Port de Soller, Mallorca, Spain - taxi tour continued

Castel de Capdepera entrance with Sarah on right and Pierre with his taxi on the left.

The guide book indicated that it was difficult to find the road up to the castle in Capdepera and that the roads were really too narrow for the drive anyway. Pierre defied this by asking a local policeman the way, and after getting directions, followed them in spite of one way street signs ("the guardia civil told me to go this way") and very narrow streets that we inched through and round corners (the car was going in for body work the next day anyway) to deliver us to the entrance of the castle. As no-one else would dare those streets he was also able to park there and wait for us.
By the way, we checked on Heather the times we had access to wifi and she was fine after 3 and a half hours of sleep. Liz checked in on her and found her sleeping.

The initial structure on the site was a watch tower from when the Moors occupied the island (10th to 12th centuries)

The site was still undergoing archeological digs and restoration and one building had models of what the area would have been like at different times in its history. At one point it was basically a walled town.

The church was at the top of the hill, inside the walls and the first part was built in the 14th century.

Church roof.

It was dedicated to "Our Lady of Hope" and they called on her for protection from the constant raids.

From the roof of the church you could see out to sea and into the valley behind the castle.

A watch and signal tower on a distant hill. The number of fires lit and the length of time they burned communicated the number of ships seen and distance.

Tired but still trucking.

I couldn't get this reflection effect again if I tried.

I hate having my picture taken, always have done, but the girls are so used to selfies that they are happy to pose for me,

though I did ask Fiona's permission to post this one of her with her sunglasses stuck in her hair.

We couldn't believe that the ropes were attached and nothing stopping us from ringing the bells. After Sarah did, I had too as well.

The sound carried and I am sure could be heard across the town and up the valley.

The castle was built on an incline with the original tower and church at the top and the, well guarded, entrance at the bottom. We discussed the use of the bow and arrow slits and the positioning of the walls around the entrance to be able to defend it effectively.

But mostly we walked around, enjoying the sunshine and the amazing views.

When we got back into the car and Pierre negotiated us back of the hill and out of the town I told the girls that they probably had an hour in which they could nap. They promptly did!
I awoke them as we drove around the walled town of  Alcudia and they were able to enjoy the bay and see catamerans out racing. Pierre asked if we should stop at a beach and then wound his way around another confusing, narrow streeted little town (Sant Vicenc)

It looked so inviting that Sarah had to roll up her pants and go in.

Fiona wasn't so sure but pretty soon she joined her

and got into the spirit as they jumped waves.

Pierre proposed ice cream which we all agreed to enthusiastically.

We drove back through the mountains

seeing sheep, goats and donkeys on the way. Sarah thought that the ride might have made Heather a little queasy.

With Pierre's less than admiring comments about tourist drivers and cyclists.

Returning home we found that Heather had figured out for herself how to use the orange juicer, the tv and the VCR and had cabin fever (full of beans). Fi napped and we helped Liz move some of the gravel downstairs in preparation for the completion of her patio (hopefully in the next few days). I made chicken and shrimp paella and then we watched some movies til bed around 11 (new curfew being respectful of Liz below us).