It was delightful to wake up on Wednesday morning with the boat at anchor in such a serene cove as Portals Vells. The weather was perfect, as usual.
After breakfast we learned that we had permission to stay that night at Isla de Cabrera (Goat Island), which is an island about 30 nautical miles south of Palma and is designated as a Marine National Park. So only 50 boats each night are given permits to pick up an anchorage in the main harbor.
We motor-sailed there in about 3.5 hours, enjoying the slight breeze as well as the roast lamb baguettes for lunch. The natural harbor is large but sheltered by surrounding hills, with the naval guards' quarters onshore being the only dwellings now on the island. This includes their cantina where visitors may also buy a drink. After a swim, Rob and Doug motored ashore in the dinghy and tried a palo (a caramel aperitif made from cinchoma bark and gentian root and caramelised sugar, served on ice - originally brought here by seafarers from the Andes in the C16), one of the local drinks, which they highly recommend!
The evening was absolutely superb as we ate dinner in the cockpit - barbecued quail with salad, followed by poached, brandied figs with icecream, and drank another Mallorcan red.
It's now about 5.30 pm on Thursday, as we head back to Palma, motoring again as the wind is too light for sailing. We began the day with a walk up to the 14th century castle, perched high on one of the hills, originally built as a defence against pirates. The swim afterwards off the back of the boat was necessary to cool off before lunch - egg and bacon quiche and salad plus juicy yellow melon. Rose too, of course. More swimming and relaxing before pulling up anchor.
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