Cruise to Campanet and Caimari

May 20, 2022

For today's ride, we chose to explore some towns in the foothills of the Tramuntana. It's another active rest day with moderate mileage and fairly flattish terrain. The temperatures are rising with each day, so we need to take this into consideration as we plan our daily routes. Today, we headed to Caimari where we plan to stop for lunch.

Our route, which I'm using Komoot to plan, follows the laneways for the most part, with a short stint along the highway. On our trip to PP one week ago in the taxi, we saw cyclists on the shoulder of the highway and I think we both looked on it with the same doubt. Now that we have been here for a week, we are far more comfortable with it. The shoulder is wide, drivers are courteous and the highway sections that we need to ride to join up the lanes are only a few kms in length. The laneways themselves are surprisingly well signed and it's also re-assuring to see other cyclists cruising along to know you are probably on the right road.

These laneways are so perfect for casual cycling.

Vineyards are interspersed with olive groves of all ages and conditions along the way. This are the Tramuntana mtns in the background.

Each small town in Mallorca has its own character and is welcoming to cyclists. Notice the bike racks? They are a simple piece of pipe that's supported on each end. Cylists lift up the rear of the bike and perch the nose of the saddle over the pipe. Each cafe has at least one. When the racks are full, walls will do just fine.

The overwhelming sense we get is that locals truly want to provide a great experience for us. It seems without special effort, which is to say we have met some wonderful, genuinely kind people in our short time here. We stopped in the placa at Campanet for fluid replacement and to people watch for a little while. The central square is an important gathering spot for people and events, a social meeting hub, for these small towns.

Restaurants and cafes located around the placa all have tables and chairs set up. This one had an organizer who saw to it that groups all got seated.

The heat was getting real by the time we got to Caimari, so we made a short stop at the cycle cafe for a water. The tiny cafe was putting out great food, but it was a little too crowded for us so we looped back and headed for PP. Luckily, there was a light breeze and as long as we were still sweating, it cooled us down quite nicely. Water is the currency for cyclists.

I have been trying to identify the trees in these photos and I think I have it sorted now. The olive trees are fairly distinctive and their trunks look to be many decades old, twisted and knarly just like some older folks. The ones in this photo with the narrower dark trunks are those of the almond trees. This ID was made today when I saw the young fuzzy almond fruits hanging from the branches. There's another type that I have yet to identify.

The slant of these almond trees tells you there's always a wind off the water from the north. It's lovely to feel the breeze as we cycle along.

The lambs have just been born. Moms are on task and babes are chasing after a meal.

Field of poppies in an overgrown field. There was an old wooden wagon (sans horse) parked at the front door of the long abandoned house, just out of this shot. The place had gone to the chickens, who happily scratched at the ground for a meal.

As we pulled up to cross this road, look who came cycling by! It was the Fenwicks who we had met with in Buger yesterday. What are the odds? Between slim and none, I'd say.

The stone walls are often adorned with flowers, heat tolerant ones. These poppies caught my eye. I did have to duck a few oncoming vehicles to get this photo, though.

Having water on board is crucial while one is riding and you do not want to ever run out. That's sometimes a challenge but shouldn't be, here on Mallorca. We are going through about 4 bottles of water each day and by the time we arrive home, a frosty glass of beer is mighty appealing. Today, we cruised directly to the bar next door to us and place our order for beer and patates bravas. Neither lasted very long as once again, our lunch didn't happen.

We both felt like pizza for dinner so after cleaning up and a short nap, we strolled the promenade and settled in for dinner. David switched up and had pa' ambol. Neither of us was able to finish our meal but they were both delicious.

The view from our hotel balcony, just as the sun was setting.

Elevation gain: 5927 metres.

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Today's ride: 59 km (37 miles)
Total: 363 km (225 miles)

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Patrick O'HaraAmazing! A place on our bucket list, too! Nice work on Sa Calobra!
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