Walk, eat pizza, snooze & swim

Peter chops up a fresh pineapple for breakfast today, washed down with coffee. We prepare for the 5km walk to Playa de Palma that lies ahead. It is hot already but we ready to go. 

We walk south-east from Molinar towards Aranel, which is the resort and beach area where the German tourists hang out. The British head the other way to Magaluf which is south-west of Palma. We will be going to neither. 

Where we swim in Molinar - by the obelisk

We pass pleasant beach scenes as we walk and the sun gets hotter. There aren't many people out and about yet but the beach loungers await them under little thatched umbrellas when they do come. 

By the time we reach an area called Cala Gamba we are parched and have a pit stop at a little bar with  blue walls, a friendly waitress and cold beer. 

We continue towards Playa de Palma and the walk takes us through Es Canatge - it means "bait" in English and got this name due to the skinning and boning of animal corpses which went on here until the end of the 19th century. The skins were used for all sorts of things and the bones for soap. 

It's a coastal area full of fossil beaches of great geological and paleontological interest - hence it has been declared an area of Special Natural Interest. The landscape itself is a bit of a dry wasteland but every so often there's an old ruin to be intrigued by. There are walkers and cyclists about, navigating the various trails. 

The area borders the busy airport runway where planes either take off or land literally every 2 minutes. 

If you've forgotten what being underneath a soaring plane looks, feels or sounds like, take a look and listen.

On round the coast we go, past beaches and resort hotels and restaurants and some very lovely homes. We are hot and growing wearier with each step, but we know that a late lunch of pizza and beer lies ahead. It keeps us going.

We make it to Playa de Palma and have most definitely earned our lunch at l'artista pizzeria. Beers are ordered without further ado and the breeze is welcome. Pizzas are ordered and devoured - anchovy, capers, artichoke, jambon, mushrooms, cheese - all good things are on this menu, it's hard to decide. 

YUM!!!

The pizzas are delicious. A taxi home is in order - none of us would have made it home, we would have conked out half way or even melted into the pavement. We are in need of a siesta and swim pronto!

I sleep for about an hour and wake around 5ish feeling revitalised and ready to swim. The sea is smoother than it has been. It is warm and wonderful and welcome. 

Jill & Peter's street from the beach - they're up on the left.

Back home, Peter pours a G&T and J&P have a jacuzzi while I do some work and blogging. We then head up to the roof terrace for wine and local pate and cheese as the sun sets and the moon rises. Another perfect day in this little slice of Spanish paradise comes to a close. 

OBSERVATION OF THE DAY:
The Germans may love Aranel, the British may go en masse to Magaluf and others may sojourn in Palma - but when in Mallorca I am based in Molinar in the middle of it all, yet away from it all. With a beach at one end of the street and the No. 35 bus at the other, it is the perfect location to experience all the fabulosity that Mallorca offers. 

On other trips I have been to Port de Soller (lovely coastal village) and Valldemossa (gorgeous hillside town), Bodega Jose L Ferrer (fab winery), Santanyi (charming village) and the unique and beautiful Cala S'Almunia (also known as "the wrong beach" - and that's another story!) 

All these destinations require hiring a car but for my 2022 trip we are using our legs, taxis and the No. 35 bus route!! Many people cycle, roller blade, skateboard and scooter around the place but not us. We are, however, always on the lookout for them so we are not wiped out by small-wheeled speedsters!