Last days in Mallorca and the Ferry Ride to Barcelona, Spain

Two days in Palma, Mallorca

Our last two days on Mallorca were spent in Palma, the capital city.  It’s a modern city with every convenience you would expect anywhere, a lot of wealth, thousands of yachts in the harbor, and ancient buildings and cobblestone streets in the midst of it all.

One afternoon we sat outside for a drink and noticed the three men beside us were speaking English.  I interjected myself into the conversation and before long we were all sitting together.  There was Martin, who had a California accent but is originally from Denmark.  His work has taken him all over the world.  At the age of 35 he is a world citizen having lived for significant time in 6 countries.  There was Camal, a French mercenary turned hippie after 12 years of service and damage to his psyche and body.  And Leonardo, from Florence, Italy, who makes a living as a yacht captain for one of the richest women in the world.  And if he wasn’t doing that he could easily rule the world by mesmerizing women with his good looks, humor and infinite charm.  The five of us sat outside and talked for hours over beer and wine.  Lots of laughs.  Then, abruptly, things turned ugly.

We were in a Gypsy district and Camal had crossed some unknown territorial line with a Gypsy woman.  The next thing we know, the woman is screaming at him in his face.  THEN SHE SPITS IN HIS FACE.  I thought that only happened in the movies.  In what we all viewed as an act of great restraint, Camal, recoiled in disgust, spit back at her and left.  Although he was gone, she continued yelling for another 10 minutes to everyone and anyone.   And that was the abrupt end of our time together.  And our introduction to Gypsies.  After this we learned what some people think about Gypsies in Spain and it’s not good.

Leonardo and Jamie with the Palma Catherdral in the background.

The next day, Leonardo called us to get together and we met in the old town.  He SHARED his time with us.  We shared some drinks and he told us about Italy.  The more he told the higher the destination went on my list.  And he offered us a place to stay in his apartment there which he says is near Pisa and on the coast.  We slept on it.  And this morning, Jamie’s birthday, we both said “Let’s do it!” even though it is a diversion from our plan to be on the camino in a couple days.  There are logistics that may or may not work out for it to happen.  We’ll see.  But this is exactly the kind of interaction I hoped for when I traveled.  I love meeting people and learning about where they come from and how they get through life.  And in the case of these three men, learning how they have mixed their adventurous ways with their career.

While in Palma, we stayed in a room rented out by a family that lives in the apartment also.  It was a great setup at a price that couldn’t be beat – just 16 euros a night.   If you need a place to stay, we highly recommend visiting Enrique in Palma.

The Ferry Ride to Barcelona, Spain

Today, we are on a ferry going from Palma, Mallorca to Barcelona.  The trip takes about six hours and it’s not for the easily seasick.  The boat sways big-time. It’s hard to imagine that this is the same clear turquoise water that we’ve seen on the shore.  Now it’s dark, cold, and slate gray.  The trip costs about 46 euros each through Balearia.  Another adventure.

The cold and scary side of the Mediterranean!