It was time for Ginnie to see more of beautiful Palma and other parts of Mallorca so on Friday Ginnie visited the Cathedral and wandered the streets in that area where the buildings are being lovingly restored. I had a haircut! Ugh!
I drove Ginnie to Valldemossa in the late afternoon while Greg was home resting after I had taken him to a doctor because of a sore throat and head cold. It was an ideal time to visit the town because most tourists had left and we had an extremely pleasant stroll around admiring the buildings and the way people have decorated around their doorways with many potted plants. Huge hibiscus flowers look perfect in the little pots, probably flowering so profusely because the plants are cut back each season.
August 29:
Greg drove us through Soller to Porte de Soller first, where we discovered a road climbing the cliff face going north from the port, called Bellevista. It provided us with an excellent view of the port and some very special houses to admire, particularly their extraordinary stone walls where the craftsmen have not used cement.
We drove south to Deia, a good place for lunch with so many first-class restaurants. We chose Restaurante Deia for the terrace view down the valley and the interesting menu of starters (we only wanted a light lunch). My combination of tapas were crab crepe in wild mushroom sauce, tempura partridge leg with white beans puree, slices of black rice sausage (a Mallorcan specialty) and a slice of camembert cheese crusted with chopped almonds and warmed - served with blackberry sauce. Greg ordered carpaccio of beef with shaved parmesan and Ginnie ordered chilled carrot soup with a green pepper drizzle plus a mixed greens salad. While we waited for these delicacies we were given yummy warm bread rolls with a very tasty home-made black olive paste - a sure sign of the great food that followed.
It's a pity that the drive to Deia is along a winding cliff road for some of the way so it's not an easy venue for dinner, unless staying in one of the excellent nearby hotels. We particularly like the look of Son Bleder , just past Deia on the way to Soller, with it's garden, outdoor cafe and pool plus a lovely dining room and lounge rooms throughout the interior.
Ginnie and I strolled around the village of Deia, exploring some back streets I have not ventured down before, where I bought some freshly made orange marmalade from the back porch of one of the homes. If the orange juice we have every morning for breakfast, squeezed from the Mallorcan oranges, is any indication it will be magnificent jam.
Our drive home followed a new route down a very winding road with many S bends, passing through a beautiful valley to the village of Puigpunyent, another place renowned for several excellent restaurants. By that time Greg was tired so we headed for Palma and were home in 20 minutes.
We intended to go out for dinner but were too tired. Ginnie enjoyed the new experience of a home-made ham/tomato and cheese jaffle and watching a DVD of an episode of New Tricks, a great British series.
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