Mallorca, January 2020

And so, it finally happened that my plane landed in Palma, Mallorca at 9PM local time on January 3, 2020. Up to this moment, my itinerary consisted of mostly short trips where I was constantly on the go and leaving to my next destination just when I was feeling comfortable. This time around, however, I was planning to stay in Palma for six full days, allowing my schedule to include a bit of everything: aimless sightseeing to no particular destinations, long walks along the seaboard and in the Old Town, sustained prolonged naps in the middle of the day, and afternoon trips to island spots and dinners at seafood restaurant on quiet beaches in coastal cities. A dream….

I chose Mallorca for its location in the Balearic Sea of the Mediterranean, its balmy temperature during the winter, its easy accessibility from the main land, its history, and, of course, the pearls that Mallorca is famous for. Palma, the island’s capital, is located on the bay of its namesake, on Mallorca’s southern side facing the continent of Africa where the temperature is noticeably warmer than, as an example, the City of Port of Pollensa facing the European continent on the northern part of the island.

I had reserved a one-bedroom apartment near the Old Cathedral in one of the most prized locations in the City’s Old Town. The cab driver who took me there drove by the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma in the late evening. The lit Cathedral against the dark Mediterranean sky is a sight to behold; and it makes for an unforgettable impression as a visual introduction to an unknown city. Where London was exciting, Lourdes prayerful, and Toulouse a blur, Palma and Mallorca provided the respite needed.

I slept all morning the next day, waking up for just a few hours in the afternoon to have coffee and splurge on one of my traveling books. While I cannot recall the title of my book, I remember distinctly the dreamy feeling of nostalgia (a mix of joy, longing, and familiarity) induced by the tintinnabulation of church bells from the neighboring Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, at the top of every hour. A sound that always wakes up the inner child in me as it transports me back in time towards the memories of my childhood spent in a carefree and sleepy provincial town in the Caribbean; a place from which the scents of the ocean were never far and where the sound of church bells were ever present.

I ventured out later in the evening to orient myself and walked to the perimeter of the Old Town through the Historic Plaza Major to the Plaza of Espana where the Old meets the New and where, right across the street lays the modern Intermodal Station that is the nerve center of public transportation on the island.

This is where I would head to almost every afternoon. Once at destination, I would look at the departure time of the next train or bus for the next City of interest from my research of the island. The first city visited was Port of Solis. I elected to take the bus instead of the train to have a better view of the scenery and the multiple localities visited on the trip north. Once the left the urban city limits and headed towards the mountains, it was green everywhere, a far sight from the Midwest in the middle of winter. Lemons grow exuberantly everywhere along the road from Palma to Port of Solis and the sight of these green trees and their yellow fruits is so pretty and joyful. And there is something so enjoyable and comforting to sit on a bus without a care in the world and daydream to your heart’s content.

After turning at a large roundabout, the bus driver indicated that this was the last stop for people heading to the city. I got off the bus and followed other travelers heading to the oceanside. After walking a couple of miles along the shore, I sat at an outdoor terrace of a seafood restaurant, pulled out my book and proceeded to splurge on my order of fresh ceviche, salad and local wine. After a few hours, it was time to head back to Palma where I would take a good shower and fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. That would be my afternoon routine, and as such visited the Cities of Solis, Port of Solis, Polenca, Port of Polenca, and numerous sights around Palma.

My favorite times were spent visiting Palma’s Old Town, walking its narrow meandering cobbled streets that would lead me to discover the Arab Baths, numerous courtyards with lush gardens complete with fountains and small pools where flowering lotus grew and red fishes swam in abundance. I lost count of how many times I got lost roaming the Old Town streets and how finding my way around caused me to stumble upon treasured places such as historic museums, specialty boutiques, the basilica and convent of San Francisco, the basilica of San Miguel, and the convent of Santa Clara inviting me in to sit and bathe in their enfolding peace. I credit these old churches and their offering of infinite peace and calmness for being able to surrender in faith and remain sane during the eventful 2020.

I left Palma de Mallorca on January 9 refreshed and ready to head home. I had one more stop, however, on my way home. The last two nights of my trip were to be spent in Paris.

Say Tuned.