floor to ceiling, or ceiling to floor, since they grow in both directions.

Cuevas del Drach are also home to the beautiful Lake Martel, Europe’s largest underground lake, which is about 170 metres long and between 4 and 12 metres deep. The lake is named after the French geologist Edouard Martel who first explored these caves in the late 19th century, at the commission of Archduke Ludwig Salvato.

Not only is there a beautiful, crystal lake in these caves, but they also give a little mini violin concerto on boats around the lake for everyone to enjoy. We were allowed to take pictures, but not with flash, so unfortunately, our “boat pictures” did not turn out. But it was an absolutely beautiful experience. The acoustics in the caves are amazing.

After the mini concert, the boats were available to take us for a short little trip on the water as well. When I say short, we timed it, and it was only a minute 30 seconds, but well worth it. What an amazing experience.

If you like caves, these are definitely some of the best caves I have ever seen. I highly recommend this cave experience for everyone.

There is beauty in everything. All we have todo is open our eyes to see it all. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

After touring The Cathedral de Santa Maria de Palma, we worked up a bit of an appetite. It was too early for a main meal, especially in Spanish time, but we just needed a little something to hold us over. We stopped at one of the many outside cafes for a delicious little pick me up that included a coffee and a delicious piece of plum and raspberry cake.

We chose Maura, mainly because it was bustling and full of life. We could also do a fun job of people watching as we enjoyed our little snack. 🙂

When in Spain, you definitely have to live like the Spanish. They love life, and they definitely appreciate good foods and good wines. And so do I. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

We toured the Cathedral of Palma, also known as the Cathedral de Santa Maria de Palma or La Seu (many smaller churches are also called La Seu), on our own, with one of the audio versions of the self-guided tours. It was already an old 14th century cathedral when Antoni Gaudí was commissioned to refurbish it. At first he was working on both this cathedral and Sagrada Familia, as well as other projects at the same time, before he switched to working exclusively on Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. He tried out new concepts and ideas in Palma and then took many of those over to Sagrada Familia. Both are beautiful and ingenious works of art, but after visiting both, I actually prefer the Cathedral in Palma to Sagrada Familia.

The Cathedral de Santa Maria de Palma was originally built by the Crown of Aragón on the site of a Moorish-era mosque, the cathedral is 121 metres long, 40 metres wide and its nave is 44 metres tall. By way of comparison, the height of the central nave reaches 33m in Notre Dame de Paris, 38m in Reims, 42m in Notre-Dame d’Amiens and 48m in Saint-Pierre de Beauvais, the highest of all Gothic cathedrals. It is one of the most spectacular works of Gothic architecture in Spain.

Designed in the Catalan Gothic style but with Northern European influences, it was begun by King James I of Aragon in 1229 but only finished in 1601. It sits within the old city of Palma atop the former citadel of the Roman city, between the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and the episcopal palace. It also overlooks the Parc de la Mar and the Mediterranean Sea.

In 1901, fifty years after a restoration of the cathedral had started, Antoni Gaudí was invited to take over the project. While some of his ideas were adopted – moving the choir stalls from the middle nave to be closer to the altar, as well as a large canopy – Gaudí abandoned his work in 1914 after an argument with the contractor. The planned changes were essentially cosmetic rather than structural, and the project was cancelled soon after.

Gaudi was inspired by nature and the capturing of light in his works, especially in his cathedrals. Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was a Catalan architect and designer from Spain, known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí’s works have a highly individualized, sui generis style. Most are located in Barcelona, including his main work, the church of the Sagrada Família.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria de Palma is still a very active church. Services are held regularly and people from around the world attend.

The stained glass windows are just absolutely exquisite masterpieces.

These two pieces are on opposite sides of the cathedral.

Old cathedrals are also beautiful art museums. Every piece is exquisitely designed and crafted by gifted and extremely talented masters of their trades.

Everything, from the floors to the ceilings are just one beautiful piece of art after another, after another.

Even the gates and doors are beautifully and artfully designed. Everything was designed to glorify God and the Crown or the State.

You don’t have to be Catholic, or even religious, to appreciate all the attention to every minute detail that goes into every single piece inside these beautiful cathedrals. If you appreciate great art and attention to absolutely every detail, you should definitely visit the great cathedrals and/or basilicas of the world. There is nothing else that compares to these magnificent artworks. I would highly recommend touring the Cathedral de Santa Maria de Palma. It is absolutely breathtaking. It is also located right at the sea as well, though the sea has been extended out through walls and modern technology in recent years.

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.

Before heading out to Palma we visited the little weekly farmer’s market in Santa Ponca (Ponsa) first. Our hotel manager said it was “no big deal really”, and for the most part I would agree with him. However the foods were amazing. Once we saw all the fresh foods for sale, I was completely salivating, but we had already eaten a small breakfast and were pretty full. We were also on our way to Palma, so we had no way of storing anything. The foods all looked so good. I wish we had a way of enjoying it and taking some of it home. Needless to say, we did not get a chance to enjoy any of this scrumptious food. 😦

Just look at these HUGE heirloom tomatoes. Each one was well over 1 lb or a couple of kilos.

And all these different kinds of fresh olives, pickles and capers.

And fresh baked breads.

And of course a wide variety of meats, hams, sausages and chorizo.

I wanted to sample a little bit of everything. My mouth was just watering. And all of this was set up before 9:00 AM. This is put out every week too. Man! I wish they did that here. We do have farmer’s markets, but nothing like this and ours are only seasonal. Unfortunately, our season has already ended.

It was also market day in Palma, or at least this part of Palma as well. We were down by the marina and the Cathedral, waiting for our tour of the city to begin. Here it was mostly restaurants and people selling their wares, but there was some food too.

I enjoyed one vendor making his large pan of fresh seafood paella. Doesn’t this just look fabulous????? Any idea how much these huge paelleras, or huge paella pans cost? They go for around 4000 Euros each. As always, there is just too much good food and not nearly enough time, or tummy space, to enjoy it all.

We actually made a big pan of paella like this, but this will come much later in my Barcelona/Mallorca series. 🙂

I am still on just day one of our trip too. I have oh so much more to share. So hang on. We’re just getting started. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Tapas, or small plates, were what we mostly feasted on for this trip. We love tapas and often eat this way at home too. We would order a few different items and share them between us. It’s a great way to try a variety of different things without getting huge portions of everything. It is also one of the favorite ways to dine in Spain. We dined al fresco most of the time, which we do at home all as often as the weather allows. The weather was perfect and we could watch the world go by as we sat and enjoyed our delicious foods.

This little place call El Rocio was our first of many stops for tapas dinners for the trip, both in Mallorca and Barcelona.

Many places will start you off with olives and/or bread with aioli before the rest of the meal. So many olives are grown here, and such a wide variety of delicious olives too. And of course, I had to enjoy my meal with some good Spanish wines as well.

We ordered Patatas Bravas, or spicy, crispy potatoes, at a lot of our stops. Patatas Bravas are some of our favorites. This time we enjoyed them with calamari and chorizo too, also some of our favorites. It was a great way to start off our Spanish dining experiences.

Everything was muy delicioso, just as we had expected it would be.

Life is short. Enjoy all the delicious foods you can. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Getting to Mallorca from Denver is a LONG haul for sure. We flew non-stop from Denver to Frankfurt, Germany and had a 4 hour layover. Then from Frankfurt, we had about a 2 hour flight directly into Palma. Plus there was an 8 hour time difference. Once we rented out car, we headed out to Santa Ponca where we were staying. That was about another 30 minute drive. By the time we landed and got to our new “digs” we were exhausted. But that doesn’t stop me. No, no. We were up early and out and about. We had lots to see and explore.

This is our first “home away from home” and where we stayed while in Mallorca. It was a cute little holiday resort filled with little apartments. Ours was a studio apartment, but they must have bigger units as well since there were a lot of families, mostly from Ireland, staying there too. This is the view directly from our balcony. If we had done Barcelona first, this place would have been closed for the season, along with a lot of Mallorca, since the bigger tourist areas are mostly summer holiday resort areas.

Our apartments did not have parking on the premises, so we had to hope to find a spot at the local pubic parking area about 2 blocks away. There were only a couple of times we had to sweat it, but we always managed to find a spot in the end. By having to walk a couple of blocks away every time we got into the car, we got to know the local area pretty well. We were also right by the beach, so we didn’t mind the walk at all, which was very good, since we did A LOT of walking on this trip. Larry and I differ on the amount we ended up walking. I say we walked over 80 miles total, and I have the blisters on my heels to prove it. Larry doesn’t think we walked that far. And so much of the walking was really hiking up and down very steep hills all over the place, and up and down a ton of stairs. This was EVERYWHERE we went too.

Apartment living is how the overwhelming majority of people live in Spain, as well as in most of Europe. The only single family residences were in the rural farm areas, and even then, most people live stacked up upon each other.

Here are some of our local welcoming committee. They did a great job. We felt very welcomed indeed.

No, this is not the car we rented, though it would have been fun to drive around in.

We were headed down to get something to eat. There were lots of good eats on this trip too. We ended up eating a lot of tapas, which is perfectly OK with us. More on that following next.

I am back from yet another magical vacation in Spain. It was actually 2 little mini-vacations in 1. The first part of our trip was to the island of Mallorca. We spent 5 days in Mallorca and 5 days in Barcelona. The second part of our trip was to Barcelona, with a one-day trip to the separate tiny country of Andorra.

I just finished editing all my Mallorca pictures. I took a ton of pictures on our trip; well over 1200. NO, I am not going to bore you with all of them, but I certainly will share the highlights to give you all a feel for what life in Spain is like.

Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Mallorca is known as the pearl of the Mediterranean. It is easy to see how it got this name, since it’s seascapes that surround the island are absolutely breathtaking.

Mallorca, as well as the rest of Spain, has a very old and rich history with influences from all all over, dating back to before the times of the Ancient Romans. Before Mallorca was conquered by the Ancient Romans, it was inhabited by the Foners. These people were very skilled at weaponry, especially mastering the art of the slingshot, or the fonda. The Romans conquered Mallorca in 123 BC and reigned over the area until it was sacked by the North Africans. In 554, it was under Byzantine rule and remained so until 902, when the Moors conquered the island. The Moors remained in power for over 327 years, before the island became “Christianized” in 1228, and has remained a Christian/Catholic region ever since. Mallorca was annexed to Spain in 1492 when the country was unified under the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. Mallorca is part of Spain, but it is also Catalan. The Catalans have a different language and are technically a separate people than the Spanish, even though their cultures have a blended history with a lot of similarities. Right now there is a battle taking place for the Catalans to regain their independence from Spain.

This is a depiction of the transfer of powers from the defeated Muslim Moors to the Spanish, led by King Jaimie the 1st (James the 1st).

The island of Mallorca might be one of Spain’s most historic islands, but its capital city of Palma de Mallorca, which is also the largest city by far on the island, is best known for its beaches and bustling modern and cosmopolitan lifestyle. The island as a whole is known for its secluded coves, limestone mountains, Spanish architecture, wineries and fresh produce farms, and oh so much more. Mallorca is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe, for both celebrities and normal working people alike. Since the mid 20th century, tourism has been is main economic force.

I saw Mallorca from both above the sea and below. I took my scuba gear and did some diving as well. Larry only did 1 dive, but I did a few more, and definitely would have done more if Larry had let me. 🙂 The diving was much better in Mallorca than it was in Southern Spain, around Malaga, Marbella and the Costal del Sol area. The water was much clearer, with better visibility, it was warmer, and there was so much more marine life to see. There were lots of big schools of fish swimming in big circles, something I don’t normally see, even though many of the fish species were the same I see elsewhere. I will most definitely dive in Mallorca again, given the chance. It’s NOT Cozumel, but it was still nice diving indeed.

We rented a car while in Mallorca, and we literally saw most of the island. It is amazingly beautiful. We did so many things and saw so much. There is plenty more coming your way. This is just the first of many installments. Enjoy or disfutar! 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Hey Everyone. I’m back from Barcelona. Did you miss me? I missed all of you. We just arrived home late last night, and as usual when we get back, I have a bazillion things to do to try my best to get things back to “normal”. So it will be a few more days before I am back on some kind of a “schedule” again, but I will have lots of fun things to share with you once I’m back. So hold tight just a little longer. I promise, it won’t be too long. 🙂