Well, the sun has finally set on my little trip to Mallorca, so I thought I'd post my holiday snaps in case anyone is interested in seeing a snippet of Rafa's island for themselves.
We were based in the country's capital of Palma, and I found it to be right up my street, with everything I enjoy about being in Europe's cities. The daytime weather was wonderful, with the sun shining and lovely blue skies. When the sun set and at night-time, it was chilly - so note that if you go in Winter months like we did.
We rented an apartment in the city's Old Town, and I enjoyed the lovely mix of the old, historical buildings like the Cathedral and the Palace, with the narrow streets, but then the cafe culture of the squares, the lovely Water Park in front of the Cathedral, the street sculpture, the avenues of shops and the beautiful Art Nouveau buildings. You can find my Palma pictures on the link.
You are aware that we took a day trip to Rafa's Manacor and its the subject of a separate post, but another day trip we took was to board the rickety 1912 train from its own little station in Palma, which takes you through the Mallorcan mountains to the village of Soller.
Its an experience in itself just riding that train, but the scenery and orange and lemon groves that it takes you through to its destination were stunning. There was still snow on the mountain tops. When you arrive at Soller, the next adventure is to take a tram of a similar age which takes you right down to the Port de Soller. Again, you are treated to quiet beaches, with the Mediterranean lapping at the shores, and the stunning views of the harbour and mountains of this delightful little place. There are some lovely places for lunch ... and I even got a sunburn!!
Back in Soller itself, its just a tiny village with a square and church and narrow streets that contain the shops, but get yourself an ice cream and just take in the views.
For art lovers like myself, there's even a small exhibition of Miro's paintings and Picasso's ceramics at the train station. My pictures of Soller are in the link.
On my final day, I took a trip out to the Miro Foundation which is just on the outskirts of Palma, but only about 20 minutes away by bus. The Foundation itself houses some wonderful works, and also has a lovely garden and great views to the Mediterranean sea. But the best bit for me, is that this place houses Miro's own studio ... and its been left exactly as it was when he died. For a fan like me to walk into his studio, and see his overalls hanging over the banister, the paint that he squeezed, the paintings he was working on, the chair where he sat, the paint he dropped on the floor ... I was really rather overwhelmed. The studio itself is also a wonderful little piece of architecture. My pictures of the Miro Foundation and Studio are in the link.
In summary, from what I saw of Mallorca, it brought to me all the things I love to see. City lifestyle, architecture, historical buildings and modern art. The peace and beauty of Soller is also an encouragement for me to perhaps find other lovely places to go for a few days' relaxation. I thoroughly enjoyed our little trip, and I'm sure I will visit Rafa's island again ...
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