It's so much warmer here in Palma that I'm able to write this news while I sit on the forward deck in my bikinis, even though it's 4.45 pm. Perhaps the weather has improved right across the Med. Last night wasn't cold enough to need a blanket in bed either. It would have been a lovely night to go out and I was certainly ready for a night off cooking, but Greg needed a long full night's sleep so we had delicious take away German grilled sausages in a perfect bread roll, which we can buy across the road from the marina.
This morning it was almost as good as being back in Melbourne for food buying because we went to the local Santa Catalina market. The stall holders recognized us, asking if we had been on a holiday, while Greg and I were desperately trying to remember our Spanish again and mixed up the French, Italian and Spanish numbers and our "arrivadeci" with "adios". The fruit we bought (figs, very large grapes, yellow melon, peaches, pineapple) is all juicy and full of flavor, the baby lamb is just big enough for two and will be perfect on the barbecue, and the Spanish hams are the best in the world in our opinion. The deli counters have cheese from all over Europe and jamon ranging from about 9 euros per kilo to about 170 euros per kilo, the latter being from the special black pigs that are fed on chestnuts. We bought a variety, the special ones being cut very thinly with a long bladed knife, from ham on an iron stand holding it in place.
We have hired a car, thankfully for only 30 euros per day including full insurance, compared with the usual 130 euros a day in Corsica. So we rushed back to the boat to have a fabulous lunch with the goodies from the market, a crusty bread roll and a glass of rose. It's good to be back in Palma.
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