Latin for 'larger island' also known as Majorca which I've recently returned from and I can without a doubt say that I had a great time! I caught a bus to Southampton airport, so hassle free when compared with larger ones, to meet my Mum and Brother to continue the journey by air over the Channel Islands, the Pyrenees and Barcelona to Cala Millor, a tourist destination on the East coast of the island. Overall the weather was very pleasant with a couple of exceptions as we did enjoy a large portion of sunshine but there were two half days blanketed in clouds and on one occasion joined by rain too! Cala Millor itself is mostly what you would expect of a Spanish coastal area, that isn't to say I didn't like staying there as areas of the coastline were beautiful. On the first morning we decided to wake up earlier to have a little exploration of the town and seafront, after noticing the queues of people and series of boats arriving to collect them Mum booked a day trip for us which not only featured the boat trip but also entrance to one of the most intriguing attractions on the island, The Caves of Drach. The glass bottom boat we boarded later that morning took us to or past Sa Coma, S'illot, Porto Cristo, Cueva Del Pirata, Cala Romantica and Cala Varques but then returned to Porto Cristo so we could make our way to the caves inland. After some very basic map reading skills were put in place, we made it to the caves with time to spare. After descending many steps into a valley and continuing into the earth, we were met with countless beautifully lit stalactites and stalagmites. It all seemed so surreal and otherworldly, as if it wasn't natural at all, and upon descending further we reached Lake Martel where the stillness of the waters were only broken by the paddles of three small boats which carried performers of classical instruments who played in this utterly unique and timeless setting. However, the only thing that wasn't timeless was the wait for everyone to be seated to watch this concert as there must have been hundreds of people on the tour! The tiring but exciting first full day was succeeded by an equally busy schedule, this time to Palma. After the caves and boat trip, we decided to have a look around Cala Millor to inquire about day trips and unexpectedly booked a day trip to Palma Aquarium which was followed by Palma Cathedral, a seperate post about Palma will follow due to the amount of photos I took! With all four activities that the three of us really wanted to see and do, we spent the remaining days mostly relaxing with frequent walks into the town. We stayed at Hotel Club Simo which turned out to be very tennis orientated but the pool area was nice and the food though tending to be quite repetitive was fine too, testament to that fact was the amount I ate! One late afternoon, after some lengthy persuasion by my Brother, I joined him and Mum for a four seated bike trip where we were allowed the contraption for an hour to cycle up and down the promenade. I must admit I did enjoy it but panicked slightly with Ryan, my Brother, at the wheel! Our final trip out was by bus to Cala Rajada and though the bus routes were sometimes confusing, often backtracking and taking many side roads, we reached our destination, enjoying several hours by the coast and though it wasn't sunny the seas were rough which made up for it entertainment wise. Overall I had such a great time, mostly because I spent time with family but the day trips in Majorca are really worth it too.
The view out of the plane as we passed over the Pyrenees Mountains, unusually clear I thought! This is accompanied by my new favourite fragance 'Eternity' which my Mum bought for me at Southampton Airport, I'm pretty sure this fragrance will continue to remind me of this holiday much like Joop 'Go' reminds me of my family holiday to Egypt.
The three of us after walking the promenades and not long before booking the boat trip to Porto Cristo at about nine something in the morning of the first full day.
Photos taken on the Illa Balear boat trip, the turquoise waters and rugged coastline were so beautiful that it felt that we were much further away than Majorca.
Cala Romantica, again the colours of the sea and the pale sands did enhance the experience. There were many arches and other eroded structures in the rock as we sailed by.
The view as we entered Porto Cristo, though we past this jetty and docked just by the small beach. The town itself seemed quite charming and we saw what we could in our half hour walk to the Caves of Drach.
The very bike we used to get around Cala Millor hired from 'Papa's Bikes'. It was pretty hard work at times!
Ryan in Cala Rajada, around the corner we stopped for hot chocolate and though it wasn't really that cold it was windy so it seemed like the right thing to do. The sea was very tame here compared to behind the photo and past the port where the waves were reaching enormous height.
In the reception of Hotel Club Simo.
These photos were not taken at the Caves of Drach as that wasn't permitted but I took photos of the booklet we bought instead. These images almost do the caves justice, they were truly spectacular. Top left: The Flag, Top Right: Lake Martel (including the boats providing the lake concert), Bottom Left: Diana's Baths and Bottom Left: Close up of the Ceiling.
