MAGICAL MALLORCA!!

My blog is about my experiences living in Palma, on the island of Mallorca, Spain. It primarily focuses on my discoveries exploring the island as well as Home Exchanges around Europe. I like architecture, landscapes, beautiful beaches, riding my motorcycle, and taking notice of cultural differences over what I experienced growing up in the USA. I show a lot of photos along with comments, but not the nitty gritty bloody boring detail either! Nor do I write about what I had for lunch today!!

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Snorkeling at Cala Mago (with underwater GoPro)

July 22, 2020

Palma, Mallorca, Spain

As you probably know by now, I purchased a new toy....a GoPro camera which allows me to film while I'm riding my motorcycle, or bopping along on my new electric kick-scooter, or snorkeling in the Med Sea!!

This is my first video while snorkeling. I went to my favorite cove about 15 minutes outside of Palma. It's called Cala (meaning 'cove') Mago but it's also known as Playa (meaning 'beach') Mago. I like it because it's quiet, the water is calm (vs breaking waves), you can wade out about 100 ft and still touch bottom, and there's always beautiful boats anchored a bit further out. I like the fact I can ride my motorcycle and park it 50 yards away versus everyone else who has to drive their car and find a spot to park along the winding, steep road and walk down (more importantly, back UP!).

I refer to it as the 'M beach' because, from the air, it's shaped like an 'M'. There's actually 3 coves there and 2 restaurants right at the edge of the sand.

Snorkeling is best around rocks and outcrops as that's where the fish like to hang out. So, get comfy, beverage in hand, no need for goggles or a blow tube, you don't even have to know how to swim...I'll take care of all that for you!

Please mute your cell phone for this 18 minute show!

Let's go under the Sea!!!

Shall we??

Or, you can click on this link: https://youtu.be/pK5Okfy6rSM

Stay Tuned...

Who knows what I'll blog about next!!!

Dano

By the way, if you're interested in viewing any of my past entries about travelling around Europe and where I live in Mallorca, simply scroll down past my signature to the end. There, you'll see 'Blog History'. You can click on any Month/Year to see the titles I published at that time. Simply click on the title you're interested in and it will take you to that page.

Sunday, July 19, 2020

A Day Trip...to Cala Tuent Filming with my new GoPro!!

July 12, 2020

I purchased a new toy....a GoPro video camera which you can mount on various things (ie; helmet, skiis, bicycle, wrist, etc) to film while on the move. Merry Christmas to me!!! With the way I've been blogging, you've only been able to view still photos along with (shaky) videos I might take when I make a stop....but what about along the way? I can also attach it to my electric kickstart scooter (another toy I bought) or go under water with it when snorkeling. Lots of opportunities!!!

So, for my first attempt of videoing (while moving), I mounted the camera to the top of my motorcycle helmet and headed for the mountains. My mission was to take you on the ride with me through the mountains and down, down, down to two beautiful coves. 95 miles and 6 hours later, I was back at home anxious to view the footage and start editing. EEEESH....the editing part took me HOURS to add features, trim, fade, add credits, insert still photos, comments, etc etc. I finally got it down to a little over 30 minutes. That's RIGHT....a HALF HOUR FILM!!! So, grab your fave beverage, snuggle up, and get comfortable for the viewing of what is Shirley going to be an Oscar nominated film for Best Cinnamon Tography.

Enjoy the ride!!!

But, before we go, here's some tidbits about the first two destinations:

Cala Tuent

There's not as many people that come to this location primarily because tourist busses don't come here like they do for neighboring Sa Calobra. The beach has little sand, but the rocks are smooth and small. You can get here by car, moto, bicycle, hike, or boat tours from the Port of Soller. There's only one little shack that serves snacks but there's a fabulous restaurant back up the hill a smidge. There's pay parking available, though somewhat limited.

Sa Calobra

Sa Calobra is extremely popular due to its stunning setting, two beaches, high peaks, the foot path between the two beaches through a tunnel, the drive there, the tiny charming cluster of cafes and a few shops, plus busses bring tourists. You can also get here via boats from Soller. The route to/from Sa Calobra, as is all of the Tramuntana Mountains, is a favorite for serious bicyclists into training. Here, you'll always find a few million+ dollar yachts anchored in the coves. There's more pay parking space here than Cala Tuent.

Referring to the map below, this is the route I took:

Palma up into the Tramuntana Mountains to the town of Soller
Then, further up past Fornalutx, higher and higher
Past the 3 man-made lakes (formed by a dam) that provide water to Palma, and onward to the summit
Then down, down, down via a swervy, curvy, hairpin, switchback road to sea level to the two coves, Cala Tuent and Sa Calobra.
Then back up, up, up to the summit again and down a different route to the towns of Caimari and Selva and over to the larger town of Inca in the flats
Than hopped on the freeway back to Palma

As you'll see, the GoPro camera does a great job of keeping things smooth. The only slight negatives are:

I can't zoom in/out while driving
It's pretty-much a straight-ahead view because I need to watch the road. If I try to turn my head to show you something off to the side I might go careening off into a ditch!!!

Have you got your drinks and popcorn ready? Ok...CLICK the video image!! Be sure to watch in 'full screen'...not some teeny tiny screen on a cell phone! (puhleeze!!!)

Or, if that doesn't work, click on this link: https://youtu.be/LfMdA947wcw

On the way back to Palma, I decided to take a (the only other) alternate route. At the point you see the overhead water viaduct, I chose the opposite direction than where I came from. It was to take me to a good-sized town called 'Inca' located in the flats where I would hop on the freeway and zip on home. It turned out to be another stunning route that also took me through two charming towns along the way.

Let me give you a few details about them:

Caimari

Located at the foot of the Tramuntana mountains.
Less than a thousand population.
Caimari is famous for the olive oil produced there.
The 2nd photo is of a church, built in 1732, but now an cultural activity center.
The primary church in town is Eglesia de Immaculada Concepcio often referred to as the 'new church' because the other still exists. Built in the late 1800's it's located on the central square like most are.
Tootling around the narrow streets of this metropolis, I noticed there was nary a sidewalk to be found.

Selva

Its population about 4,000.
Just a few minutes away from the shopping of Inca, but a world away in tranquility. Both Caimari and Selva are perfect bases for those who want to hike, camp, bicycle, and rock climb in the Tramuntana mountains.
The village is built on a mound with the church in the center at the top of the hill (hmmm...seems to be a common theme here in Mallorca!).
The church of Sant Llorenç was completed in the 1500's but in1855 a fire destroyed large parts, so it was rebuilt.

Here's a short 4-minute video (versus 1/2 hour!!!) of that part of my trip. Click on the image below, or if that doesn't work, use this link: https://youtu.be/GNyNfGrJ00c

Hmmm...what will be my next adventure?

Filming all the fishies in the Med Sea while snorkeling?

Bopping along the waterfront of Palma on my electric kickstart scooter...taking in all the yachts and sailboats, joggers, runners, dog-walkers, etc?

Giving you a personal tour of various neighborhoods and architecture?

All good ideas...

I just need to choose....

Stay Tuned!!

Dano

Friday, July 10, 2020

A Day Trip to...Calvia > Es Capdella > Galilea in the Tramuntana Mountains

It was another lovely, sunny, 80 degree (25C) day that I chose to hop on my moto and explore someplace new on the island. When I visited (and blogged) Puigpunyent a few weeks ago, I spotted a sign pointing to Galilea. I had never been there. So, my choice of destination on this day was easy to make.

During the trip I took about 65 photos and 10 videos (which I'll compile into 3).

Here's the route I took. I started from the Genova neighborhood in Palma and followed a narrow road into the woods, passing through a large military zone, and headed for the town of Calvia. It's a fun ride on a moto for all the hairpin and switchbacks to navigate. Bicyclists seem to love it, too.

CALVIA

Referencing the name 'Calvia' can be the source of confusion. There's the TOWN of Calvia, located in the foothills of the Tramuntana mountains and there's the PORT of Calvia, obviously situated at the edge of the sea, and there's the MUNICIPALITY of Calvia which is like a 'County' if you're from the US and encompasses several towns.

The picturesque town of Calvia, with its relatively small number of shops and cafes, feels a lifetime away from the coastal resorts that fall within its municipality.

The municipality contains eighteen settlements....many of them lining the coast and based on tourism stemming from a huge hotel construction boom in the 1960's. In the municipality, the population is over 50,000, but in the town of Calvia, it only has about 2,400.

Here's some random shots of architecture in Calvia.

Church - Sant Joan Baptista

Notice the two different colors of the stones where one house ends and the other begins.

The farthest setting of the zoom on my camera distorts the foliage.

A short video of part of Calvia.

ES CAPDELLA

Es Capdella (S-Cop-Day-Yah) means 'at the end of there' in Catalan. At 375 ft above sea level it has a population of about 1,000. I was curious as to how much real estate costs here so I looked at a local real estate website. Of the 71 properties listed for the general area, prices ranged from 400,000 Euros all the way up to 4 million!! Most houses are built of stone with wood-beamed high ceilings, tiled floors, large patios, arched doorways, lush vegetation (bouganvilla, cactus, oleander, fruit trees), rock walls, and ironwork accents.

I love the etched planter in the lower right of this photo.

Lemons anyone? They're EVERYWHERE!!!
How can anyone use that many?

A closeup of a rock wall of the house shown above.

When you arrive you'll see this same type of sign, but without the red slash.
When leaving, you'll see this...informing you, you're no longer in that town.

Enroute to Galilea....

Castell Son Claret

The castle (now a high-end luxury hotel) was built in the 15th century. Renovated in 2013, it has 41 rooms and suites and sits on 326 acres. The driveway is nearly 1,000 feet long.

Wanna see more? CLICK HERE TO GO TO THEIR WEBSITE

Grove of Olive and Almond trees.

On the way up to Galilea, the road was sometimes no wider than 10 ft...for two lanes.
I could smell all the pine trees!

I came to a screeching halt when I reached this crest and overlook. I climbed the rock to get a few nice shots all the way out to the Med sea.

If you refer to the map at the top of this page, the peninsula you see is 'Cap de Sa Mola'.

Here's a short video of the countryside outside of Es Capdella but before Galilea.

GALILEA

Galilea sits about 1,500 ft above sea level in the Tramuntana mountains and it feels like you're sitting on top of the world. The small community of 300 or so apparently boasts a wide array of nationalities. There's not much here...a church (1806) and a few cafes but I didn't see any boutique hotels, grocery store, pharmacy, etc. However, all that is nearby in Calvia, Es Capdella, or Puigpunyent. That said, the topography, views, and tiny winding lanes lined with classic Spanish homes makes the whole area ooze with charm.

Of the 39 real estate listings in the Galilea area, 23 were between 300K and 750K. The top end was 1,200,000 Euros.

This isn't a dirt embankment.
It's actually a retaining wall made out of huge reddish blocks.

A courtyard cafe outside the church.

I noticed all the lanterns and streetlights were either new or well-maintained with a fresh coat of shiny black.
They also don't have lighbulbs. Instead, they have an LED strip on the underside of the hood.

This tree trunk was so badly split I was surprised it's flourishing so well.

A wee video from the village of Galilea.

I left my home at 12:30 and was back by 5:30, logging another 50 miles on my odometer.

What ever will I write about next??

Stay Tuned!!

Dano

Friday, July 3, 2020

A Day Trip to...Puerto Valldemossa

Full disclosure: I did this day trip over a year ago. But, don't hold it against me....K? There's just so much to write about, living on this island, and my Home Exchange travels, it's challenging to keep up!!

As I've mentioned before, in case you weren't paying attention, have memory loss, or you're a newbie to my blog, many towns in Mallorca are two...two....two mints in one! Woops...I'm digressing already. Many towns in Mallorca are identified twice. One, being the 'port of....' located seaside, and the other with the same name sans 'port of' because it's located inland from its port. The reason...in the old days the people of 'port of' were the watcher-outers of the activity on the water (ie; pirates headin their way) and they would notify the inland folkspeople of the looming threat which gave them time to prepare to be pilfered.

I've written about Valldemossa, the inland town, before. This is about Puerto (port of) Valldemossa....waaaay down the mountainside of its sibling of the (almost) same name that sits so smugly and safe from above.

It was Feburary 17th and a balmy 67 degrees under sunny, clear skies. Everyone seemed to be out on their motorbikes and I spotted several convertibles with their tops down!

Here's the route I took.

After climbing the mountain (on my moto, that is), passing through the town of Valldemossa and down the highway a few miles, I turned off the main road near this old farm.

Yes, there may be a line that divides the road, but when two cars need to pass one another, you have to apply ample grease!

Down the narrow, winding road with switchback after switchback.

Hey Dude!!! There's a big rock! Let's go climb it!!!

(go right ahead)

Yep, that's the destination....waaaaay down there.

There's maybe 50 structures in all here. So, you can probably guestimate the population. Valldemossa-proper only has about 2,000 inhabitants.

I never tire of the Spanish stone architecture!! Thank gawd they're not of the cookie-cutter mentality here (ie; build 277 3BR identical ramblers where you always know where the bathroom is in all your neighbors homes).