A Jeanne in the Kitchen

This is my last post from Mallorca. We had a great time, and thoroughly fell in love with Mallorca. We saw and did so much. But now it is time for more Spanish adventures. Next stops, Barcelona and Andorra.

We did one last drive through the mountains of Mallorca. We ended up in Cala Rajada, which I believe is northeast of Palma. It is another very beautiful old mountain town that is full of charm. Again, it is another beautiful blending of old traditions and new ideas.

I have no idea what these decorations are for, but I am assuming it was for some kind of festive celebration. While we we waiting for our dinner to arrive, I strolled about briefly. I couldn’t spend too much time here, because again, Larry didn’t feel comfortable driving the narrow, dark, mountain roads at night.

I am so enamored with all the beautiful old buildings. I love them so much more than all the new, modern buildings. I just love all the attention to detail and I appreciate all the labors of love that went into to buildings these gorgeous buildings. I have been told many times that I have an old soul. I truly believe that too.

We enjoyed a delicious paella and tapas dinner at Sa Granja.

Once again, we began with a cool crisp, delicious white wine, artisan bread, olives and aioli. My favorite Spanish white is Albarino, but surprisingly, I didn’t have too much this time, though we did bring a bottle home to enjoy later.

We ordered and shared paella, garlic mushrooms, stuffed mussels, albondigas and a paprika chicken dish.

We can officially say we have seen most of the beautiful Balearian island of Mallorca. I can certainly see why it is called the pearl of the Mediterranean. It is just breathtaking. I might have just left my heart in Mallorca. I’ll have to go back again to know for sure. 🙂

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

It is only fitting to have seafood for dinner when we had a full day traveling around the coast. We stopped in at this cozy little restaurant with a gorgeous view of the marina.

Once again, we started off with some delicious fresh baked bread served with fresh olives and aioli. I could have easily made this my meal too.

But instead, we had some delicious pasta del mar that was loaded with lobster, mussels and clams and some grilled fish for our main meals.

It was yet another perfectly delicious way to end the day. We had fun eating our way through Spain. 🙂

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

Soller is a little town where the mountains meet the sea, like so many other little towns and villages in Mallorca. Imagine a small destination nestled in the mountains that’s features rustic stone homes, a vintage tram that rolls through the center of town, stunning churches that soar into the sky, and quaint cafes where you can sit back, sip on a refreshing drink, and admire the endless views. Soller is that place. It’s a beautiful little town that has actually been recognized by the World Heritage and UNESCO Foundations. Soller offers a perfect combination of seaside beauty and historical heritage. Rumor has it that Soller is one of the prettiest little villages in Mallorca. I don’t know about that though, since we enjoyed every place we went and every place was beautiful.

This little town had not one, not two, but three lighthouses. Two of them are very old, and they are not functioning, but they are still interesting to see. You have to look very, very closely, but I do have all three lighthouses in this picture. They are all off in the distance though.

I like the fun sculpture of the fisherman too.

Soller is a cute, quaint little town that keeps close to its traditional roots and simple way of life.

Local artisans still make a lot of their everyday wares by hand, the old fashioned way. We actually purchased a couple of olive oil jars for gifts.

Colorful art is everywhere, just waiting to be seen and discovered. All you have to do is look for it.

We had to walk. There was no way Larry could fit into this tiny little car.

All the walking around and exploring in the heat of the day called for a little siesta break and a glass of delicious sangria. We sat in one of the local places that let us watch the world go by while we took a little break.

I love this creative menu display.

It was a gorgeous day and we saw and did so much. Have I mentioned that I just absolutely LOVE Spain? I love the colors, the food, the art, the music, and in a word, their passion for life. I think I must have been Spanish in another life. 🙂

We are still eating our way through Mallorca. I have a few more good eats from the island before we move on to Barcelona and Andorra. Our trip was a little shy of two weeks, but we sure did do a lot and try a lot of very good food. Somehow, I got myself all thrown off, but I am hoping to catch up. Maybe it’s just because we were so busy it’s easy to get confused. Believe it or not, I am still going through and editing our pictures. I think I am ALMOST done. 🙂 I still have a lot of great, fun things to share with you. I hope you are enjoying my series on Spain.

This place, La Baranda, is back in Palma. We went there after one of our mountains adventures, and going back into Palma was on the way back to Santa Ponsa, where we were staying.

It looks empty now, but remember the Spanish eat much later than Americans do, so after a bit, it really started filling up.

We enjoyed another delicious tapas dinner that included bruschetta, salted and roasted peppers, some Iberian ham, garlic shrimp and more potatas bravas. We love patatas bravas, and eat them (and ate them) a lot. Everyone has a slightly different way of making them, and I love it. 🙂

We liked the peppers and the ham on their own, but we really liked combining the two together. It was definitely a taste sensation that took it to a different level.

At first Larry didn’t want to eat here, but he was glad we did after. The food was even better than it looked if you can imagine that. 🙂 I love just randomly picking places. You never know what you are going to get, and you are often very pleasantly surprised. 🙂

Good food, good times, and good friends. That’s what life is all about. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I have so much good information and fun things to share from Spain, and I have been getting a little ahead of myself. I have been remiss on sharing our good eats. Of course we had to eat, and we had delicious food all over the place. Mostly we enjoyed a lot of tapas, but we had some other good meals that weren’t tapas too.

The roads in Mallorca are very narrow, and the more remote roads are also very dark. Larry didn’t feel too comfortable driving around in the dark on these narrow, winding roads, so on our mountain excursion days, we either ate in Santa Ponsa or in Palma.

Santa Ponsa is a hot spot of Irish travelers, so there are a lot of Irish pubs and restaurants there too. We tried one of them while there. We ate at Mrs. Murphy’s Kitchen one night for some traditional Irish fare. The food was delicious and the place was hoppin’.

It is a quaint and cute little place decorated like an Irish country house.

Larry ordered beef stroganoff and I ordered pork wellington in a Dijon mustard sauce. Both were very good and hit the spot.

As I have said many times, sometimes the best things are the unexpected things. Who knew we would get good Irish food in Spain? But we did. 🙂

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

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.