Port de Soller, Mallorca, Spain - walk to Biniaraix

The weather forecast said 0% chance of rain today so I took the tram into Soller and retraced the route that I took when I walked to Fornalux.

All that rain and then a couple of warm, sunny days and everything was sprouting.

Its pronounced Bin-air-atch

Citrus trees in a field of yellow flowers.

That's Binibassi

The first English Robin I have seen this time. Maybe he got driven south by the awful weather they are having in the UK. Visitors here haven't been able to get back because of airport closings and airline delays (they are really not complaining too hard about it). The news feeds look more like Canada than Canada does.

Major renovations at this place in Binibassi

and it has a fabulous view across the Soller valley.

Its really just a cluster of old houses where the Fornalux path breaks off from the GR221 (the main walking path up the Tramontana Mountains).

The fincas all have these reservoirs for irrigation. Most look full, some with water pouring out of their overflow pipes.

Over a river

rushing down

from the mountains

I was into the outskirts of the village of Biniaraix

Very neat and tidy

with lovely entrances and gardens.

Many of the houses had tile and a metal ring

on the road side wall, to tie up a horse?

Many houses have tiles warning of the dog but here was one warning of the cat

and with a very interesting door knocker.

With streets this narrow you need a car this size.

I ended up in the village square

and sat in the sun to sketch that house on the right but

I hadn't got far (into the sketch or the almond cake) before it started to rain

0% chance of rain the forecast had said!

I headed back the way I had come

Graphic dog warning tiles too.

Looking back across the valley to the village I had come from. The rain stopped but it was still overcast and cooler.

A handsome pair, escaped from the coop.

Sorry Heather (my tour de France enthusiast) they whizzed by me and I could only get a shot of their backs.

The coffee took effect and I felt energized and decided to walk all the way back to Port rather than taking the tram. Past so many laddened lemon trees I can't imagine what they do with them all. Must be a lot of gin and tonics.

The orange waste makes me sad

sometimes its hidden by the flowers below the trees.

I took a different route to get back over the pass to Port de Soller, different farms, different views. Finally home, very tired. The coffee had warn off too soon.

Port de Soller. Mallorca, Spain - Balearic Day

The Day of the Balearic Islands (Día de les Illes Balears) is a local public holiday on the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, on March 1 each year. This date commemorates when the Balearic Islands' Statute of Autonomy came into effect on March 1, 1983. (from timeanddate.com)

I have been using the workmen, renovating the apartment below me, as my alarm clock, as they arrive and open the garage door every day around 8am. Well Wednesday was a holiday so I had an unplanned little sleep in.

This is what it said on the Sollerweb calendar for March 1;
at 11 am, Circus Parade, from CircBover. Start on the street of Sa Lluna and tour by Plaza, jeroni Estardes and Born.
– at 12 noon, in front of the town hall, show kinesis, of the Cia Des-equilibrats. A show that talks about emotions from the acrobàcies and the circus

I thought that sounded pretty interesting so headed, on the tram, into Soller

while still playing with the camera.

It was a beautiful clear day in Port

but looked as if Soller might be a bit more unpredictable.

When I got into Soller this was the set up in front of the town hall

and the entertainers were preparing. Getting the music going and practicing juggling.

They rode around the square and the surrounding streets

singing and encouraging children to come to their show.

The unicyclist was very good, constantly making it look as if he was out of control.

They attracted an audience on and around the town hall steps and all the rest of us at the cafes and around the fountain.

The kids were engaged (except the one who would rather eat)

he wasn't sure what to make of it.

There was singing with lots of audience participation, juggling multiple bowler hats and spinning balls but it all had to pause to let the tram go safely by.

It was really aimed at the 10 and under crowd so I went for a walk around and bought a piece of carrot cake to eat later.

Swinging back past, a young woman was doing cartwheels and balances on a couple of wooden chairs.

I decided it was too nice a day to do anything but this, so I came home, got into my bathing suit and spent the afternoon finishing a Lee Child book.

Port de Soller, Mallorca, Spain - new camera

I spent the evening on the internet looking for camera stores. None in Port or Soller but a few in Palma. I found a couple I could walk to from the Palma bus station so Tuesday morning I took the bus into Palma. Out of the bus station and straight to the tourist office next door for a map, recommendations and directions.
First I went to El Corte Ingles, a huge department store. The electronics were on the 5th floor! I looked at what they had, showed a clerk my defunct Nikon camera and he recommended a Nikon for 160 Euro. I thanked him and searched through a maze of narrow streets to find the specialty camera store recommended on line and by the tourist office. The clerk looked at my camera and shook his head. Nikon didn't make that anymore. He had the one recommended by the department store (for the same price) but pointed out the ways that it was not as good as my old one; it was literally a "point and shoot", no zoom, the menu was on the screen not a dial (meant I would have to put my glasses on to change the setting) etc - He was good.
I had paid about $150 for my Nikon. I had tested 2 other cameras for a week each before settling on it. I ended up buying a Lumix (Panasonic) that was bulkier and heavier but it had a dial, a large screen, a better zoom and more options than my old one (panoramic, sport mode, some shutter and aperture control). 220 Euro, about $350!!! I hope I like it.
That taken care of I walked down to the Cathedral in the drizzle, saw that they were already setting up for the local holiday festivities (in 2 days time), walked back up to the bus station and came home.

On the left, my old one, in the box, my new one. The plug to charge it will need a converter when I get home, its the European style.

It was cold and rainy on Wednesday but when it broke, in the afternoon, I took the camera out for a test drive. It will take some getting used to and there are no English instructions - Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, German and Greek but not English.

The 20X zoom is pretty impressive

these shots were taken from the beach

on a dull day. My old camera only had a 12X zoom.

The boat I showed in an earlier post, lying on its side, is now upright.

Reacts quite well, on auto,

in poor light.

I think I will have fun with the panoramic option.

Its got to be able to take food shots. I stopped for wine so I could test it.....

A good size glass of Mallorcan wine, with a little bowl of crunchy snacks, with a view of the beach 2.80 Euro, less than $5.

Back home, from the terrace, I could see there were 2 groups of bocce players

She looks pretty pleased with that shot.

Port de Soller, Mallorca, Spain - walk to Fornalutx

Monday was another lovely sunny but cool day. I decided to do the walk from Soller to Fornalutx (pronounced "fornalootch").

Goose on a Llaut

I took the tram in to Soller. I have now done this enough times that the multipass has paid for itself and I still have more than a week left on it.

I needed to use the washroom so had to buy a coffee at Cafe Soller. Liquid out and liquid in - silly but necessary. The fountain in the main square is just dribbling but the sound is pretty especially on a quiet Monday morning.

The walk out of town goes through a newer residential area

Newer, not new, and still  the local stone, stucco and tile roofs.

Across Torrent Major which flows down from Puig Major and into the sea at Port de Soller.

I will take the path to Biniaraix another day.

This is were I left the road to walk up to Sa Capalleta

Its not long until the road is between orange and lemon groves, quiet but for birds and sheep bells.

Coming off the road it becomes a stone track and then a stoney path.

On the way back down I sat on this piece of stone wall and this cat (very pregnant) jumped up on my lap and became quite purringly rapturous when I stroked and scratched her.

I have become quite proficient at the one handed photo taking. Slipping the camera out of my pocket and using the zoom and shutter then slipping it back in my pocket. But for the next shot, of the Fornalutx church, the camera slipped out of my pocket before I could get the strap over my wrist and fell on the cobble stones. I hoped for the best and turned it on. The lens moved out but gave me an error message and would not move in again even when turned off.

This is the last picture from that camera. I had to cut off the left hand side as the shutter was partially blocking it. Notice the distortion on the building.

Mad at myself I walked into the village, "often voted Mallorca's loveliest village" according to the guidebook, and had a coffee in the square. I walked back, playing with the camera every now and then, trying to get it to work. When I got home I vacuumed it, in case there was grit preventing the lens from working, but finally had to face that it was broken!