A Day in Palma

Monday 4 June 2007
Today I decided to stay in Palma. One of my main objectives was to find out where I could reserve a spot in a tour of the patios of Palma. I had hoped to find out at the city hall in Plaça Cort, but wandered through some streets I had not been down on my way there. I stopped at Foracorda, a store that sold climbing gear to look for some kind of rain gear. All the people on the hike to Cala Bóquer had some kind of rain protection. I was looking through the rain coats to find something cheap that would fit. Most of the jackets were in the range of 200 to 300 euros. That was more than I wanted to spend, especially since I have several at home. A clerk came to help me and showed me a jacket for 130 euros. I told him that I was looking for something cheaper because I had other jackets at home. He went into the back of the store and brought out 2 very nice Gore-Tec jackets and told me I could have one for 10 Euros and the other for 15 euros. I bought the 10 euro jacket and was very pleased with my find.

I wandered into Llibreria Jaume de Montso', a bookstore near Plaça L'Oliver' and found several books on the plants of Mallorca, one for 7 euros and the other for 11 euros. I bought both of them. One of them was in English, the other in Catalan. There were several others in Catalan as well. I finally arrived in Plaça Cort several hours after I had left Angel´s apartment. I asked a policeman where I could buy a ticket to a tour of he patios of Palma. He sent me to an office of tourist information on Calle Sant Domingo, only a block away. There I was able to buy the ticket and get information on other tours and events in Palma. Next door to that office I found a map store where I spent about 20 euros on maps and books. By now it was almost 1400 and the stores were closing, so I decided to explore a nearby part of town I had not seen yet. I headed west on the old city wall, crossed Torrent de sa Riera, actually nothing more than a dressed up flood channel. I found a nice park with fountains and other water features on the west side of the Torrent and a modern art museum, Museu Es Baluard, on the east side. I found an archaeological site with interpretive signs, and stopped for a Mallorcan lunch at Café Coto in Plaça Drassana at 1700. I drank a pint of beer with a salad that included bread, goat cheese, and preserves made of loquats. In Calle Boteria I saw a couple painting flowers and plants on the front of a building. I asked a lady watching them if she was going to open a buisness there. She told me she was going to open a restaurant in 2 weeks. This part of town has some nice hotels and several Irish pubs. I bought some chicken thighs on my way back to Angel´s apartment, and cooked it in an oriental sauce.

Angel got home at 2100 and we left to meet Ana and David at a very fancy restaurant in the southwestern part of the city, Portals Nous I believe. There were lots of luxury yachts in the marina. Angel recommended that I order the shoulder of lamb. It was excellent.