Mallorca Day 27 - Valldemossa by bus.

Eve and I were in Valldemossa on Thursday and were told the market was on Sunday so I decided to go back but didn't want to drive that road again.

When I got to the roundabout there were 2 buses there. One was the Palma Express, through the tunnel, and the other was the one that goes to Palma via Soller, Deia, Valldemossa and various other places. The bus area was crowded, mostly German walkers. At 9:50 we moved, on mass, to the front door of the bus and at 9:55 the driver opened it and we were on our way right on time at 10:00. Price to Valldemossa 2.55 Euro.

I sat about half way back, where the seats are higher and on the right hand side, (so I could see the coast views).

I was able to look down into the valleys at the little fincas (many with solar panels on their roofs) and along the coast at the huge villas with pools, tennis courts and sea views, that Eve had commented on, but I couldn't even glance at while driving.

It was a lovely way to get to Valldemossa and I will do it again. Both this bus driver and the one on the return trip were careful and polite drivers. They slowed and indicated to let other drivers pass them on the few straight places, they slowed and sometimes stopped going round bends as there were cars coming in the opposite direction.

A few times the bus took up both lanes to get around a bend and I know from the drive last Thursday that the back of the bus can swing out into the other lane. The trip took about an hour of fabulous scenery.

On arriving in Valldemossa I saw no evidence of a market. It was much the same as when we had been there on Thursday and no-one walking around with baskets of produce. I assumed we had been misinformed again and headed off to find the church. Away from the main tourist area the streets are narrow, many are pedestrian and there are plants and flowers everywhere.

St Bartholemew Catholic Church. The door was locked.

This was on the wall of the church. Translates to "Saint Catalina Thomas (also know as St Catherine of Palma) pray for us".

Every house has a tile.

There are quite a variety

Most are right by the door

lit and with flowers.

Behind the church, that first door on the left, is her birthplace. She was born in 1533 and canonized in 1930.

Its now a little chapel with her story and a suggested prayer in 8 languages on the walls. Also a place to make an offering.

Her statue beside the church.

I wandered this area some more

and then stopped for a coffee in this little cafe, where they gave me directions to the market.

It was on the other side of the main road in a parking lot.

I got some of the goat cheese.

Here I bought a huge red pepper and a large bunch of radishes (I asked the vendor to give me half the bunch but he shook his head and the woman beside me said, in Spanish, lots of vitamins!)

Some strange looking flowers.

Here I bought some caramelized almonds, still warm,

they were making them fresh.

There were also stalls with meat, olives, clothing, jewelry and 4 stalls selling leather products.

Walking back up to the palace I looked down on the cafe that Eve and I ate in

and round to the gardens behind with their bust of Chopin and rose beds.

I found lots of good views but

none of them had a place, in the sun, to sit and sketch,

until I sat down at the bus stop and realized I had a good view from there. It wasn't until I looked at this picture that I realized how wonky the sketch is.

I caught the bus at 2pm, not as full.

Pictures through the window again.

That's the church in Deia that Eve and I walked up to.

At one point we had to inch past a bus coming the other way.