This past weekend I traveled to Mallorca, Spain. It is an island located in the Mediterranean sea, near the famous island of Ibiza. The weather was in the 50’s and rainy throughout the whole trip, but Mallorca is one of the most geographically interesting and beautiful places that I have ever visited, PLEASE put it on your bucket list. The island is comprised of mountains, beaches, cliffs, jade colored water, and a variety of small and large towns/cities. Our hotel was located in Palma, which is the capital. It is a very large and beautiful city, located right on the coast of the island. The city is very interesting because it has both very old architecture and historical attractions, but also has modern-style architecture, sort of like Antonio Gaudí’s style (For examples, google images of Barcelona’s architecture). The people are also very interesting because they speak a different language (Mallorquin) in addition to Spanish. They have a different appearance as well, they seem paler and many have blue eyes and darker hair. To better explain the weekend’s adventures, take a look at these photos…
A secret garden in the heart of the city! This is from a tour of the city upon arrival in Mallorca
Ancient Castle and Fort that stands sits atop a mountain overlooking the valley and city of Palma (Castillo de Bellver)
Views from Castle
Interior of the castle
Me atop the castle
Modern architecture
Public building with interesting art exhibit (notice the columns resemble palm trees)
Cathedral
Cathedral by night (it is overlooking the ocean)
Lovely walkway in the center of the city
Smallest shop in Mallorca, most famous meat shop in Spain
Interesting geography (taken during bus ride to see the Caves of Drach and hiking in a national park)
Hiking in the rain in Mondragó national park, located in Porto Cristo (opposite side of the island, 1 hr. from Palma)
Hiking along the ocean
Our guide during the hike
Lunch after hiking (This one is for you, Dad! Finally had Calamar planchada (grilled squid)
Me and Melissa (CIEE friend, Harvard student) She is awesome!
Drinking hot chocolate (more like hot pudding) and eating an encimada (funnel cake/croissant)
We went to a tapas restaurant Friday night, the place is called Bar España
Me and Sharon (CIEE Student, Clark University)
Saturday we went to the Drach Caves, many HUGE stalactites and stalagmites. Following the old folks into the deep…
Our room (I roomed with Sharon and one of the spanish guides, her name is Maria Jose, A.K.A Mase)
Dinner on Saturday night, wok style veggies and rice with olive oil and soy sauce
CIEE did a great job of putting this trip together. We had a great time, despite the damp weather. I highly recommend traveling to Mallorca, it is so beautiful, the food is fantastic and there are so many things to do and see. Looking forward to my upcoming trip to Nuremberg, Germany this weekend! Look for a new post next week…
Semester Abroad: Sevilla, España 