Here we go again, a week later than usual, but we’re dashing off for a long weekend away and it does feel more than just a tiny bit naughty with it being so close to Christmas too.
THURSDAY
Our departure airport today is Gatwick and after a smooth easy drive up to the long-stay parking, we swiftly negotiated security and then found a quiet, comfy nook in the BA lounge with a little something to nibble and a glass of wine. We settled in, expecting something of a lengthy stay due to posted notices that our plane was late arriving, we were pleasantly surprised to see on the screens that our departure was back on time due to a plane change.
Our descent in to Palma Mallorca airport was a little bumpy, but we were soon out of the airport picking up our Avis rental car and swiftly finding our way out of the city towards Soller, a tiny town over the mountains from Palma. Our drive was pretty straight, apart from many frequent roundabouts, and within forty five minutes we were scouting around in the dark trying to find a key box to open the car park gate so we could dump the car.
Our hotel, the Soller Plaza Hotel, we discovered was one of only two in the town that remains open the whole year and, with their ‘out of hours’ guidance, we quickly found our room, dropped off our carry-on bag and headed back out to explore Soller. Directly opposite the hotel was the Placa de la Constitucio, a square dotted with restaurants, cafes and bars with a street heading off of it full of all kinds of little shops and restaurants. Finding a table outside the Bar Turismo, we toasted the start of our long weekend with a cold beer, enjoying being sat outside on such a warm November evening.
FRIDAY
Our hotel was very quiet, incredibly comfortable and after a great nights sleep we headed back across to the square, in the glorious morning sunshine, for some breakfast, finding a table outside Cafe es Firo.
In my broken Spanish, I ordered toast and jam, Mallorquin tostada con tomate, orange juice, tea and coffee. Taking breakfast sat outdoors on a bright clear November morning, was simply delightful.
Today was our only touristy kind of day and, setting our SatNav for Palma, we swiftly found ourselves parking up in an underground carpark just a short walk away from Palma Cathedral. This 17th century cathedral was wonderful and we enjoyed looking at the stained glass windows and the architecture.
Outside on the plaza, we were greeted by sunshine, blue sky and an incredible view across the bay and harbour – hard to get your senses to believe it was November.
Back in the car, we found our way out to Fundacion Joan Miro, the home and studio of Joan Miro. His artwork was not really our taste, but it was interesting discovering his work and life in Mallorca. We took lunch in the cafe, sat in the garden enjoying the sun with a cold beer, a glass of wine and a tuna salad.
Back in Soller, we ambled back towards the hotel through the shop lined streets to the square. Being their winter, many shops and businesses shut up and take a vacation. Many shops had signs in their windows saying they would be reopening in March. Some had reduced hours too, but we were there to enjoy the atmosphere rather than shop.
As the sun started to set, we headed back across the road to the plaza to eat and it was lovely to see local kids playing football in the square and parents sitting in the bars and restaurants. We eventually found a table in the Cafe Central on the plaza, enjoying a lazy meal and a few glasses of wine.
SATURDAY
Breakfast was, guess where? Yes, back in Cafe es Firo, enjoying the morning sat in the square watching the world go by. But the square was a lot busier, with a lot of visitors arriving on the scenic Palma to Soller railway, some wearing name badges from cruise ships and coach tours.
After breakfast, we walked through the plaza up to the tram stop, near the station, to pick up tram that went down to Port Soller on the hour. It was busy, but we found a seat and very soon we were trundling back through the plaza and through the town on a very scenic route down to the sea.
Despite the tram being full, Port de Soller was very quiet and we enjoyed a couple of hours walking around the bay. Again, lots of shops and hotels were closed up for the winter, but we found a little cafe and enjoyed tea and cake, taking in the peace and quiet of what is probably a really bustling promenade in the summer months. We found Port de Soller to be charming and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
Our journey back on the train was delightful, making a brief stop to allow the arriving train to pass by and then giving us scenic views up the valley as we approached Soller. Feeling peckish, we found a table at our favourite cafe in the square, being entertained by several bands playing on a stage on the steps of the town hall. Again, being able to be sat outside eating a sandwich and enjoying a beer in November was such a treat. Both waiters were tidying up, slowly clearing tables and stacking chairs as people left, so I felt slightly guilty for taking my time enjoying my sandwich!
The afternoon was spent enjoying the music in the square and simply soaking in the atmosphere in Soller square. We dragged ourselves away from this delightful moment, to spend some time packing our case and making sure everything was ready for our departure in the morning.
Packed and trying not to think about it, we headed back to the square to find a table at Cafe Central where we spent the evening with good food and good wine simply soaking in the atmosphere of the bustling plaza. Again, kids playing football, friends meeting up and chatting and people spilling out of the church. Such a delightful way to spend the evening.
SUNDAY
Check out time at the hotel was not until midday, which gave us a slow start to our morning. Again, we headed out one last time to Cafe es Firo for breakfast. While packing the last bits and pieces in to our cases, we could hear music coming in from the square through our open balcony doors and glancing out we saw a band with loads of people dancing, so finally zipping up our cases we headed out in to the square to watch. Our flight home was not until gone 8:0pm, so we had a whole day to fill.
Loading our baggage in to our car, locking the gate behind us and and securing our key fob in the key-safe, we drove out of Soller, heading just a short distance up the valley to what is supposedly the prettiest town in the whole of Spain – Fornalutx. This tiny town is nestled high up in the valley and is very picturesque with a maze of tiny cobbled streets, ancient buildings and spectacular views of the surrounding hills and down the valley.
Next stop on our winding drive was Deia, another small village perched on the hillside and the home of Robert Graves the poet until his death. Finding a parking space, we grabbed a coffee and cold drink in a slightly frosty cafe, that wouldn’t let us sit on the sun terrace as we were only ordering drinks!
Driving on from our coffee break along tightly winding roads that often gave us brief glimpses of the sea and occasionally views of spectacular cliffs, but stopping to enjoy it was impossible with very few spaces to pull over. These winding roads lead us to Valdemossa, a large town that was the place where Chopin took Georges Sand for a winter affair! It was lunchtime, so we looked around for somewhere to eat, passing several ice cream shops and a couple of really high priced restaurants before spotting a small place, in the corner of a square, Bar es Roquissar, finding a table inside as it was starting to get chilly outside. The service and the food were delightful and a great final meal to celebrate our Mallorcan holiday.
Our route back took us along the coast, expecting to be able to see the sea and beaches before we needed to get back to the airport, but sadly, huge hotels and residences blocked every available viewing point, so we headed back to the airport slightly early, dropping off our car at AVIS and checking in before finding a sofa in the lounge, grabbing a few nibbles and awaiting our flight home.
And that was our little trip to Mallorca done and dusted and what a delight it was.
Soller was simply charming and the parts of the island we explored were equally as charming and we fell sure that we will return again for some peace and sunshine.
mrandmrsyoung 