Mallorca Day 2 - Port de Soller

I got 12 wonderful hours of sleep, had a great breakfast at the hotel and took a taxi to the airport. Picked up the rental car and drove, through a 3 km tunnel at one point, to Port de Soller. I was here by about 11.

My little car . The entrance to where I am staying is just behind that umbrella

Up these stairs, between 2 restaurants ( the smells at lunch time are divine, this could be dangerous)

To my home for the next 2 months.

It is on a little courtyard, shared by a few houses, so when it is warm enough I will be able to sit out at the table. Actually I ate lunch out there today. The shutters slide open to let light into the 2 bedrooms and the living room. With Angela's permission I will post pictures of the inside later, on a slow news day.
I got settled and then went for a walk.

From the bottom of those stairs over the marina in front (from tiny fishing boats to huge, monster yachts)

L

Some moored out in the bay but most of the mooring buoys are empty at this time of year.

The harbour is so well protected that it wasn't until I walked to the other side of the bay, later, that I could even see how to get out to the sea. Surrounded by the Tramuntana Mountains.

Looking for the supermarket, I found the church

with its maritime cross on top.

I hadn't really planned to go to the grocery store but when I found it thought I might as well stock up. Four plastic bags later and it felt like a long walk back (wine, fruit and veg can weigh quite a bit) so I stopped for a cafe con leche in the sun. Home and stowed it all. Made myself some lunch and then unpacked. I had the door open as it was a lovely day and a man knocked on it. His English wasn't good, my Spanish isn't good.. So we ended up having a rather difficult conversation in French. Turned out he needed to get the owners permission to attach fibre optic cables to the building. I wished him bonne chance.

Beautiful out so I decided to walk around the bay. This is the entrance to the sea, flanked by 2 lighthouses.

One high up on the left that Angela indicated is a nice walk and that you can take a path to the next village from there. I will have to be in better shape first.

This one is closer, up behind me and I may try to get to it first.

Another Canadian visitor.

Muskovy duck?????

I only think this is a Muskovy Duck because we had one at the cottage. It followed us around for a couple of days and when we asked at Bird Studies Canada they told us that was what it was and it was probably an escaped domestic duck.
The Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) is a large duck native to Mexico, Central, and South America. Small wild and feral breeding populations have established themselves in the United States, particularly in Florida and the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas as well as in many other parts of North America, including southern Canada. Feral Muscovy ducks are found in New Zealand, Australia, and in parts of Europe. From Wikapedia. Guess the one here is feral.

No idea what this is but he looked very sweet on a piece of stick on the beach. I'm sure I can count on one of my birding friends to identify him.

I walked to that bend in the road

and looked across at my side of the bay.

I'd done a lot of walking and suddenly felt jet lagged. On my way back I sat at a bar, be the beach, in the sun and had an aqua con gas and a copa vino tinto, while listening to German being spoken all around me.

There is a section of the docks devoted to these traditional little fishing boats.

They have these lovely wooden prows

and wooden masts, bound together with rope.

The ‘llaüt’ is the traditional trawl fishing vessel of the Balearic Islands, although nowadays it is more a piece of craftsmanship whose use is reserved to enthusiasts. From masmallorca.com

This wooden tram goes to Soller every hour. I think I may take it tomorrow.