Ik blijf het maar zeggen: Mallorca is niet bepaald een bestemming die op mijn lijstje stond. Het beeld wat ik er van had was dat het vooral een soort feesteiland met dronken Nederlandse jeugd en Duitse bejaarden zou zijn. Wel had ik op het internet een paar mooie plaatjes gevonden, dus met een dubbel gevoel stapte ik in het vliegtuig. Uiteindelijk bleek Mallorca een enorme verrassing te zijn! Ja, het is er toeristisch, het is absoluut geen ‘hidden gem’. Maar alsnog viel het me reuze mee en viel het me vooral op hoe ontzettend kleurrijk de steden zijn, wat voor waanzinnig mooie planten er overal staan, de felgekleurde bloemen die overal in grote bossen hangen, de schattige straatkatjes, de overvolle balkonnetjes, de mooie oude kerken, de schattige treintjes en trammetjes, de bergen, de oude smalle straatjes, ik kan er eeuwig over doorgaan. Ik vond het verbazingwekkend genoeg een heel inspirerende plek: overal zag ik wel een mooi plaatje. Zoveel kleur!
We verbleven in een hostel wat gesitueerd was in een oud klooster in Palma de Mallorca, een ideale plek om dagtripjes te doen naar stadjes als Valldemossa en Sóller, maar ook om de minder toeristische plekjes in Palma te ontdekken. We huurden fietsen, lagen aan het strand (met allemaal naakte oude mannetjes tussen de rotsen, gezellig), aten heel veel ijsjes, ik smeekte mijn reisgenoot om foto’s van me te maken (nee, meer zo, nee rechtop, ja dit moet zo! etc.), deden overal langer over omdat ik natuurlijk overal foto’s moest maken (bedankt voor je eeuwige geduld Janne!), vergaapten ons aan de mooie kleuren en planten en misschien nog wel meer aan de zinderende hitte. Er was daar namelijk net op dat moment een hittegolf, het was de hele zomer nog niet zo warm geweest. En laat ik het nou net heel slecht doen in warmte… Een uitdaging was het wel! Note to self: alleen nog maar in de winter naar het zuiden afreizen.
Maar het was er prachtig en ik heb er boven verwachting veel foto’s geschoten. Hier alvast een klein voorproefje :) Meer komt snel!
P.S. Ik was zo enthousiast dat ik nou eindelijk eens mijn layout/foto’s wat groter heb gemaakt. Als het goed is schaalt ie dit allemaal bij naar kleinere schermen. Als het iets langer duurt om te laden: sorry!
English: Mallorca was never high on my to go list, in fact, it wasn’t on the list at all! But this time I was traveling with a friend and after lots of thinking we decided to go to Mallorca. Mallorca, again a place that was never on my list. I always thought of Dutch drunk youth and elderly Germans when I thought of that island. But there were some nice pictures on Pinterest that eventually persuade me… And I’m glad I did! It turned out to be such a surprise with all the cute colourful houses, the narrow old alleys, aaaaaall the plants, gosh, so many gorgeous plants, the flowers, the overflowing balconies, the kitties on the street, the beautiful churches, the mountains, the cliffs, the old trams… I could go on and on. Everywhere I looked it seems I found a nice picture: it was definitely an inspiring place to me. So much colour!
We stayed in an old-convent-turned-into-hostel in the biggest city Palma de Mallorca, the ideal place to discover (non touristy) Palma itself but also nearby cities like Valldemossa and Sóller. We hired bikes, lay on the beach (with some naked old man hidden in the rocks haha, this sounds creepier than it was), did some touristy bus tour, ate a lot of ice cream, I took a thousand pictures of plants, begged my travel buddy endlessly to take some pictures of me exactly the way I wanted to (thanks for your patience Janne!), we were in awe of the beautiful colours and plants and maybe even more of the blistering heat, ha. We were right in the middle of a heat wave, which was kinda unbearable at times. I’m not so good in hot weather, that’s why I always travel North. Give me grey skies, rain and cold any time!
Anyhow, Mallorca was incredibly hot but it also sure was beautiful and colourful. So here are a few pictures to begin with, there will definitely follow a few more posts soon!
This is my ‘it burns usssss’ face.
Drawing by my travel buddy Janne!
Janne says
Ik heb weer genoten! Trots! X
sarie_gamgee says
I always find it so funny when tourists go crazy about the bougainvilleas! Many houses in Mallorca (including mine) have some climbing over their patios or façades, but it must look so exotic for you northeners, haha. Same with the prickly pear cactus, did you eat any? (the fruit I mean, not the cactus) :D
Palma has so many ugly places (and nice houses with so many cables on their façades, like the one in your picture) but so many gorgeous spots too… is the alley where the old lady is sitting there? Did you see old people sitting and chatting in the street at night? (everyone used to do that when I was a kid, but now few people do it and only in villages, as far as I know) It’s such a charming tradition!
No matter how many times I’ve seen it, Formentor is stunning… and Valldemossa is one of my favourite places on Earth, ngl.
ps. love Jane’s drawing, did you go inside the cathedral in the end?
Angélica says
They’re just so gorgeous, you don’t see them around here! I remember seeing them in Lisbon as well, so pretty. And the colour is so vibrant! I just loved all the flowers all around Mallorca haha. And the huuuuge cacti and succulents, you definitely don’t see those around here. Fascinating! I didn’t have any cactus fruit, I’ve had it before though here at home but I didn’t really like it.
The picture with the old lady is in… ahh Alcudia! (Had to Google the name haha) I remember seeings lot of old ladies haha, also at night and soooo many dogs. Everyone in Palma seems to have a small dog. And we saw a few catladies who seemed to just feed stray cats. We were wondering if people in Mallorca even keep cats or if they’re just always out and about?
Formentor was gorgeous yes! And I really really loved Valldemossa, was a stunning place. And all the flowers aah <3 We did went into the cathedral, just for a little while. It was beautiful but I mostly liked the outside haha.
sarie_gamgee says
You loved the flowers… and you came in summer, when most fields are dry and yellow. Imagine how beautiful they are in spring! :D The bouganvillea flowers in summer but it depends, the one at my parents’ was already half dry in August, woe.
I clearly need to get a few cacti to put at home and in my balcony, maybe those wouldn’t die while I’m away (even my rosemary died this summer, and it’d been with me for years).
Alcudia! I knew that street looked familiar, one of my classmates at school moved there so I’d visit every now and then (her house was on one of those pedestrian streets). There are lots of old ladies in Mallorca, yes! And true, everyone in Palma seems to have small dogs, but people in villages have bigger ones so they can guard houses (they have space to run about too).
About cats, I’d say few people have them at home here? Maybe in big cities (idk about Palma), but in smaller towns cats are always out and about. Back when I was a kid we had several, but no one neutered them so we ended up with 11 kittens at one point. Cats never stayed long, though… (which was sad but everyone knew it was life)
The inside of the cathedral isn’t as beautiful as the outside, but I’m fond of the Gaudi lamps and the new works by Barcelo… it looks quite weird, though! :D
Angélica says
Ah I know, but my friend had to go on holiday in September so there was no other option. But I’ve been to Japan in spring with all the beautiful cherry blossoms so you can’t have it all I guess haha.
Ooh cacti will probably survive yeah! I saw so many balconies full with succulents and cacti, so awesome! Maybe I’ll put some on mine next summer :)
So many cats! That explains everything haha.
Anouck Plume says
Ik zag al een hele hoop op Instagram voorbij komen, waaaaaah wat een mooie plaatjes zeg! Heel kleurrijk inderdaad. Krijg er meteen zin van om op reis te gaan.
sammie says
Prachtige plaatjes! Mooi dat het daar allemaal zo mooi in bloei stond!
Die groene luiken voor de ramen heb ik in Italië ook heel veel gezien, grappig.
Mylene says
Die straatjes! Ik denk dat ik daar nog best wel gelukkig zou worden :)