Majorca por la fin de semana

Andrea (in yellow) and Sam (plaid)

September really was a month of traveling for me. I arrived back in Madrid and spent just one night in my apartment (the second night I had spent there ever) before heading out for my next adventure: the island of Majorca, Spain. Originally I was invited on this trip by two friends from my Spanish classes, Andrea and Sam. They mentioned that it was a birthday trip for another girl in my class, Jasmine, and that because we were supposed to be in mandatory meetings for work the last week of September it had to be a quick trip. Though we later learned that the meeting was optional (yay for more travel time!), it meant that when most of us booked our tickets, it was only for a few days. Either way, while I was planning, I thought it would be a nice change from solo travel to meet up with a big group for a long weekend before heading back to work.

Sam, Andrea, and all booked the same flights so we met up at the airport early Thursday morning. We were the first to arrive and consequently were in charge of checking into the air b&b that the whole group (which was supposed to be 10 people) had rented. When we arrived mid-morning, the b&b owner wasn't there. After hanging out on the steps of a building we didn't have keys for we found out it was going to be a few hours before he could come let us in. Problematic. Our solution? Go to the beach!

Beach just a five minute walk from our air b&b

You would think after my time in Portugal and Greece I would have been sick of everything that had to do with being near the ocean. In reality, I still loved every minute of it. ¡Me encanta la playa!

We were able to check in a few hours later and get settled. There was one minor miscommunication with our host who seemed to think we owed him a 300 euro deposit in cash that we definitely didn't have, but once we resolved that (by basically ignoring to problem completely) our weekend getaway was ready to begin. More of our group arrived later that evening, and by the next morning all eight of us that ended up coming were there.

Looking out towards the coming storm

Most of our weekend was spent walking the shoreline, laying in the sand, playing in the water, and generally getting to catch up/know each other. Everyone had spent the last two weeks traveling so had stories to share over .98 cent bottles of wine that we picked up at the local supermarket. The workers there must have thought we were crazy by the end of the weekend because people from our group took so many trips to that little shop. And not all of them were for cheap wine! This was the first time any of us had really had a kitchen since moving to Spain so it was a relief (especially for our wallets!) to be able to cook a little for ourselves again. Sam, Andrea, and I made some grilled cheeses with tomatoes and avocado that were absolutely to die for and most everyone got together add did a big spaghetti feed one night.

Elaine's question

One of the days, while walking along the coast, we ended up being part of a public art project. It was called the Question Project and the premise was that you could ask the artists any question you wanted. Then the artists put up some of their favorite questions on a giant sign by the beach. We all wrote down questions and one of the girls in our group had her question chosen. I wanted to know if the artist would be willing to sacrifice the people they love for their work. I didn't get an answer but we did have a fun time talking to the artists while they drank beer and changed the sign.

Another highlight of the weekend was the afternoon that Elaine and I decided that the weather was not warm enough to stay at the beach. Instead of hanging out in the b&b we ventured out towards the city on foot. Though our b&b was in a prime location for spending time at the beach and getting to the airport quickly, it wasn't ideal for the sight seeing that is available on Majorca. The public transportation is not particularly good there and cabs are a bit expensive so we decided to walk the three miles to the first place we wanted to go.

We almost made it before the rain hit. Almost. It started to sprinkle at first but after a few minutes of teasing us, it flat out poured. Now I usually a pretty good at packing--some people even say I'm an over-packer--but I had forgotten a raincoat. Elaine was smarter than me and brought one but even with that we were both getting soaked. We popped first into a souvenir shop (where I paid way too much money for a poncho), but the owner decided to close, for obvious reasons, so we were back out into the mess.

The cobblestone roads were literally running with water at this point. People were hiding under doorway ledges and holding anything they could find over their heads. They must have thought we were nuts as we ran through the puddles in the vague direction of our destination.

Then we spotted it. A tiny, inviting looking bar with wine bottles in the window. We made a strangely dramatic entrance-- soaking wet, flustered, and unsure if we were going to be kicked out for the first two descriptions. The bartender was a bit shocked at our entrance but gestured us towards and table and asked us what we wanted to drink. Ordering was more complicated than in other places in Spain. I have been learning Castilian-- so the Spanish they use in most of Spain that is different than the Spanish used in Mexico-- but the Spanish used on Majorca has a slightly different accent. In addition, the area we were staying also has a high population of German speakers and tourists so many people who live there also speak German. So when the bartender realized that neither Elaine nor I understood his Majorcan accented Spanish, he switched to German. I ordered us each a glass or red wine in German, which would have been fine, but then he though we spoke fluent German, which I definitely do not. But we managed and ended up having a great conversation with the two gentleman at the table next to ours. One of them was a landlord for some inherited property in Italy and had visited over 80 countries! I want his life!

Once the rain subsided Elaine and I finished our wine, promised the bartender a TripAdvisor review, and headed back out. We visited the Palma Cathedra and the Royal Palace of La Almudaina. Though both were very beautiful and interesting, it was almost more fun getting caught in the rain. Our final stop after taking some photos at each spot was a little bakery to taste the famous Ensaimadas, which are a delicious pastry with various fillings inside. 
The last evening on Majorca a small group of us went down to a beach-side restaurant to share a pitcher of sangria and dinner. Even though the weather had been questionable all day, it was still nice to feel a slight ocean breeze as we chatted and ate. Since most of us had 6 AM flights the next day, it seemed like the best way to spend our last few hours on Majorca was with a few card card games and a couple bottles of wine. Though I did manage a quick nap before having to get up for the flight, I was incredibly happy to embrace the Spanish cultural tradition of siesta by the time I got home.

September 22nd-25th, 2016