Around Palma: no cycling

April 25, 2013

Weather: mostly cloudy with some showers, windy and cool

A leisurely day today before our arduous trip back to Vancouver starting tomorrow. The bikes have to be packed into their suitcases, but we have plenty of time for walking and sightseeing. We snacked for breakfast and then stopped for coffee at the Fibonacci cafe in the pedestrianized downtown, before heading to the Palau March museum near the cathedral.

The bikes back in the room in Palma waiting patiently to get packed into the cases

Outside the apartment, the street turned into a stairway leading up into busier areas

We got there just as they opened at 10:00 to avoid the bus tours. The Palau is an imposing stone mansion built for Joan March (1880-1962), a Mallorcan industrialist and art collector who was known as the richest man in Franco's Spain. The mansion has been transformed into an art museum with mainly 20th century works. The sculpture courtyard features statues by Rodin and Henry Moore, and inside are paintings and drawings by Salvador Dali and other Spanish artists. Although grand with lots of marble, the interior of the mansion is a bit gloomy, and we couldn't imagine anyone actually living there.

It was windy and rainy outside, but that didn't bother us because we weren't on bicycles! After the art, we retreated to bi bap for a good warming lunch and then back to the apartment where Al packed up the bikes and Eva sorted out the panniers.

We went out again in the late afternoon for another walk through the centre of the city and to check out Mallorca Puzzles, a shop we had seen this morning from the window of Fibonacci. This is a unique shop, full of topological puzzles of all shapes and sizes, made with many different kinds of materials—mainly paper, wood and metal. We bought a few small metal ones to take home for gifts. Customers can try out sample puzzles at the counter, and the helpful owner not only can solve all the puzzles, but speaks fluent German and English as well as Catalan and Spanish. The shop is well worth a visit if you're in Palma: http://www.mallorca-puzzles.com

Plaza Mercat looking toward the theatre. The leaves are now fully out on the trees.

Narrow lanes in the lower part of the old city

For dinner we returned to Tast, our favourite tapas place, and enjoyed a good selection of dishes.

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