Mallorca

Mallorca is the second largest Island in the Mediterranean after only Sicily and as you know we were visiting the Island to celebrate Peter and Victoria's wedding - this being where Victoria grew up before recently moving to London and meeting Peter.

In English the name is usually pronounced Majorca but in Spanish and Catalan it is Mallorca.

The largest city is Palma with 400,000 people. The total island population is 840,000.

With early civilization dating back to 4,000 BC, Mallorca was variously ruled by the Romans, Spanish and North African dynasties

Mallorca receives over 22 million tourists annually, particularly from Britain and Germany. More than half of the working population works in the tourist industry or industries affiliated with tourism. Tourism accounts for 80% of the Islands' GDP.

Mallorca's two most famous sons are Raphael Nadal (World no.1 tennis player) and Jorge Lorenzo (World moto GP champion)

A rocky coastline typical of the northwest.

We stayed at Barcelo Formento Resort about 10 minutes outside Puerto Pollensa.

While most of our time was spent at the wedding and lots of family get-togethers we did take the opportunity to explore the north-western part of the Island.  It is mountainous but has some fabulous scenery and towns.

This one below was Ca's Matro March just outside Deia. 

Mmmm....quite a good Rosada!

Good Spanish food and wine to enjoy sitting above the water ( spanish spicy salami tortilla, fish fritters and freshly grilled local fish)

Simple, good and popular.....

After lunch looking back to the restaurant from the stoney beach

A visit to Lluc is definitely worthwhile as it contains a monastery that has been the subject of numerous pilgrimages over the years.

Below is the accommodation where the pilgrims stayed.

The guest rooms were above and a feeding trough and holding area for their horses below.

The Renaissance- Baroque Church built in the 17th century on top of a pagan spiritual site.

There is also a famous boys school choir based here which dates back to the 16th century and you can hear the boys sing each day at approx midday.

This is still a centre for religious pilgrimage and many come to see the statue of the virgin "La Moreneta".  So the story goes a shepherd called Lluc found the statue in the woods and when he took it to the monk it started to glow.  Here Carolyna is touching the statue hoping for more good luck....

Statue in the courtyard

Monuments in the surrounding woodlands by the famous Spanish architect Gaudi

A fountain in front of the Monastery.

A "must visit" is the town of Deia on the west coast. With a population of 1,000 it is now popular with the rich and famous. It derives its name from the arabic word "ad daia" or hamlet following the Islamic occupation between the 10th to 13th centuries

The main street of Deia.

The town consists of small brick Mallorcan houses along the road and up the hillsides.

Another worthwhile town to visit just south of Deia is Validemossa where Chopin and his lover lived in the 19th century.

So just a brief look at Mallorca

Baci a tutti

Carolyna e Alan