September 15 - 22, Geoff and Wendy Moule visit Mallorca
As this was the first time Geoff and Wendy had been to Mallorca we were keen to show them as much as possible in such a short time. Unfortunately Greg was not well for most of the week so we were not able to go out on the boat and I became the main driver/ tour guide. On the day when Greg could accompany us we drove up to Soller and then followed the fabulous coastal road down to Deia where we had a great lunch in the tapas restaurant at La Residencia Hotel. The hotel gardens surrounding the magnificent stone building warrant a visit but to also be able to sit on the terrace for an excellent meal on a beautiful sunny day is a real bonus. We also visited Valldemossa, an obligatory visit for anyone coming to Mallorca even though it is now packed with tourists because it is such a picturesque hillside village of beautiful stone buildings with green shutters. Also because Chopin stayed in the monastery there are daily piano recitals of his music.
One day Geoff, Wendy and I drove around some of the villages of the central agricultural area of the island and discovered El Calderes, a grand 3-storey home near Vilafranca de Bonany. This family home was originally surrounded by vineyards until the vines were struck by the phylloxera disease at the beginning of the 20th C so the family changed to grain crops. It is now a 'museum' set up as the family would have lived in it with magnificent family antiques, but the most interesting aspect for us was to see how the house had its own chapel and live-in priest, a huge wine cellar where the wine was kept in barrels and a barn on the second floor where they stored their grains and small farm equipment. We also visited Porto Petro where we found a suitable cafe on the waterfront to have coffee and almond cake (available all over Mallorca because they have so many almond trees) and then found one of the many calas on the east coast so that Wendy could at least wade in the warm blue waters of the Med.
On another drive we went directly to Soller and Port de Soller, where we went up to the Nautilus Bar and Restaurant overlooking the rugged west coast and the entrance to the harbour. It was worth stopping for a drink just to have more time to admire the view. There is so much diversity of beauty around the island that it is possible to see only a fraction of it in a week, but the west coast is definitely a 'must see'. On another occasion we took the short drive to Puerto d'Andratx but didn't have enough time to stay for a drink or meal at one of the many restaurants along the beautiful harbour. Much more time is needed to really savour the pleasures of Mallorca.