Mallorca Spain

#MallorcaMajorcaSpain
Mallorca (Latin for larger island) is one of Spain Balearic Islands located in
 the Mediterranean Sea

 Interesting Fact
 Why the waters here are so clear, the seabed are rich in sea grass which oxygenate plus
clarifies the water.
This stop brings me to the Capital City of Palma (430,000 citizens) 
 
KeyTip;
The City Council has worked out a deal with local business owners to create Free Tour Palma
It gets you access for either a one or two hour free tours that all visiting tourists can take advantage of
this great idea by the local government

 

Santa Maria Cathedral
Started in 1229 and completed in 1601, it is one of the largest Gothic
Churches in Spain

Interesting Stuff;
  The rosette has over 1200 pieces of colored glass plus you will see many gargoyles and grotesques on the churches exterior, which is decorative but also it channels away the rainwater

KeyTip
On Fridays there is free admission for the local residents so i bigger crowd.
 So keep that in mind if you so decide to buy a entrance fee, plus please remember there
is a dress code 

Perfect Weather
Palma has over 300 days of sunshine per year with the average temperature of 21C (72F)
hence why millions of tourists visit here each year

Ancient Hidden History
I am sure something profound was written on this wall but it is to weather-beaten to read, but knowing that the Romans founded this area in 2nd Century BC i am certain of that

Local Style
Most of the cities architecture is of the Modernista and Art Nouveau that was created
in the early 20th century 

Bicycle Mecca

As i look for a Bike Rental Shop
Mallorca welcomes tens of thousands of cyclists each year for both professional training and like myself (after retirement of competitions) leisurely biking

Sa Calobra Route
Because of the challenging terrain its a favorite area for the both, with this
 the most feared 
 Its a 10km (6 miles) ride that takes you down the side of a mountain, 
 has 26 hair pin turns plus the final 2km (1.2 miles) which becomes very steep climb,
just to keep things interesting 😉

KeyTip
There is generally a professional photographer on the route to capture those images for you,
which can be purchased online

Religious Archives & Relics
As like many older religious buildings across Spain they hold their "secrets"
 such as the claim of an authentic Holy Grail and other Architectural Oddities 

 Priest Holes
They were old houses connected to the Church to hide them during
times of persecution

Culinary Paradise
I am heading to one of 2,500+  diners that serve fresh seafood, rice
dishes and tapas with 11 of those Restaurants that are in the Michelin Guide

 Foodie Fun
 The famous spicy sausage sobrasada and sweet pastry ensaimada are not made outside the
island of Mallorca but here, so better get your hunger ready 

The Michelin Star Early History
To inspire road trips (in the 1900s) and then of course wear down their tires, the brothers created a free guide book with maps, repair tips, gas station locations, hotels and of course restaurants

Anonymous Inspectors
They would eat out up to ten times per week, travel constantly and pay for their own meals to keep
 the reviews unbiased
I single inspector never decides the star rating system, as its multiple people that would visit at different times and then as a group decides the restaurants "fate"

Today
For every star the eating establishment receives, it can boost revenues 20 to 40%,
so highly coveted but also stressful for the owner(s) to maintain the standard

Local Dialects
Spanish and Catalan are the co-official languages here, but what i noticed in the high tourist
traffic areas there is a lot of English spoken 

 Dragon Caves
As i make my way to the famous grotto

Cuevas del Drach
From the Latin word "draco" meaning dragon

According to local legend, the fierce dragon was to guard the hidden treasures that belonged
to the pirates
The complex is actually made up of four main interconnected caves, which then runs
 out to the sea

Cave Facts
A) A tradition that started in 1935 that has a live musical quartet (two violins, cello and harmonium) that play on a small illuminated boat
B) Jules Verne was in awe of the caves and mentioned them in his novel
 Clovis Dardentor
C) Special electric lighting system was installed here by the same Catalan engineer (Carles Buigas) who also designed the magical fountains of Montjuic in Barcelona