Mallorca Day 31 - Cove walk

In one of her e-mails, Angela had said there was a walk around the headland, up near the Torre (or that's what I think she said), so I decided to try that today.

Took my usual route; to the first round about, hang a left through a residential area .... Saw a cat in an olive tree.

He didn't find it easy to get down and along a metal fence

but then it was just about appearing nonchalant!

I walked up the same road as I took to the watchtower, through the gap in the fence, but this time took the right hand path rather than the left. I hit a few dead ends trying to find the path around the headland as did an English couple I kept running in to.

On one side, through the trees, this huge piece of rock which looks ready to fall into the sea.

On the other side, the Torre.

When I finally settled on a direction there were sea views,

vestiges of rock walls,

and a narrow and

sometime debris strewn path

down to a rocky cove.

I heard the goats in the undergrowth covered cliff side, before I saw them.

I sat in the sun and ate the apple strudel type pastry I picked up on the way out of town and

tried a sketch of the rocks (one a day remember?).

Back the way I had come but

the different direction gives you different views.

The wind off the Med. hadn't been kind to these pine trees, still alive but bent right over the path.

I walked down the road with another English couple who said they have been coming to Mallorca for years but find this time of year the nicest for walking and not too many crowds. Recommended Es Port Hotel and to go just for a drink because it is so lovely - I may.

I had a glass of wine at Fet a Soller and watched Morwenna out for a shake down cruise

Tacking back and forth in the harbour before heading out the cut.

It was about 3 when I got home so put the laundry outside and sat in the sun with a book, olives and more wine.

So yesterday, I stopped at the point when the equestrian demonstration was over. I wandered into the building across from where I had been standing.

La Llotja had been the trade headquarters of Palma

but is now used as an exhibition space.

Nothing in there right now but its an impressive bit of architecture.

I headed back the way I had come, tempted by the smell of freshly fried potato chips (but I didn't cave)

Tempted by the olives too.

Honestly, everything was tempting, but I didn't indulge.

I had to step aside to let the giant puppets pass

and a few minutes later a brass band. There was music everywhere; the bands marching around, stages set up with bands and dancers performing, street musicians, music from speakers at the booths.

I walked up some stairs, away from the noise and crowds of the festival

and discovered that it wasn't a good day to go to the Palace. Its free for Mallorcans on Wednesdays and today a lot of Mallorcans had a holiday hence - line up!

But there was no line up at the Diocese Museum (and its free). This is the Memorial for the Saints and the Blesseds.

Spellcheck didn't like "Blesseds" but that was the English translation on the sign.

There's Valldemossa's Catalina Tomas

The museum is right next to the Cathedral and full of religious paintings

and other artifacts. Well lit, well preserved but unfortunately no English signage.

I did learn about Ramon Llull. Born in 1232 who was "a married man, with children, comfortably rich, dissolute and worldy". He was visited by visions and then devoted himself to spreading the word of god, becoming, in his own words "poor and despised".

He traveled much of the Mediterranean spreading the word, trying to start schools, convert non believers and wrote 280 books. He has still not achieved sainthood.

There was also a section on the restoration of the Cathedral by Gaudi but the post is too long (again) and I will write about the Cathedral visit tomorrow.

View from the top floor of the Diocese Museum.