Beautiful Palma and Cruising Contrasts

I’ve been thinking about how vastly different our European and Caribbean experiences have been. The Caribbean was all about the universe of its beautiful waters – anchoring in it, swimming in it, fishing in it, or simply just basking in it. Europe has been about the culture, the history, the art, and of course, the cuisine. Both experiences are uniquely special, but most importantly, I realize that to do each justice you could easily spend a year cruising in each place (next time ;))

One of the best parts of cruising has been arriving at a new port; there’s always that thrilling moment when we step off the boat and I know we will have a day of exploring ahead of us. So now we are in Palma, a place that offers endless wonderful opportunities for just that. Our arrival here is most significant as it will most likely be our last port of call aboard Rosario (you can imagine this has leant itself to LOTS of reflection). Walking the streets here, it is easy to forget that you are on an island. It rivals any cool metropolitan city that I have been to. My favorite is the old town with its labyrinth of cobblestone streets. David and I bought bikes and love riding them here after the shops close and we virtually have the place to ourselves. This of course always ends with an ice cream at the locals’ spot that we found where they pile it high for dirt cheap.

The cathedral is astonishingly striking inside and out and is a centerpiece for the waterfront. David says it’s one of the most beautiful that he has seen…and he has seen his share. We went to an organ recital here the other day and have been to mass a couple of times. Seeing as how I understand less than 1% of this mass given in Spanish, I sit meditatively mesmerized by the the rays of light streaming through the amazing stained glass. The Seo (as it is called) was built on the site of a preexisting Arab mosque. The story is that one night in 1229, as Jaime I was on his way to recapture Majorca, his fleet was struck by a terrible storm. He vowed then and there to the Virgin Mary that if he survived this fury, he would erect a church in her honor. After the storm had blown over, finding himself safe and sound, he immediately undertook the project. It was a vow that would take from 1230 to 1601 to fulfill!