A Tourist Day in Palma de Mallorca

Thursday, 22 June, 2017:

After two days spent broiling on the beach at Palma Nova, we decided to give our sun baked skin a rest today and become tourists again.

We hopped on board the 104 bus for the drive up the coast to Mallorca's main city, Palma de Mallorca.

Palma de Mallorca is also the capital of the Balearic Islands.

First though, a little bit about the island of Mallorca where we are staying.

The Flag of Mallorca

Mallorca is the largest of the islands that make up the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands that are a part of Spain.

Map of Spain with the Balearic

Islands off the east coast

The city of Palma de Mallorca is located about 275 kilometers/170 miles due east of the Spanish mainland city of Valencia.

The Balearic Islands are made up of the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Mallorca is the largest of these islands.

The Balearic Islands have a total population of about 870,000 souls with Palma de Mallorca being its largest city with approximately 405,000 inhabitants.

We boarded the 104 bus for the drive up the coast to Palma de Mallorca to see the city's top tourist attraction, a massive Cathedral designed in part by modern master Antoni Gaudi who carried out renovations to the Cathedral from 1904 to 1914.

Our first sighting of

La Catedral de Santa María

de Palma de Malorca

Gothic in style with flying buttresses of course.

We started a long trek up the hill to find the Cathedral's entrance. We did see many interesting things along the way.

Ode to Male Rhythmic Gymnastics

Serene pond

Disturbing statue

  

 Peaceful garden fountain

Laurie was in the frame

Glass Blowers

 Finally, the front of the Cathedral

This is the world's largest

Gothic rose window

 Gaudi LOVES to use natural

light reflected through stain glass

in his churches to get . . .

 . . . this effect

Laurie likes it

This is a similar photo to one of Laurie that I took at Gaudi's masterpiece, Barcelona's Basilica de la Sagrada Familia a couple of years ago.

The rose window illuminates

the Cathedral in wondrous ways

Including UW Purple and Gold

A tomb as you approach

the Main Altar

 The Main Altar

A Gaudi baldachin hanging over the altar with a crucified Christ is also very similar to the one in La Sagrada Familia.

The side altars were magnificent

They are an assault on the senses after visiting many austere Church of Sweden churches. 

The BVM and . . .

. . . her angels

Colorful Painting

All the Saints

Just another side altar

Golden

Mallorca artist Miguel Barceló's
Capella del Santíssim i Sant Pere

It is a dreamscape representing the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes done in 15 tons of ceramics.

Fish on the left

More fish on the right

The loaves of bread are found along the base of the chapel.

A Cathedral has to have an
ornate organ

Not sure the function but
I liked the gold look

On to the Cathedral's museum . . .

Nice reliquary

St. Sebastian still standing
with lots of arrows still
in him

And more to come by the looks of it.

All in all, it was quite a good Cathedral visit. We were glad we did it.

Next up in Palma de Mallorca . . .

A visit to the ancient

Arabian Baths

But first, a few more random sights

Exterior of the Cathedral

A main form of public transportation

in Palma de Mallorca

I LOVE Spanish electrical wiring!

Just before we reached the

Arabian Baths, we found this

enchanting street musician

He is playing an instrument invented in 2000 by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärerin in Switzerland. Known as the Handpan today, the inventors originally labeled it the Hang Drum.

I first heard this instrument on the streets of London back in 2008 and was captivated by it instantly.

 Delightful Handpan music

You may need Google Chrome

or the like to play this video

We bought his CD.

We finally made it

 These Arabian Baths are . . .

. . . OLD!

They date from the 10th-century.

After a soak in the baths, you

needed a garden in order to . . .

. . . properly meditate

A Pearl Store

Financial ruin was on the horizon.

More on this at dinner tonight.

She like pearls, I like fossils

We both like food

A bocadito made of jamón iberico

and a glass of sangria hit the spot

The Cathedral in sunlight

Palma de Mallorca is an

island of laws

 Great old fortress wall

 Windmills are big in Mallorca

We had walked a bit in the hot

Mediterranean sun, we needed

an adult beverage

A Spanish Cruzcampo beer

worked for us

I make it a rule to not eat at American food spots like McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, etc. while in Europe.

I prefer to try the local cuisine and support the little guys.

The Hard Rock Cafe chain is my exception because,

A. I love their t-shirts

and

B. I don't think I've ever eaten in one in the states

  

One of Palma de Mallorca's

pleasant, shaded side streets

Straight from La Habana, Cuba

 We're the right age but we

did not enter

One final view of the Cathedral

Back in Palma Nova in time for

another good dining experience

 Laurie showing off her

new pearl at dinner

She had the fish, I opted for the chicken.

We continue to wonder what

goes on nightly on that yacht

anchored just off of our beach

Another GREAT day in the Balearic Islands!