Palma de Mallorca - Details

In a comment to yesterday post, RuneE asked for some details. Understandingly from a photo blogger with professional equipment and more focused on the photography than describing experience and environment and document the text as I see it.
Nevertheless some details can be presented.The temperature at the marketplace in Soller, and the old Majorcan resting in the shadow below.The decoration over the main entrance to La Seu:and below here, parts of other facades and doors in the streets of Palma:

If entering the patios behind the front door different staircases can be found.The reception at our dinner restaurant:
At last and as a special tribute to GundaM and her "wreckage" or "drifting timber" found at her seashore. They sell your products in Palma too.

Palma de Mallorca - Street strolling

Strolling Palma de Mallorca street after street without having focus on all the shops, may be tiring if you do not look up and see all the beautiful houses and facades around avenues, plazas and corners.
Below the castle and La Seu the entrance to the city starts with S´Hort del Rei. After Passeig des Born and Plaza J. Carlos I, you find the entrance to La Rambla guarded by statues.The shopping street Jaume III (going west from plaza J.Carlos I ) has these spectacular arcades that give you a covered walk along the shops on both sides protected from the heavy trafic.

The streets closer to Plaza Major have many interesting buildings from the Art Nouveau / Jugend style period. Strolling in the Old city gives you a much more narrow view and the photo below is from the walls outside the Arab Baths.
Before the circle once more is closed, you have the possibility to use your tele lenses and catch a view of the more "modern" style buildings at Passeig Maritim, and beyond that the Castello del Bellver.

Palma de Mallorca - Culinary delights

As mentioned yesterday Mercat de l´Olivar is the main food market in Palma de Mallorca. Visit the indoor mall in the morning. Meat, vegetables, fruit and cheese are lined up in separate stalls in a delicious presentation with good documentation of type, quality and prices.
The Serrano cured ham is sold in a variety of prices and the top quality is called Jamón ibérico or pata negra,
Fresh vegetables (see fruits in yesterday post) are lined up and not covered in plastic as we see in ordinary supermarkets.
In gardens the lemon trees are carrying mature fruits, and if traveling by train from Soller the track goes through lemon farmland.
Lunch menus are normally standardized and pastas, pizzas, tortillas and salads can be found all over the island and cities. The salad portions are large with mixed lettuce and tasteful sauces. Recommendation goes to Salad Roquefort and Spanish Omelet.
In public areas entertainment (and begging?) are normal, and we were surprised of the quality by the performers. No "Rose of Donau" on Accordion in Palma as we are more than fed up with here in Oslo
After lunch visit some of the small specialist shops selling Sobrasada, a Majorcan sausage, and a typical Spanish Mediterranean product. This one is located in C. St Domingo 5.
Tapas is the name of a wide variety of appetizers you can get at almost all bars and restaurants. Instead of peanuts and olives Tapas can be taken together with a drink on your way to your dinner restaurant. Forn des Teatre became our "local" during these days.
Tourists are normally recommended to visit the Sa Llotja area of Palma, crammed with (international) restaurants, bars and clubs offering live music from flamenco to jazz to blues. Many stay open until 3pm or 4pm, although officially 2pm is wind-down time.
We found "our place" not far from the hotel. At Celler sa Premsa you can have suckling pig or shoulder of lamb which are culinary delights.

Palma de Mallorca - Highly recommended

From Tuesday to Saturday last week we spent 5 days and 4 nights in the Capital of the Balleares, Palma de Mallorca. I have been to Mallorca before (early 70s (six consecutive years), same hotel (Sofia), same time (end August), same people (Germans, Swedes, Danes and some housewives from Lillehammer and Orkdal, Norway)), but never had more than a short visit to Plaza Promilla (Gomilla) in Palma.
After last week I highly recommend those of you who are in favor of spending long weekends or a few days on city holidays to put Ciutat Palma de Mallorca on your shortlist.

Taking almost 180 photos I have to decide which to be presented each days to come, but start this Monday with what covers most "to be seen". At the top you see La Seu, the cathedral.The Cathedral area with the royal castle is huge but I recommend a walk along the old walls and Parc de la Mar with extension to the west and Passeig Maritim.When tired of walking and looking at boats and yachts with their owners or crew with friends:you may take public bus no 1 back to the centre up the Passeig Mallorca with the beautiful channel and bridges:Shopping is a natural part of city vacations. The streets are full of shops and boutiques for every budgets and tastes. I believe Jaume III have more exclusive brands, but after passing Plaza Joan Carlos I with Loewe, Zara and H&M, you can enter the narrow streets toward Plaza Major.Do not forget to stop for a coffee or a drink (with some Tapas?) at some of the lovely places you may find.On the other side of Plaza Major (outdoor lunch area with good and reasonable prizes) continue through Carrier de Saint Miguel to Plaza d´Espana where all busses and trains can be found. On this stroll do not miss the Mercat de l´Olivar with food beautiful presented.At Plaza d´Espana the modern underground station (train and busses) can take you to Valldemossa for a concert based on Friedrich Chopins works and after a spectacular journey on narrow roads along the western coast and Deia you reach Soller with the city tram.In Valldemossa at La Cartoixa you may find a gallery with some of Juan Miro´s works, but this below is from the newest museum in the city (c de San Miguel), Es Baluard:Nightlife in Palma is in this post only limited to a photo of Grand Hotel.

From shopping to farming

The gap between two worlds is sometimes only hours and an airplane.
From Carrier de Saint Miguel in Palma de Mallorca where the "black belt in shopping" can be conducted with elegance, credit cards and high heals, to the spring activity at our summer residence in working habit where last year leaves are removed.
My wife is extremely competent in both worlds.
I am indeed more relaxed when a cold beer is to my disposal. This pint disappeared in Soller, Mallorca where the temperature on Thursday reached +33 C during lunchtime.

Today´s flower goes to Palma de Mallorca

Returning from a short visit to Palma de Mallorca (don´t be surprised for the posts coming up next days) my Sunday flowers this week go to the Flower street "Las Ramblas."
Palma is highly recommended.

Warm and lazy

Palma de Mallorca is å town to visit end April