Day in Palma

After a very late night on Wednesday, Thursday morning was a very relaxed time. We had an early lunch of wonderfully cooked pork belly with crackling served with gravy, roasted red peppers and roasted potatoes. After lunch we had to take our host son back to the airport, so while in Palma we were given a quick running through tour. We started off at the Palma Cathedral also called La Seu and is of french Gothic style. The story behind the construction of the Cathedral is that in 1229 Jaime I was returning to Mallorca with his troops in order to recapture the island. On the way they ran into a terrible storm, fearing for the lives of himself and his troops Jaime I vowed to build a church in honour of the Virgin Mary if they survived. He never saw the final edifice. Although he laid the foundation stone in 1229, construction continued until 1601, with further alterations continuing until 1904. It is made of golden sandstone is 121m long and 51m high. In the museum there are two large 18th Century Baroque silver candelabras, weighing 250 kg each, by the artist Juan Matons. Over the Capilla Real is the 14th Century Rose Window, which is one of the worlds largest Gothic Church windows, at over 2.55m. It is filled with very impressive stain glass windows all along the cathedral.

After the Cathedral we walked along some of the old back streets of the city to the City Hall in the Plaça de Cort. Just inside the City Hall are "The Gegants i Capgrossos" ("The Giants"), which are figures that come out when there is a celebration in the town and are dressed in typical Mallorquin folk dress. Just across the street from the City Hall in the Plaça de Cort is a wonderful old olive tree. The age of the tree is uncertain but it several hundreds of years old and still producing olives. We then traveled through the pedestrian old street with all the shops to the main square of the city the Placa de Marques de Palmer. Then back down to the sea front and back to the car. We then we a car tour along the harbour and up into the residential part of the city. Then up into the hills to Castell de Bellver which was built in the 14th century and is unique as a Spanish castle because it is round. "Bellver" means lovely view, and there certainly was one from there of the Bay of Palma.

That evening was another quiet one with a light dinner of cold cuts, salad and unsalted brown bread.