Escape to Mallorca, Part 2

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We departed Lluc headed for Port de Pollenca, where we planned on finding accomodations for the night. The drive was down an extremely windy road, much like the highway we traversed to get to Lluc. This does provide for a lot of beautiful vistas, even if they come on sharp corners with heavily-dented guard rails that pitch over thousand-plus foot high cliffs that cause my wife to grab the "covert oh-s#!t handle" (the one that's attached to the armrest in the door). The fading light provides some nice orange hues on the high rock walls of the Serra de Tramuntana.

We arrive in Port de Pollenca with the days last light and "pahk the cah". Our first mission is to find a room, which we do at Hostal Corro, on the main drag that leads into town. The room is one of the nicer hostel rooms I've been in, with a sink, three beds and a couple of dressers. All for 36 euro.

The only "dissapointment" (and its hard to really call it dissappointing considering that we have a clean room in a resort town for an inexpensive price) is that our window looks out into an open-air shaft built into the building. It does mean that the sun will not rouse us in the morning, but still less than optimal.

We wander down to the beach front, which is largely deserted and quiet. The "Let's Go" tour guide did say that this place was classier (meaning less raucous?) than Port d'Alcudia. We stop at Cafe 1919 for a beer before looking for a proper restaurant for dinner. The sense of off-season really hits you as you wander through streets full of empty and darkened bars and restaurants. The evening is cool, clear and quiet.

We stroll into the main plaza in the town, where we find Restaurant Maxim which serves as an excellent place for dinner. It is pricey, so whatever euro we saved by staying in the Hostal, we spend here. I have lamb shoulder and Bethany also has some lamb; we are prompted to make jokes about the multitude of sheep that we have seen throughout the day.

We are beat. We finish dinner, get back to the hotel and promptly pass out.

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Sunday, 13 FEB 05

I am up by 0830. I put on my running clothes, MP3 and glasses. It's 60 degrees, sunny, with a good deal of wind. I run down the main drag to the "boardwalk", and then along the boardwalk for a bit, before turning inland and following the main road out of Port de Pollenca for Formentor. I make it a kilometer up the hill, when I decide to go off road and climb to the ridgeline. I am now climbing above a hawk that is soaring on the thermals and some ferral goats.

At the ridgeline, I grab a piece of rock and sit and enjoy the view. Its a beautifully clear day. I can see down over the Badia de Pollenca and down past Alcudia. There are some great views back up into the Serra de Tramuntana towards Lluc, and I can see the Serra de Calicant off to the southeast. I am calm. This is what I needed. This place is so far away from work, and Giessen and stress. I have decompressed.

I take off back down the hill, back along the boardwalk, back up the main drag and back to the hostal. I shower, change and go to breakfast while I let Bethany sleep in. after breakfast I stumble back into the plaza and see a beautiful old church that we hadn't noticed the night before.

At 1130 we depart the hostal, stop for coffee at the Cafe 1919. The place is packed. At least the Cafe 1919 feels like its in the throngs of tourist season, even if everywhere else is deserted.

We drive up the road to Formentor. Where the road peaks on the ridgeline, we stop to take pitures. The view is truly breath-taking; I am at a loss for breath as I marvel at the jagged rocky cliffs that pierce the oceans and stand resolutely at this point in the Med. Of course, the wind does its part.

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